[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 141 (Monday, July 25, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-18023]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: July 25, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.

AGENCY: Notice of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact 
statement and announcement of a period during which written comments 
regarding the scope of the environmental impact statement (EIS) 
analysis will be received.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the office of Surface Mining 
Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) intends to prepare a supplemental EIS 
to the 1990 Bureau of Land Management EIS that will update the 
identified impacts and analyze and new probable impacts of mining at 
the Proposed Fence Lake Mine, Cibola and Catron Counties, New Mexico 
and Apache County, Arizona. As required by the New Mexico State 
Program, Salt River Project (SRP) has submitted an administratively 
complete permit application for the proposed surface coal mine. The 
permit application contains life-of-mine information that the 
Department of the Interior will use to evaluate alternative actions in 
the EIS and will assist the Department in making decisions on the 
surface coal mining operation northwest of Quemado, New Mexico and in 
the State of Arizona. OSM requests that other agencies and the public 
submit written comments or statements to it concerning the scope of the 
EIS analysis.

DATES: Written comments or statements concerning the scope of the EIS 
will be accepted through September 15, 1994, at the location given 
under ADDRESSES.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or statements concerning the scope of the 
EIS should be mailed or hand delivered to Russell F. Price, Acting 
Assistant Director, Attn: Billie E. Clark, Jr., OSM, Western Support 
Center, 1999 Broadway, Suite 3320, Denver, Colorado 80202-5733.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Billie E. Clark, Jr., Chief, Federal and Indian Permitting Branch, at 
the Denver, Colorado, location giver under ADDRESSES (telephone: 303-
672-5604).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SRP's proposed Fence Lake Mine consists of 
Federal, State and private coal leases situated on approximately 18,000 
acres northwest of Quemado, New Mexico. The Federal Coal Leases Nos. 
are NMNM 78371 and NMNM 86717. The proposed mine would remove 
approximately 80 million tons of coal, by surface methods, over the 47 
year life-of-mine. Approximately 1.8 million tons of coal would be 
removed per year through year 28 with about 3 million tons of coal per 
year being removed from year 29 through year 40. The project described 
in the application also includes a proposed 45-mile railroad spur that 
would be constructed west from the mine to supply coal to the existing 
Coronado Generating Station, located approximately 6 miles from St. 
Johns, Arizona.
    OSM will prepare the supplemental EIS, which will evaluate 
alternative actions that the Department could take on Federal decisions 
related to this project. In accordance with the New Mexico State 
Program the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Department must take 
permitting actions on the proposed surface coal mining operation within 
the State of New Mexico. The major alternative actions thus far 
identified for consideration are approval of the mining plan and permit 
application with such conditions, if any, as would be necessary to 
assure it compliance with requirements of the Surface mining Control 
and Reclamation Act of 1977, its implementing regulations, and other 
Federal laws; disapproval of the mining plan and permit application; 
and no action. Other alternative actions may be identified based on 
comments received by OSM regarding the scope of the supplemental EIS 
analysis.
    OSM is requesting that any interested party submit written comments 
or statements regarding the scope of the supplemental EIS. Comments/
statements regarding the scope of the supplemental EIS. Comments/
statements received by OSM will assist that agency in gathering 
information and further defining existing issues or identifying new 
issues or concerns that the supplemental EIS should address. Public 
meetings will be held in the vicinity of the proposed Fence Lake 
surface coal mining operation to allow presentation of oral comments 
and statements prior to the closing of the scoping comment period. 
Actual times and locations of these meetings will be announced in local 
newspapers at a later date.

    Dated: July 20, 1994.
Brent Wahlquist,
Assistant Director, Reclamation and Regulatory Policy.
[FR Doc. 94-18023 Filed 7-22-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M