Public Comment Sought On Empire Mining Company, LLC Bond Release with the Bureau of Land Management
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Winnemucca, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Black Rock Field Office (BRFO) is inviting the public to comment on the pending final bond release on the Empire Mine, case file 3809.590(c), in accordance with 43 CFR 3809.
Gypsum mining initially began at Empire in 1923, and continued until 2011. The majority of the mining activities were on private land with less than 20 acres approved on public land administered by the BLM. Reclamation of disturbance on public land was completed both during operations and after the mine’s temporary closure in 2011. A joint inspection of reclamation, completed by the BLM and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) in June 2016, determined that reclamation of all but 1.8 acres of disturbance on public land appeared complete, and any remaining mine related disturbance was located on private land owned or controlled by US Gypsum. The remaining acreage on public land is related to exploration and filed under a 43 CFR 3809 notice (NVN094860) with its own financial guarantee.
In October 2016, transfer of financial responsibility for the mine was assumed by a new operator, Empire Mining Co., and the financial guarantee responsibility was transferred to NDEP under Reclamation Permit 0150. The BLM determined that the Empire Mine plan under 43 CFR 3809 could be closed and the current financial guarantee residing with the BLM could be released.
A bond for $1,978,329 is currently in place with the BLM and is scheduled for full release. As part of the Federal Regulations for bond release, the public has 30 days to comment before the bond release procedures may begin. Unless provided substantive evidence that would cause us to reconsider, our office expects to initiate release of the financial guarantee on or after December 16, 2016. If you have questions or comments about this bond release, contact Kathleen Rehberg, Geologist at 775-623-1500 or by email at krehberg@blm.gov.
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.