WINNEMUCCA - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Winnemucca District, Black Rock Field Office has announced the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Hycroft Mine Expansion Project proposed in Humboldt and Pershing counties.
The BLM will issue a final decision after a minimum of 30 days.
Hycroft Resources and Development, Inc., proposes to expand their existing open pit gold mine operation and associated disturbance to 5,895 acres, which includes 2,172 acres of new surface disturbance.
The existing open pit operation and associated disturbance would be increased by 2,057 acres, from 1,371 acres of public land to 3,428 acres of public land. Disturbance on private land controlled by HRDI would be increased 115 acres from 1,692 acres to 1,807 acres. The additional acreage in the project boundary would be used for exploration. The proposed project would extend the mine life approximately 12 years and provide approximately 537 jobs.
A Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS for the Proposed Hycroft Mine Expansion was published in the Federal Register on Jan. 27, 2012. Seventy-nine comment letters were received during a 45-day period. The majority of the comments centered on the economic benefits of the project. There were five comment letters that included concerns on impacts to dark skies, public access roads, impacts to water and air, Native American sites and cultural resources, and the proximity to the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon-Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area.
These comments were considered and addressed in Chapter 8 (Public Involvement) of the Final EIS. No changes to the analysis resulted in response to public comments, only the addition of clarifying text or minor corrections.
A range of alternatives was considered in developing the draft EIS, and two alternatives were analyzed; the proposed action and the no-action alternative. The BLM has determined that the Preferred Alternative is the Proposed Action as outlined in Chapter 2 of the EIS, with the inclusion of the identified recommended mitigation measures to the Proposed Action as specified in Chapter 3 of the EIS.
A Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Hycroft Mine Expansion Project, Humboldt and Pershing Counties, Nevada, was published in the Federal Register on July 6, 2012.
For further information contact: Kathleen Rehberg, by telephone at (775) 623-1500, by mail at BLM Black Rock Field Office, 5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca NV 89445-2921 or via e-mail at wfoweb@nv.blm.gov. E-mail messages should include "Hycroft FEIS (Rehberg)" in the subject line.
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