Date: September 23, 2003

CONTACT: Jamie Thompson at (775) 623-1500

BLM Hosts Public Meeting To Provide Information On Nevada Cement Company’s Echo Canyon Project

Nevada Cement Company has proposed a Plan of Operations to explore for high quality limestone suitable for production of Portland cement on the western flank of the Humboldt Range. The project area is adjacent to Humboldt River Ranch Estates near Rye Patch in Pershing County, Nevada and is located partly on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca Field Office. The proposal would disturb approximately 15.71 acres of public and private land in the E½ of Section 8, Section 14, and the N½ of Section 23, T30N, R33E, Mount Diablo Baseline and Meridian.

The BLM is seeking public input as it begins the process of preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) that will analyze impacts from the proposal. A public meeting to present information about the project is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on Thursday, October 2, 2003 at the Pershing County Community Center at 820 6th Street, Lovelock, Nevada, (775) 273-7144. The public is cordially invited to attend to discuss the project with BLM representatives.

The proposal would construct temporary drill pads and six miles of temporary access roads to drill 53 exploration holes to an average depth of 350 feet. Since reclamation would be performed concurrently with exploration, the entire project is estimated to require three months to complete.

For further information please contact Jeff Johnson, Environmental Protection Specialist, at the Winnemucca BLM office at (775) 623-1500.

- BLM -