[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 34 (Thursday, February 20, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8304-8306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4177]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-060-1320-EL, WYW150210, WYW150318, WYW151134, WYW151643, WYW154001]


Notice of Availability of South Powder River Basin Coal Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement and Federal Coal Notice of Hearing, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) on four maintenance lease applications received for 
five Federal coal tracts in the decertified Powder River Federal Coal 
Production Region, Wyoming, and Notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the 
implementing regulations, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces 
the availability of the South Powder River Basin Coal DEIS and 
announces a public hearing pursuant to 43 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) 3425.4.
    The DEIS analyzes and discloses to the public direct, indirect, and 
cumulative environmental impacts of issuing five Federal coal leases in 
the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin. The tracts are being 
considered for sale as a result of the following coal lease 
applications received from existing mines in the Wyoming Powder River 
Basin:
    [sbull] On March 10, 2000, Powder River Coal Company applied for a 
maintenance coal lease for approximately 4,500 acres (approximately 564 
million recoverable tons of coal) in two tracts adjacent to the North 
Antelope/Rochelle Mine Complex in Campbell County, Wyoming. The tracts, 
which are referred to as the NARO North Lease by Application (LBA) 
Tract and the NARO South LBA Tract, were assigned case numbers 
WYW150210 and WYW154001, respectively;
    [sbull] On March 23, 2000, Ark Land Company applied for a 
maintenance coal lease for approximately 2,799.5 acres (approximately 
383.6 million in-place tons of coal) adjacent to the Black Thunder Mine 
in Campbell County, Wyoming. The tract, which is referred to as the 
Little Thunder LBA Tract, was assigned case number WYW150318.
    [sbull] On June 14, 2001, Ark Land Company filed an application to 
modify the Little Thunder LBA Tract. As currently filed, the tract 
includes approximately 3449.3 acres and 440 million tons of recoverable 
coal reserves;
    [sbull] On July 28, 2000, Triton Coal Company applied for a 
maintenance coal lease for approximately 1870.6 acres (approximately 
173.2 million in-place tons of coal) adjacent to the North Rochelle 
Mine in Campbell County, Wyoming. The tract, which is referred to as 
the West Roundup LBA Tract, was assigned case number WYW151134; and,
    [sbull] On September 12, 2000, Antelope Coal Company applied for a 
maintenance coal lease for approximately 3,500 acres (approximately 
292.5 million in-place tons of coal) adjacent to the Antelope Mine in 
Campbell and Converse Counties, Wyoming. The tract, which is referred 
to as the West Antelope LBA Tract, was assigned case number WYW151643.
    [sbull] On June 27, 2001, Antelope Coal Company filed an 
application to modify the West Antelope LBA Tract. As currently filed, 
the tract includes approximately 3,542 acres and 293.9 million tons of 
in place coal reserves.
    The purpose of the public hearing is to solicit comments on the 
DEIS from the public on the proposed competitive sales of the Federal 
coal included in the NARO North, NARO South, Little Thunder, West 
Roundup, and West Antelope LBA tracts, and on the fair market value and 
maximum economic recovery of the Federal coal included in the five 
tracts.

DATES: Written comments on the DEIS will be accepted for 60 days 
following the date that EPA publishes their NOA of the DEIS in the 
Federal Register. Requests to be included on the mailing list and to 
receive copies of the DEIS and notification of the comment period

[[Page 8305]]

and hearing date should be sent to the address, facsimile number, or 
electronic address (address) listed below.
    The BLM asks that those submitting comments on the DEIS make them 
as specific as possible with reference to page numbers and chapters of 
the document. Comments that contain only opinions or preferences will 
not receive a formal response; however, they will be considered and 
included as part of the BLM decision-making process.
    Future notification of public meetings, or other public involvement 
activities, concerning the proposed sales will be provided through 
public notices, news media releases, or mailings. These notifications 
will provide at least 15 days notice of public meetings or gatherings 
and 30 days notice of written comments requests.

ADDRESSES: Please address questions, comments, or concerns to the 
Casper Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Nancy Doelger, 
2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, Wyoming 82604, fax them to 307-261-7587, 
or send e-mail comments to the attention of Nancy Doelger at [email protected]. A copy of the DEIS has been sent to affected Federal, 
State, and local Government agencies; persons, and entities identified 
as potentially being affected by a decision to lease the Federal coal 
in these tracts; and persons who indicated to the BLM that they wished 
to receive a copy of the DEIS. Copies of the DEIS are available for 
public inspection at the following BLM office locations: Bureau of Land 
Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, 
Wyoming 82009; Bureau of Land Management, Casper Field Office, 2987 
Prospector Lane, Casper, Wyoming 82604. Comments, including names and 
street addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at 
the address listed above during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. 
through 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.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The five Federal coal tracts being 
considered for leasing are adjacent to four mines located south and 
east of Wright, Wyoming. The operators of these mines applied to lease 
the tracts as maintenance tracts to extend the life of their existing 
mining operations under the provisions of the Leasing on Application 
regulations at 43 CFR 3425. The following paragraphs provide 
descriptions of the tracts as they were applied for.
    On March 13, 2000, Powder River Coal Company filed a coal lease 
application for the following lands in two tracts adjacent to the North 
Antelope/Rochelle Mine Complex in Campbell County, Wyoming:

NARO North--(WYW150210)

T. 42 N., R. 70 W., 6th PM, Wyoming,
    Sec. 28, lots 5 thru 16;
    Sec. 29, lots 5 thru 16;
    Sec. 30, lots 9 thru 20;
T. 42 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming,
    Sec. 25, lots 5 thru 15;
    Sec. 26, lots 7 thru 10;
    Sec. 35, lots 1, 2, 7 thru 10, 15, 16.

    Containing 2,369.25 acres, more or less.

NARO South--WYW 154001

T. 41 N., R. 70 W., 6th PM, Wyoming,
    Sec. 19, lots 6 thru 11, 12 (S\1/2\), 13 thru 20;
    Sec. 20, lots 5 (S\1/2\), 6 (S\1/2\), 7 (S\1/2\), 8 (S\1/2\), 9 
thru 16;
    Sec. 21, lots 5 (S\1/2\), 12, 13;
    Sec. 28, lots 3 thru 6, 11, NE\1/4\ SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 29, lots 1 thru 12;
    Sec. 30, lots 5 thru 12.

    Containing 2,133.635 acres, more or less.

    The tracts as applied for include an estimated 564 million tons of 
recoverable coal. According to the application filed for the NARO North 
and NARO South LBA Tracts, mining the coal included in these 
maintenance tracts would extend the life of the North Antelope/Rochelle 
Mine Complex.
    On March 23, 2000, Ark Land Company filed a coal lease application 
for lands adjacent to the Black Thunder Mine in Campbell County, 
Wyoming. The following lands are included in the tract as currently 
filed:

Little Thunder--WYW150318

T. 43 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming,
    Sec. 2, lots 5, 6, 11 thru 14, 19, 20;
    Sec. 11, lots 1, 2, 7 thru 10, 15, 16;
    Sec. 12, lots 2 (W\1/2\ & SE\1/4\), 3 thru 16;
    Sec. 13, lots 1 thru 16;
    Sec. 14, lots 1, 2, 6 thru 9, 14, 15;
    Sec. 24, lots 1 thru 16;
    Sec. 25, lots 1, 2, 7 thru 10, 15, 16.
T. 44 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming,
    Sec. 35, lots 1, 2, 7 thru 10, 15, 16.T. 44.

    Containing 3,449.317 acres more or less.

    The tract includes an estimated 440 million tons of in-place coal. 
According to the application, the coal is needed to maintain existing 
mining operations at the Black Thunder Mine and would be used for 
electric power generation.
    On July 28, 2000, Triton Coal Company, LLC filed a coal lease 
application for the following lands adjacent to the North Rochelle Mine 
in Campbell County, Wyoming:

West Roundup--WYW151134

T. 42 N., R. 70 W., 6th PM, Wyoming,
    Sec. 6, lots 8-19, 20 (N\1/2\), 21 (N\1/2\), 22 (N\1/2\), 23 
(N\1/2\);
    Sec. 7, lots 5 (S\1/2\), 6 (S\1/2\), 7 (S\1/2\), 8 (S\1/2\), 9 
thru 14;
    Sec. 8, lots 1 (SW\1/4\), 2 (S\1/2\), 3 (S\1/2\), 4 (S\1/2\), 5 
thru 12;
    Sec. 9, lots 5 (SW\1/4\), 11, 12, 14;
T. 43 N., R. 70 W., 6th PM, Wyoming,
    Sec. 3, lots 13 thru 20.
T. 42 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
    Sec. 1, lots 5, 6, 11 thru 13.

    Containing 1,870.638 acres more or less.

    The tract includes an estimated 173.2 million tons of in-place 
coal.
    On September 12, 2000, Antelope Coal Company filed a coal lease 
application for lands adjacent to the Antelope Mine in Campbell and 
Converse Counties, Wyoming. The following lands are included in the 
tract as currently filed:

West Antelope--WYW151643

T. 40 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming,
    Sec. 3, lots 15 thru 18;
    Sec. 4, lots 5 thru 20;
    Sec. 5, lots 5 thru 7, 10 thru 15, 19, 20;
    Sec. 9, lot 1;
    Sec. 10, lots 3, 4;
T. 41 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming,
    Sec. 28, lots 1 thru 16;
    Sec. 29, lots 1 thru 16;
    Sec. 32, lots 1 thru 3, 6 thru 11, 14 thru 16;
    Sec. 33, lots 1 thru 16.

    Containing 3,542.19 acres more or less.

    The West Antelope tract includes an estimated 293.9 million tons of 
in-place coal. According to the application, mining this coal would 
extend the life of the existing mine and the coal would be mined for 
sale to electrical power generating plants. Each of the mines adjacent 
to the LBA tracts described above (the North Antelope/Rochelle, Black 
Thunder, North Rochelle, and Antelope mines, respectively) 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. Each of these mines has previously acquired 
one or more maintenance coal leases using the LBA process.

[[Page 8306]]

    The DEIS analyzes leasing each of the five tracts (described above) 
as a separate Proposed Action. As part of the coal leasing process, BLM 
has identified and is evaluating other tract configurations for these 
tracts which add or subtract Federal coal to avoid bypassing coal or to 
increase estimated fair market value of the unleased Federal coal in 
this area. The tract configurations that BLM has identified for each 
tract are described and analyzed as alternatives in the DEIS. The DEIS 
also analyzes the alternative of rejecting each application to lease 
Federal coal as the No Action Alternative for each tract.
    The agency-preferred alternative will vary for each tract, 
depending on which tract configuration is determined to best advance 
the public interest in avoiding bypassing Federal coal and obtaining 
the fair market value of the Federal coal.
    The Proposed Actions and Alternatives being considered in the DEIS 
are in conformance with the ``Approved Resource Management Plan for 
Public Lands Administered by the Bureau of Land Management Buffalo 
Field Office'' (April 2001), the USDA Forest Service ``Final EIS for 
the Northern Great Plains Management Plans Revision'' (May 2001) and 
the BLM ``Platte River Resource Area Resource Management Plan'' (1985)
    The USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) is a cooperating agency in 
the preparation of the DEIS. The surface of some of the land included 
for consideration for leasing in three of the tracts (NARO North, 
Little Thunder, and West Roundup) is National Forest System land 
administered by the Forest Service as part of the Thunder Basin 
National Grasslands.
    The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is a 
cooperating agency in the preparation of the DEIS. If the tracts are 
leased as maintenance tracts, each new lease must be incorporated into 
the existing mining and reclamation plan for the adjacent mine and the 
Secretary of the Interior must approve each revision to the MLA 
(Mineral Leasing Act) mining plan for each mine before the Federal coal 
in each tract can be mined. OSM is the Federal agency that would be 
responsible for recommending approval, approval with conditions, or 
disapproval of the revised MLA mining plans to the office of the 
Secretary of the Interior if any or all of these tracts are leased.

    Dated: December 10, 2002.
Alan L. Kesterke,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 03-4177 Filed 2-19-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P