[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 83 (Monday, May 2, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22683-22684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-6981]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[(WY-060-1320-EL), WYW155132]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Coal Lease by Application in Campbell County, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has received a competitive 
coal lease application from Foundation Coal West, Inc., (Foundation) 
for a maintenance tract of Federal coal adjacent to the company's Eagle 
Butte Mine in Campbell County, Wyoming. A maintenance tract is a parcel 
of land containing coal reserves that can be leased to maintain 
production at an existing mine. This tract, which was applied for as a 
lease by application (LBA) under the provisions of 43 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) 3425.1, is called the Eagle Butte West Tract and has 
been assigned case number WYW155132. Consistent with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, BLM must prepare an 
environmental analysis prior to holding a competitive Federal coal 
lease sale. In accordance with the provisions of Section 102 (2)(C) of 
NEPA, BLM is announcing it will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for this lease application and is soliciting public 
comments regarding issues and resource information.

DATES: This notice initiates the EIS scoping process. The BLM can best 
use public input if comments and resource information are submitted by 
August 1, 2005. On May 17, 2005, the BLM will host a public scoping 
meeting at 7 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel and Convention Center, 2009 
South Douglas Highway, Gillette, Wyoming. At the public scoping meeting 
the public is invited to submit comments and resource information, and 
identify issues or concerns to be considered in the LBA process. The 
BLM will announce future public meetings and other opportunities to 
submit comments on this project at least 15 days prior to the event. 
Announcements will be made through local news media and the Casper 
Field Office's Web site, which is: http://www.wy.blm.gov/cfo.

ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments or concerns to the BLM Casper 
Field Office, Attn: Nancy Doelger, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, 
Wyoming 82604. Written comments or resource information may also be 
hand-delivered to the BLM Casper Field Office or sent by facsimile to 
the attention of Nancy Doelger at 307-261-7587. Comments may be sent 
electronically to [email protected]; please put Eagle Butte West 
Tract/Nancy Doelger in the subject line.
    Members of the public may examine documents pertinent to this 
proposal by visiting the Casper Field Office during its business hours 
(7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays.
    Your response is important and will be considered in the EIS 
process. If you do respond, we will keep you informed of the 
availability of environmental documents that address impacts that might 
occur from this proposal. Please note that comments and information 
submitted regarding this project including names, electronic mail 
addresses and street addresses of the respondents will be available for 
public review and disclosure at the Casper Field Office. Individuals 
may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name, 
electronic mail address, 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, or 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, BLM

[[Page 22684]]

Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, Wyoming 82604. Ms. 
Doelger or Mr. Karbs may also be reached by telephone at 307-261-7600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An application to lease the Federal coal on 
the Eagle Butte West Tract adjacent to the Eagle Butte Mine was filed 
on December 28, 2001, by RAG Coal West, Inc. Foundation purchased the 
Eagle Butte Mine from RAG Coal West, Inc., in August 2004. The Powder 
River Regional Coal Team reviewed this lease application at a public 
meeting held on May 30, 2002, in Casper, Wyoming, and recommended that 
BLM process it.
    The applicant filed a request to modify the tract on October 16, 
2003. As currently filed, the application includes approximately 243.2 
million tons of in-place Federal coal underlying the following lands in 
Campbell County, Wyoming:

T. 51 N., R. 72 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming

Section 19: Lots 13, 14, 19, and 20;
Section 20: Lots 10 (S\1/2\), 11 (S\1/2\), and 12 through 15;
Section 29: Lots 1 (W\1/2\), 2 through 7, 8 (W\1/2\ and SE\1/4\), 
and 9 through 16;
Section 30: Lots 5, 6, 11 through 14, 19 and 20.

    Containing 1,397.64 acres more or less.

    The surface estate overlying the Federal coal is privately owned.
    Foundation proposes to mine the tract as a part of the Eagle Butte 
Mine. At the 2004 mining rate of 23 million tons per year, the coal 
included in the Eagle Butte West Tract would extend the life of the 
Eagle Butte Mine by approximately 10.5 years. In accordance with 43 CFR 
3425.1-9, BLM will evaluate unleased Federal coal in and around the 
tract and may decide to add or subtract lands to avoid bypassing 
Federal coal or to increase potential competitive interest in the 
tract.
    The Eagle Butte Mine is operating under approved mining permits 
from the Land Quality and Air Quality Divisions of the Wyoming 
Department of Environmental Quality.
    The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) will 
be a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS. If the Eagle 
Butte West Tract is leased to the applicant, the new lease must be 
incorporated into the existing mining and reclamation plan for the 
adjacent mine and the Secretary of the Interior must approve the 
revised Mineral Leasing Act (MLA) mining plan before the Federal coal 
in the 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 plan to the office of the 
Secretary of the Interior.
    The BLM will provide interested parties the opportunity to submit 
comments or relevant information or both. This information will help 
BLM identify issues to be considered in preparing a draft EIS for the 
Eagle Butte West Tract. Specific issues that have been identified at 
this time include the presence of city and county facilities, including 
the Gillette Airport and the Rawhide Elementary School, and occupied 
residences in the vicinity of the tract. Issues that have been 
identified in analyzing the impacts of previous Federal coal leasing 
actions in the Wyoming PRB include the need for resolution of conflicts 
between existing and proposed oil and gas development and coal mining 
on the tract proposed for leasing; potential impacts to big game herds 
and hunting; potential impacts to sage grouse; potential impacts to 
listed threatened and endangered species; potential health impacts 
related to blasting operations conducted by the mines to remove 
overburden and coal; the need to consider the cumulative impacts of 
coal leasing decisions combined with other existing and proposed 
development in the Wyoming PRB; and potential site-specific and 
cumulative impacts on air and water quality.

Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 05-6981 Filed 4-29-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P