Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 194 / Thursday, October 7, 1999 / Notices 54635 closure order you may be fined up to place coal in Campbell County, WY, can express them verbally at the scoping $100,000.00 or be imprisoned for up to adjacent to the existing Belle Ayr Mine. meeting; or you can mail, e-mail, or fax 12 months, or both. This tract is referred to as the Belle Ayr written comments to BLM at the address You are exempt from this closure if Tract. On October 2, 1998, BLM given below by October 30, 1999. you are engaged in one these activities: received an application from Jacobs ADDRESSES: Please address written law enforcement, emergency services, Ranch Coal Company for a tract of questions, comments or concerns to agency personnel on official business, Federal coal that includes about 4,821 Casper Field Office, Bureau of Land permitted uses, or work to maintain acres and approximately 519 million Management, Attn: Nancy Doelger, 1701 utilities and infrastructure. You and tons of in-place coal in Campbell East E Street, Casper, WY 82601. your guests are exempt if you own County, WY, adjacent to the existing Address e-mail to property or live within the closed area. Jacobs Ranch Mine. This tract is referred [email protected], or fax This closure affects only public lands. to as the North Jacobs Ranch Tract. Both comments to 307±234±1525, Attn: County roads and segments of roads tracts were applied for as maintenance Nancy Doelger. through private lands are unaffected. lease-by-applications (LBAs), under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You are exempt to use the portion of provisions of 43 CFR 3425.1. Nancy Doelger or Mike Karbs at the Bowen Ranch Road that is a County The Powder River Regional Coal above address, or phone: 307±261±7600. road. The exempt portion crosses public Team (RCT) reviewed the Belle Ayr coal SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March lands in section 31 of T.4N. R.2W., and lease application at their meeting on 20, 1997, AMAX Land Company (now sections 1, 11 and 12 of T.3N. R.3W., April 23, 1997, in Casper, WY, and RAG Wyoming Land Co.) filed a coal ending at the boundary of the Bowen recommended that the BLM process it. lease application with the BLM for a Ranch. The RCT reviewed the North Jacobs maintenance tract LBA for the following A previous 3-day emergency closure Ranch coal lease application at their lands: provided immediate protection for the meeting on February 23, 1999, in burned area during Labor Day weekend. Billings, MT, and recommended that T. 48 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming This 30-day closure is intended to BLM process it and that BLM and the Section 18: Lots 17 thru 19; provide interim protection while a long State of Wyoming work with the oil and Section 19: Lots 5 thru 19; term rehabilitation strategy is gas and coal operators to resolve Section 20: Lots 3(SW4), 4(W2,SE4), 5, 6, developed. The strategy will be based 7(S2), 9(S2), 10 thru 16; conflicts with existing and proposed oil Section 21: Lots 13,14; on a report being prepared by a fire and gas development in the area of the Section 28: Lots 3, 6; rehabilitation team. The team is tract. Section 29: Lots 1, 6; currently assessing damage and As part of the LBA process, BLM will T. 48 N., R. 72 W., 6th PM, Wyoming planning corrective actions. This complete an environmental analysis, Section 24: Lots 1,8 closure order may be re-issued for a develop possible stipulations regarding The tract includes 1,578.741 acres more or longer time period based on the mining operations, determine the fair less, with an estimated 200 million tons of rehabilitation strategy. market value (FMV) of the tract, and coal in place. Brad Blomquist, evaluate maximum economic recovery The Belle Ayr Mine is adjacent to the BLM, Acting Barstow Field Office Manager. (MER), of the coal in the proposed tract. lease application area. The Belle Ayr [FR Doc. 99±24822 Filed 10±6±99; 8:45 am] BLM is considering preparing a Mine has an approved mining and BILLING CODE 4310±40±M separate environmental impact reclamation plan, and an approved air statement (EIS) for each application to quality permit from the Air Quality satisfy the requirements of the National Division of the Wyoming Department of DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Environmental Policy Act of 1969 Environmental Quality (DEQ) to mine (NEPA). An EIS is being considered for Bureau of Land Management up to 25 million tons of coal per year. the Belle Ayr tract because of the According to the application filed for [WY±060±1620±01; WYW141568, proximity of the tract to existing coalbed the Belle Ayr Tract, it is a maintenance WYW146744] methane development and because of tract that would be mined to extend the the potential for cumulative life of the existing mine. Scoping Meeting on the Belle Ayr and environmental impacts. An EIS is also On October 2, 1998, Jacobs Ranch North Jacobs Ranch Coal Lease being considered for the North Jacobs Coal Company filed a coal lease Applications Ranch tract. Seven new Federal coal application with the BLM for a leases have been issued to the five AGENCY: Department of the Interior, maintenance tract LBA for the following Wyoming. mines south and east of Wright, WY, lands: (including the Jacobs Ranch Mine) since ACTION: Notice of Scoping Meeting on decertification of the Powder River T. 44 N., R. 70 W., 6th PM, Wyoming the Belle Ayr and North Jacobs Ranch Federal Coal Region. Proposed coalbed Section 26: Lots 9, 10; coal lease applications in response to Section 27: Lots 1 thru 16; methane development, existing oil and Section 28: Lots 1 thru 16; applications received from AMAX Land gas development on the tract, and the Co. (now RAG Wyoming Land Co.) and Section 29: Lots 1 thru 16; potential for cumulative impacts are Section 30: Lots 5 thru 20; Jacobs Ranch Coal Co. for Federal coal other major reasons for considering an in Campbell County, WY, in the Section 31: Lots 5 thru 20; EIS. Section 32: Lots 5 thru 20; decertified Powder River Federal Coal Section 33: Lots 4, 5, 12, 13; Production Region. DATES: As part of the public scoping process, a public scoping meeting is T. 44 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming SUMMARY: BLM received an application scheduled at 7 p.m., on October 19, Section 25: Lots 1 thru 16 from AMAX Land Co. (now RAG 1999, at the Tower West Lodge, 109 The tract includes 4,821 acres more or less Wyoming Land Co.) on March 20, 1997 North US Highway 14±16, Gillette, WY. with an estimated 519 million tons of coal in (WYW141568), for a tract of Federal If you have concerns or issues that you place. coal that includes about 1,579 acres and believe the BLM should address in The Jacobs Ranch Mine is adjacent to approximately 200 million tons of in- processing these lease applications, you the lease application area. The Jacobs VerDate 30-SEP-99 14:24 Oct 06, 1999 Jkt 190000 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\A07OC3.078 pfrm01 PsN: 07OCN1 54636 Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 194 / Thursday, October 7, 1999 / Notices Ranch Mine has an approved mining Freedom of Information Baker City, OR 97814, Telephone 541± and reclamation plan, and an approved 523±1845. air quality permit from the Air Quality Scoping comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will Jerry Taylor, Division of the Wyoming DEQ to mine Vale District Manager (Acting). up to 35 million tons of coal per year. be available for public review at the [FR Doc. 99±26126 Filed 10±6±99; 8:45 am] According to the application filed for address listed below during regular the North Jacobs Ranch Tract, it is a business hours (7:45 a.m.±4:30 p.m.), BILLING CODE 4310±33±M maintenance tract that would be mined Monday through Friday, except to extend the life of the existing mine. holidays. Individual respondents may DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR The Jacobs Ranch Mine was issued a request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street address lease for a maintenance tract of Federal Bureau of Land Management coal adjacent to the Jacobs Ranch Mine from public review or from disclosure in 1992. under the Freedom of Information Act, BLM has received 13 applications to you must state this prominently at the [MT±060±99±1220±00] lease Federal coal in the Wyoming beginning of your written comment. Central Montana Resource Advisory portion of the Powder River Basin since Such requests will be honored to the Council 1990, when the Powder River Federal extent allowed by law. All submissions Coal Region was decertified. Nine new from organizations or businesses, and AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Federal coal leases have been issued, from individuals identifying themselves Lewistown Field Office. one application was rejected, and three as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be applications, including the Belle Ayr ACTION: Notice of meeting. and North Jacobs Ranch applications, made available for public inspection in their entirety. are pending. Seven of the nine new SUMMARY: The Central Montana leases were issued to mines in the group Dated: October 1, 1999. Resource Advisory Council will meet of five surface coal mines located Robert P. Henry, October 28 and 29, 1999, at the Yogo immediately east and southeast of Acting State Director.