[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 174 (Tuesday, September 9, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47517-47518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23772]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
(UT-930-07-1320-00)


Notice of Public Hearing and Call for Public Comment on Fair 
Market Value and Maximum Economic Recovery; Coal Lease Application UTU-
74804

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Utah

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces a public hearing 
on the Environmental Assessment (EA) for 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 lands 
included in coal lease application UTU-74804 are located in Carbon 
County, Utah, approximately 15 miles northwest of Price, Utah on public 
land and are described as follows:

T. 13 S., R. 8 E., SLM
    Section 6: SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Section 7: Lots 1-3, E\1/2\, E\1/2\W\1/2\;
    Section 8: NW\1/4\NW\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, N\1/
2\SW\1/4\, W\1/2\SE\1/4\ SW\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Section 17:N\1/2\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\;
    Section 18: NE\1/4\NE\1/4\.

    Containing 1,288.49 acres.

    Two potentially minable coal beds, the Castlegate ``A'' and 
Hiawatha seams are found in this tract. Because of rock splits in the 
Castlegate ``A'' bed, essentially all of the potential reserves are in 
the Hiawatha bed. The minable portions of the seams in this area are 
from 7 to 8.5 feet in thickness. This tract contains an estimated 6-7 
million tons of recoverable high-volatile B bituminous coal. The range 
of coal quality in the seams on an as received basis is as follows: 
11,800-12,000 BTU/lb., 0.4-0.5 percent sulfur, 6-7 percent ash. The 
public is invited to the hearing to make public or written comments on 
the EA concerning the proposal to lease the Beaver Creek Tract, and 
also to submit comments on the fair market value (FMV) and the maximum 
economic recovery (MER) of the tract.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with Federal coal management 
regulations 43 CFR part 4322 and 4325, a public hearing shall be held 
on the proposed sale to allow public comment on and discussion of the 
potential effects of mining and proposed lease. Not less than 30 days 
prior to the publication of the 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 Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office during 
regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00

[[Page 47518]]

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 specifications 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 on 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, including mining and reclamation, of producing the coal 
and the time 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 accounting 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 quantities and the FMV of the coal 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 at the BLM Price Office 
Conference Room, 125 South 600 West, Price Utah, at 7:00 p.m. on 
October 9, 1997. Comments on fair market value and maximum economic 
recovery must be received at the Bureau of Land Management, Utah State 
Office, by October 20, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Contact: Max Nielson, 801-539-4038, Bureau of 
Land Management, Utah State Office, Division of Natural Resources, P.O. 
Box 45155, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84145-0155. Copies of the Willow Creek 
EA may be obtained by contacting Dick Manus at the Price BLM Office at 
801-636-3600.

    Dated: September 3, 1997.
Douglas M. Koza,
DSD, Natural Resources, Utah.
[FR Doc. 97-23772 Filed 9-8-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P