[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 168 (Friday, August 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45868-45869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23064]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[(WY-060-1620-01), WYW136142, WYW136458]


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
and Notice of Public Hearing on Two Separate Coal Lease Applications 
for Federal Coal in the Decertified Powder River Federal Coal 
Production Region, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the Availability of a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) pursuant to 40 CFR 1500-1508 for 
the Powder River (WYW136142) and Thundercloud (WYW136458) Coal Lease 
Applications in the Wyoming Powder River Basin, and announces the 
scheduled date and place for a public hearing pursuant to 43 CFR 
3425.4. The purpose of the hearing is to receive comments on the DEIS, 
and on the fair market value, the maximum economic recovery, and the 
proposed separate competitive sales of coal from the two tracts. The 
Powder River tract is being considered for sale as a result of a coal 
lease application received from Powder River Coal Company on March 23, 
1995 (WYW136142), for approximately 4,020 acres containing 
approximately 515 million tons of coal in an area adjacent to the 
company's North Antelope and Rochelle Mines in Campbell County, 
Wyoming. The Thundercloud tract is being considered for sale as a 
result of a coal lease application received from Kerr-McGee Coal 
Corporation on April 14, 1995 (WYW136458), for approximately 3,400 
acres containing approximately 427 million tons of coal in an area 
adjacent to the company's Jacobs Ranch Mine in Campbell County, 
Wyoming. The two application areas are about 9 miles apart.

DATES: A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 8, 
1997, at the Holiday Inn, 2009 S. Douglas Highway, Gillette, Wyoming. 
An open house will start at 6:30 p.m., prior to the hearing, to answer 
questions related to the Lease by Application (LBA) process and these 
coal lease applications. The DEIS is scheduled to be available to the 
public on August 22, 1997. In order to assure that comments are 
considered in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, they should be 
postmarked no later than October 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Please address questions, comments or requests for copies of 
the DEIS to the Casper District Office, Bureau of Land Management, 
Attn: Nancy Doelger, 1701 East E Street, Casper, Wyoming 82601, or FAX 
them to 307-234-1525.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Doelger or Mike Karbs at the 
above address, or phone: 307-261-7600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Both applications were filed as maintenance 
tract LBAs under the provisions of 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
3425.1.
    On March 23, 1995, Powder River Coal Company filed a coal lease 
application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for a maintenance 
tract LBA for the following lands, which contain an estimated 515 
million tons of Federal coal:

T. 41 N., R. 70 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 6: Lots 10 thru 13, and 18 thru 21;
    Section 7: Lots 6, 11, 14, and 19;

[[Page 45869]]

    Section 18: Lots 5, 12, 13, and 20;
T. 42 N., R. 70 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 31: Lots 5 thru 20;
    Section 32: Lots 1 thru 16;
    Section 33: Lots 1 thru 16;
    Section 34: Lots 1 thru 16;
    Section 35: Lots 1 thru 16;
T. 41 N., R. 71 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 1: Lots 5, 6, 11, and 12;

    Containing 4,023.460 acres more or less.

    The BLM has recommended that the following lands be excluded from 
the tract to enhance the value of remaining unleased Federal coal in 
the area:
T. 41 N., R. 71 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 1: Lots 5, 6, 11, and 12;

    Containing 161.24 acres more or less.

    The BLM further recommended that the following lands be included in 
the tract to avoid a potential bypass situation in the future:

T. 41 N., R. 71 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 19: Lot 5, and Lot 12 (N\1/2\);
    Section 20: Lots 1 thru 4, Lot 5 (N\1/2\), Lot 6 (N\1/2\), Lot 7 
(N\1/2\), and Lot 8 (N\1/2\);
    Section 21: Lot 4, and Lot 5 (N\1/2\);

    Containing 362.005 acres more or less.

    The tract as amended by the BLM contains a total of 4,224.225 acres 
and approximately 534 million tons of Federal coal and includes the 
following lands:

T. 41 N., R. 70 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 6: Lots 10 thru 13 and 18 thru 21;
    Section 7: Lots 6, 11, 14, and 19;
    Section 18: Lots 5, 12, 13, and 20;
    Section 19: Lot 5, and Lot 12 (N\1/2\);
    Section 20: Lots 1 thru 4, Lot 5 (N\1/2\), Lot 6 (N\1/2\), Lot 7 
(N\1/2\), and Lot 8 (N\1/2\);
    Section 21: Lot 4, and Lot 5 (N\1/2\);
T. 42 N., R. 70 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 31: Lots 5 thru 20;
    Section 32: Lots 1 thru 16;
    Section 33: Lots 1 thru 16;
    Section 34: Lots 1 thru 16;
    Section 35: Lots 1 thru 16.

    The North Antelope and Rochelle Mines are contiguous mines which 
are both adjacent to the lease application area. Both mines have 
approved mining and reclamation plans. The Rochelle Mine has an air 
quality permit approved by the Wyoming Department of Environmental 
Quality, Air Quality Division (WDEQ/AQD) to mine up to 30 million tons 
of coal per year. The North Antelope Mine has an air quality permit 
approved by the WDEQ/AQD to mine up to 35 million tons of coal per 
year. According to the application, Powder River Coal Company plans no 
production increase at either mine solely from the acquisition of the 
proposed lease; the additional tonnage would extend the life of both 
mines.
    Powder River Coal Company previously acquired a maintenance coal 
lease (WYW119554, issued effective 10/1/92) containing approximately 
3,064 acres adjacent to the North Antelope and Rochelle Mines using the 
LBA process.
    On April 14, 1995, Kerr-McGee Coal Corporation filed a coal lease 
application with the BLM for a maintenance tract LBA for the following 
lands, which contain an estimated 427 million tons of Federal coal:

T. 43 N., R. 70 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 4: Lots 8, 9, and 15 thru 18;
    Section 5: Lots 5 thru 20;
    Section 6: Lots 8 thru 23;
    Section 7: Lots 5 thru 7, Lot 8 (N\1/2\), Lots 9 thru 12; Lot 13 
(N\1/2\ and SE\1/4\), and Lot 19 (NE\1/4\);
    Section 8: Lots 1 thru 16;
    Section 9: Lots 3 thru 6 and 11 thru 14;
T. 43 N., R. 71 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 1: Lots 5 thru 15, 19, and SE\1/4\ NE\1/4\;

    Containing 3,395.915 acres more or less.

    The BLM has recommended that the following acreage be included in 
the tract to avoid a potential bypass situation in the future:

T. 43 N., R. 71 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 1: Lot 16 (N\1/2\), Lots 17 and 18;
    Section 12: Lot 1, and Lot 2 (NE\1/4\);

    Containing 149.588 acres more or less.

    The tract as amended by the BLM contains a total of 3,545.503 acres 
and approximately 450 million tons of Federal coal and includes the 
following lands:

T. 43 N., R. 70 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 4: Lots 8, 9, and 15 thru 18;
    Section 5: Lots 5 thru 20;
    Section 6: Lots 8 thru 23;
    Section 7: Lots 5 thru 7, Lot 8 (N\1/2\), Lots 9 thru 12, Lot 13 
(N\1/2\ and SE\1/4\), and Lot 19 (NE\1/4\);
    Section 8: Lots 1 thru 16;
    Section 9: Lots 3 thru 6 and 11 thru 14;

T. 43 N., R. 71 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Section 1: Lots 5 thru 15, Lot 16 (N\1/2\), Lots 17 thru 19, and 
SE\1/4\NE\1/4\;
    Section 12: Lot 1, and Lot 2 (NE\1/4\).

    The acreage applied for in Kerr McGee's application is known as the 
Thundercloud tract. It is described in a 1983 BLM document entitled 
``Powder River Coal Region Tract Summaries,'' which was prepared in 
anticipation of a Federal coal sale proposed for 1984 that did not take 
place.
    The Jacobs Ranch Mine has an air quality permit approved by the 
WDEQ/AQD to mine up to 35 million tons of coal per year. According to 
Kerr-McGee, the additional coal reserves would extend the life of the 
current mining operations at the Jacobs Ranch Mine.
    Kerr-McGee previously acquired a maintenance coal lease (WYW117924, 
issued effective 10/1/92) containing approximately 1,709 acres adjacent 
to the Jacobs Ranch Mine under the LBA process.
    The Powder River Regional Coal Team reviewed both competitive lease 
applications at their meeting on April 23, 1996, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, 
and recommended that both be processed.
    The DEIS analyzes three alternatives. The Proposed Action is to 
lease one or both tracts as applied for to the successful bidder at 
separate, competitive sales. The second alternative, Alternative 1, is 
the No Action Alternative, which assumes that neither tract will be 
leased. The third alternative, Alternative 2, is to lease one or both 
tracts as modified by BLM to the successful bidder at separate, 
competitive sales.
    The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is a cooperating agency in the 
preparation of the EIS because the surface of some of the land included 
in both tracts is owned by the Federal government and administered by 
the USFS as part of the Thunder Basin National Grasslands. The Office 
of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement is also a cooperating 
agency in the preparation of the EIS because it is the Federal agency 
that would review the mining plans for the two tracts if they are 
leased, and recommend approval or disapproval of the mining plans to 
the Secretary of the Interior.

    Dated: August 20, 1997.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 97-23064 Filed 8-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P