[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 82 (Monday, April 29, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20989-20990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10432]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-920-1320-EM, WYW127221]


Federal Coal Lease Modification, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability, notice of public hearing and request 
for public comment on the environmental assessment (EA) for the 
Modification of Federal Coal Lease WYW127221 at the North Rochelle Mine 
operated by Triton Coal Company LLC, in Campbell 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 Environmental 
Assessment (EA) for the Modification of Federal Coal Lease WYW127221 at 
the North Rochelle Mine in the Wyoming Powder River Basin, and 
announces the scheduled date and place for a public hearing pursuant to 
43 CFR part 3432, 3425.3 and 3425.4. The EA addresses the impacts of 
modifying this Federal coal lease and mining the modification area as a 
part of the North Rochelle Mine operated by Triton Coal Company LLC, in 
Campbell County, WY. The purpose of the hearing is to solicit public 
comments on the EA, the fair market value (FMV), the maximum economic 
recovery (MER), 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 
Triton Coal Company LLC, on February 9, 2001. The tract as requested 
includes about 155.899 acres containing approximately 13 million tons 
of Federal coal reserves.

DATES: A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. MDT, on May 30, 2002 at 
the BLM, Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, WY. 
Written comments will be accepted for 30 days from the date this notice 
is published.

ADDRESSES: Please address questions, comments or requests for copies of 
the EA to the BLM, Casper Field Office, Attn: Mike Karbs, 2987 
Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604; or you may e-mail them to the 
attention of Mike Karbs at [email protected]; or fax them to (307) 
261-7587.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM, Casper Field Office has received a 
request to modify an existing Federal coal lease at the North Rochelle 
Mine. This mine is operated by Triton Coal Company LLC, and is located 
in Campbell County, WY, approximately 12 miles southeast of Wright. On 
February 9, 2001, Triton Coal Company, LLC filed an application with 
the BLM to modify Federal lease WYW127221 by adding the following 
lands:

T. 42 N., R. 70 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
    Section 4: Lot 17 (N\1/2\, N\1/2\S\1/2\); Lot 18 (N\1/2\, N\1/
2\S\1/2\),
    Section 5: Lot 17 (N\1/2\); Lot 18 (N\1/2\,); Lot 19 (N\1/2\, 
N\1/2\S\1/2\); Lot 20 (N\1/2\, N\1/2\S\1/2\).

    This tract is adjacent to Triton Coal Company's North Rochelle Mine 
and includes 155.899 acres more or less with an estimated 13 million 
tons of coal. This application was filed as a lease modification under 
the provisions of 43 CFR part 3432.
    The proposed modification area lies between Federal coal lease 
WYW127221 and the Reno county road right-of-way. Based on the latest 
mine plan for the North Rochelle mine, coal removal on the lease 
modification area will occur in conjunction with the existing lease 
beginning in 2003 and completed by 2010. The coal removal is consistent 
with the currently approved resource recovery and protection plan for 
the North Rochelle mine and the North Rochelle mining permit amendment 
application pending before the Wyoming Department of Environmental 
Quality, Land Quality Division (WDEQ/LQD).
    If the lease is modified, the mining and reclamation permit would 
be modified to include coal recovery from the lease modification area. 
The modification would allow for the maximum coal that could be 
recovered

[[Page 20990]]

using the surface methods planned for the mine and would allow for 
lateral support and protection of the Reno county road right-of-way. 
The Federal coal in this modification would be recovered in conjunction 
with the existing lease. Recovery of these reserves will add to Federal 
and State royalty and tax revenues and will contribute to the economy 
in this area.
    BLM believes that there is no current competitive interest in the 
lands proposed for lease modification; although as noted above, this 
area could be recovered as part of a later competitive coal lease 
tract, but that may or may not occur. This lease modification would not 
reduce the competitive value of a later competitive coal lease tract. 
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 FMV of the 
lease. The U.S. would receive FMV of the lease for the added lands.
    The proposed lease modification is within the mine permit area of 
the North Rochelle Mine. No new facilities or employees would be needed 
to mine the coal. Haul distances would not be increased. If production 
at the North Rochelle Mine continues at the current rate, the 13 
million tons of coal included in the proposed lease modification would 
represent about six to eight months of production. The lands were 
studied under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) as 
part of the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
the North Rochelle Coal Lease Application (BLM 1997), as well as 
several earlier NEPA analyses. If this tract is modified into the 
current lease, the new lands must be incorporated into the existing 
mining plans for the North Rochelle 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.
    BLM conducted scoping during late May and June 2001, soliciting 
specific concerns that should be considered in processing this modified 
lease application, with scoping comments accepted through June 30, 
2001. A NEPA analysis addressing issues identified or information 
received during this scoping period for the proposed lease modification 
was completed and distributed to the public on July 31, 2001. There was 
a 30-day comment period on the NEPA analysis, with comments accepted 
until August 31, 2001. A public hearing was held on August 14, 2001, at 
the Clarion Western Plaza Hotel in Gillette, WY, to solicit public 
comment on the NEPA analysis, the proposed modification, and the fair 
market value and maximum economic recovery of coal in the proposed 
tract. The EA addresses all the issues and information received as a 
result of the scoping and the review of the NEPA analysis as well as a 
notice of appeal on this modification filed by Independent Production 
Company on November 2001. In addition to preparing the EA, BLM will 
also develop possible stipulations regarding mining operations, 
determine the FMV of the tract, and evaluate MER of the coal in the 
proposed tract while processing this lease modification.
    Comments on the EA, the FMV, the MER, and the proposed 
noncompetitive offer of the coal included in the proposed lease 
modification, as well as comments already received, including names and 
street addresses of respondents, 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: March 28, 2002.
Phillip C. Perlewitz,
Chief, Branch of Solid Minerals.
[FR Doc. 02-10432 Filed 4-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P