BLM Releases Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Gemfield Gold Mine Project in Esmeralda County, Nevada
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Tonopah, NV – The Bureau of Land Management, Tonopah Field Office (TFO), has published a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) associated with Gemfield Resources, Ltd. (GRL’s) proposal to develop gold mine operations within the Gemfield Project (Project) area. The project area consists of 1,213.2 acres of public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and about 721.7 acres of private land. The proposed mine is about 30 miles south of Tonopah and half a mile north of Goldfield. If the project is approved, GRL estimates the mine life would be approximately 12 years.
This FEIS follows the publication of a draft EIS on March 8, 2019. A public meeting was held in Gemfield on March 28 to collect comments. Responses to comments that were received during the public scoping process have been incorporated into the FEIS.
After a 30-day review period, the Tonopah Field Office will make a determination to either approve the project or select the No Action alternative.
Nevada leads the nation with the largest mining program in the BLM, with more than 180,000 active mining claims (49% of the BLM total), 198 authorized mining plans of operations, and 282 active exploration notices. With a strong ethic towards effective and successful reclamation, BLM Nevada holds and administers more than $2 billion in surface management reclamation bonds.
The FEIS and other relevant documents are available at https://go.usa.gov/xE8q6. For any questions or concerns regarding the FEIS, please contact Kevin Hurrell, BLM Project Manager, at (775) 635-4000.
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.