Record of Decision available for the Mount Hope Project, Eureka County, Nevada
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Battle Mountain, NV – The Bureau of Land Management, Mount Lewis Field Office, has published a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Mount Hope Mine Project, about 23 miles northwest of the town of Eureka, Nevada.
This Record of Decision is a response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s remand decision for further action on issues identified by the court on December 28, 2016. In response to the 9th Circuit’s decision, the Bureau of Land Management prepared a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) that included: 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.
The project 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 8,355 acres of disturbance would occur within the 21,523-acre project area. Molybdenum is used in steel alloys, including high-strength alloys and super alloys.
Comments received during the public comment and review process were incorporated into the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. 8 comments were received on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and responses to those comments received during the public comment period for the Draft EIS are available in the Final SEIS.
After a 3-day waiting period the Mount Lewis Field Office made a determination to reauthorize the Projects’ Preferred Alternative, which was the Proposed Action.
The ROD and other relevant documents have been made available at https://go.usa.gov/xUhRK. For any questions or concerns regarding the ROD, please contact Jon Sherve, Field Manager, BLM Mount Lewis Field Office, at (775) 635-4056.
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.