[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 155 (Friday, August 9, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41651-41652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20330]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
[OSM-PE-12- and OSM-EIS-30]


Availability of Final Petition Evaluation Document/Environmental 
Impact Statement on Fern Lake Watershed in Tennessee

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

ACTION: Availability of Final Petition Evaluation Document/
Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) 
is making available a final petition evaluation document/environmental 
impact statement (PED/EIS) on the Fern Lake watershed in Tennessee. The 
PED/EIS has been prepared to assist the Secretary of the Interior in 
making a decision on the petition to designate certain lands as 
unsuitable for surface coal mining operations in the Fern Lake 
watershed in Tennessee.

ADDRESS: Copies of the final PED/EIS may be obtained form Willis L. 
Gainer, Supervisor, Technical Group, Office of Surface Mining 
Reclamation and Enforcement, 530 Gay Street, S.W., Suite 500, 
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Willis L. Gainer, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 
530 Gay Street, S.W., Suite 500, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902; telephone 
(423) 545-4074.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 14, 1994, the City of 
Middlesborough, Kentucky and the National Parks and Conservation 
Association filed a petition with OSM to designate certain lands in the 
Little Yellow Creek watershed (Fern Lake), Clairborne County, 
Tennessee, as unsuitable for surface coal mining operations under the 
Federal Program for Tennessee (30 CFR 942.700). OSM began to process 
the petition on March 15, 1994, and on January 26, 1996, OSM made 
available the draft PED/EIS for a 60-day public review and comment 
period.
    The final PED/EIS was prepared by OSM as directed by section 522(d) 
of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) and 
in accordance with Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). OSM has analyzed seven alternatives which 
range from designation of the entire petition area while allowing 
underground mining from mine entries located outside the petition area, 
to not designating any of the petition area as unsuitable for surface 
coal mining operations.
    In preparing the final PED/EIS, OSM has revised the draft PED/EIS 
in response to comments received during the public comment period. 
These comments and OSM's responses to them are included in the final 
PED/EIS.
    No decision will be made on the petition by the Secretary of the 
Interior until at least 30 days from the time the PED/EIS is made 
available to the public. Notice of such decision by the Secretary of 
the Interior will be made available to the public at that time.


[[Page 41652]]


    Dated: August 1, 1996.
Mary Josie Blanchard,
Assistant Director, Program Support.
[FR Doc. 96-20330 Filed 8-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M