Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and To Initiate Scoping for Federal Coal Lease Applications for Two Leases To Expand Operations at the Warrior Met Coal Mines, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, 34264-34265 [2024-09222]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 84 (Tuesday, April 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34264-34265]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09222]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_ES_FRN_MO4500178579]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
To Initiate Scoping for Federal Coal Lease Applications for Two Leases 
To Expand Operations at the Warrior Met Coal Mines, Tuscaloosa County, 
Alabama

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
Southeastern States District Office, Flowood, Mississippi, intends to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to consider the effects 
of offering two Federal coal leases by holding a competitive lease sale 
for each respective Lease By Application (LBA) received from Warrior 
Met Coal, Inc. This notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping 
process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public-scoping process for the EIS. 
The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the scope 
of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of relevant 
information, and studies by May 30, 2024. To give the BLM enough time 
to consider comments in the Draft EIS, please ensure your comments are 
received by BLM before the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Warrior Met Coal 
Mines EIS by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2031600/510.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Warrior Met Coal 
Mines EIS, 273 Market Street, Flowood, MS 39232.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/home and by mail at the BLM 
Southeastern States District Office: 273 Market Street, Flowood, MS 
39232.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Swithers, BLM Southeastern States 
District Manager, telephone: 601-919-4696; address: 273 Market Street, 
Flowood, MS 39232; email: [email protected]. Contact Mr. Swithers to 
have your name added to our mailing list. Individuals in the United 
States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech 
disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services for contacting Mr. Swithers. 
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services 
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM Southeastern States District Office 
received two Federal LBAs to expand current mining operations located 
in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Warrior Met Coal Mining, LLC, proposes 
to expand Mine No. 4 (ALES-055797), and Warrior Met Coal BC, LLC, 
proposes to expand Blue Creek Mine No. 1 (ALES-056519). Warrior Met 
Coal Mining, LLC, and Warrior Met Coal BC, LLC, are subsidiaries of 
Warrior Met Coal, Inc., and will henceforth be referred to collectively 
as ``Warrior Met Coal.''
    The LBA for the Mine No. 4 expansion (ALES-055797) consists of 
approximately 5,720 acres of private surface lands (i.e., split-estate 
lands) with an estimated 24 million short tons of recoverable Federal 
coal. The LBA for the Blue Creek Mine No. 1 expansion (ALES-056519) 
consists of approximately 8,320 acres of split-estate lands with an 
estimated 33.5 million short tons of recoverable Federal coal. The 
combined proposed lease area for both applications includes 
approximately 14,040 acres of split-estate lands. Warrior Met Coal is 
seeking to obtain leases for the extraction of metallurgical coal 
resources by means of underground longwall mining techniques.
    The BLM initially began preparing an environmental assessment to 
evaluate the LBA for Mine No. 4. Upon further review of the potential 
effects of the proposed action for Mine No. 4 expansion and, given the 
proximity to the Blue Creek Mine No. 1 expansion LBA, the BLM 
determined that an EIS is warranted, and that both LBAs would be 
evaluated under a single EIS. This notice of intent initiates the EIS 
process to evaluate both LBAs and terminates the environmental 
assessment process evaluating the LBA for Mine No. 4.

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    The purpose of the project is to provide for responsible 
development of coal resources in the Warrior Basin by responding to two 
Federal coal LBAs submitted by Warrior Met Coal to access a total of 
approximately 14,040 acres of Federal minerals underlying split-estate 
lands in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. The applications propose to 
extract approximately 57.5 million tons of recoverable Federal 
metallurgical coal reserves.
    The need is established by the BLM's responsibility under the 
Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended; the Mineral Leasing Act for 
Acquired Lands of 1947, as amended; and the Federal Coal Leasing 
Amendments Act of 1976, as amended, to respond to two Federal coal LBAs 
submitted by Warrior Met Coal (ALES-055797 and ALES-056519) which seek 
to expand two existing underground mines.

Preliminary Proposed Action, and Alternatives

    The proposed action is to offer for lease approximately 5,720 acres 
of Federal minerals for Mine No. 4 (ALES-055797) and 8,320 acres of 
Federal minerals for Blue Creek Mine No. 1 (ALES-056519) with the 
intent of allowing for the proposed extraction of a combined estimated 
57.5 million tons of metallurgical coal reserves by means of 
underground longwall mining techniques. The surface of the lands 
identified in both LBAs are privately owned. Implementation of the 
proposed action would result in the BLM holding two competitive lease 
sales, one for each LBA.
    The BLM will also evaluate the no action alternative under which 
the BLM would deny the two LBAs and the land would not be offered for 
lease. The BLM welcomes comments on all preliminary alternatives as 
well as suggestions for additional alternatives.

Summary of Expected Impacts

    The proposed action would authorize approximately 57.5 million tons 
of Federal metallurgical coal to be leased. A decision to lease the 
proposed lands would not provide the successful bidder with an 
authorization to engage in mining activities. However, mining is a 
logical extension of leasing the Federal coal reserves. Potential 
impacts of the proposed action include, but are not limited to, impacts 
to air quality, including greenhouse gas emissions; impacts on 
populations with environmental justice concerns; impacts from potential 
subsidence from underground mining; and impacts to groundwater and 
surface water quality.

[[Page 34265]]

Anticipated Permits and Authorizations

    If the proposed action is approved, the BLM would hold two 
competitive lease sales, one for each LBA, as outlined in 43 CFR part 
3420--Competitive Leasing. Upon completion of each competitive lease 
sale, the BLM would award the leases to the successful bidder(s). Once 
a lease is issued, the Alabama Surface Mining Commission (ASMC) would 
be responsible for permitting the mining operations. The ASMC would 
determine whether to issue a permit and, if so, what terms and 
conditions to apply, in accordance with relevant policies and 
authorities. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement 
(OSMRE) would prepare a mine plan decision document and make a 
recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals 
Management regarding whether to approve, approve with conditions, or 
disapprove the mine plan.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation consistent with the NEPA process, including a 45-day 
comment period on the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is anticipated to be 
available for public review in autumn 2024, and the Final EIS is 
anticipated to be released in summer 2025 with a Record of Decision in 
early 2026.

Public Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping period. The BLM 
requests that the public submit comments concerning the scope of the 
analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of relevant 
information, and studies by May 30, 2024. The BLM does not intend to 
hold any public meetings, in-person or virtual, during the public 
scoping period. If the BLM later determines that it will hold public 
meetings, the specific date(s) and location(s) of any meeting will be 
announced in advance through the ePlanning project page (see ADDRESSES) 
and local media.

Cooperating Agencies

    OSMRE and the ASMC are cooperating agencies.

Responsible Official

    The BLM Eastern States Director is the deciding official on the 
LBAs submitted by Warrior Met Coal.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The responsible official will determine whether to offer lands 
identified in the LBAs ALES-055797 and ALES-056519 for Federal coal 
leasing and, if approved, what special stipulations to apply to the 
coal lease(s).

Additional Information

    The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address 
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed 
action and all analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in accordance with 
40 CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not already 
included in the proposed action or alternatives. Mitigation may include 
avoidance, minimization, rectification, reduction or elimination over 
time, and compensation; and it may be considered at multiple scales, 
including the landscape scale.
    The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA process to help support 
compliance with applicable procedural requirements under the Endangered 
Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1536) and Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108), as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), 
including public involvement requirements of Section 106. The 
information about historic and cultural resources and threatened and 
endangered species within the area potentially affected by the proposed 
project will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts to 
such resources.
    The BLM will consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM Manual 
Section 1780, and other Departmental policies. Tribal concerns, 
including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to 
cultural resources, will be given due consideration. Federal, State, 
and local agencies, along with Indian Tribal Nations and stakeholders 
that may be interested in or affected by the two proposed LBAs for 
Federal coal that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in 
the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by 
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis 
as a cooperating agency.
    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.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9)

Mitchell Leverette,
Eastern States Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-09222 Filed 4-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-18-P