Department of the Interior May 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States is heavily reliant on imports of certain mineral commodities that are vital to the Nation's security and economic prosperity. This dependency of the United States on foreign sources creates a strategic vulnerability for both its economy and military to adverse foreign government action, natural disaster, and other events that can disrupt supply of these key minerals. Pursuant to Executive Order 13817 of December 20, 2017, ``A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals,'' the Secretary of the Interior on February 16, 2018, presented a draft list of 35 mineral commodities deemed critical under the definition provided in the Executive Order. After considering the 453 public comments received, the Department of the Interior believes that the methodology used to draft the list remains valid and hereby finalizes the draft list of 35 critical minerals. The final list includes: Aluminum (bauxite), antimony, arsenic, barite, beryllium, bismuth, cesium, chromium, cobalt, fluorspar, gallium, germanium, graphite (natural), hafnium, helium, indium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, niobium, platinum group metals, potash, the rare earth elements group, rhenium, rubidium, scandium, strontium, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, and zirconium. This list of critical minerals, while ``final,'' is not a permanent list, but will be dynamic and updated periodically to reflect current data on supply, demand, and concentration of production, as well as current policy priorities. This final list will serve as the Department of Commerce's initial focus as it develops its report to comply with Section 4 of Executive Order 13817.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability of a draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the potential issuance of a take permit for bald eagles pursuant to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act), in association with the operation of the Courtenay Wind Farm (project) in Stutsman County, North Dakota. The DEA was prepared in response to an application from Northern States Power CompanyMinnesota, doing business as Xcel Energy (applicant), for a 5- year take permit for bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) under the Eagle Act. The applicant would implement a conservation program to avoid and minimize the project's impacts to eagles, as described in the applicant's Eagle Conservation Plan. We invite public comment on the DEA.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan for the Palen Solar Project, and by this notice is announcing its availability. This document is also an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared by Riverside County under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

This notice announces the third meeting of the Royalty Policy Committee (Committee). This meeting is open to the public.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are approving, in part, an amendment to the Missouri regulatory program (Missouri program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Missouri proposed revisions to its coal Ownership and Control Rules. Missouri intends to revise its program to be no less effective than the Federal regulations and to improve operational efficiency.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Pennsylvania Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation (AMLR) Plan (hereinafter, the Plan) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Through this proposed amendment, Pennsylvania would modify its AMLR Plan by adding Reclamation Plan Amendment No. 3, to allow the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to administer a State Emergency Program under Title IV of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. The plan covers coordination of emergency reclamation work between the Commonwealth and the OSMRE as well as procedures for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act and other Commonwealth procedures. This document gives the locations and times where the Pennsylvania AMLR Plan documents and this proposed amendment to that Plan are available for your inspection, establishes the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the amendment, and describes the procedures we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposes to renew an information collection.

The Bureau of Reclamation has made available to the public the Water Management Plans for twelve entities. For the purpose of this announcement, Water Management Plans (Plans) are considered the same as Water Conservation Plans. Reclamation is publishing this notice in order to allow the public an opportunity to review the Plans and comment on the preliminary determinations.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of the Secretary, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance are proposing to renew an information collection.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/EIR) that evaluates the effects of issuing a 50- year incidental take permit (ITP or Permit) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, for 28 species covered under the final South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan (SSHCP, or Plan). The final EIS/EIR and the final SSHCP documents reflect changes resulting from comments received during a 90-day public review of the draft EIS/EIR and the draft SSHCP. This notice provides an opportunity for the public to review the responses to comments and review the final documents.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are proposing to renew an information collection for requirements for Grants to States and Tribes.

Pursuant to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) regulatory restrictions on joint bidding, the Director of the BOEM is publishing a List of Restricted Joint Bidders. Each entity within one of the following groups is restricted from bidding with any entity in any of the other following groups at Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sales to be held during the bidding period May 1, 2018, through October 31, 2018.

The plats of survey of the following described lands are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado State Office, Lakewood, Colorado, 30 calendar days from the date of this publication. The surveys, which were executed at the request of the BLM, are necessary for the management of these lands.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) are proposing to renew an information collection for the Permanent Regulatory ProgramSmall Operator Assistance Program (SOAP).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior are proposing to renew an information collection with revisions.

The plat of survey of the following described lands is scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office, Boise, Idaho, in 30 days from the date of this publication.

The National Park Service is hereby giving notice of a meeting of the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Advisory Council.

The notice announces that the Tribal-State Class III Gaming Compact entered into between the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and State of Arizona is taking effect.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are reopening the public comment period and will be holding a public hearing on the proposed amendment to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's approved regulatory program (the Pennsylvania program) published on March 12, 2018. The comment period is being reopened in order to afford the public additional time to comment and to allow for a public hearing. Approximately sixty citizens asked to both extend the comment period and for a public hearing. We are also notifying the public of the date, time, and location for the public hearing. Through this proposed amendment, Pennsylvania seeks to revise its Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act (BMSLCA) to include language clarifying the circumstances where a finding of presumptive evidence of pollution is not warranted under the Commonwealth's Clean Streams Law.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating 5-year status reviews of 35 species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. A 5-year review is an assessment of the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. We are requesting submission of information that has become available since the last reviews of these species.

In accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, the natural resource Trustees for the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD) site announce the availability for public comment of a Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft RP/EA) for TSMD natural resource damage restoration. The Draft RP/EA presents a restoration project the Trustees are proposing to implement to restore natural resources and services injured by hazardous substances released in and around the TSMD site.

In accordance with Section 204 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Secretary of the Interior proposes to withdraw approximately 769,724 acres of Federal land in Churchill, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, and Pershing Counties, Nevada, for up to 4 years from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including the mining laws, the mineral leasing laws, and the geothermal leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights. The petition/application also requests withdrawal of 68,804 acres of Federal land in the Dixie Valley Training Area from the mineral leasing laws (not currently withdrawn from these laws under Section 3016 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2000 (NDAA 2000), subject to valid existing rights. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the BLM Carson City District Stillwater Field Office, Carson City, Nevada, has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) associated with the proposed withdrawal for Land Management Evaluation (LME) purposes, and by this Notice is announcing the EA's availability.

As provided for under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of competitive oil and gas lease WYW180624 from Kirkwood Oil & Gas LLC for land in Converse County, Wyoming. The lessee filed the petition on time, along with all rentals due since the lease terminated under the law. No leases affecting this land were issued before the petition was filed. The BLM proposes to reinstate the lease.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared the Utah Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Utah Greater Sage- Grouse (GRSG) Planning Area and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period. BLM Utah is soliciting comments on the entire Draft EIS, as well as the specific planning issues mentioned in this NOA, and the cumulative effects analysis.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared the Wyoming Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Wyoming Greater Sage- Grouse (GRSG), and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period. BLM Wyoming is soliciting comments on the entire Draft EIS, as well as the specific planning issues mentioned in this NOA, and the cumulative effects analysis.