[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 92 (Thursday, May 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30428-30429]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11797]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

(WY-060--1320-EL, WYW141435)


Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement on the 
Horse Creek Federal Coal Lease Application in the Wyoming Powder River 
Basin

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement on the Horse Creek Federal coal lease application in the 
decertified Powder River Federal Coal Production Region, Wyoming.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
implementing regulations, and other applicable statutes, the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Horse Creek Federal coal 
lease application in the Wyoming Powder River Basin pursuant to 43 CFR 
3425.3. This Federal coal lease application has been assigned case file 
number WYW141435. The FEIS analyzes the impacts of issuing a Federal 
coal lease for the proposed Horse Creek Federal coal tract. The Horse 
Creek tract is being considered for sale as a result of a coal lease 
application received from the Antelope Coal Company (ACC) on February 
14, 1997. The tract includes approximately 2,838 acres containing 
approximately 356.5 million tons of geologically in-place Federal coal 
reserves in Campbell and Converse Counties, Wyoming. It was applied for 
as a maintenance tract for ACC's adjacent Antelope Mine, located in 
northern Converse County, Wyoming. ACC is a subsidiary of Kennecott 
Energy Company.

DATES: A 30-day availability period for the FEIS will start on the date 
that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes a notice of 
availability of the FEIS in the Federal Register. Following the 30-day 
availability period, a Record of Decision will be prepared and 
distributed.

ADDRESSES: Please address questions, comments, or requests for copies 
of the FEIS to the Casper District Office, Bureau of Land Management, 
Attn: Nancy Doelger, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, Wyoming 82604. Fax 
them to (307) 261-7587 or e-mail them to [email protected] (Attn: 
Nancy Doelger).

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The application for the Horse Creek Federal 
coal tract was filed as a maintenance tract lease-by-application (LBA) 
under the provisions of 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3425.1.
    On February 14, 1997, ACC filed coal lease application WYW141435 
for the Horse Creek Federal coal tract with the BLM. On May 1, 1998, 
ACC modified the Horse Creek application. The modified Horse Creek 
Federal coal tract includes the following lands:

T. 41 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM Wyoming
    Sec. 14, lots 5 thru 7, and 10 thru 15;
    Sec. 15, lots 6 thru 11, and 14 thru 16;
    Sec. 22, lots 1, 3 thru 6, and 9 thru 13;
    Sec. 23, lots 2 thru 7, and 10 thru 16;
    Sec. 25, lots 11 and 12 (S \1/2\);
    Sec. 26, lots 1 thru 8, 12, and 13;
    Sec. 27, lots 1 thru 3, 5, 12 thru 14, and 16;
    Sec. 34, lots 1, 7, 8 thru 10, and 16;
    Sec. 35, lots 8 thru 10.
    The area described contains 2,837.91 acres more or less with an 
estimated 356.5 million tons of geologically in-place coal.

    The Antelope Mine, which is adjacent to the lease application area, 
has an approved mining and reclamation plan from the Land Quality 
Division of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and an 
approved air quality permit from the Air Quality Division of the 
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to mine up to 30 million 
tons of coal per year. According to the application filed for the Horse 
Creek Federal coal tract, the maintenance tract would be mined to 
extend the life of the existing mine.
    The Powder River Regional Coal Team (RCT) reviewed the Horse Creek 
Federal coal lease application at their meeting on April 23, 1997, in 
Casper, Wyoming, and recommended that it be processed. The RCT was 
notified in writing of the modified tract configuration.
    A public hearing was held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 8, 
1999, at the Holiday Inn, 2009 S. Douglas Highway, Gillette, Wyoming. 
The purpose of the hearing was to receive comments on the FEIS, on the 
fair market value, the maximum economic recovery, and the proposed 
competitive sale of the coal included in the proposed Horse Creek 
Federal coal tract. Comments on the DEIS were accepted for 60 days 
following November 12, 1999, the date that the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) published their notice of availability of the FEIS in the 
Federal Register. The comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) ended on January 12, 2000. Nine comments were

[[Page 30429]]

received on the DEIS and these are included with responses in the FEIS.
    The FEIS analyzes three alternatives. The Proposed Action is to 
hold a competitive sealed-bid sale and issue a lease for the tract as 
applied for to the successful qualified bidder, if the bid meets or 
exceeds the fair market value of the tract as determined by the BLM. 
This is the preferred alternative of the BLM. The second alternative, 
Alternative 1, is the No Action Alternative which assumes that the 
tract will not be leased. The third alternative, Alternative 2, is to 
hold a competitive sealed-bid sale and issue a lease for the tract as 
modified by BLM to the successful qualified bidder, if the bid meets or 
exceeds the fair market value of the tract as determined by the BLM.
    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 tract if it 
is leased, and recommend approval or disapproval of the mining plans to 
the Secretary of the Interior.
    The lease application area is within the boundaries of the Thunder 
Basin National Grasslands. Some of the surface lands in the area were 
formerly under the jurisdiction of the United States and were 
administered by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) as part of the Thunder 
Basin National Grasslands. As a result of recent land exchanges between 
the USFS and local landowners, however, there are no longer any surface 
lands within the lease application area that are under the jurisdiction 
of the USFS, and as a result, the USFS is not a cooperating agency in 
the preparation of this EIS.
    Issues of concern that were identified related to this lease 
application include the potential impacts to wetlands, aquifers, 
agricultural producers, wildlife, wildlife habitat, wildlife-based 
recreation, cultural resources, public land access, and regional 
visibility that may occur if a lease is issued for this tract, and the 
potential for conflict with development of existing oil and gas leases 
in this area including coal bed methane. There are no producing oil or 
gas wells on the lease application area.
    Comments received on the FEIS during the 30-day availability 
period, including names and street addresses of respondents, will be 
available for public review at the Bureau of Land Management, Casper 
Field Office, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, Wyoming, during regular 
business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except 
holidays. 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 at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests 
will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives of officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

    Dated: May 5, 2000.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 00-11797 Filed 5-10-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P