JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – TSX-listed Nevada Copper will be deeded about 9 100 acres for mine and other development at no additional cost, once the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issues a patent to the City of Yerington following the completion of a 30-day notice period.

Nevada Copper, the 100% owner of the Pumpkin Hollow copper development in Nevada, reported on Friday that it had been issued with a finding of no significant impact (Fonsi) and record of decision (ROD) with respect to the congressionally-mandated conveyance of lands to the City of Yerington.

"Issuance of the Fonsi and [ROD] was the culmination of an extraordinary effort by a BLM interdisciplinary resource team supported by external experts, the city and Nevada Copper,” the company’s external relations and VP, Timothy Dyhr, said.

The miner advised that once the land had been conveyed, it would be able to proceed to develop the large 70 000 t/d Pumpkin Hollow iron-oxide-copper-gold integrated project, subject to financing and state of Nevada permits and regulations.

The land conveyance was authorised on December 19, 2014, in Section 3009 of the National Defense Authorization Act, while the Fonsi and ROD were issued on July 16.

When combined with 1 550 acres of private lands currently controlled by Nevada Copper, the company would have about 11 600 acres of private land that encompassed 100% of the current proposed Pumpkin Hollow project.

The company also controlled 4 740 acres of unpatented mining claims outside the conveyance area, for a land position of 15 420 acres.

To executed the conveyance, the BLM had to complete several administrative steps, including an environmental assessment, cultural resource study, land boundary survey, the identification of any valid and existing right, a land appraisal and patent documents.

Nevada Copper already obtained permits from the Nevada division of Environmental Protection, including two water pollution control permits that covered underground and openpit processing components of the integrated project, as well as a reclamation permit and an air permit for the underground mine that was currently being amended to include the integrated project.