Scoping Meeting on the Belle Ayr and North Jacobs Ranch Coal Lease Applications

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-060-1620-01; WYW141568, WYW146744]

Scoping Meeting on the Belle Ayr and North Jacobs Ranch Coal

Lease Applications

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, Wyoming.

ACTION: Notice of Scoping Meeting on the Belle Ayr and North Jacobs

Ranch coal lease applications in response to applications received from

AMAX Land Co. (now RAG Wyoming Land Co.) and Jacobs Ranch Coal Co. for

Federal coal in Campbell County, WY, in the decertified Powder River

Federal Coal Production Region.

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SUMMARY: BLM received an application from AMAX Land Co. (now RAG

Wyoming Land Co.) on March 20, 1997 (WYW141568), for a tract of Federal

coal that includes about 1,579 acres and approximately 200 million tons

of in-place coal in Campbell County, WY, adjacent to the existing Belle

Ayr Mine. This tract is referred to as the Belle Ayr Tract. On October

2, 1998, BLM received an application from Jacobs Ranch Coal Company for

a tract of Federal coal that includes about 4,821 acres and

approximately 519 million tons of in-place coal in Campbell County, WY,

adjacent to the existing Jacobs Ranch Mine. This tract is referred to

as the North Jacobs Ranch Tract. Both tracts were applied for as

maintenance lease-by-applications (LBAs), under the provisions of 43

CFR 3425.1.

The Powder River Regional Coal Team (RCT) reviewed the Belle Ayr

coal lease application at their meeting on April 23, 1997, in Casper,

WY, and recommended that the BLM process it. The RCT reviewed the North

Jacobs Ranch coal lease application at their meeting on February 23,

1999, in Billings, MT, and recommended that BLM process it and that BLM

and the State of Wyoming work with the oil and gas and coal operators

to resolve conflicts with existing and proposed oil and gas development

in the area of the tract.

As part of the LBA process, BLM will complete an environmental

analysis, develop possible stipulations regarding mining operations,

determine the fair market value (FMV) of the tract, and evaluate

maximum economic recovery (MER), of the coal in the proposed tract.

BLM is considering preparing a separate environmental impact

statement (EIS) for each application to satisfy the requirements of the

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). An EIS is being

considered for the Belle Ayr tract because of the proximity of the

tract to existing coalbed methane development and because of the

potential for cumulative environmental impacts. An EIS is also being

considered for the North Jacobs Ranch tract. Seven new Federal coal

leases have been issued to the five mines south and east of Wright, WY,

(including the Jacobs Ranch Mine) since decertification of the Powder

River Federal Coal Region. Proposed coalbed methane development,

existing oil and gas development on the tract, and the potential for

cumulative impacts are other major reasons for considering an EIS.

DATES: As part of the public scoping process, a public scoping meeting

is scheduled at 7 p.m., on October 19, 1999, at the Tower West Lodge,

109 North US Highway 14-16, Gillette, WY. If you have concerns or

issues that you believe the BLM should address in processing these

lease applications, you can express them verbally at the scoping

meeting; or you can mail, e-mail, or fax written comments to BLM at the

address given below by October 30, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Please address written questions, comments or concerns to

Casper Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Nancy Doelger,

1701 East E Street, Casper, WY 82601. Address e-mail to

Nancy__D[email protected], or fax comments to 307-234-1525, Attn: Nancy

Doelger.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Doelger or Mike Karbs at the

above address, or phone: 307-261-7600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 20, 1997, AMAX Land Company (now

RAG Wyoming Land Co.) filed a coal lease application with the BLM for a

maintenance tract LBA for the following lands:

T. 48 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming

Section 18: Lots 17 thru 19;

Section 19: Lots 5 thru 19;

Section 20: Lots 3(SW4), 4(W2,SE4), 5, 6, 7(S2), 9(S2), 10 thru

16;

Section 21: Lots 13,14;

Section 28: Lots 3, 6;

Section 29: Lots 1, 6;

T. 48 N., R. 72 W., 6th PM, Wyoming

Section 24: Lots 1,8

The tract includes 1,578.741 acres more or less, with an

estimated 200 million tons of coal in place.

The Belle Ayr Mine is adjacent to the lease application area. The

Belle Ayr Mine has an approved mining and reclamation plan, and an

approved air quality permit from the Air Quality Division of the

Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to mine up to 25

million tons of coal per year. According to the application filed for

the Belle Ayr Tract, it is a maintenance tract that would be mined to

extend the life of the existing mine.

On October 2, 1998, Jacobs Ranch Coal Company filed a coal lease

application with the BLM for a maintenance tract LBA for the following

lands:

T. 44 N., R. 70 W., 6th PM, Wyoming

Section 26: Lots 9, 10;

Section 27: Lots 1 thru 16;

Section 28: Lots 1 thru 16;

Section 29: Lots 1 thru 16;

Section 30: Lots 5 thru 20;

Section 31: Lots 5 thru 20;

Section 32: Lots 5 thru 20;

Section 33: Lots 4, 5, 12, 13;

T. 44 N., R. 71 W., 6th PM, Wyoming

Section 25: Lots 1 thru 16

The tract includes 4,821 acres more or less with an estimated

519 million tons of coal in place.

The Jacobs Ranch Mine is adjacent to the lease application area.

The Jacobs

[[Page 54636]]

Ranch Mine has an approved mining and reclamation plan, and an approved

air quality permit from the Air Quality Division of the Wyoming DEQ to

mine up to 35 million tons of coal per year. According to the

application filed for the North Jacobs Ranch Tract, it is a maintenance

tract that would be mined to extend the life of the existing mine. The

Jacobs Ranch Mine was issued a lease for a maintenance tract of Federal

coal adjacent to the Jacobs Ranch Mine in 1992.

BLM has received 13 applications to lease Federal coal in the

Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin since 1990, when the Powder

River Federal Coal Region was decertified. Nine new Federal coal leases

have been issued, one application was rejected, and three applications,

including the Belle Ayr and North Jacobs Ranch applications, are

pending. Seven of the nine new leases were issued to mines in the group

of five surface coal mines located immediately east and southeast of

Wright, WY, in southeastern Campbell and northern Converse Counties,

WY. This southern group of mines includes the Jacobs Ranch, Black

Thunder, North Rochelle, Rochelle, North Antelope, and Antelope mines.

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) will

be a cooperating agency in the preparation of the environmental

analysis because it is the Federal agency that is responsible for

recommending approval, approval with conditions, or disapproval of the

mining plan to the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. If this

maintenance tract is leased to the applicant, the new lease must be

incorporated into the existing mining plans for the adjacent mine. The

Secretary of the Interior must approve those mining plans before the

coal in the tract can be mined.

The major issues that have been identified to date are related to

the extension of ongoing site-specific and cumulative impacts to air

quality, groundwater, and wildlife if these leases are issued and the

potential conflicts between overlapping proposed future coal mining and

existing and proposed oil and gas development in this area. If you have

specific concerns about these issues, or have other concerns or issues

that BLM should consider in processing one or both of these

applications to lease Federal coal, please address them in writing to

the above individuals or state them verbally at the October 19, 1999,

public scoping meeting at the location shown above. BLM will accept

written comments at the address shown above through October 30, 1999.

Freedom of Information

Scoping comments, including names and street addresses of

respondents, will be available for public review at the address listed

below during regular business hours (7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m.), Monday

through Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may request

confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name 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, and from individuals

identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations

or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their

entirety.

Dated: October 1, 1999.

Robert P. Henry,

Acting State Director.

[FR Doc. 99-26135 Filed 10-6-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-22-P