[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 219 (Friday, November 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63489-63490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30424]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[CO-933-99-1320-01; COC 61357]


Notice of Public Hearing and Request for Comments on 
Environmental Assessment, Maximum Economic Recovery Report, and Fair 
Market Value; Application for Competitive Coal Lease COC 61357; 
Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office, Lakewood, 
Colorado, hereby gives notice that a public hearing will be held to 
receive comments on the environmental assessment, maximum economic 
recovery, and fair market value of federal coal to be offered. An 
application for coal lease was filed by Oxbow Mining, Inc., requesting 
the Bureau of Land Management offer for competitive lease 3,702.81 
acres of federal coal in Delta and Gunnison Counties, Colorado. Tract 
delineation by the Uncompahgre Field Office resulted in the addition of 
160 acres of federal coal in sec. 32, T. 12 S., R. 90 W., 6th P.M. for 
a grand total of 3,862.81 acres.

DATES: The public hearing will be held at 7 p.m., December 3, 1998. 
Written comments should be received no later than December 17, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held in the Paonia Town Hall, 214 
Grand Avenue, Paonia, Colorado. Written comments should be addressed to 
the Bureau of Land Management, Field Office Manager, Uncompahgre Field 
Office, 2505 South Townsend Avenue, Montrose, Colorado 81401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Allan Belt, field Office Manager, Uncompahgre field Office at the 
address above, or by telephone at (970) 240-5315.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State 
Office, Lakewood, Colorado, hereby gives notice that a public hearing 
will be held on December 3, 1998, at 7 p.m., in the Paonia Town Hall at 
the address given above.
    An application for coal lease was filed by Oxbow Mining, Inc., 
requesting the Bureau of land Management offer for competitive lease 
federal coal in the lands outside established coal production regions 
described as:

T. 12 S., R. 90 W., 6th P.M.
    Sec. 31, lots 1 to 14, inclusive, and NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 32, lots 3 to 6, inclusive, lots 11 to 14, inclusive, and 
NW\1/4\.
T. 12 S., R. 91 W., 6th P.M.
    Sec. 35, lots 1, 2, and 4 to 8, inclusive, 13 to 16, inclusive, 
lots 21, 22, and that part of HES No. 134 lying in the NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 36, lots 1 to 17, inclusive, NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, SW\1/
4\NW\1/4\, and that part of HES No. 134 lying in lot 1.
T. 13 S., R. 90 W., 6th P.M.
    Sec. 5, lots 7 to 10, inclusive;
    Sec. 6, lots 8 to 17, inclusive.
T. 13 S., R. 91 W., 6th P.M.
    Sec. 1, lots 1 and 4, inclusive, S\1/2\NW\1/4\ and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 2, lot 1, and S\1/2\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 12, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, and NW\1/4\.

    Containing 3,862.81 acres.

    The coal resource to be offered is limited to coal recoverable by 
underground mining methods.
    The purpose of the hearing is to obtain public comments on the 
environmental assessment and on the following items:
    (1) The method of mining to be employed to obtain maximum economic 
recovery of the coal,

[[Page 63490]]

    (2) The impact that mining the coal in the proposed leasehold may 
have on the area; and
    (3) The methods of determining the fair market value of the coal to 
be offered.
    Written requests to testify orally at the December 3, 1998, public 
hearing should be received at the Uncompahgre Field Office prior to the 
close of business December 3, 1998. Those who indicate they wish to 
testify when they register at the hearing may have an opportunity if 
time is available.
    In addition, the public is invited to submit written comments 
concerning the fair market value and maximum economic recovery of the 
coal resource. Public comments will be utilized in establishing fair 
market value for the coal resource in the described lands. Comments 
should address specific factors related to fair market value including, 
but not limited to:
    1. The quality and quantity of the coal resource.
    2. The price that the mined coal would bring in the market place.
    3. The cost of producing the coal.
    4. The interest rate at which anticipated income streams would be 
discounted.
    5. Depreciation and other accounting factors.
    6. The mining method or methods which would achieve maximum 
economic recovery of the coal.
    7. Documented information on the terms and conditions of recent and 
similar coal land transactions in the lease area, and
    8. Any comparable sales data of similar coal lands.
    Should any information submitted as comments be considered to be 
proprietary by the commenter, the information should be labeled as such 
and stated in the first page of the submission. Written comments on the 
environmental assessment, maximum economic recovery, and fair market 
value should be sent to the uncompahgre Field Office at the above 
address prior to close of business on December 17, 1998.
    Substantive comments, whether written or oral, will receive equal 
consideration prior to any lease offering.
    The Environmental Assessment and Maximum Economic Recovery Report 
are available from the Uncompahgre Field Office upon request.
    A copy of the Environmental Assessment, the Maximum Economic 
Recovery Report, the case file, and the comments submitted by the 
public, except those portions identified as priorietary by the 
commenter and meeting exemptions stated in the Freedom of Information 
Act, will be avaiable for public inspection at the Colorado State 
Office, 2850 Youngfield, Lakewood, Colorado, 80215.

    Dated: November 05, 1998.
Karen A. Purvis,
Solid Minerals Team Resource Services.
[FR Doc. 98-30424 Filed 11-12-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-M