BATTLE MOUNTAIN, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has completed its Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Robertson Mine Project, located in the Shoshone Range of Lander County.
Nevada Gold Mines, LLC, the company behind the project, plans to explore and mine approximately 5,990 acres, with an estimated 4,177 acres of surface disturbance on public lands.
If approved, the Robertson Mine Project would include three open pits, haul roads, a waste rock facility, a heap leach facility, and various ancillary facilities, some of which would be shared with the nearby Cortez Mine.
The mine is expected to operate daily for about 12 years, with reclamation activities beginning in phases during the life of the mine.
Full reclamation would be completed within three years after the mine's closure.
“The Final EIS is a testament to the hard work of the interdisciplinary team from multiple agencies,” said Jon Sherve, Battle Mountain District Manager. “We’re grateful for the public’s participation in considering and commenting on the proposed project. Their input resulted in a more robust environmental analysis.”
The BLM conducted the environmental review in close collaboration with Tribal, federal, state, and local governments, as well as national and local stakeholders.
A significant focus of the analysis was the protection of cultural resources. The BLM worked closely with several Tribal entities, including the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, Ely Shoshone Tribe, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone, and Yomba Shoshone Tribe, to evaluate potential effects on culturally significant sites.
A Notice of Availability for the Final EIS was published in the Federal Register on October 4, 2024, marking the beginning of a 30-day public review period. The review period will end on November 4, 2024, after which the BLM will issue a final decision.
For more information, the Final EIS is available through the BLM National NEPA Register.