[Federal Register: March 22, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 55)]
[Notices]
[Page 14542-14543]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22mr06-91]
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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://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=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 casper_wymail@blm.gov; 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