Notice of Intent of Hycroft Mine Expansion-Phase 2 Environmental Impact Statement

Winnemucca, Nev. - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Winnemucca District (WD), Black Rock Field Office, published a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Hycroft Mine Expansion Project- Phase 2, Humboldt and Pershing Counties, Nev. in the Federal Register on December 30, 2014.

Hycroft Resources and Development Inc.'s proposal includes expanding the Plan boundary to the east; constructing and operating the Northeast Tailings Storage Facility and associated pipeline corridor and haul road; expanding the existing Brimstone pit; and constructing a 60 to 85 mile long 345kV power-line route. Disturbance on public land will increase by 8,796 acres, from 4,360 acres to 13,156 acres. Disturbance on private land would not increase and would be 1,753 acres. Total public and private land disturbance would be 14,909 acres.

Issues expected to be analyzed in the EIS include potential impacts to visual, wildlife, and cultural resources. The EIS will also analyze the potential for an acidic mine pit lake, waste rock, heap leach or pit walls to produce acid rock drainage or heavy metals. Other resources that will be analyzed include the following: air quality, environmental justice, geology and minerals, invasive species, lands and reality, Native American religious concerns, paleontology, range management, recreation, social and economic values, threatened, endangered, candidate and sensitive species, vegetation, soils, and wilderness.

A range of alternatives would be developed to address any issues identified during public scoping. Mitigating measures will be considered to minimize environmental impacts and to assure the proposed action does not result in unnecessary or undue degradation of public lands.

Federal, state, local agencies, Native American tribes, and other individuals or organizations that may be interested in or affected by BLM’s decision on the Hycroft Mine Phase 2 Expansion Project are invited to participate in the scoping process with respect to this EIS.

The BLM will hold three public open-houses on the proposal at the following locations:

• January 20, 2015, 5-7 p.m.
Hyatt Place
1790 East Plumb Lane
Reno, Nevada

• January 21, 2015, 5-7 p.m.
Lovelock Community Center
Rochester Room
820 6TH Street
Lovelock, Nevada

• January 22, 2015, 5-7 p.m.
Winnemucca Convention Center and Visitor’s Authority
East Hall Silver State Room
50 West Winnemucca Blvd.
Winnemucca, Nevada

Written comments are encouraged and may be submitted through January 29, 2015 to Ken Loda, Project Manager, Attn: Hycroft Mine Phase 2 Expansion EIS, BLM Winnemucca District Office, 5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca NV 89445.

For further information, please contact Ken Loda, Project Manager, at the BLM Winnemucca District Office, 5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd, telephone 775-623-1500.