13430 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 48 / Friday, March 11, 2011 / Notices 

would reduce the volume of water 

containing constituents of concern that 

could potentially affect the quality of 

area groundwater and surface water and 

prevent the release of excessive 

selenium. Alternatives 1A and 1B 

would incorporate a layer of 

impermeable material called a 

laminated geosynthetic clay liner, or 

GCLL. The GCLL cover system would be 

comprised of the following materials 

(from surface to base): 

• 18 inches of topsoil; 

• 1 foot of weathered alluvium cover 

material; 

• 6 inches of drainage/protective 

layer material; 

• GCLL; 

• 6 inches of a protective sub-grade 

layer (weathered alluvium or other 

earthen material); and 

• Run of mine (ROM) overburden. 

The GCLL includes a thin layer of 

powdered clay sandwiched between 

two geotextile layers. A geotextile is a 

sheet of material that is resistant to 

penetration damage. The top geotextile 

layer is laminated with a polyethylene 

geomembrane layer, providing an 

additional layer of protection. 

Alternative 1A would cover all 

backfilled pits with the GCLL cover as 

well as 86 acres of the EOP and would 

cover the remaining areas with the 

Simple 1 cover, while Alternative 1B 

would cover all backfilled pits and the 

entire 141 acre EOP with the GCLL. 

While Alternatives 1A and 1B primarily 

address water quality issues, additional 

alternatives address other issues and are 

also considered in the Final EIS. 

The Proposed Action and Alternatives 

1A and 1B include a lease modification 

to Phosphate Lease I–05613. The 

amended lease modification areas occur 

in 4 separate parcels located on private 

and BLM surface. The lease 

modification allows for extending 

proposed mine facilities from the 

original lease areas into an additional 

300 acres. 

A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare 

this EIS was published in the Federal 

Register on February 3, 2006. 

Publication of the NOI in the Federal 

Register initiated a 56-day public 

scoping period for the Proposed Action 

that provided for acceptance of written 

comments. The scoping process 

identified concerns that included 

potential effects of the project on water 

resources; socioeconomic conditions; 

livestock grazing; reclamation and 

restoration; wildlife and vegetation; 

soils; threatened, endangered, and 

sensitive species; air quality; aesthetics; 

land use; visual resources; hazardous 

and solid wastes; tribal interests and 

cumulative effects. 

The Notice of Availability for the 

Draft EIS was published in the Federal 

Register on August 14, 2009. A 45-day 

comment period on the Draft EIS was 

extended by 30 days, extending the 

comment period to November 2, 2009. 

Agencies, organizations, and interested 

parties provided comments on the Draft 

EIS via mail, email, and public 

meetings. Comments also came in the 

form of postcards, form letters, and 

comment forms. A total of 6,994 

comments were received. The majority, 

approximately 80 percent of the 

comments, expressed support for the 

project. Comments expressing concerns 

about the Draft EIS largely focused on 

surface and groundwater quality issues 

and the proximity of the mine to the 

Blackfoot River. In developing 

responses to these comments, additional 

mitigation measures have been added to 

Alternatives 1A and 1B. Alternative 1A 

is the Agency Preferred Alternative. 

Primary mitigation features added to 

Alternatives 1A and 1B in the Final EIS 

include: 

• GCLL coverage over the East 

Overburden Pile (EOP) has been 

expanded from 21 acres to 86 acres for 

Alternative 1A and the northern portion 

of the EOP will be constructed of 

limestone instead of chert. GCLL 

coverage over the entire 141- acre EOP 

for Alternative 1B remains unchanged 

from the Draft EIS. 

• An Overburden Seepage 

Management System (OSMS) has been 

proposed as an addition protective 

measure for Alternatives 1A and 1B that 

would use a network of perforated pipes 

constructed underneath the external 

overburden piles for additional 

protection against unanticipated leakage 

events and during construction of the 

EOP. and 

• An Adaptive Management Plan for 

the water management system has been 

developed that would result in 

placement of dredged or fill material in 

areas currently containing wetlands and 

non-wetland waters of the U.S. only as 

necessary to manage runoff water. 

It is currently expected that P4’s 

existing South Rasmussen Mine will be 

depleted sometime in 2012. Because of 

operating requirements at the Soda 

Springs processing plant, it is necessary 

to bring Blackfoot Bridge Mine online in 

2011. In the initial years of Blackfoot 

Bridge mining, a blend of ores from both 

South Rasmussen Mine and Blackfoot 

Bridge Mine would be required. 

Authority: Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as 

amended and the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976, as amended. 

Joe Kraayenbrink, 

BLM Idaho Falls District Manager. 

[FR Doc. 2011–5497 Filed 3–10–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLCAD01000 L12200000.AL 0000] 

Meeting of the California Desert 

District Advisory Council 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, in 

accordance with Public Laws 92–463 

and 94–579, that the California Desert 

District Advisory Council to the Bureau 

of Land Management, U.S. Department 

of the Interior, will meet in formal 

session on Saturday, March 26, 2011, 

from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hilton 

Garden Inn, 12603 Mariposa Road, 

Victorville, CA 92395. There will be no 

field trip on Friday, March 25. On that 

date, the Council will hold an internal 

business meeting on administrative 

matters. 

Agenda topics for the Saturday 

meeting will include updates by 

Council members and reports from the 

BLM District Manager and five field 

office managers. In addition, the agenda 

may include updates on California 

Independent System Operator, the 29 

Palms Marine Corps Air-to-Ground 

Combat Center proposed expansion, 

abandoned mine lands, special 

recreation permits, and renewable 

energy. Final agenda items will be 

posted on the BLM California state Web 

site at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/ 

info/rac/dac.html. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All Desert 

District Advisory Council meetings are 

open to the public. Public comment for 

items not on the agenda will be 

scheduled at the beginning of the 

meeting Saturday morning. Time for 

public comment may be made available 

by the Council Chairman during the 

presentation of various agenda items, 

and is scheduled at the end of the 

meeting for topics not on the agenda. 

While the Saturday meeting is 

tentatively scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 

p.m., the meeting could conclude prior 

to 5 p.m. should the Council conclude 

its presentations and discussions. 

Therefore, members of the public 

interested in a particular agenda item or 

discussion should schedule their arrival 

accordingly. 

Written comments may be filed in 

advance of the meeting for the 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 48 / Friday, March 11, 2011 / Notices 13431 

California Desert District Advisory 

Council, c/o Bureau of Land 

Management, External Affairs, 22835 

Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno 

Valley, CA 92553. Written comments 

also are accepted at the time of the 

meeting and, if copies are provided to 

the recorder, will be incorporated into 

the minutes. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David Briery, BLM California Desert 

District External Affairs (951) 697–5220. 

Dated: March 2, 2011. 

Jack L. Hamby, 

Associate District Manager. 

[FR Doc. 2011–5456 Filed 3–10–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[WY–923–1310–FI; WYW160470] 

Notice of Proposed Reinstatement of 

Terminated Oil and Gas Lease 

WYW160470, Wyoming 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the 

Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as 

amended, the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) received a petition 

for reinstatement from O’Brien Energy 

Resources Corporation for competitive 

oil and gas lease WYW160470 for land 

in Niobrara County, Wyoming. The 

petition was filed on time and was 

accompanied by all the rentals due 

since the date the lease terminated 

under the law. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bureau of Land Management, Julie L. 

Weaver, Chief, Fluid Minerals 

Adjudication, at (307) 775–6176. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lessee 

has agreed to the amended lease terms 

for rentals and royalties at rates of $10 

per acre or fraction thereof, per year and 

16 2⁄3 percent, respectively. The lessee 

has paid the required $500 

administrative fee and $163 to 

reimburse the Department for the cost of 

this Federal Register notice. The lessee 

has met all the requirements for 

reinstatement of the lease as set out in 

Sections 31(d) and (e) of the Mineral 

Lands Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 

188), and the BLM is proposing to 

reinstate lease WYW160470 effective 

November 1, 2010, under the original 

terms and conditions of the lease and 

the increased rental and royalty rates 

cited above. The BLM has not issued a 

valid lease to any other interest affecting 

the lands. 

Julie L. Weaver, 

Chief, Branch of Fluid Minerals Adjudication. 

[FR Doc. 2011–5491 Filed 3–10–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Office of Natural Resources Revenue 

[Docket No. ONRR–2011–0012] 

Major Portion Prices and Due Date for 

Additional Royalty Payments on Indian 

Gas Production in Designated Areas 

Not Associated With an Index Zone 

AGENCY: Office of Natural Resources 

Revenue, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of major portion prices 

for calendar year 2009. 

SUMMARY: Final regulations for valuing 

gas produced from Indian leases, 

published August 10, 1999, require the 

Office of Natural Resources Revenue 

(ONRR) to determine major portion 

prices and notify industry by publishing 

the prices in the Federal Register. The 

regulations also require ONRR to 

publish a due date for industry to pay 

additional royalties based on the major 

portion prices. This notice provides 

major portion prices for the 12 months 

of calendar year 2009. 

DATES: The due date to pay additional 

royalties based on the major portion 

prices is May 10, 2011. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

Barder, Manager, Team B, Western 

Audit and Compliance, ONRR; 

telephone (303) 231–3702; fax number 

(303) 231–3744; e-mail 

John.Barder@onrr.gov; or Mike Curry, 

Team B, Western Audit and 

Compliance, ONRR, telephone (303) 

231–3741; fax (303) 231–3744; e-mail 

Michael.Curry@onrr.gov. Mailing 

address: Office of Natural Resources 

Revenue, Western Audit and 

Compliance Management, Team B, P.O. 

Box 25165, MS 62220B, Denver, 

Colorado 80225–0165. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 

10, 1999, Minerals Management Service 

(now Office of Natural Resources 

Revenue) published a final rule titled 

‘‘Amendments to Gas Valuation 

Regulations for Indian Leases’’ (64 FR 

43506). The gas valuation regulations 

apply to all gas production from Indian 

(tribal or allotted) oil and gas leases, 

except leases on the Osage Indian 

Reservation. 

The regulations require ONRR to 

publish major portion prices for each 

designated area not associated with an 

index zone for each production month, 

beginning January 2000, and a due date 

for additional royalty payments. See 30 

CFR 1206.174(a)(4)(ii) (2010). (Note that 

ONRR regulations were moved from 30 

CFR, chapter II, to 30 CFR, chapter XII 

(75 FR 61051), effective October 1, 

2010.) 

If additional royalties are due based 

on a published major portion price, the 

lessee must submit an amended Form 

MMS–2014, Report of Sales and Royalty 

Remittance, to ONRR by the due date. 

If you do not pay the additional 

royalties by the due date, ONRR will bill 

you late payment interest under 30 CFR 

1218.54. The interest will accrue from 

the due date until ONRR receives your 

payment and an amended Form MMS– 

2014. The table below lists the major 

portion prices for all designated areas 

not associated with an index zone. The 

due date is 60 days after the publication 

date of this notice. 

GAS MAJOR PORTION PRICES ($/MMBTU) FOR DESIGNATED AREAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH AN INDEX ZONE

ONRR–designated areas Jan 2009 Feb 2009 Mar 2009 Apr 2009 

Blackfeet Reservation .............................................................................................................. 3.57 3.53 2.70 2.41 

Fort Belknap ............................................................................................................................ 5.93 5.58 5.41 5.45 

Fort Berthold ............................................................................................................................ 4.94 3.88 2.94 2.77 

Fort Peck Reservation ............................................................................................................. 5.96 4.83 4.23 3.93 

Navajo Allotted Leases in the Navajo Reservation ................................................................. 4.93 3.32 2.78 2.77 

Rocky Boys Reservation ......................................................................................................... 4.25 2.81 2.32 2.02 

Ute Tribal Leases in the Uintah and Ouray Reservation ........................................................ 3.96 2.69 2.21 2.11 

May 2009 Jun 2009 Jul 2009 Aug 2009 

Blackfeet Reservation .............................................................................................................. 2.88 2.49 2.39 2.24 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES