[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18430-18431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05341]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCO923000.14400000.ET0000.223; COC-080735]


Notice of Application for Permanent Withdrawal and Transfer of 
Jurisdiction, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal application.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management (DOE-LM) 
has filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
requesting that the Secretary of the Interior exercise authority under 
Title II of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 
(UMTRCA) to permanently withdraw and transfer administrative 
jurisdiction over 70 acres of public lands at the Durita Mill Tailings 
Site in Colorado to DOE-LM. The public land and interests in the land 
would be withdrawn from operation of the general land laws, including 
the United States mining laws, the mineral and geothermal leasing laws, 
and the mineral materials disposal laws, subject to valid existing 
rights, and would be transferred to DOE-LM for long term maintenance 
and monitoring under a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license as part of 
the Durita Mill Tailings Site. This notice announces a 30-day 
opportunity for the public to comment on the DOE-LM application and 
request a public meeting.

DATES: Comments and meeting requests must be received on or before 
April 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Comments and meeting requests should be sent to BLM Colorado 
State Director, BLM Colorado State Office, P.O. Box 151029, Lakewood, 
CO 80215.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Jardine, Realty Specialist, 
BLM Colorado State Office, telephone: (970) 385-1224, email: 
[email protected] during regular business hours 8:00 a.m.

[[Page 18431]]

to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individuals in 
the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a 
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services for contacting Ms. Jardine. 
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services 
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE-LM filed an application with the BLM 
that requests the Secretary of the Interior to permanently withdraw and 
transfer administrative jurisdiction over the following described 
public lands and federally owned minerals, subject to valid existing 
rights. DOE-LM has requested that the land and minerals be withdrawn 
from location and entry under the United States mining laws, from 
leasing under the mineral or geothermal leasing laws, and from disposal 
under the mineral materials laws, subject to valid existing rights. 
Under UMTRCA, as amended by the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action 
Amendments Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 7916), the Secretary of the Interior 
may make such permanent withdrawals and transfers of administrative 
jurisdiction. The Secretary's actions under UMTRCA are explicitly 
exempt from the withdrawal and transfer provisions of Section 204 of 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended. The 
following public lands are requested for permanent withdrawal and 
jurisdictional transfer for long term maintenance and monitoring by the 
DOE-LM under applicable provisions of UMTRCA:

New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado

T. 46 N., R. 16 W.,
    sec. 34, E\1/2\NE\1/4\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, E\1/2\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, 
E\1/2\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, and N\1/2\SE\1/
4\SE\1/4\;
    sec. 35, W\1/2\NW\1/4\NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, W\1/2\SW\1/4\NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, 
and W\1/2\NW\1/4\SW\1/4\SW\1/4\.

    The area described contains 70 acres of public lands, according to 
the official plat of the survey of the said land on file with the BLM.
    The purpose of the requested withdrawal and transfer of 
administrative jurisdiction is to allow the DOE-LM to administer the 
lands in perpetuity as a hazardous material site under the authority of 
UMTRCA, 42 U.S.C. 7902 et seq.
    For a period until April 12, 2024, all persons who wish to submit 
comments, suggestions, or objections in connection with the DOE-LM 
application may present their views in writing to the BLM Colorado 
State Office at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section above. 
Records related to the applications may be examined by contacting the 
BLM Colorado State Office at the address listed in the ADDRESSES; 
section above. The BLM is preparing an environmental assessment under 
the National Environmental Policy Act in connection with the requested 
withdrawal and jurisdictional transfer. On March 22, 2022, the BLM 
posted a project description for DOI-BLM-CO-S050-2022-0013-EA on its e-
Planning site at eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2018643/510.
    Comments will be available for public review at the BLM Colorado 
State Office during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Before including your 
address, phone number, email 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.

(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7916)

Douglas J. Vilsack,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-05341 Filed 3-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P