[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7905-7906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3748]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[WO-300-1990-00]


Surface Management Regulations for Locatable Mineral Operations; 
Draft Environmental Impact Availability

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces that the draft 
environmental impact statement (DEIS) analyzing proposed changes to 
BLM's surface management regulations for locatable mineral operations 
is available for public review and comment. This action is necessary to 
comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. BLM has 
prepared the DEIS to determine the potential environmental impacts of 
the various regulatory options under consideration.

DATES: Comments will be accepted until May 10, 1999. See the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for the dates of public hearings on 
the DEIS and proposed regulations.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Bureau of Land Management, 
Attention: Paul McNutt; Nevada State Office; P.O. Box 12000; Reno, 
Nevada 89520-0006. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for the 
electronic access and filing address and for the locations of public 
hearings. Comments will be available for public review at the BLM 
Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, Nevada from 7:45 
a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Pacific time, Monday through Friday, excluding 
Federal holidays.
    You may obtain a copy of the DEIS by contacting either of the 
persons identified under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section or 
by contacting any BLM State office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul McNutt, BLM Nevada State Office, 
(775) 861-6604, or via e-mail: [email protected]. An alternate contact 
is Andrew Strasfogel, BLM Washington Office, (202) 452-7723, or via e-
mail: [email protected]. Individuals who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf may contact Mr. McNutt or Mr. Strasfogel by calling 
the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 between 8:00 
a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, excluding 
Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    BLM is making available for public comment the DEIS for proposed 
revisions to its surface management regulations, found at 43 CFR 3809. 
The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on February 9, 
1999. See 64 FR 6421. BLM is amending the regulations to address issues 
that have developed since the program began in 1981, as well as those 
identified during the scoping process described below, and to improve 
BLM's management of locatable mineral operations on public lands. The 
Proposed Action in the DEIS would be to adopt the proposed regulations 
at 43 CFR 3809. The proposed regulations address Federal-State 
coordination, the need for comprehensive performance standards, failure 
by some operators to perform reclamation, inadequate reclamation 
bonding for some types of operations, ineffective enforcement 
provisions, and the need to better assess the cumulative environmental 
impacts from small operations. In the DEIS, BLM also identifies and 
analyzes three additional alternatives for regulating locatable mineral 
operations on public lands administered by BLM. These alternatives are 
No Action, that is, no change to the existing regulations; State-Based 
Regulations; and Maximum Protection, Design-Based Regulations. BLM 
invites interested members of the public to comment on the DEIS.

Scoping Process

    BLM published a Notice of Intent to prepare a DEIS in the Federal 
Register on April 4, 1997 (62 FR 16177). BLM then held scoping meetings 
for the public and interested governmental agencies at 11 locations 
throughout the Western United States, as well as an additional public 
meeting in Washington, D.C. Over 1,000 people attended the public 
meetings. In addition to verbal comments collected at the public 
meetings, BLM also received more than 1,800 comment letters from 
individuals and representatives of State and local governments, the 
mining industry, and citizens' groups.

Public Comment Procedures

    BLM asks commenters on the DEIS to be specific, explain the reason 
for any comment, and reference the specific section or page of the DEIS 
to which their comment applies. The most useful comments are those 
supported by quantitative information or studies or include citations 
to and analyses of applicable laws, regulations, and cases. Commenters 
should send BLM two

[[Page 7906]]

copies of their written comments, if possible. Comments that BLM 
receives after the date indicated in the DATES section or at locations 
other than the location in the ADDRESSES section will not necessarily 
be considered in preparing the final environmental impact statement.

Electronic Access and Filing Address

    Commenters may transmit comments electronically via the Internet 
to: [email protected]. Please include your name and address in the 
message. The system will confirm receipt of your Internet message. The 
DEIS is also accessible on BLM's home page at http://www.blm.gov.

Confidentiality of Public Comments

    BLM will make comments, including names, street addresses, and 
other contact information of commenters, available for public review at 
the location listed in the ADDRESSES section. If you are an individual 
commenter and wish to have BLM withhold your name, street address, and 
other contact information (such as Internet address or FAX or phone 
number) from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act, please state this prominently at the beginning of your 
comment. BLM will honor requests for confidentiality to the extent 
allowed by law. However, BLM will make available for public inspection 
in their entirety all submissions from organizations or businesses, and 
from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials 
of organizations or businesses.

Public Hearings

    BLM will hold public hearings on the DEIS and proposed rule at the 
following locations on the dates and local times specified:

Alaska

    Fairbanks--Tuesday, March 30, 1999--Carlson Center, 2010 Second 
Avenue; 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Arizona

    Phoenix--Tuesday, March 30, 1999--Sheraton Hotel, 2620 Dunlap 
Avenue; 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

California

    San Francisco--Tuesday, April 20, 1999--Holiday Inn Civic Center, 
50 Eighth Street; 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
    Ontario--Wednesday, April 21, 1999--Doubletree Hotel; times to be 
determined.
    Sacramento--Thursday, April 22, 1999--Red Lion Inn, 1401 Arden Way;
    1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Colorado

    Lakewood-- Tuesday, March 30, 1999--Sheraton Denver West Hotel and 
Conference Center, 360 Union Blvd., Golden Room; 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 
p.m.

Washington, D.C.

    Wednesday, April 14, 1999--Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas 
Circle, NW, Monroe Room; 12:30 p.m.

Idaho

    Boise--Tuesday, April 27, 1999--BLM State Office, 1387 S. Vinnell 
Way, Sagebrush-Ponderosa Conference Room; 6:00 p.m.

Montana

    Helena--Wednesday, April 14, 1999--Colonial Inn, 2301 Colonial 
Drive; 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

New Mexico

    Socorro--Wednesday, March 31, 1999--Macey Center, 801 Leroy, Galina 
Room; 3:00 p.m.

Nevada

    Reno--Tuesday, March 23, 1999--Silver Legacy Hotel; 2:00 p.m. and 7 
p.m.
    Elko--Thursday, March 25, 1999--Convention Center; 1:00 p.m. and 
6:00 p.m.

Oregon

    Eugene--Thursday, April 22, 1999--BLM District Office, 2890 Chad 
Street, Conference Room; 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Utah

    Salt Lake City--Wednesday, April 7, 1999--Department of Natural 
Resources, 1594 West North Temple, Rooms 1040/50, 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 
p.m.

Washington

    Spokane--Tuesday, April 20, 1999--Doubletree Inn; 1:00 p.m. and 
7:00 p.m.

Wyoming

    Casper--Wednesday, March 31, 1999--Casper Parkway Plaza Inn, 123 
West E Street; 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
    In order to assist the transcriber and to ensure an accurate 
record, BLM requests that persons who testify at a hearing give the 
transcriber a copy of their testimony. The meeting sites are accessible 
to individuals with disabilities. An individual with a disability who 
will need an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the hearing, 
such as interpreting service, assistive listening device, or materials 
in an alternate format, must notify the person listed under the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section two weeks before the scheduled 
hearing date. Although BLM will attempt to meet a request received 
after that date, the requested auxiliary aid or service may not be 
available because of insufficient time to arrange it.

    Dated: February 10, 1999.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 99-3748 Filed 2-16-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P