Draft Petition Evaluation Document/Environmental Impact Statement; Tennessee

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

Draft Petition Evaluation Document/Environmental Impact

Statement; Tennessee

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.

ACTION: Reopening of the public comment period for the draft petition

evaluation document/environmental impact statement (PED/EIS) for Fall

Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee.

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SUMMARY: On May 1, 1998, the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) of the

United States Department of the Interior announced, via Federal

Register notice, the availability of the draft PED/EIS for a petition

to designate certain lands in the watershed and viewshed of Fall Creek

Falls State Park and Natural Area, Van Buren and Bledsoe Counties,

Tennessee, as unsuitable for all surface coal mining operations. OSM

also announced that written comments on the draft PED/EIS would be

accepted until July 30, 1998. Because of the public's continuing

interest and concerns regarding the environmental and economic issues

addressed in the PED/EIS, OSM is reopening the comment period.

DATES: Comments: OSM will accept comments on the draft PED/EIS until

4:30 p.m. eastern time September 16, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Electronic or written comments: Submit electronic comments

to [email protected]. Written comments may be hand-delivered or mailed

to Beverly Brock, Supervisor, Technical Group, Office of Surface

Mining, 530 Gay Street, S.W., Suite 500, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly Brock, Supervisor, Technical

Group, Office of Surface Mining, 530 Gay Street, S.W., Suite 500,

Knoxville, Tennessee 37902. Telephone: (423) 545-4103, ext. 146.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OSM has been petitioned by Save Our

Cumberland Mountains, Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, and

forty-nine citizens to designate the watershed and viewshed of Fall

Creek Falls State Park and Natural Area, Tennessee, as unsuitable for

all types of surface coal mining operations. OSM prepared and

distributed a draft PED/EIS as required by Section 522(d) of the

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 and the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The draft PED/EIS evaluates the

potential coal resources of the area, the demand for coal resources,

and the impacts of alternative unsuitability decisions on the human

environment, the economy, and the supply of coal.

A public hearing was held in Crossville, Tennessee, on June 18,

1998, to receive oral comments on the draft PED/EIS.

The original comment period opened on May 1, 1998, and closed July

30, 1998. Because of the public's continuing interest and concerns

regarding the environmental and economic issues addressed in the PED/

EIS, OSM is reopening the comment period as of August 21, 1998, and

will close on September 16, 1998.

Dated: August 13, 1998.

Allen D. Klein,

Regional Director, Appalachian Regional Coordinating Center.

[FR Doc. 98-22383 Filed 8-20-98; 8:45 am]

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