Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment and Notice of Public Hearing for the Blue Mountain Energy, Inc., Federal Coal Lease Application, COC-74813, 64348-64349 [2012-25781]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 203 (Friday, October 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64348-64349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25781]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCO-921000-L51100000-GA0000-LVEMC11CC140; COC-74813]


Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment and Notice 
of Public Hearing for the Blue Mountain Energy, Inc., Federal Coal 
Lease Application, COC-74813

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal coal management regulations, 
the Blue Mountain Energy, Inc., Federal Coal Lease-By-Application (LBA) 
Environmental Assessment (EA) is available for public review and 
comment. The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) Colorado State Office will hold a public hearing to 
receive comments on the EA, Fair Market Value (FMV), and Maximum 
Economic Recovery (MER) of the coal resources for Blue Mountain Energy, 
Inc., COC-74813.

DATES: The public hearing will be held at 6 p.m., November 28, 2012. 
Written comments should be received no later than November 20, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the BLM White River Field 
Office (BLM/WRFO) 220 East Market Street, Meeker, Colorado 81641. 
Written comments should be sent to Paul Daggett at the same address or 
sent via email to pdaggett@blm.gov. You may also send Paul Daggett a 
fax at 970-878-3805. Copies of the EA, unsigned Finding of No 
Significant Impact (FONSI) and MER report are available at the field 
office address above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt M. Barton at 303-239-3714, 
kbarton@blm.gov, or Paul Daggett at 970-878-3819, pdaggett@blm.gov. 
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call 
the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to 
contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is 
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question 
with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An LBA was filed by Blue Mountain Energy, 
Inc. The coal resource to be offered is limited to coal recoverable by 
underground mining methods. The Federal coal is in the lands outside 
established coal production regions and

[[Page 64349]]

may supplement the reserves at the Deserado Mine. The Federal coal 
resources are located in Moffatt County and Rio Blanco County, 
Colorado.

Sixth Principal Meridian

T. 3 N., R. 101 W.,
    Sec. 17, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, and S\1/2\SE\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 18, lots 3 and 4, S\1/2\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, 
S\1/2\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, and S\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 19, lot 1, NE\1/4\, NE\1/4\NW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, 
and S\1/2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 20, NE\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\NW\1/4\, and N\1/2\NE\1/4\NW\1/
4\;
    Sec. 21, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\, and N\1/2\SE\1/
4\;
    Sec. 22, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/2\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/
4\;
    Sec. 23, S\1/2\SW\1/4\, and S\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 26, N\1/2\, SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 27, E\1/2\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SW\1/
4\;
    Sec. 34, N\1/2\NE\1/4\, and NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 35, NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, and N\1/2\NW\1/4\.

    These lands contain 3,154.76 acres, more or less.

    The EA addresses the cultural, socioeconomic, environmental, and 
cumulative impacts that would likely result from leasing these coal 
lands. Two alternatives are addressed in the EA:
    Alternative 1: (Proposed Action) The tracts would be leased as 
requested in the application; and
    Alternative 2: (No Action) The application would be rejected or 
denied. The Federal coal reserves would be bypassed.
    Proprietary data marked as confidential may be submitted to the BLM 
in response to this solicitation of public comments. Data so marked 
shall be treated in accordance with the laws and regulations governing 
the confidentiality of such information. A copy of the comments 
submitted by the public on the EA, unsigned FONSI, FMV and MER, except 
those portions identified as proprietary by the author and meeting 
exemptions stated in the Freedom of Information Act, will be available 
for public inspection at the BLM Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield 
Street, Lakewood, Colorado, 80215, during regular business hours (9 
a.m. to 4 p.m.) Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays.
    Comments on the EA, FMV, and MER should address, but not 
necessarily be limited to, the following:
    1. The quality and quantity of the coal resources;
    2. The method of mining to be employed to obtain MER of the coal, 
including specifications of the seams to be mined, timing and rate of 
production, restriction to mining, and the inclusion of the tracts in 
an existing mining operation;
    3. The FMV appraisal including, but not limited to, the evaluation 
of the tract as an incremental unit of an existing mine, quality and 
quantity of the coal resource, selling price of the coal, mining and 
reclamation costs, net present value discount factors, depreciation and 
other tax accounting factors, value of the surface estate, the mining 
method or methods, and any comparable sales data on similar coal lands. 
The values given above may or may not change as a result of comments 
received from the public and changes in market conditions between now 
and when final economic evaluations are completed.
    Written comments on the EA, MER, and FMV should be sent to Paul 
Daggett at the above address or sent via email to pdaggett@blm.gov 
prior to close of business November 20, 2012. Please note ``Coal Lease 
By Application'' in the subject line for all emails. Substantive 
comments, whether written or oral, will receive equal consideration 
prior to any lease offering. Before including your address, phone 
number, email 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.
    The foregoing is published in the Federal Register pursuant to 43 
CFR parts 3422 and 3425.

    Dated: August 21, 2012.
Helen M. Hankins,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2012-25781 Filed 10-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P