[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 202 (Friday, October 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61903-61905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24632]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-060-1320-EL, WY-060-5110-GA-CK33, WY-060-5110-GA-CK36, WY-060-5110-
GA-CK35, WYW161248, WYW172585, WYW172657, WYW173360]


Notice of Availability and Notice of Hearing for the South 
Gillette Area Coal Draft Environmental Impact Statement That Includes 
Four Federal Coal Lease by Applications, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the South Gillette Area Coal project that contains 
four Federal Coal Lease By Applications (LBAs), and by this Notice is 
announcing a public hearing requesting comments on the DEIS, Maximum 
Economic Recovery (MER), and Fair Market Value (FMV) pursuant to 43 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3425.4.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the South Gillette Area Coal DEIS, MER, and FMV 
within 60 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The 
public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. MST, on November 19, 2008, at the 
Campbell County George Amos Memorial Building, 412 South Gillette 
Avenue, Gillette, Wyoming.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 307-261-7587.
     Mail: Casper Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 
Attn: Teresa Johnson, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, Wyoming 82604.

Copies of the DEIS are available at the following BLM office locations: 
BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 
82009; and BLM Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector Lane, Casper, 
Wyoming 82604. The DEIS is available electronically on the following 
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/cfodocs/south_gillette.html.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS analyzes the potential impacts for 
Federal Coal LBAs serialized as WYW161248, WYW172585, WYW172657, and 
WYW173360 and referred to as the Belle Ayr North, West Coal Creek, 
Caballo West, and Maysdorf II tracts, in the decertified Powder River 
Federal Coal Production Region, Wyoming. The BLM is considering issuing 
these four coal leases as a result of four applications filed between 
July of 2004 and September of 2006. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION by 
application is as follows.

[[Page 61904]]

Belle Ayr North Coal Tract

    The BLM is considering issuing a coal lease as a result of a July 
6, 2004, application made by RAG Wyoming Land Company (RAG) to lease 
the Federal coal in the Belle Ayr North coal tract (WYW161248). RAG 
subsequently sold the Belle Ayr Mine and its associated interests to 
Foundation Coal Holdings, Inc. (Foundation). From this point forward, 
the applicant for the Belle Ayr North Tract will be referred to as 
Foundation. The Belle Ayr North LBA is located in Campbell County 
Wyoming, east of Hwy 59 and south of the Bishop Road/Hwy 59 
intersection.
    Foundation originally applied for the tract to extend the life of 
the existing Belle Ayr Mine in accordance with 43 CFR part 3425. The 
applicant estimated that the tract includes approximately 200 million 
tons of in-place Federal coal underlying the following lands in 
Campbell County, Wyoming:

T. 48 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
    Section 18: Lots 17, 18, 19 (W\1/2\, SE\1/4\);
    Section 19: Lots 5 through 19;
    Section 20: Lots 3 (SW\1/4\), 4 (W\1/2\, SE\1/4\), 5, 6, 7 (S\1/
2\), 9 (S\1/2\), 10 through 16;
    Section 21: Lots 13, 14;
    Section 28: Lots 3 through 6;
    Section 29: Lots 1, 6;
T. 48 N., R.72 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
    Section 24: Lots 1, 8.

    Containing 1,578.74 acres, more or less.

    The Belle Ayr Mine is adjacent to the LBA and has an approved 
mining and reclamation plan from the Land Quality Division of the 
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and an approved air 
quality permit from the Air Quality Division of the Wyoming DEQ that 
allows them to mine up to 45 million tons of coal per year.

West Coal Creek Coal Tract

    The BLM is considering issuing a coal lease as a result of a 
February 10, 2006, application made by Ark Land Company (Ark) to lease 
the Federal coal in the West Coal Creek coal tract (WYW172585). The 
West Coal Creek LBA is located in Campbell County east of Hoadley Road 
approximately 12 miles northeast of the city of Wright, Wyoming.
    Ark originally applied for the tract to extend the life of the 
existing Coal Creek Mine in accordance with 43 CFR part 3425. The 
applicant estimated that the tract includes approximately 57 million 
tons of recoverable Federal coal underlying the following lands in 
Campbell County, Wyoming:

T. 46 N., R. 70 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
    Section 18: Lots 14 through 17;
    Section 19: Lots 7 through 10, 15 through 18;
    Section 30: Lots 5 through 20.

    Containing 1,151.26 acres, more or less.

    The Coal Creek Mine is adjacent to the LBA and has an approved 
mining and reclamation plan from the Land Quality Division of the 
Wyoming DEQ and an approved air quality permit from the Air Quality 
Division of the Wyoming DEQ that allows them to mine up to 25 million 
tons of coal per year.

Caballo West Coal Tract

    The BLM is considering issuing a coal lease as a result of a March 
15, 2006, application made by Caballo Coal Company (Caballo) to lease 
the Federal coal in the Caballo West coal tract (WYW172657). The 
Caballo West LBA is located in Campbell County Wyoming east of the Hwy 
59/Bishop Road intersection.
    Caballo originally applied for the tract to extend the life of the 
existing Caballo Mine in accordance with 43 CFR part 3425. The 
applicant estimated that the tract includes approximately 87.5 million 
tons of mineable Federal coal underlying the following lands in 
Campbell County, Wyoming:

T. 48 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
    Section 7: Lots 12, 19;
    Section 8: Lot 10;
    Section 17: Lots 1 through 10, 11 (N\1/2\, SE\1/4\), 12 (NE\1/
4\), 15 (N\1/2\, SE\1/4\), 16;
    Section 18: Lot 5, 12 (NE\1/4\);
    Section 20: Lots 1, 2 (NE\1/4\), 8 (N\1/2\, SE\1/4\).

    Containing 777.485 acres, more or less.

    The Caballo Mine is adjacent to the LBA and has an approved mining 
and reclamation plan from the Land Quality Division of the Wyoming DEQ 
and an approved air quality permit from the Air Quality Division of the 
Wyoming DEQ that allows them to mine up to 50 million tons of coal per 
year.

Maysdorf II Coal Tract

    The BLM is considering issuing a coal lease as a result of a 
September 1, 2006, application made by Cordero Mining Company (Cordero) 
to lease the Federal coal in the Maysdorf II coal tract (WYW173360). 
The Maysdorf II LBA is located in Campbell County Wyoming on the east 
side of Hwy 59 starting approximately 5 miles south of the Bishop Road 
Hwy 59 intersection. The Maysdorf II LBA has 2 separate units. The 
larger of the 2 units is against the west edge of the Cordero-Rojo 
Mine. The other unit is to the south of the Cordero-Rojo mine and to 
the west of the Coal Creek Mine by roughly 1 mile.
    Cordero originally applied for the tract to extend the life of the 
existing Cordero-Rojo Mine in accordance with 43 CFR part 3425. The 
applicant estimated that the tract includes approximately 483 million 
tons of in-place Federal coal underlying the following lands in 
Campbell County, Wyoming:

T. 46 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
    Section 4: Lots 8, 9, 16, 17;
    Section 5: Lots 5, 12, 13, 20;
    Section 9: Lots 6 through 8;
    Section 10: Lots 7 through 10;
    Section 11: Lots 13 through 16;
    Section 14: Lots 1 through 4;
    Section 15: Lots 1 through 4;
T. 47 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
    Section 7: Lots 6 through 11, 14 through 19;
    Section 17: Lots 1 through 15, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Section 18: Lots 5 through 14, 19, 20;
    Section 20: Lots 1, 8, 9, 16;
    Section 21: Lots 4, 5, 12, 13;
    Section 28: Lots 4, 5, 12, 13;
    Section 29: Lots 1, 8, 9, 16;
    Section 32: Lots 1, 8, 9, 16;
    Section 33: Lots 4, 5, 12, 13;
T. 47 N., R. 72 W., 6th PM, Wyoming
    Section 12: Lots 1 through 16;
    Section 13: Lots 1 through 8.

    Containing 4,653.80 acres, more or less.

    The Cordero-Rojo Mine is adjacent to the LBA and has an approved 
mining and reclamation plan from the Land Quality Division of the 
Wyoming DEQ and an approved air quality permit from the Air Quality 
Division of the Wyoming DEQ that allows them to mine up to 65 million 
tons of coal per year.
    The DEIS analyzes and discloses to the public direct, indirect, and 
cumulative environmental impacts of issuing four Federal coal leases in 
the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin. 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 each of the tracts; and persons 
who indicated to the BLM that they wished to receive a copy of the 
DEIS. The purpose of the public hearing is to solicit comments on the 
DEIS, on the proposed competitive sales of the Belle Ayr North, West 
Coal Creek, Caballo West, and Maysdorf II coal tracts, and on the FMV 
and MER of the Federal coal.
    The Wyoming DEQ; the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and 
Enforcement; and the Wyoming Department of Transportation are 
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the DEIS.
    The DEIS analyzes leasing all of the South Gillette Area coal 
tracts as the Proposed Action. Under the Proposed Action, a competitive 
sale would be held and a lease issued for Federal coal contained in the 
tracts as applied for by each of the applicants. As part of the coal 
leasing process, the BLM is evaluating adding Federal coal to the 
tracts to avoid bypassing coal or to

[[Page 61905]]

prompt competitive interest in unleased Federal coal in this area. The 
alternate tract configurations for each of the LBAs that BLM is 
evaluating are described and analyzed as separate alternatives in the 
DEIS. Under these alternatives, competitive sales would be held and 
leases issued for Federal coal lands included in tracts modified by the 
BLM. The DEIS also analyzes the alternative of rejecting the 
application(s) to lease Federal coal as the No Action Alternative. The 
Proposed Actions and alternatives for each of the LBAs 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 (2001).
    Requests to be included on the mailing list for this project and to 
request copies of the DEIS or notification of the comment period or 
hearing date, or both, may be sent in writing, by facsimile, or 
electronically to the addresses previously stated at the beginning of 
this notice. 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 as part of the BLM decision-making process.
    Please note that comments and information submitted including 
names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses of respondents will be 
available for public review and disclosure at the above address during 
regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday, 
except holidays.
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

Donald A. Simpson,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. E8-24632 Filed 10-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P