[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 8728]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-3810]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[UT-920-05-1320-01]


UTAH: Notice of Public Hearing and Call for Public Comment on 
Fair Market Value and Maximum Economic Recovery; Coal Lease Application 
UTU-69635

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management announces a public hearing on a 
proposed coal lease sale and requests public comment on the fair market 
value of certain coal resources it proposes to offer for competitive 
lease sale.
    The Federal coal lands in coal lease application UTU-69635 have 
been delineated into a coal lease tract referred to as the Alkali Creek 
Tract. The tract under consideration is located about 13 miles 
northeast of Wellington, Utah, in Carbon County. The tract is in the 
Book Cliffs Coal Field and is described as follows:

T. 13 S., R. 11 E., SLM
    Section 1, Lots 1-7, Lot 8 for all coal except the Rock Canyon 
bed;
    Section 10, E\1/2\E\1/2\;
    Section 11, All;
    Section 12, W\1/2\W\1/2\;
    Section 13, W\1/2\NW\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\;
    Section 14, N\1/2\, N\1/2\S\1/2\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Section 15, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\;
    Section 24, N\1/2\N\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Section 25, N\1/2\NE\1/4\NE\1/4\.

    Containing 2,177.52 acres.

    Two economically minable coal beds, the Gilson and Rock Canyon, are 
found in this tract. The Gilson seam averages 6.3 feet in thickness and 
the Rocky Canyon 8.4 feet. This tract contains an estimated 18 million 
tons of recoverable, high-volatile C bituminous coal. Coal quality in 
the seam, on an as received basis, is as follows:

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               Seam                   Moist %       Ash %        V.M. %       F.C. %      Sulfur %       Btu    
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Gilson............................          3.4         10.7         36.8         49.4          0.6       12,434
Rock Canyon.......................          4.1         10.0         37.4         48.6          0.6       12,333
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    The public is invited to make public comment and also to submit 
written comments on the fair market value and the maximum economic 
recovery of the tract.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with Federal coal management 
regulations 43 CFR 4322 and 4325, a public hearing shall be held on the 
proposed sale to allow public comment on the discussion of the 
potential effects of mining the proposed lease. Not less than 30 days 
prior to the publication of a notice of sale, the Secretary shall 
solicit public comments on fair market value appraisal and maximum 
economic recovery and on factors that may affect these two 
determinations. Proprietary data marked as confidential may be 
submitted to the Bureau of Land Management 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 
fair market value and maximum economic recovery, 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 mentioned address during regular business hours (8 
a.m. to 4 p.m.) Monday through Friday.
    Comments on fair market value and maximum economic recovery should 
be sent to the Bureau of Land Management and should address, but not 
necessarily be limited to, the following information:
    1. The quality and quantity of the coal resource.
    2. The mining method or methods which would achieve maximum 
economic recovery of the coal including specification of seams to be 
mined and the most desirable timing and rate of production.
    3. The quantity of coal.
    4. If this tract is likely to be mined as part of an existing mine 
and therefore be evaluated, a realistic incremental basis, in relation 
to the existing mine to which it has the greatest value.
    5. If this tract should be evaluated as part of a potential larger 
mining unit and evaluated as a portion of a new potential mine (i.e., a 
tract which does not in itself form a logical mining unit).
    6. The configuration of any larger mining unit of which the tract 
may be a part.
    7. Restrictions to mining which may affect coal recovery.
    8. The price that the mined coal would bring when sold.
    9. Costs include mining and reclamation of producing the coal and 
tons of production.
    10. The percentage rate at which anticipated income streams should 
be discounted, either in the absence of inflation or with inflation, in 
which case the anticipated rate of inflation should be given.
    11. Depreciation and other tax account factors.
    12. The value of any surface estate where held privately.
    13. Documented information on the terms and conditions of recent 
and similar coal land transactions in the lease sale area.
    14. Any comparable sales data of similar coal lands.
    Coal values developed by BLM 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.

DATES: The public hearing will be held March 8, 1995, and comments on 
fair market value and maximum economic recovery must be received by 
April 10, 1995.

ADDRESSES: For more complete data on this tract, please contact Max 
Nielson at 801-5393-4038, Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office, 
P.O. Box 45155, 324 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah, 845-0155.
    The public hearing will be held at the College of Eastern Utah, 
Main Building, Room No. 114, located at 451 East 400 North in Price, 
Utah, at 7 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Max Nielson, 801-539-4038.

    Dated: February 6, 1995.
Mat Millenbach,
State Director, BLM, Utah State Office.
[FR Doc. 95-3810 Filed 2-14-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-M