Record of Decision available for the Gemfield Project, Esmeralda County, Nevada
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Tonopah, NV – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Tonopah Field Office (TFO), has published a Record of Decision (ROD) associated with Gemfield Resources, Ltd. (GRL’s) proposal to develop gold mine operations within the Gemfield Project (Project) area. The Project is located approximately 30 miles south of Tonopah, Nevada, and approximately 0.5 mile north of the town of Goldfield, Nevada.
Approximately 1,935.9 acres of land occurs within the Plan boundary, including approximately 1,214.2 acres of BLM administered land that is managed by the TFO of the Battle Mountain District and 721.7 acres of private land. The proposed Project would result in approximately 1,337.3 acres of surface disturbance, of which 969.4 acres would occur on BLM-administered land and 367.9 acres would occur on private land. If the Project is approved, GRL estimates the mine life would be approximately 12 years.
The Project includes the construction and operation of a conventional open pit mining operation to extract and recover gold. Proposed rights-of-way (ROW) authorizations and ROW amendments include the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT); AT&T; Esmeralda County; Sierra Pacific Power Company doing business as NV Energy; and Nevada Hospital Association/SWITCH.
In addition to the proposed Project, two alternatives (Reduced Mine Plan Alternative and Partial Pit Backfill Alternative) and the No Action Alternative were analyzed.
Responses to comments received during the public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) have been incorporated into the Final Environmental Impact Statement.
After the 30-day review period the Tonopah Field Office made a determination to approve the Project’s Preferred Alternative, which was the Proposed Action.
The ROD and other relevant documents have been made available at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/113574/510. For any questions or concerns regarding the ROD, please contact Perry B. Wickham, Field Manager, BLM Tonopah Field Office, at (775) 482-7801.
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.