[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 61 (Thursday, March 30, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 16458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7752]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for the Proposed Surface Coal Mining Operation in Saline County, 
Illinois

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The proposed project involves the surface mining of coal from 
1,537 acres of a 1,935 acre site located 1 to 3 miles west of 
Harrisburg in Saline County, Illinois. The proposed surface mine 
includes approximately 400 acres of jurisdictional wetlands. The major 
impacts would be the permanent relocation of Bankston Fork, 
construction of a haul road to the coal extraction areas using a bridge 
over Bankston Fork, construction of 12,500 feet of levee along Bankston 
Fork to provide temporary flood protection for the mining site, and 
surface mining coal from 1,537 acres.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, P.O. Box 
59, Louisville, Kentucky 40201-0059.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Michael Turner, (502) 582-6015.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The wetland areas to be impacted consist of 
approximately 200 acres of palustrine forested wetlands with the 
remainder being open water, scrub/shrub, and emergent wetlands. The 
relocation of Bankston Fork would be accomplished by excavating 291,000 
cubic yards of material. This material would be utilized in 
constructing a temporary flood control levee. The new stream channel 
would be 7,450 feet long, 450 feet longer than the existing stream 
channel. After relocating the stream and construction of a bridge, 
mining would consist of removing the overburden in 150 to 200 foot wide 
open pits of varying lengths using a large dragline. Mining would 
progress through the area protected by the levee over a period of 7 
years commencing in 1996.
    Proposed mitigation for the loss of wetlands will consist of the 
creation of nearly 700 acres of wetlands on-site and the restoration of 
same on another 200+ acres both on- and off-site. Open water, forested, 
scrub/shrub, and emergent wetlands are planned.
    The Corps of Engineers will initiate a scoping process for the 
purpose of determining the range of issues to be addressed in the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). A public scoping meeting is 
scheduled for Wednesday, April 26, 1995, beginning at 7:00 p.m., in the 
Pruett-Patton Building which is located on Church Street next to and 
behind the Mitchell-Carnegie Public Library in Harrisburg, Illinois.
    A brief presentation will precede the request for public comment. 
Corps representatives will be available at this meeting to receive 
comments from the public regarding issues which should be addressed in 
the preparation of the DEIS. It is important that Federal, state, and 
local agencies and interested individuals take this opportunity to 
identify environmental concerns. In the interest of available time, 
each speaker will be asked to limit their oral comments to ten minutes.
    Agencies and the public are also invited and encouraged to provide 
written comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the 
public meeting. To be most helpful, scoping comments should clearly 
describe specific issues or topics which the individual or agency 
believes the DEIS should address. Written statements should be mailed 
to the above address not later than May 8, 1995.
Kenneth L. Denton,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-7752 Filed 3-29-95; 8:45 am]
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