[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 195 (Friday, October 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 59866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25109]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-030-00-1220-EN]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for 3R Minerals Coal Bed Canyon Mine

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office, DOI.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 102 of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for 
3R Minerals Coal Bed Canyon Mine proposal on lands within Grand 
Staircase-Escalante National Monument, has been prepared and is 
available for review and comment. This DEIS is prepared in response to 
the Notice of Intent to Revise Mining Operations filed by 3R Minerals 
in June 1999. It analyzes the anticipated impacts of 3R Minerals' 
proposed action and three alternatives to the proposal.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the DEIS may be obtained from the following Bureau 
of Land Management Locations: Grand Staircase-Escalante National 
Monument Headquarters, 180 West 300 North, Kanab, Utah 84741; Grand 
Staircase-Escalante National Monument Escalante Field Station, 755 West 
Main, Escalante, Utah; Utah State Office, 324 South State Street, Suite 
301, Salt Lake City, Utah. Copies may be obtained by mail by contacting 
the Monument Headquarters at the above address or telephoning 435-644-
4300.

DATES: Comments must be received by Grand Staircase-Escalante National 
Monument Headquarters, 180 West 300 North, Kanab, Utah 84741 by 
December 4, 2000. An open house will be held at the Conference Center 
at Ruby's Inn, located on Highway 63 near the entrance to Bryce Canyon 
National Park, on November 6, 2000 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The purpose 
of the open house is to clarify information in the DEIS. IT IS NOT 
INTENDED TO BE A PUBLIC HEARING.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Chapman, Grand Staircase-
Escalante National Monument Headquarters, 435-644-4309, or Kate Cannon, 
Monument Manager, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument 
Headquarters, 435-644-4330.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS analyzes four alternatives 
summarized as follows: Alternative A is the Proposed Action as 
submitted by 3R Minerals; Alternative B is the BLM Preferred 
Alternative which is to approve 3R Minerals proposed action with 
certain conditions of approval; Alternative C is the No Action 
Alternative which would be denial of 3R Minerals' Notice of Intent to 
Revise Mining Operations in which case 3R Minerals would continue to 
mine in accordance with the approvals from the State of Utah; and 
Alternative D, the No Mining alternative where 3R Minerals could not 
mine. Since mining under the approvals granted by the State of Utah is 
a valid existing right, the BLM has no statutory authority to select 
Alternative D but the alternative is presented as baseline with which 
to compare the other alternatives. Mining activity is based on a 
mineral lease issued by the Utah State Institutional Trust Lands 
Administration when the site was still State land. Although the lease 
was issued after the Monument was established, it occurred on State 
lands which were not affected by the Presidential Proclamation. 3R 
Minerals was granted approval to mine by appropriate State agencies and 
has been conducting limited mining activity on the site. Ownership of 
the land was exchanged to the Federal Government via the Utah Schools 
and Lands Exchange Act of 1998. Language in that act preserved 3R 
Minerals' existing right to mine as approved by the State. Therefore, 
the decision to be made in this EIS is not whether mining should be 
allowed, but rather whether the Notice of Intent to Revise Mining 
Operations should be approved, approved with certain conditions, or 
denied.

Sally Wisely,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 00-25109 Filed 10-5-00; 8:45 am]
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