Hasbrouck Wildlife
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BLM U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV-B020-2017-0012-EA Hasbrouck Mine Project and Hasbrouck 55 Kilovolt Reroute and 120 Kilovolt Transmission Line Project General Wildlife Supplemental Environmental Report July 2020 PREPARING OFFICE U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Battle Mountain District, Nevada HASBROUCK MINE PROJECT GENERAL WILDLIFE SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Description ................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Hasbrouck Mine .................................................................................................. 1 1.1.2 Hasbrouck 55 kV Reroute and 120 kV Transmission Line....................................... 3 1.2 Applicant-Committed Environmental Protection Measures ...................................... 6 1.3 Project Alternatives ................................................................................................. 7 1.3.1 No Action Alternative .......................................................................................... 7 1.4 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ................................ 8 1.4.1 Alkali Spring Valley Basin Water Supply Alternative ............................................. 8 1.4.2 Relocation of Heap Leach Facility Alternative ....................................................... 8 1.4.3 Relocation of Waste Rock Storage Areas Alternative ............................................ 8 2 WILDLIFE ......................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................................. 8 2.2 Environmental Consequences .................................................................................. 9 2.2.1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................ 10 2.2.2 No Action Alternative ........................................................................................ 11 2.3 Cumulative Impact Analysis .................................................................................... 11 2.3.1 Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ................................ 12 2.4 Evaluation of Potential Cumulative Impacts ........................................................... 15 2.4.1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................ 15 2.4.2 No Action Alternative ........................................................................................ 16 3 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 17 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Surface Disturbance for the Proposed Project Facilities ......................................... 6 Table 2: Past and Present Rights-of-Way Actions in the CESA............................................ 14 Table 3: Past and Present Minerals Actions in the CESA .................................................... 14 i 20200701_Hasbrouck_wildlife_SER_Public.docx WK-ALLIED HASBROUCK LLC GENERAL WILDLIFE HASBROUCK MINE PROJECT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: NEPA Project Area, Access, and Land Status .......................................................... 2 Figure 2: Proposed Facilities ................................................................................................ 4 Figure 3: Proposed Transmission Line Details ...................................................................... 5 Figure 4: Biology and Soils CESA ........................................................................................ 13 ii 20200701_Hasbrouck_wildlife_SER_Public.docx WK-ALLIED HASBROUCK LLC GENERAL WILDLIFE HASBROUCK MINE PROJECT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ADR Adsorption Desorption Recovery BITD Best in the Desert BLM Bureau of Land Management CESA cumulative effects study area CFR Code of Federal Regulations EA Environmental Assessment EMS EM Strategies, Inc. EPM Environmental Protection Measure HLF heap leach facility HMA herd management area kV kilovolt LR2000 Legacy Rehost System Mine Project Hasbrouck Mine Project NDOW Nevada Department of Wildlife NVE NV Energy OHV off-highway vehicle RFFA reasonably foreseeable future action ROW right-of-way ROW Project Hasbrouck 55 kV Reroute and 120 kV Transmission Line Project SER Supplemental Environmental Report US United States US 95 United States Highway 95 WK-AH WK – Allied Hasbrouck LLC WRSA waste rock storage area iii 20200701_Hasbrouck_wildlife_SER_Public.docx HASBROUCK MINE PROJECT GENERAL WILDLIFE SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT 1 INTRODUCTION This Supplemental Environmental Report (SER) describes the existing conditions and outlines the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts on general wildlife and their habitat that may occur at the Hasbrouck Mine Project (Mine Project) and Hasbrouck 55 kilovolt (kV) Reroute and 120 kV Transmission Line Project (Right-of-Way [ROW] Project). Both actions make up the entire Project. Environmental impacts for both actions are discussed in this SER and are also included in the same environmental assessment (EA) document. The Project is located on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Battle Mountain District, Tonopah Field Office and private lands controlled by WK-Allied Hasbrouck LLC (WK-AH). The Project is located approximately 5.5 miles south of Tonopah, Nevada. The Project is in parts of Sections 3, 4, 9, and 10, Township 1 North (T1N), Range 42 East (R42E), and Sections 4, 8 through 10, 15 through 17, 20, 21, 27 through 29, and 32 through 34, T2N, R42E, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian, Esmeralda County, Nevada (Project Area) (Figure 1). The Project Area can be accessed via a turn-out off United States (US) Highway 95 (US 95). US 95 passes through the Project approximately 0.25 mile west of the Hasbrouck deposit and is an all-weather, all-season roadway suitable for commercial semi-trailer traffic. A 2017 Baseline Biological Survey Report (EM Strategies, Inc. [EMS] 2017a) was prepared to describe the existing biological conditions for the Project. Information from the baseline report regarding general wildlife is summarized in this SER. 1.1 Project Description 1.1.1 Hasbrouck Mine WK-AH proposes to construct, operate, reclaim, and close, in a phased manner, an open pit, heap leach, and precious metal mining operation. In general, the proposed mining operations would consist of an open pit mine and waste rock storage areas (WRSAs) on public lands, and processing of ore using heap leach technology on private land. The Project would include the following major components: • One open pit; • Two WRSAs; • Ore crushing and conveying system; • A lime silo and ore agglomeration facility; • Ore stockpiles; • Power switch yard; • A clay borrow area; • A water delivery system; • A heap leach facility (HLF) with associated process water tanks and an event pond; • Storm water diversion ditches and storm water sediment basins; • An Adsorption Desorption Recovery (ADR) processing plant; • A refinery; 1 20200701_Hasbrouck_wildlife_SER_Public.docx 24 19 20 21 22 23 23 24 19 20 21 22 22 Winnemucca Elko 23 (! (! (! 27 ¤£95 Battle Mountain 6 29 Reno 26 25 30 ¤£ 28 27 26 30 29 (! 25 28 Ely (! 27(! 3N 41E Carson City 26 34 3N 42E 3N 43E (! Tonopah 31 32 35 35 36 33 34 35 36 31 32 33 34 6 ¤£ (! Las Vegas 02 01 04 06 05 03 02 01 06 05 04 03 03 02 10 11 12 07 09 08 10 11 12 07 08 09 10 11 15 14 14 13 18 17 15 16 14 13 18 17 16 15 2N 41E 2N 42E 22 2N 43E 24 23 19 20 21 23 19 20 23 22 24 21 22 26 25 29 28 26 30 27 26 25 30 29 28 27 35 36 35 31 32 33 34 35 36 31 32 33 34 02 04 04 02 01 06 05 03 02 01 06 05 03 11 12 07 09 10 11 08 11 12 07 08 09 10 1N 43E 14 13 17 16 15 14 18 14 13 18 17 16 15 1N 41E 1N 42E ¤£95 23 24 20 23 19 21 22 23 24 19 20 21 22 30 26 26 25 29 28 27 26 25 30 29 28 27 Copyright:© 2013 National Geographic Society, i-cubed 35 36 31 32 33 34 35 36 Explanation BATTLE MOUNTAIN DISTRICT OFFICE Tonopah Field Office BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Project Area 1553 South Main Street Excluded from Project Area Tonopah, Nevada 89049 HASBROUCK MINE PROJECT Land Status No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management NEPA Project Area, Access, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data Bureau of Land Management for individual use or aggregate use with other data. Original data were compiled from various sources. This information may and Land Status not meet National Map Accuracy Standards. This product was Forest Service developed through digital means and may be updated without notification. Private Figure 1 0 1 2 Miles $ 01/28/2020 WK-ALLIED HASBROUCK LLC GENERAL WILDLIFE HASBROUCK MINE PROJECT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT • Access and haul roads; • Ancillary facilities that include the following: haul and secondary roads; ready line; maintenance area; reagent and fuel storage; storage and laydown yards; explosive magazines; meteorological station; warehouse; truck maintenance shop; assay laboratory; administration/security building; growth media stockpiles; and solid and hazardous waste management facilities; • Exploration