[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5181-5182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1360]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[(WY-060-1320-EL), WYW154595]


Notice of Availability of Ten Mile Rim Coal Lease by Application 
Draft Environmental Assessment and Federal Coal Notice of Hearing, 
Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Draft Environmental 
Assessment (EA) on a Coal Lease By Application (LBA) received for one 
Federal coal tract in the decertified Green River/Hams Fork Coal 
Production Region, Wyoming, and Notice of Public Hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Ten Mile Rim Coal Tract Draft EA and a public hearing on the 
proposal to lease coal pursuant to 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
3425.4.
    The Draft EA analyzes and discloses direct, indirect, and 
cumulative environmental impacts of issuing a Federal coal lease on the 
eastern flank of the Rock Springs Uplift. These lands are located in 
Sweetwater County, Wyoming.
    The purpose of the public hearing is to solicit comments from the 
public on (1) the proposal to issue a Federal coal lease; (2) the 
proposed competitive lease sale; (3) the fair market value of the 
Federal coal; and (4) maximum economic recovery of the Federal coal 
included in the Ten Mile Rim tract.

DATES: Written comments on the Draft EA will be accepted on or before 
March 4, 2004. The public hearing will be held at 2 p.m. Mountain 
Standard Time on March 9, 2004, at the Pilot Butte Conference Room at 
the Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, 
Wyoming.

ADDRESSES: Please address questions, comments, or concerns to the Rock 
Springs Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Teri Deakins, 
280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82902; fax them to (307) 
352-0329; or send e-mail comments to Teri Deakins at [email protected].
    The BLM asks that those submitting comments make them as specific 
as possible with reference to page numbers and chapters of the Draft 
EA. 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. 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 or organizations or businesses, will be 
made available for public inspection in their entirety.
    A copy of the Draft EA has been sent to the affected Federal, 
State, and local government agencies; persons and entities identified 
as potentially being affected by a decision to lease the Federal coal 
in this tract; and persons who indicated to the BLM that they wished to 
receive a copy of the Draft EA. Copies of the Draft EA are available 
for public inspection at the following office locations: Bureau of Land 
Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, 
Wyoming 82009; Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field Office, 
280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901.
    Future notification of public meetings, or other public involvement 
activities, concerning the proposed exchange 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 comment requests.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Teri Deakins or Jeff Clawson at the 
above address, or telephone (307) 352-0256.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 28, 2001, Bridger Coal Company 
applied for a coal lease for approximately 7,054.34 acres in one tract 
(approximately 110 million recoverable tons of coal) adjacent to the 
Bridger Coal Mine in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. The tract is referred 
to as the Ten Mile Rim Tract, and was assigned case number WYW154595. 
Based on exploratory drilling results, the Ten Mile Rim Tract has been 
modified, with a decrease in acreage. The modification, filed on 
February 11, 2003, reduces the amount of acreage to 2,242.18 acres 
containing about 43 million tons of in-place coal reserves.
    The following lands are contained in the modified lease application 
in Sweetwater County, Wyoming:

Sixth Principle Meridian, Wyoming

T. 21 N., R. 100 W.
    Section 6: Lots 8 through 14, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, 
E\1/2\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\
T. 22 N., R. 100 W.
    Section 30: Lots 5 through 8, E\1/2\W\1/2\, E\1/2\
T. 22 N., R. 101 W.
    Section 26: Lots 1 through 16
    Section 34: Lots 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 13, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, SW\1/4\SE\1/
4\

    Containing 2,242.18 acres, more or less.

    According to the modified application, the coal would be mined for 
sale to the Jim Bridger electrical power generating plant located 
adjacent to the existing mine, and would extend the life of the 
existing mine. The mine adjacent to the tract described above has an 
approved mining and reclamation plan from the State of Wyoming Land 
Quality Division and an approved air quality permit from the Wyoming 
Department of Environmental Quality, Air Quality Division.
    The Draft EA analyzes two alternatives: The Proposed Action of 
leasing the tract and the No Action Alternative. Consistent with the 
coal

[[Page 5182]]

leasing regulations BLM has identified and considered other alternative 
tract configurations that would 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 Draft EA also analyzes the No 
Action Alternative of rejecting the application to lease Federal coal. 
The Proposed Action and Alternative considered are in conformance with 
the Green River Resource Management Plan (1997).
    The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is a 
cooperating agency in the preparation of the Draft EA. If the tract is 
leased, it must be incorporated into the existing mining and 
reclamation plan for the adjacent Bridger coal mine. Before the Federal 
coal in this tract can be mined the Secretary of the Interior must 
approve each revision to the MLA (Mineral Leasing Act) mining plan. OSM 
is the Department of the Interior agency that would be responsible for 
recommending approval, approval with conditions, or disapproval of the 
revised MLA plan to the Secretary of the Interior.

    Dated: August 1, 2003.
Alan L. Kesterke,
Associate State Director.

    Editorial Note: This document was received at the Officer of the 
Federal Register on January 16, 2004.

[FR Doc. 04-1360 Filed 2-2-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P