U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Winnemucca District
Winnemucca District
| Contacts: | Kathleen Rehbert | , 775-623-1500--krehberg@blm.gov |
BLM Approves Hycroft Mine Expansion Project
Winnemucca, Nev. -- The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Winnemucca District, Black Rock Field Office issued a Record of Decision (ROD) approving the Hycroft Mine Expansion Project located in Humboldt and Pershing counties, Nev. Hycroft Resources and Development, Inc., is expanding their existing open pit gold mine operation. The project will extend the mine life approximately 12 years and provide approximately 537 jobs.
“This project is important to the local economy and will bring jobs to the Winnemucca area,” said Gene Seidlitz, Winnemucca District Manager. “It is exciting to be able to help the local economy while ensuring that we have conducted a complete and thorough environmental analysis in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act.”
According to Seidlitz, the analysis addressed the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of the associated resources and mitigations measures that were brought forward to ensure the proposed action is environmentally sound. Some of the key concerns with the project included air and water quality, light affecting night skies, and being within view of the southeast portion of the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon-Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area.
Mining in the area began in 1875 with the discovery of sulfur at the current Hycroft location. Subsequent mining on the property included silver, mercury, and potash. Hycroft has been in operation since 1987.
A Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Hycroft Mine Expansion Project, Humboldt and Pershing Counties, Nevada, was published in the Federal Register on July 6, 2012.
The Hycroft Mine Expansion Record of Decision and approved Amendment to the Plan of Operations are posted on the Winnemucca District BLM website at: www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/wfo/blm_information/nepa0.html
For further information, please contact Kathleen Rehberg, project lead, at 775-263-1500.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.