Notice of Availability and Notice of Hearing for the South Gillette Area Coal Draft Environmental Impact Statement That Includes Four Federal Coal Lease by Applications, Wyoming, 61903-61905 [E8-24632]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 202 / Friday, October 17, 2008 / Notices
construct a concentrated solar thermal
power plant facility approximately 14
miles west of El Centro, CA, in Imperial
County. The project site is just south of
Plaster City between the Union Pacific
Railroad tracks and the Interstate 8
highway. The facility is expected to
operate for approximately 30 years. The
proposed project would utilize
SunCatcher technology, consisting of
approximately 30,000 25-kilowatt solar
power dishes with a generating capacity
of approximately 750 megawatts (MW)
to be built in two phases. The first phase
would consist up to 12,000 SunCathers
configured in 200 1.5 MW solar groups
of 60 SunCatchers per group and have
a net nominal generating capacity of 300
MW. The second phase would consist of
approximately 18,000 SunCatchers
configured in 500 1.5 MW groups with
a net generating capacity of 450 MW.
Each SunCatcher system consists of an
approximate 38-foot high by 40-foot
wide solar concentrator dish that
supports an array of curved glass mirror
facets designed to automatically track
the sun and focus solar energy onto a
Power Conversion Unit which generates
electricity. Related structures would
include a main services complex,
assembly buildings, a 230-kilovolts (kV)
electrical substation, a 10-mile
transmission line, access roads, supply
water line, and a 10-mile double circuit
230kV transmission line from the
project site to San Diego Gas and
Electric’s existing Imperial Valley
electrical substation interconnecting the
project to the existing 500 kV
transmission system. The 450–MW
Phase II is dependent on the approval of
the proposed Sunrise Powerlink 500kV
transmission line that would also
interconnect with the Imperial Valley
electrical substation. The EIS/SA will
analyze the site-specific impacts on air
quality, biological resources, cultural
resources, water resources, geological
resources and hazards, hazardous
materials handling, land use, noise,
paleontological resources, public health,
socioeconomics, soils, traffic and
transportation, visual resources, waste
management and worker safety and fire
protection, as well as facility design
engineering, efficiency, reliability,
transmission system engineering and
transmission line safety and nuisance.
The CDCA Plan, while recognizing the
potential compatibility of solar
generation facilities on public lands,
requires that all sites associated with
power generation or transmission not
identified in the Plan will be considered
through the Plan Amendment process.
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The following Planning Criteria will
be utilized during the plan amendment
process:
• The plan amendment process will
be completed in compliance with
FLPMA, NEPA, and all other relevant
Federal law, Executive orders, and
management policies of the BLM;
• The plan amendment process will
include an EIS that will comply with
NEPA standards;
• Where existing planning decisions
are still valid, those decisions may
remain unchanged and be incorporated
into the new plan amendment;
• The plan amendment will recognize
valid existing rights;
• Native American Tribal
consultations will be conducted in
accordance with policy and Tribal
concerns will be given due
consideration. The plan amendment
process will include the consideration
of any impacts on Indian trust assets;
• Consultation with the SHPO will be
conducted throughout the plan
amendment process; and
• Consultation with USFWS will be
conducted throughout the plan
amendment process.
If the ROW and proposed land use
plan amendment are approved by BLM,
the concentrated solar thermal power
plant facility on public lands would be
authorized in accordance with Title V of
the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 and the
Federal Regulations at 43 CFR part
2800.
A certificate designating approval of
the Energy Commission must be
obtained by SES before it may construct
a power plant and/or electric
transmission line and related facilities.
Dated: October 10, 2008.
Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources
(CA–930), California State Office.
[FR Doc. E8–24685 Filed 10–16–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–40–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
Notice of Availability and Notice of
Hearing for the South Gillette Area
Coal Draft Environmental Impact
Statement That Includes Four Federal
Coal Lease by Applications, Wyoming
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
AGENCY:
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
for the South Gillette Area Coal project
that contains four Federal Coal Lease By
Applications (LBAs), and by this Notice
is announcing a public hearing
requesting comments on the DEIS,
Maximum Economic Recovery (MER),
and Fair Market Value (FMV) pursuant
to 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
3425.4.
DATES: To ensure comments will be
considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the South Gillette
Area Coal DEIS, MER, and FMV within
60 days following the date the
Environmental Protection Agency
publishes the Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register. The public hearing
will be held at 7 p.m. MST, on
November 19, 2008, at the Campbell
County George Amos Memorial
Building, 412 South Gillette Avenue,
Gillette, Wyoming.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by any of the following methods:
• E-mail: casper_wymail@blm.gov.
• Fax: 307–261–7587.
• Mail: Casper Field Office, Bureau of
Land Management, Attn: Teresa
Johnson, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper,
Wyoming 82604.
Copies of the DEIS are available at the
following BLM office locations: BLM
Wyoming State Office, 5353
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming
82009; and BLM Casper Field Office,
2987 Prospector Lane, Casper, Wyoming
82604. The DEIS is available
electronically on the following Web site:
https://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/
NEPA/cfodocs/south_gillette.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Teresa Johnson or Mike Karbs at the
above address, or telephone: 307–261–
7600.
The DEIS
analyzes the potential impacts for
Federal Coal LBAs serialized as
WYW161248, WYW172585,
WYW172657, and WYW173360 and
referred to as the Belle Ayr North, West
Coal Creek, Caballo West, and Maysdorf
II tracts, in the decertified Powder River
Federal Coal Production Region,
Wyoming. The BLM is considering
issuing these four coal leases as a result
of four applications filed between July
of 2004 and September of 2006.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION by
application is as follows.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[WY–060–1320–EL, WY–060–5110–GA–
CK33, WY–060–5110–GA–CK36, WY–060–
5110–GA–CK35, WYW161248, WYW172585,
WYW172657, WYW173360]
61903
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 202 / Friday, October 17, 2008 / Notices
Belle Ayr North Coal Tract
The BLM is considering issuing a coal
lease as a result of a July 6, 2004,
application made by RAG Wyoming
Land Company (RAG) to lease the
Federal coal in the Belle Ayr North coal
tract (WYW161248). RAG subsequently
sold the Belle Ayr Mine and its
associated interests to Foundation Coal
Holdings, Inc. (Foundation). From this
point forward, the applicant for the
Belle Ayr North Tract will be referred to
as Foundation. The Belle Ayr North
LBA is located in Campbell County
Wyoming, east of Hwy 59 and south of
the Bishop Road/Hwy 59 intersection.
Foundation originally applied for the
tract to extend the life of the existing
Belle Ayr Mine in accordance with 43
CFR part 3425. The applicant estimated
that the tract includes approximately
200 million tons of in-place Federal coal
underlying the following lands in
Campbell County, Wyoming:
T. 48 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 18: Lots 17, 18, 19 (W1⁄2, SE1⁄4);
Section 19: Lots 5 through 19;
Section 20: Lots 3 (SW1⁄4), 4 (W1⁄2, SE1⁄4),
5, 6, 7 (S1⁄2), 9 (S1⁄2), 10 through 16;
Section 21: Lots 13, 14;
Section 28: Lots 3 through 6;
Section 29: Lots 1, 6;
T. 48 N., R.72 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 24: Lots 1, 8.
Containing 1,578.74 acres, more or less.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
The Belle Ayr Mine is adjacent to the
LBA and has an approved mining and
reclamation plan from the Land Quality
Division of the Wyoming Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) and an
approved air quality permit from the Air
Quality Division of the Wyoming DEQ
that allows them to mine up to 45
million tons of coal per year.
West Coal Creek Coal Tract
The BLM is considering issuing a coal
lease as a result of a February 10, 2006,
application made by Ark Land Company
(Ark) to lease the Federal coal in the
West Coal Creek coal tract
(WYW172585). The West Coal Creek
LBA is located in Campbell County east
of Hoadley Road approximately 12
miles northeast of the city of Wright,
Wyoming.
Ark originally applied for the tract to
extend the life of the existing Coal Creek
Mine in accordance with 43 CFR part
3425. The applicant estimated that the
tract includes approximately 57 million
tons of recoverable Federal coal
underlying the following lands in
Campbell County, Wyoming:
T. 46 N., R. 70 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 18: Lots 14 through 17;
Section 19: Lots 7 through 10, 15 through
18;
Section 30: Lots 5 through 20.
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Containing 1,151.26 acres, more or less.
The Coal Creek Mine is adjacent to
the LBA and has an approved mining
and reclamation plan from the Land
Quality Division of the Wyoming DEQ
and an approved air quality permit from
the Air Quality Division of the
Wyoming DEQ that allows them to mine
up to 25 million tons of coal per year.
Caballo West Coal Tract
The BLM is considering issuing a coal
lease as a result of a March 15, 2006,
application made by Caballo Coal
Company (Caballo) to lease the Federal
coal in the Caballo West coal tract
(WYW172657). The Caballo West LBA
is located in Campbell County Wyoming
east of the Hwy 59/Bishop Road
intersection.
Caballo originally applied for the tract
to extend the life of the existing Caballo
Mine in accordance with 43 CFR part
3425. The applicant estimated that the
tract includes approximately 87.5
million tons of mineable Federal coal
underlying the following lands in
Campbell County, Wyoming:
T. 48 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 7: Lots 12, 19;
Section 8: Lot 10;
Section 17: Lots 1 through 10, 11 (N1⁄2,
SE1⁄4), 12 (NE1⁄4), 15 (N1⁄2, SE1⁄4), 16;
Section 18: Lot 5, 12 (NE1⁄4);
Section 20: Lots 1, 2 (NE1⁄4), 8 (N1⁄2, SE1⁄4).
Containing 777.485 acres, more or less.
The Caballo Mine is adjacent to the
LBA and has an approved mining and
reclamation plan from the Land Quality
Division of the Wyoming DEQ and an
approved air quality permit from the Air
Quality Division of the Wyoming DEQ
that allows them to mine up to 50
million tons of coal per year.
Maysdorf II Coal Tract
The BLM is considering issuing a coal
lease as a result of a September 1, 2006,
application made by Cordero Mining
Company (Cordero) to lease the Federal
coal in the Maysdorf II coal tract
(WYW173360). The Maysdorf II LBA is
located in Campbell County Wyoming
on the east side of Hwy 59 starting
approximately 5 miles south of the
Bishop Road Hwy 59 intersection. The
Maysdorf II LBA has 2 separate units.
The larger of the 2 units is against the
west edge of the Cordero-Rojo Mine.
The other unit is to the south of the
Cordero-Rojo mine and to the west of
the Coal Creek Mine by roughly 1 mile.
Cordero originally applied for the
tract to extend the life of the existing
Cordero-Rojo Mine in accordance with
43 CFR part 3425. The applicant
estimated that the tract includes
approximately 483 million tons of in-
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place Federal coal underlying the
following lands in Campbell County,
Wyoming:
T. 46 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 4: Lots 8, 9, 16, 17;
Section 5: Lots 5, 12, 13, 20;
Section 9: Lots 6 through 8;
Section 10: Lots 7 through 10;
Section 11: Lots 13 through 16;
Section 14: Lots 1 through 4;
Section 15: Lots 1 through 4;
T. 47 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 7: Lots 6 through 11, 14 through
19;
Section 17: Lots 1 through 15, SW1⁄4NW1⁄4;
Section 18: Lots 5 through 14, 19, 20;
Section 20: Lots 1, 8, 9, 16;
Section 21: Lots 4, 5, 12, 13;
Section 28: Lots 4, 5, 12, 13;
Section 29: Lots 1, 8, 9, 16;
Section 32: Lots 1, 8, 9, 16;
Section 33: Lots 4, 5, 12, 13;
T. 47 N., R. 72 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 12: Lots 1 through 16;
Section 13: Lots 1 through 8.
Containing 4,653.80 acres, more or less.
The Cordero-Rojo Mine is adjacent to
the LBA and has an approved mining
and reclamation plan from the Land
Quality Division of the Wyoming DEQ
and an approved air quality permit from
the Air Quality Division of the
Wyoming DEQ that allows them to mine
up to 65 million tons of coal per year.
The DEIS analyzes and discloses to
the public direct, indirect, and
cumulative environmental impacts of
issuing four Federal coal leases in the
Wyoming portion of the Powder River
Basin. A copy of the DEIS has been sent
to affected Federal, State, and local
government agencies; persons and
entities identified as potentially being
affected by a decision to lease the
Federal coal in each of the tracts; and
persons who indicated to the BLM that
they wished to receive a copy of the
DEIS. The purpose of the public hearing
is to solicit comments on the DEIS, on
the proposed competitive sales of the
Belle Ayr North, West Coal Creek,
Caballo West, and Maysdorf II coal
tracts, and on the FMV and MER of the
Federal coal.
The Wyoming DEQ; the Office of
Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement; and the Wyoming
Department of Transportation are
cooperating agencies in the preparation
of the DEIS.
The DEIS analyzes leasing all of the
South Gillette Area coal tracts as the
Proposed Action. Under the Proposed
Action, a competitive sale would be
held and a lease issued for Federal coal
contained in the tracts as applied for by
each of the applicants. As part of the
coal leasing process, the BLM is
evaluating adding Federal coal to the
tracts to avoid bypassing coal or to
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 202 / Friday, October 17, 2008 / Notices
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prompt competitive interest in unleased
Federal coal in this area. The alternate
tract configurations for each of the LBAs
that BLM is evaluating are described
and analyzed as separate alternatives in
the DEIS. Under these alternatives,
competitive sales would be held and
leases issued for Federal coal lands
included in tracts modified by the BLM.
The DEIS also analyzes the alternative
of rejecting the application(s) to lease
Federal coal as the No Action
Alternative. The Proposed Actions and
alternatives for each of the LBAs being
considered in the DEIS are in
conformance with the Approved
Resource Management Plan for Public
Lands Administered by the Bureau of
Land Management Buffalo Field Office
(2001).
Requests to be included on the
mailing list for this project and to
request copies of the DEIS or
notification of the comment period or
hearing date, or both, may be sent in
writing, by facsimile, or electronically to
the addresses previously stated at the
beginning of this notice. The BLM asks
that those submitting comments on the
DEIS make them as specific as possible
with reference to page numbers and
chapters of the document. Comments
that contain only opinions or
preferences will not receive a formal
response; however, they will be
considered as part of the BLM decisionmaking process.
Please note that comments and
information submitted including names,
street addresses, and e-mail addresses of
respondents will be available for public
review and disclosure at the above
address during regular business hours
(7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday
through Friday, except holidays.
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Donald A. Simpson,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. E8–24632 Filed 10–16–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[OR–930–6350–DQ–047H] HAG–08–0204
Notice of Availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Revision of the Resource
Management Plans of the Western
Oregon Bureau of Land Management
Districts of Salem, Eugene, Roseburg,
Coos Bay, and Medford, and the
Klamath Falls Resource Area of the
Lakeview District
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 and the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976, the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) has prepared
six Resource Management Plans with a
single associated Final Environmental
Impact Statement (RMP/FEIS) for the
Salem, Eugene, Roseburg, Coos Bay, and
Medford Districts and the Klamath Falls
Resource Area of the Lakeview District
in western Oregon.
DATES: The Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for Land and Minerals
Management is the responsible official
for the RMP. Accordingly, there will be
no administrative review ‘‘protest’’ on
the RMP/FEIS under 43 CFR 1610.5–2.
The Record of Decision (ROD) will not
be signed until at least 30 days after the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
publishes this notice of availability of
the Final EIS in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the RMP/FEIS
have been sent to affected federal, state,
and local government agencies, and to
tribal governments. Interested persons
may review the RMP/FEIS on the
Internet at https://www.blm.gov/or/
plans/wopr/index.php. Copies of the
RMP/FEIS are available for public
inspection at Salem, Eugene, Roseburg,
Coos Bay, and Medford District offices
and the Grants Pass, Klamath Falls and
Tillamook Resource Area offices.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Jerry Hubbard, Western Oregon Plan
Revisions Public Outreach Coordinator;
at (503) 808–6115.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM
has analyzed revision of six Resource
Management Plans with this single
Environmental Impact Statement. These
plans are the Salem, Eugene, Roseburg,
Medford, and Coos Bay District RMPs
and the Klamath Falls Resource Area
RMP. The RMP/FEIS for the Western
Oregon Bureau of Land Management
Districts has identified and analyzed
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61905
four action alternatives, including the
RMP, for managing approximately
2,550,000 acres of federal land, most of
which are revested Oregon and
California Railroad Grant and Coos Bay
Wagon Road Grant lands, within the
western Oregon planning area.
The major resource management plan
issues include:
• Providing a sustainable supply of
wood and other forest products, as
mandated by the Oregon & California
Lands Act of 1937, while also meeting
other applicable laws.
• Providing for conservation of
species listed under the Endangered
Species Act.
• Contributing to meeting the goals of
the Clean Water Act and the Safe
Drinking Water Act.
• Reducing the risk of wildfire and
integrating fire back into the ecosystem.
Comments received on the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
were important in shaping the Resource
Management Plans. The RMP is based
on Alternative 2 from the DEIS, but
includes portions of the other
alternatives in the DEIS.
Some of the key changes include:
• Wider riparian management areas,
as described in Alternative 1 of the
DEIS.
• Late successional management
areas were reconfigured to match the
Final Northern Spotted Owl Recovery
Plan.
• Deferring harvest for 15 years in
‘‘older and more structurally complex
multi-layered conifer stands,’’ as
described in Final Northern Spotted
Owl Recovery Plan in the timber
management area.
• Using uneven-aged management, as
described in Alternative 3 of the DEIS,
in the southern portion of the Medford
District and the Klamath Falls Resource
Area to decrease fire hazard and
increase fire resiliency.
Dated: September 8, 2008.
Edward W. Shepard,
State Director, Oregon/Washington, Bureau
of Land Management.
[FR Doc. E8–24655 Filed 10–16–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–33–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Investigation 332–325]
The Economic Effects of Significant
U.S. Import Restraints: Sixth Update
United States International
Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice of sixth update report
and scheduling of public hearing.
AGENCY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 202 (Friday, October 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61903-61905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24632]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY-060-1320-EL, WY-060-5110-GA-CK33, WY-060-5110-GA-CK36, WY-060-5110-
GA-CK35, WYW161248, WYW172585, WYW172657, WYW173360]
Notice of Availability and Notice of Hearing for the South
Gillette Area Coal Draft Environmental Impact Statement That Includes
Four Federal Coal Lease by Applications, Wyoming
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) for the South Gillette Area Coal project that contains
four Federal Coal Lease By Applications (LBAs), and by this Notice is
announcing a public hearing requesting comments on the DEIS, Maximum
Economic Recovery (MER), and Fair Market Value (FMV) pursuant to 43
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3425.4.
DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the South Gillette Area Coal DEIS, MER, and FMV
within 60 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency
publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The
public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. MST, on November 19, 2008, at the
Campbell County George Amos Memorial Building, 412 South Gillette
Avenue, Gillette, Wyoming.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
E-mail: casper_wymail@blm.gov.
Fax: 307-261-7587.
Mail: Casper Field Office, Bureau of Land Management,
Attn: Teresa Johnson, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, Wyoming 82604.
Copies of the DEIS are available at the following BLM office locations:
BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming
82009; and BLM Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector Lane, Casper,
Wyoming 82604. The DEIS is available electronically on the following
Web site: https://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/cfodocs/south_
gillette.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Teresa Johnson or Mike Karbs at the
above address, or telephone: 307-261-7600.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS analyzes the potential impacts for
Federal Coal LBAs serialized as WYW161248, WYW172585, WYW172657, and
WYW173360 and referred to as the Belle Ayr North, West Coal Creek,
Caballo West, and Maysdorf II tracts, in the decertified Powder River
Federal Coal Production Region, Wyoming. The BLM is considering issuing
these four coal leases as a result of four applications filed between
July of 2004 and September of 2006. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION by
application is as follows.
[[Page 61904]]
Belle Ayr North Coal Tract
The BLM is considering issuing a coal lease as a result of a July
6, 2004, application made by RAG Wyoming Land Company (RAG) to lease
the Federal coal in the Belle Ayr North coal tract (WYW161248). RAG
subsequently sold the Belle Ayr Mine and its associated interests to
Foundation Coal Holdings, Inc. (Foundation). From this point forward,
the applicant for the Belle Ayr North Tract will be referred to as
Foundation. The Belle Ayr North LBA is located in Campbell County
Wyoming, east of Hwy 59 and south of the Bishop Road/Hwy 59
intersection.
Foundation originally applied for the tract to extend the life of
the existing Belle Ayr Mine in accordance with 43 CFR part 3425. The
applicant estimated that the tract includes approximately 200 million
tons of in-place Federal coal underlying the following lands in
Campbell County, Wyoming:
T. 48 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 18: Lots 17, 18, 19 (W\1/2\, SE\1/4\);
Section 19: Lots 5 through 19;
Section 20: Lots 3 (SW\1/4\), 4 (W\1/2\, SE\1/4\), 5, 6, 7 (S\1/
2\), 9 (S\1/2\), 10 through 16;
Section 21: Lots 13, 14;
Section 28: Lots 3 through 6;
Section 29: Lots 1, 6;
T. 48 N., R.72 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 24: Lots 1, 8.
Containing 1,578.74 acres, more or less.
The Belle Ayr Mine is adjacent to the LBA and has an approved
mining and reclamation plan from the Land Quality Division of the
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and an approved air
quality permit from the Air Quality Division of the Wyoming DEQ that
allows them to mine up to 45 million tons of coal per year.
West Coal Creek Coal Tract
The BLM is considering issuing a coal lease as a result of a
February 10, 2006, application made by Ark Land Company (Ark) to lease
the Federal coal in the West Coal Creek coal tract (WYW172585). The
West Coal Creek LBA is located in Campbell County east of Hoadley Road
approximately 12 miles northeast of the city of Wright, Wyoming.
Ark originally applied for the tract to extend the life of the
existing Coal Creek Mine in accordance with 43 CFR part 3425. The
applicant estimated that the tract includes approximately 57 million
tons of recoverable Federal coal underlying the following lands in
Campbell County, Wyoming:
T. 46 N., R. 70 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 18: Lots 14 through 17;
Section 19: Lots 7 through 10, 15 through 18;
Section 30: Lots 5 through 20.
Containing 1,151.26 acres, more or less.
The Coal Creek Mine is adjacent to the LBA and has an approved
mining and reclamation plan from the Land Quality Division of the
Wyoming DEQ and an approved air quality permit from the Air Quality
Division of the Wyoming DEQ that allows them to mine up to 25 million
tons of coal per year.
Caballo West Coal Tract
The BLM is considering issuing a coal lease as a result of a March
15, 2006, application made by Caballo Coal Company (Caballo) to lease
the Federal coal in the Caballo West coal tract (WYW172657). The
Caballo West LBA is located in Campbell County Wyoming east of the Hwy
59/Bishop Road intersection.
Caballo originally applied for the tract to extend the life of the
existing Caballo Mine in accordance with 43 CFR part 3425. The
applicant estimated that the tract includes approximately 87.5 million
tons of mineable Federal coal underlying the following lands in
Campbell County, Wyoming:
T. 48 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 7: Lots 12, 19;
Section 8: Lot 10;
Section 17: Lots 1 through 10, 11 (N\1/2\, SE\1/4\), 12 (NE\1/
4\), 15 (N\1/2\, SE\1/4\), 16;
Section 18: Lot 5, 12 (NE\1/4\);
Section 20: Lots 1, 2 (NE\1/4\), 8 (N\1/2\, SE\1/4\).
Containing 777.485 acres, more or less.
The Caballo Mine is adjacent to the LBA and has an approved mining
and reclamation plan from the Land Quality Division of the Wyoming DEQ
and an approved air quality permit from the Air Quality Division of the
Wyoming DEQ that allows them to mine up to 50 million tons of coal per
year.
Maysdorf II Coal Tract
The BLM is considering issuing a coal lease as a result of a
September 1, 2006, application made by Cordero Mining Company (Cordero)
to lease the Federal coal in the Maysdorf II coal tract (WYW173360).
The Maysdorf II LBA is located in Campbell County Wyoming on the east
side of Hwy 59 starting approximately 5 miles south of the Bishop Road
Hwy 59 intersection. The Maysdorf II LBA has 2 separate units. The
larger of the 2 units is against the west edge of the Cordero-Rojo
Mine. The other unit is to the south of the Cordero-Rojo mine and to
the west of the Coal Creek Mine by roughly 1 mile.
Cordero originally applied for the tract to extend the life of the
existing Cordero-Rojo Mine in accordance with 43 CFR part 3425. The
applicant estimated that the tract includes approximately 483 million
tons of in-place Federal coal underlying the following lands in
Campbell County, Wyoming:
T. 46 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 4: Lots 8, 9, 16, 17;
Section 5: Lots 5, 12, 13, 20;
Section 9: Lots 6 through 8;
Section 10: Lots 7 through 10;
Section 11: Lots 13 through 16;
Section 14: Lots 1 through 4;
Section 15: Lots 1 through 4;
T. 47 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 7: Lots 6 through 11, 14 through 19;
Section 17: Lots 1 through 15, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\;
Section 18: Lots 5 through 14, 19, 20;
Section 20: Lots 1, 8, 9, 16;
Section 21: Lots 4, 5, 12, 13;
Section 28: Lots 4, 5, 12, 13;
Section 29: Lots 1, 8, 9, 16;
Section 32: Lots 1, 8, 9, 16;
Section 33: Lots 4, 5, 12, 13;
T. 47 N., R. 72 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
Section 12: Lots 1 through 16;
Section 13: Lots 1 through 8.
Containing 4,653.80 acres, more or less.
The Cordero-Rojo Mine is adjacent to the LBA and has an approved
mining and reclamation plan from the Land Quality Division of the
Wyoming DEQ and an approved air quality permit from the Air Quality
Division of the Wyoming DEQ that allows them to mine up to 65 million
tons of coal per year.
The DEIS analyzes and discloses to the public direct, indirect, and
cumulative environmental impacts of issuing four Federal coal leases in
the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin. A copy of the DEIS has
been sent to affected Federal, State, and local government agencies;
persons and entities identified as potentially being affected by a
decision to lease the Federal coal in each of the tracts; and persons
who indicated to the BLM that they wished to receive a copy of the
DEIS. The purpose of the public hearing is to solicit comments on the
DEIS, on the proposed competitive sales of the Belle Ayr North, West
Coal Creek, Caballo West, and Maysdorf II coal tracts, and on the FMV
and MER of the Federal coal.
The Wyoming DEQ; the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement; and the Wyoming Department of Transportation are
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the DEIS.
The DEIS analyzes leasing all of the South Gillette Area coal
tracts as the Proposed Action. Under the Proposed Action, a competitive
sale would be held and a lease issued for Federal coal contained in the
tracts as applied for by each of the applicants. As part of the coal
leasing process, the BLM is evaluating adding Federal coal to the
tracts to avoid bypassing coal or to
[[Page 61905]]
prompt competitive interest in unleased Federal coal in this area. The
alternate tract configurations for each of the LBAs that BLM is
evaluating are described and analyzed as separate alternatives in the
DEIS. Under these alternatives, competitive sales would be held and
leases issued for Federal coal lands included in tracts modified by the
BLM. The DEIS also analyzes the alternative of rejecting the
application(s) to lease Federal coal as the No Action Alternative. The
Proposed Actions and alternatives for each of the LBAs being considered
in the DEIS are in conformance with the Approved Resource Management
Plan for Public Lands Administered by the Bureau of Land Management
Buffalo Field Office (2001).
Requests to be included on the mailing list for this project and to
request copies of the DEIS or notification of the comment period or
hearing date, or both, may be sent in writing, by facsimile, or
electronically to the addresses previously stated at the beginning of
this notice. The BLM asks that those submitting comments on the DEIS
make them as specific as possible with reference to page numbers and
chapters of the document. Comments that contain only opinions or
preferences will not receive a formal response; however, they will be
considered as part of the BLM decision-making process.
Please note that comments and information submitted including
names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses of respondents will be
available for public review and disclosure at the above address during
regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday,
except holidays.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Donald A. Simpson,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. E8-24632 Filed 10-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P
