[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 38 (Friday, February 25, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10102-10103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4331]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO-700-00-5440-00-C023]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior; Forest Service, 
Agriculture.
    Responsible Officials:

Ann Morgan, State Director, Colorado State Office, Bureau of Land 
Management, 2850 Youngfield, Denver, CO 80215.
Robert L. Storch, Forest Supervisor, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and 
Gunnison National Forests, U.S. Forest Service, 2250 US Hwy 50, Delta, 
CO 81416.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of North Fork Coal Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Iron Point Coal Exploration License 
application (COC61945), Iron Point Coal Lease Tract application 
(COC61209) and the Elk Creek Coal Lease Tract application (COC61357) of 
Federal coal reserves in Delta and Gunnison Counties, Colorado.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to 40 CFR 1500-1508, the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) and the USDA Forest Service (FS) announce the availability of the 
North Fork Coal FEIS for the Iron Point and Elk Creek Coal Lease Tracts 
for competitive leasing and the Iron Point Coal Exploration license for 
exploration drilling in accordance with 43 CFR 3425 and 3410.

DATES: The FEIS is scheduled to be available to the public on February 
25, 2000. Separate Records of Decision (one for each application by 
each agency) will be signed after the 30 day availability period ends 
on March 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Please address questions on the FEIS to the Bureau of Land 
Management, Attn: Jerry Jones, 2465 South Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO, 
81401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Jones at the above address, or 
phone number 970-240-5338, or fax number 970-240-5368. E-mail can be 
sent to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As a result of two applications for coal 
leasing and one application for a coal exploration license, the 
following lands were analyzed in this EIS.

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. 14, lots 7,8, S\1/2\S\1/2\, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 22, S\1/2\;
    Sec. 23, lots 1 to 7, inclusive, W\1/2\, and that part of HES 
No. 133 lying in the S\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 26, lots 1 to 5, inclusive, W\1/2\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, that 
part of HES No. 133 lying in the NE\1/4\ and that part of HES No. 
134 lying in the SE\1/4\;
     Sec. 27, all;
    Sec. 28, S\1/2\;
    Sec. 29, SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 32, lots 1, 2, 7 to 10, inclusive, lots 15, 16, and NE\1/
4\;
    Sec. 33, lots 1 to 16, inclusive, and N\1/2\;
    Sec. 34, lots 1 to 16, inclusive, and N\1/2\;
    Sec. 35, lots 1 to 22, that part of HES No. 134 lying in the 
NE\1/4\; N\1/2\NW\1/4\, and SW\1/4\NW\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 6 to 11, inclusive and lot 15; Sec. 6, lots 8 to 
17, inclusive.

    T. 13 S., R. 91 W., 6th P.M.
    Sec. 1, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, S\1/2\NW\1/4\ and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 2, lot 1, and S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SW\1/
4\, and E\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 3, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, S\1/2\N\1/2\, and N\1/2\S\1/2\;
    Sec. 4, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, S\1/2\N\1/2\, and S\1/2\;
    Sec. 5, lots 11 and 12, SE\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, 
and SE\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 8, NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 9, NW\1/4\, and N\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 11, NE\1/4\NW\1/4\.

[[Page 10103]]

    Sec. 12, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, and NW\1/4\.

    Bowie Resources, Ltd. and Oxbow Mining, Inc. applied to the BLM for 
the Iron Point and Elk Creek coal lease tracts respectfully to extend 
the production life of their existing underground mines. Similarly, 
Bowie applied to the BLM for a coal exploration license to further 
delineate coal resource in lands adjacent to their ongoing mining. The 
requested Iron Point Tract and the exploration license area are 
adjacent to the presently approved permit area for the Bowie No. 2 Mine 
which is operated by Bowie. Likewise, the requested Elk Creek Tract is 
adjacent to the presently approved permit area for the Sanborn Creek 
Mine which is operated by Oxbow. These applications encompass federal 
coal on BLM and National Forest system lands. The federal coal resource 
to be offered is limited to coal recoverable by underground mining 
methods.
    The USDA Forest Service is a joint lead agency in the preparation 
of the EIS because the surface of some of the land in the applications 
is administered by the Forest Service. The Office of Surface Mining 
Reclamation and Enforcement is a cooperating agency in the preparation 
of the EIS because it is the Federal agency that would review the 
mining plans for the two proposed tracts if they are leased, and 
recommend approval or disapproval of the mining plans to the Secretary 
of the Interior.
    The EIS analyzes four alternatives. Besides the no-action 
alternative and the plans as submitted in the applications, two other 
alternatives were examined in the EIS. The other alternatives analyzed 
the possibility of multiseam mining and the restriction of subsidence 
due to underground mining activity in key areas to protect surface 
resources.
    The DEIS was filed on September 3, 1999 and the DEIS comment period 
extended through November 3, 1999. An informal open house was held on 
October 7, 1999 and a public hearing was held on October 14, 1999 at 
Hotchkiss High School in Hotchkiss, Colorado.

Freedom of Information

    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the addresses listed above during 
regular business hours (7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday, 
except holidays, and may be published as part of the Final EIS. 
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to 
withhold your name or street address from public review or from 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
prominently. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by 
law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses, will be made available for public 
inspection in their entirety. Proprietary data so marked shall be 
treated in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the 
confidentiality of such information.

    Dated: February 11, 2000.
Jerry Jones,
EIS Project Manager, Bureau of Land Management.
Robert L. Storch,
Forest Supervisor, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison National Forest.
[FR Doc. 00-4331 Filed 2-24-00; 8:45 am]
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