Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement August 27, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations for implementing NEPA, and the Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), Western Region (WR), Denver, Colorado, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS, to be prepared in conjunction with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) pursuant to the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and its implementing rules, will analyze the environmental impacts of the proposed action to permit the operation and reclamation of the proposed Area F expansion of the Rosebud Coal Mine. A single EIS that meets the requirements of both MEPA and NEPA and evaluates all components of the proposed project will be prepared. OSM and DEQ are requesting public comments on the scope of the EIS and significant issues that should be addressed in the EIS.