Western Quarry Limestone Project

What the BLM is proposing

Lithium Nevada LLC., a subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corporation, submitted a Mining and Reclamation Plan for the Western Quarry Limestone Project to the Humboldt River Field Office of the Winnemucca District. The Proposed Action is to construct, operate, reclaim, and close a new limestone quarry using conventional open pit mining methods. The Mining and Reclamation Plan boundary would cover approximately 874 acres of BLM-administered land, of which approximately 474 acres of surface disturbance would occur. The life of the proposed action is approximately 43 years and includes approximately six months for construction, 40 years for operation, and two years for reclamation. Mine operations would employ 78 people part-time and 16 full-time. Existing surface disturbance associated with the previously authorized Western Quarry Limestone Notice would be overlapped by the proposed mine features within the mine area. As such, the existing disturbance would be incorporated into the proposed action. Currently, the project boundary overlaps 872.3 acres of VRM Class II and 0.9 acres of VRM Class III adjacent to State Route 140. Under the proposed action alternative, the BLM would change the visual management classification of 872.5 acres from VRM Class II to VRM Class III, which would result in the project area to be managed entirely as VRM Class III. The change of 872.5 acres to VRM Class III would include the established objectives in the RMP. This proposed change would require an RMP amendment to modify the direction established in the 2015 Winnemucca District RMP, adjust the VRM classifications, meet VRM objectives, and ensure that the Western Quarry Limestone Project is in conformance with the RMP.

On the official site