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YOUR VOICE NEEDED ON POSSIBLE SALE OF PUBLIC LANDS

Great Basin Resource Watch is very opposed to the land sale and views the Environmental Assessment as inadequate and likely illegal.

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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing the selling of 2,062 acres of public lands including the mineral estates to Atlantic Richfield Corporation (ARC) in and around the abandoned Anaconda mine site in Lyon County, NV.  Atlantic Richfield Corp (ARC) is the “responsible party” as defined under the Superfund Law and required to cleanup the mine site with the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) as the lead agency overseeing the Anaconda Mine Superfund Site.  Four years ago BLM announced on December 11, 2020 this proposed land sale, and there was a 30 day  scoping comment period.  Now, after four years of quiet this land sale is reappearing with BLM releasing an Environmental Assessment (EA) on December 20, and a 30 day comment period.

To download the BLM EA:  https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2035766/570

The land sale must be in the public interest according to BLM:  “Land Sales.  With the passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), Congress mandated that the BLM retain most remaining public lands, significantly reducing the acreage available for disposal.  However, select sales continue to remain an important component of the BLM’s land management strategy, when they are in the public interest and consistent with publicly-approved land use plans.”

Why GBRW is opposed to the land sale

• The land sale would remove all public land from the Anaconda Mine Superfund Site and thus there will be no further federal public oversight of the mine site clean-up and use of that land – a layer of transparency and public engagement would be removed.
• There are clear plans to re-mine portions of the Anaconda site that Lion Copper and Gold has been developing (https://www.lioncg.com)  If these lands become private then it is very likely that the re-mining plans will not undergo a federal environmental review called an Environmental Impact Statement.  This review is needed so that the full consequences of the re-mining plan can be explored with the public and provides important public engagement above and beyond the state of Nevada permitting.
• At an abandoned mine site that has left surrounding communities with contaminated water and serious repercussions for decades, the potential for re-mining without any environmental review is very concerning.

Why GBRW views the EA as inadequate and illegal

• The EA states that the reason for the land sale is to “facilitate remediation” of the Anaconda Superfund site.  GBRW believes that the real motivation for the land sale is to let private mining corporations off the hook for the Environmental Impact Statement.  This lack of transparency is illegal.
• The EA does not provide sufficient details on how the land sale will improve the remediation.  This is needed for the public to evaluate whether or not the action is in the public interest.
• Selling the land, which removes BLM and the associated public oversight, will not improve the level of cleanup.
• The EA does not clarify how much faster the remediation would be without BLM involved.
• EA ignores the clear plans to re-mine the Anaconda site.  The EA must consider “reasonably foreseeable actions” as part of the cumulative impacts analysis.  The detailed plans for re-mining are clearly foreseeable and by law should be analyzed.  Overall, the EA is vastly incomplete and likely illegal.
• Consultation with the Yerington Paiute Tribe and Walker River Paiute Tribe regarding Anaconda thus far have been inadequate. An action as large as transferring of 2,062 acres on and around the mine site must uphold meaningful consultation and fully address any affect to cultural sites.

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Support reform of the 1872 Mining Law

The incredibly outdated 1872 Mining Law legally makes mining the “highest and best use” of public lands in the United States. The law legally makes it difficult for frontline community voices to be respected and listened to in decisions around permitting mines.

The new push for extraction of “critical minerals”, is seeing legislation to fast track already outdated mining laws. It is more important than ever to make sure our laws are refined, through a public process, to ensure we prioritize ecosystems and community well-being! However, instead we are seeing bills being developed with the mining industry behind closed doors. Bad bills are in process in the U.S. Senate (S. 1281) and a parallel bill in the U.S. House (H.R. 2925) both introduced by Nevada delegation.  LEARN MORE!