BLM seeks public comment on modification of permitted mining operation environmental assessment
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LAS VEGAS - The Bureau of Land Management Southern Nevada District announces the availability of a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to address potential environmental consequences associated with the proposal by CR Reward LLC (CRR) to modify a permitted open pit mining operation at the Reward Project located in Nye County, Nevada. The Proposed Action would be located on unpatented mining claims on public lands administered by the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management Southern Nevada District Pahrump Field Office and on private lands controlled by CRR. The preliminary EA will be available for public review and comment for a period of 30 days.
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to provide CRR the opportunity to modify their existing permitted operations. Part of the modification includes the addition of haul roads which would allow for the extraction of defined mineral resources within the approved mining area as provided by the General Mining Law of 1872, as amended and in compliance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and other applicable federal and state laws.
The need for the action is established by the BLM's responsibility under Section 302 of the FLPMA and the BLM Surface Management Regulations at 43 CFR § 3809 to respond to a Plan of Operations amendment which would allow an operator to prospect, explore, and assess locatable mineral resources on public lands, and not authorize the project if it is found that the Proposed Action does not comply with the 43 CFR § 3809 regulations and the FLPMA mandate to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation.
A 30-day public comment period on the preliminary environmental assessment is set for June 16, 2020, through July 16, 2020. The public is encouraged to review the EA, located at: https://go.usa.gov/xwUC5 and provide substantive comments or concerns, prior to 4:30 p.m. (PST) on July 16, 2020. All comments received will be fully considered and evaluated for preparation of the final EA.
Comments and concerns may be submitted electronically at https://go.usa.gov/xwUC5 or sent in writing to the BLM Southern Nevada District Office, ATTN: Reward Project EA, 4701 N. Torrey Pines, Las Vegas, NV 89130. Hardcopies of the EA are available upon request from the BLM Southern Nevada District Office.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be publicly available at any time. While you can ask that your personal identifying information be withheld from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Anonymity is not allowed for submissions from organizations or businesses and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses.
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.