Date: July 15, 2004

CONTACT: Jamie Thompson, Public Affairs Officer, (775) 623-1500

BLM ANNOUNCES PROPOSED NEWMONT RAPID INFILTRATION BASIN EXPLORATION PROJECT 

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca Field Office is making available for public review an Environmental Assessment (EA) it has prepared in response to a proposal received from Newmont Mining Corporation. Newmont Mining is considering an alternate method of disposing of water pumped from its Lone Tree Pit. The EA analyzes potential environmental impacts that could occur as a result of efforts to locate areas suitable for rapidly infiltrating water from the dewatering of the pit. The project would be located in the Pumpernickel Valley approximately 34 miles east of Winnemucca in Humboldt County, Nevada.

Newmont proposes conducting a geologic investigation of the project area to determine suitable locations for infiltration basins: areas where pumped water may pool temporarily on the surface and then rapidly soak into the ground. The project consists of two parts: geophysical evaluation using surface equipment (trenching) to determine depth to bedrock and to determine the location of potential structural features that could influence infiltration capacities; and borehole drilling to conduct infiltration (percolation) tests.

The Newmont EA is currently available at the Winnemucca Field Office and on the Winnemucca Field Office web page. More information is available by contacting Jeff Johnson, Environmental Protection Specialist, at the BLM Winnemucca Field Office, 775-623-1500. The public is invited to submit written comments on the proposal to Mr. Johnson at the Winnemucca Field Office, 5100 E Winnemucca Blvd, Winnemucca NV 89445-2951 by no later than the close of business on Wednesday, August 4, 2004.

- BLM -