Mount Hope Project Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement DOI-BLM-NV-B010-2017-0031-EIS August 2019 MOUNT HOPE PROJECT FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT File Numbers: NVN-082096 | NVN-084632 U.S. Bureau of Land Management Mount Lewis Field Office 50 Bastian Road Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820 The estimated lead agency total costs associated with developing and producing this Draft SEIS are $132,000.00. The estimated proponent total costs associated with developing and producing this Draft SEIS are $214,561.00. MOUNT HOPE PROJECT FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Lead Agency: United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Mount Lewis Field Office Cooperating Agencies: Eureka County Project Location: Eureka County, Nevada FSEIS Number: DOI-BLM-NV-B010-2017-0031-EIS Plans of Operation Numbers: NVN-082096 NVN-084632 Correspondence on this FSEIS Kevin Hurrell Should be Directed to: Planning and Environmental Coordinator Bureau of Land Management Battle Mountain District 50 Bastian Road Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820 (775) 635-4000 ABSTRACT The Bureau of Land Management Mount Lewis Field Office authorized the Mount Hope Project Record of Decision, Plan of Operations Approval, and Approval of Issuance of Right-of-Way Grants on November 16, 2012. The Mount Hope Project (Project) is located in Eureka County, Nevada, approximately 23 miles northwest of the town of Eureka, Nevada, and consists of a proposed molybdenum mine including a power transmission line, a water well field, and all associated facilities to be located on public land administered by the BLM Mount Lewis Field Office and on private land controlled by Eureka Moly, LLC. The Project will utilize an open pit mining method and will process the mined ore using a flotation and roasting process. When completed, a total of 8,618 acres of disturbance would occur within the 23,065-acre Project area. Of the 8,618 acres, 8,359 acres are on public land and 259 acres are on private land. The BLM has prepared this Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) as a response to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit remand decision for further action on issues identified in its December 28, 2016 decision. This FSEIS includes the following: 1) an explanation of the usage of baseline values of zero for several air pollutants; 2) a quantitative cumulative air quality impacts analysis; and 3) a clarification of the status of certain springs and water holes under Executive Order Public Water Reserve No. 107. Authorized Officer for FSEIS: Jon D. Sherve Field Manager Mount Lewis Field Office i MOUNT HOPE PROJECT FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Project Overview ...................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Overview of Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Status of the Mount Hope Project .......................................................................... 4 1.4 Purpose and Need for Action .................................................................................. 4 1.5 Authorized Officer ................................................................................................... 4 1.6 Organization of the FSEIS ...................................................................................... 4 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ............... 7 2.1 Comparative Analysis of Alternatives ................................................................... 7 3 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .... 10 3.2 Water Resources – Water Quantity ..................................................................... 10 3.2.2 Affected Environment .............................................................................. 10 3.6 Air and Atmospheric Values ................................................................................. 24 4 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS AND IRREVERSIBLE/IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENT OF RESOURCES ............................................................................. 36 4.1.1 Air Resources ............................................................................................ 36 5 CONSULTATION, COORDINATION, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, AND THE LIST OF PREPARERS FOR PREPARATION OF THE FSEIS .............................. 38 5.1 Public Scoping ........................................................................................................ 38 5.2 Native American Consultation.............................................................................. 38 5.3 List of Preparers .................................................................................................... 38 5.3.1 Bureau of Land Management FSEIS Team ........................................... 38 5.3.2 Third Party Contractors .......................................................................... 38 5.3.3 Partner Agencies ....................................................................................... 38 6 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 39 ii EUREKA MOLY, LLC MOUNT HOPE PROJECT FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1-1: Impact Summary and Comparison of the Approved Project and Other Alternatives ........................................................................................................ 7 Table 3.2-1: Springs that May be Affected by Project Activities ..................................... 16 Table 3.2-2: Springs Evaluated for PWR Status ............................................................... 22 Table 3.6-1: BAPC-Recommended Background Values for Criteria Pollutants ........... 24 Table 3.6-2: CO, NO2, and SO2 Monitoring Stations in Nevada ..................................... 29 Table 3.6-3: Rural CO, NO2, and SO2 Monitoring Stations in Neighboring States ....... 32 Table 3.6-4: Yosemite and White Mountain Monitored Concentrations ....................... 34 Table 4.1-1: Mount Hope Project Cumulative Modeling Analysis (µg/m3) .................... 37 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.3.1: Year 44 (Life-of-Mine) Proposed Disturbance ............................................... 6 Figure 3.2.1: Project Simulated Ten-Foot Water Table Drawdown Contours During 400 Years of Post-Mining Recovery ..................................................................... 19 Figure 3.2.2: Water Rights within the Proposed Action Simulated Maximum Extent of Ten-Foot Water Table Drawdown ................................................................ 20 Figure 3.2.3: Potentially Impacted Springs and PWR Filings in the Project Area ......... 21 Figure 3.6.1: CO, NO2, and SO2 Monitoring Stations in Nevada ..................................... 28 Figure 3.6.2: Rural CO, NO2, and SO2 Ambient Monitoring Stations in Neighboring States ................................................................................................................ 33 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: Photographs of PWR 107 Springs Appendix B: BLM Checklists for PWR 107 Springs Appendix C: Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Correspondence Regarding Background Concentrations for Air Dispersion Modeling Appendix D: Public Comments and Responses iii EUREKA MOLY, LLC MOUNT HOPE PROJECT FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS µg/m3 microgram per cubic meter afy acre feet per year amsl above mean sea level BAPC Bureau of Air Pollution Control BAQP Bureau of Air Quality Planning BLM Bureau of Land Management CESA cumulative effect study area CFR Code of Federal Regulations CO carbon monoxide CR County Road DEIS Draft Environmental Impact Statement DSEIS Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement EA Environmental Assessment EML Eureka Moly, LLC EO Executive Order EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency FEIS Final Environmental Impact Statement FR Federal Register FSEIS Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement gpm gallons per minute I-15 Interstate 15 KVCWF Kobeh Valley Central Well Field MSA Metropolitan Statistical Area NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards NDEP Nevada Division of Environmental Protection NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NDWR Nevada Division of Water Resources NO2 nitrogen dioxide NOA Notice of Availability NOI Notice of Intent OLM Ozone Limiting Method Pb lead Plan Mount Hope Project Plan of Operations Plan Mount Hope Project Plan of Operations Amendment and Application for Amendment Reclamation Permit Modification PM10 particulate matter less than ten micrometers in aerodynamic diameter PM2.5 particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter ppb parts per billion iv EUREKA MOLY, LLC MOUNT HOPE PROJECT FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Project Mount Hope Project PWR 107 Public Water Reserve No. 107 RFFAs reasonably foreseeable future actions Mount Hope Project Record of Decision, Plan of Operations Approval, and ROD Approval of Issuance of Right-of-Way Grants SEIS Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement SER Significant Emission Rates SO2 sulfur dioxide SR State Route SRK SRK Consulting tpy tons per year US