BLM approves Gold Rock Mine Project west of Ely, Nevada
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ELY, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management Ely District, Bristlecone Field Office has issued the Record of Decision (ROD) for GRP Gold Rock, LLC’s Gold Rock Mine Project in rural eastern Nevada. The decision authorizes the mining operator to re-open and expand the existing Easy Junior Mine. The Gold Rock Mine Project will include construction and operation of new facilities. Construction and operation of the project will result in approximately 3,901 acres of authorized disturbance, which is located entirely on public land administered by the BLM. The project is located in the White Pine Mining District in White Pine County, Nevada, approximately 50 miles west of Ely and 30 miles southeast of Eureka.
The project will generate 300 jobs during construction and 15-250 jobs during peak mining operations to the rural economy. The life of the mine is expected to be 10 years.
GRP Gold Rock, LLC purchased the mine project from Midway Gold U.S., Inc. in May 2016 prior to completion of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project. The Final Environmental Impact Statement retained the name of Midway, but GRP Gold Rock, LLC is the proponent of the project and is noted as the current proponent in the ROD. GRP Gold Rock, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiore Gold (US) Inc.
The Bristlecone Field Manager’s decision is to select the Preferred Alternative, which is a combination of elements of the Northwest Main Access Route Alternative, Southern Power Line Route; the Modified County Road Re-Route Alternative; and the Western Tailings Storage Facility Alternative; along with the applicant-committed environmental protection measures included in the Plan of Operations, and the mitigation measures specified in Chapter 4 and Appendix 4A of the Final EIS for the Project. The Preferred Alternative is the alternative that best fulfills the agency's statutory mission and responsibilities, considering economic, environmental, technical, and other factors. The BLM has determined that implementation of this decision with the identified monitoring and mitigation measures will not cause unnecessary or undue degradation of the public lands.
The Notice of Availability of the Gold Rock Mine Project Final Environmental Impact Statement was published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2018. The 30-day public availability period ended on August 29, 2018. The Final EIS and the ROD are available on the NEPA register at https://go.usa.gov/xn8t7.
Project materials may also be viewed at the BLM Ely District Office, 702 N. Industrial Way, Ely, NV, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday, except holidays.
This decision may be appealed to the Interior Board of Land Appeals (Board), U. S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Hearing and Appeals in accordance with the regulations contained in 43 CFR, Part 4.
For more information, contact Maria Ryan, Project Manager, at (775) 289-1888 or mmryan@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.