[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14542-14543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2618]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[(WY-060-5410-EQ), WYW3397 & WYW83394]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment and 
Notice of Public Hearing for an Alluvial Valley Floor Coal Lease 
Exchange in Campbell County, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability, Notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received an application 
from Powder River Coal Company, Inc., (PRCC) to exchange portions of 
two Federal coal leases affecting an alluvial valley floor (AVF) 
designated as significant to farming. The affected leases are located 
at the Caballo Mine in Campbell County, Wyoming. The AVF lands will be 
exchanged for new coal leases adjacent to one or more existing coal 
leases.
    This tract, which was applied for as an AVF exchange under the 
provisions of 43 CFR 3436, is called the Gold Mine Draw Exchange (GMDX) 
Tract. Consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
regulations, BLM must prepare an environmental analysis prior to

[[Page 14543]]

consummating an exchange. BLM is announcing that the Draft 
Environmental Analysis (EA) is available for public review and that a 
public hearing will be held to elicit comments from any affected 
parties concerning the EA or the exchange in general.

DATES: The draft EA will be available for review and comment for 30 
calendar days from the date this notice is published in the Federal 
Register. On April 11, 2006, the BLM will host a public hearing at 7 
p.m. at the Clarion Hotel and Convention Center, 2009 South Douglas 
Highway, Gillette, Wyoming. At the public hearing, the public is 
invited to submit comments and resource information, and identify 
issues or concerns to be considered in the exchange process.
    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: Steven Wright, 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 Steven Wright at 307-261-7587. Comments may be sent 
electronically to [email protected]; please put GMDX Tract/Steven 
Wright 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 EA 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: Steven Wright or Mike Karbs, BLM 
Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, Wyoming 82604. Mr. 
Wright or Mr. Karbs may also be reached by telephone at 307-261-7600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An application to exchange Federal coal 
leases adjacent to the Caballo Mine was filed on July, 24, 2003, by 
PRCC. The Powder River Regional Coal Team reviewed this lease exchange 
proposal at a public meeting held on April 27, 2005, in Gillette, 
Wyoming, and concurred with the further processing of the application.
    As currently filed, the application includes approximately 67 
million tons of in-place Federal coal underlying the following lands in 
Campbell County, Wyoming:

T. 48 N., R. 70 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Sec. 18: Lots 15-18;
T. 48 N., R. 71 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
    Sec. 11: Lot 16 (SE\1/4\);
    Sec. 12: Lots 13, 14, 15 (W\1/2\, SE\1/4\);
    Sec. 13: Lots 1 (SW\1/2\), 2-8, 11-14;
    Sec. 14: Lots 1, 8 (E\1/2\); Sec. 24: Lots 1-3.

    Containing 921.6 acres more or less.

    The surface estate overlying the Federal coal is privately owned. 
If the GMDX Tract is exchanged for a new Federal coal lease, 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. The Office of Surface Mining 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.

Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 06-2618 Filed 3-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P