[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 13, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6739-6740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-3454]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-920-1320-EM, WYW6266]


Federal Coal Lease Modification

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Decision Record Finding of No 
Significant Impact (DR/FONSI) and Environmental Assessment (EA) and 
notice of public hearing on the Modification of Federal Coal Lease 
WYW6266 at the Black Butte Mine operated by Black Butte Coal Company, 
in Sweetwater County, WY.

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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 DR/FONSI for 
the modification of Federal coal lease WYW6266 east of Rock Springs, 
Wyoming, and announces the scheduled date and place for a public 
hearing pursuant to 43 CFR part 3432, 3425.3 and 3425.4. The DR/FONSI 
addresses the impacts of modifying this Federal coal lease and mining 
the modification area as a part of the Black Butte Mine, Pit 10 
operated by Black Butte Coal Company, in Sweetwater County, WY. The 
purpose of the hearing is to solicit public comments on the DR/FONSI, 
the fair market value, the maximum economic recovery, and the proposed 
noncompetitive offer of the coal included in the proposed lease 
modification. This lease modification is being considered for offer as 
a result of a request received from Black Butte Coal Company on August 
7, 2000. The tract as requested includes 80.00 acres containing 
approximately 2.6 million tons of Federal coal reserves.

DATES: A public hearing will be held at 1 p.m. MDT, on February 7, 
2002, at the BLM Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191 North, Rock 
Springs, Wyoming. Written comments on the DR/FONSI will be accepted for 
30 days from the date this notice is published.

ADDRESSES: Please address questions, comments or requests for copies of 
the DR/FONSI to the BLM Rock Springs Field Office, Attn: Scott Sanner, 
280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, WY 82901; or you may fax them to 
307-352-0329.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Sanner or Ted Murphy at the 
above address, or phone: 307-352-0256.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM Rock Springs Field Office has 
received a request to modify an existing Federal

[[Page 6740]]

coal lease at the Black Butte Mine. This mine is operated by Black 
Butte Coal Company, and is located east of Rock Springs in Sweetwater 
County, WY. On August 7, 2000, Black Butte Coal Company filed an 
application with the BLM to modify Federal lease WYW6266 by adding the 
following lands:

T. 19 N., R. 100 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
    Section 24: NWNW, W2NENW, N2SWNW.

    This tract is adjacent to Black Butte Mine, Pit 10 and includes 
80.00 acres more or less with an estimated 2.6 million tons of coal. 
This application was filed as a lease modification under the provisions 
of 43 CFR part 3432.
    BLM believes that this lease modification serves the interest of 
the United States because it will avoid a bypass of Federal coal 
reserves. This area is a natural extension of the existing mine 
workings of the Black Butte Mine, Pit 10 of the current lease. This 
modification area is logically recovered as a part of the planned 
operations on the existing lease, and would avoid the bypass of these 
Federal coal reserves. This coal is ripe for recovery and is easily 
incorporated into Black Butte's current operation. If this coal is 
recovered in concert with the existing lease, it would result in 
minimal additional surface disturbance.
    BLM further believes that there is no current competitive interest 
in the lands proposed for lease modification. Under the lease 
modification process, the modified lands would be added to the existing 
lease without competitive bidding. Before offering the lease 
modification the BLM will prepare an appraisal of the fair market value 
of the lease. The United States would receive fair market value of the 
lease for the added lands.
    The proposed lease modification is within the mine permit area of 
the Black Butte Mine. No new facilities or employees would be needed to 
mine the coal. Physical extraction of these reserves would begin in 
2004 and continue through 2007. BLM prepared a DR/FONSI for this 
action. If this tract is modified into the current lease, the new lands 
must be incorporated into the existing mining plans for the Black Butte 
Mine. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is 
a cooperating agency in the preparation of the environmental document 
because it is the Federal agency that is responsible for any required 
actions necessary to incorporate these lands into the current mining 
plan.
    In addition to preparing the DR/FONSI, BLM will also develop 
possible stipulations regarding mining operations, determine the fair 
market value of the tract and evaluate maximum economic recovery of the 
coal in the proposed tract while processing this lease modification.
    Comments on the DR/FONSI, the fair market value, the maximum 
economic recovery, and the proposed noncompetitive offer of the coal 
included in the proposed lease modification, will be available for 
public review at the address below during regular business hours (7:45 
a.m.-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 or officials of organizations or businesses, will be 
made available for public inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: January 11, 2002.
Alan Rabinoff,
Deputy State Director, Minerals and Lands.
[FR Doc. 02-3454 Filed 2-12-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P