Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 63 / Friday, April 1, 2011 / Notices 18241 

of Wyoming lease, all controlled by the 

Antelope Mine. It is adjacent to 

additional unleased Federal coal to the 

west and south. 

All of the acreage offered has been 

determined to be suitable for mining 

except for the county road and right-ofway in the far southeast portion of the 

LBA tract. However, the county road as 

well as pipelines and utilities can be 

moved to permit coal recovery. 

Antelope Creek crosses a small corner in 

the far northwest portion of the LBA 

tract, and no mining will take place on 

the creek or a 100 foot buffer on either 

side of it. No producing oil and/or gas 

wells have been drilled on the LBA 

tract. The surface estate of the LBA tract 

is largely owned by Antelope Coal 

Company except for six lots in the 

southeast part of the tract managed by 

the United States Forest Service. 

The tract contains surface mineable 

coal reserves in the Wyodak-Anderson 

coal zone currently being recovered in 

the adjacent existing mine. Although 

two primary coal seams occur on the 

LBA tract (the Anderson and the 

Canyon), only the Anderson is 

considered to be mineable due to 

thickness and incremental stripping 

ratio. The Canyon splits into several 

seams and, at various locations on the 

LBA tract, individual splits are either 

absent completely, are too thin, or are 

too deep to be included based on 

current market conditions and 

production costs. The Anderson seam 

varies from about 17 to 25 feet thick. 

Overburden to the Anderson seam 

ranges from approximately 80 to 160 

feet thick on the LBA. 

The tract contains an estimated 

56,356,000 tons of mineable coal. This 

estimate of mineable reserves includes 

the main Anderson seam mentioned 

above but does not include any tonnage 

from localized seams or splits 

containing less than 5 feet of coal. It 

does not include coal in the deeper 

Canyon seam splits. In addition, it does 

not include the adjacent State of 

Wyoming coal, although these reserves 

may be recovered in conjunction with 

the LBA tract. It also excludes coal 

within and along Antelope Creek. The 

total mineable stripping ratio of the coal 

in bank cubic yards per ton is 

approximately 5.0:1. Potential bidders 

for the LBA should consider the 

recovery rate expected from single seam 

mining. 

The West Antelope II South LBA coal 

is ranked as subbituminous C. The 

overall average quality for the Anderson 

seam on an as-received basis is 8,807 

British Thermal Units per pound 

containing approximately 0.28 percent 

sulfur. The average quality of the 

Anderson seam make the coal reserves 

equal to some of the best quality coal 

currently being mined in the Wyoming 

portion of the Powder River Basin. 

The tract will be leased to the 

qualified bidder offering the highest 

cash amount provided that the high bid 

meets or exceeds the BLM estimate of 

the fair market value of the tract. The 

minimum bid for the tract is $100 per 

acre or fraction thereof. No bid that is 

less than $100 per acre, or fraction 

thereof, will be considered. The bids 

should be sent by certified mail, return 

receipt requested, or be hand delivered. 

The BLM Wyoming State Office Cashier 

will issue a receipt for each handdelivered bid. Bids received after 4 p.m. 

local time, on Tuesday, June 14, 2011, 

will not be considered. The minimum 

bid is not intended to represent fair 

market value. The fair market value of 

the tract will be determined by the 

Authorized Officer after the sale. The 

lease issued as a result of this offering 

will provide for payment of an annual 

rental of $3 per acre, or fraction thereof, 

and a royalty payment to the United 

States of 12.5 percent of the value of 

coal produced by surface mining 

methods and 8 percent of the value of 

the coal produced by underground 

mining methods. The value of the coal 

will be determined in accordance with 

30 CFR 206.250. 

Bidding instructions for the tract 

offered and the terms and conditions of 

the proposed coal lease are available 

from the BLM Wyoming State Office at 

the address above. Case file documents, 

WYW177903, are available for 

inspection at the BLM Wyoming State 

Office. 

Donald A. Simpson, 

State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2011–7596 Filed 3–31–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLWY920000.51010000.ER0000.

LVRWK09K1000; WYW174597; COC72909; 

UTU87237] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Proposed Energy Gateway South 

500-Kilovolt (kV) Alternating Current 

Transmission Line Project in 

Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah, and 

Possible Land Use Plan Amendments 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended (NEPA), and the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) Wyoming 

State Office intends to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). 

By this notice the BLM is announcing 

the beginning of the scoping process to 

solicit public comments and identify 

issues. 

DATES: This notice initiates the public 

scoping process for the EIS and possible 

plan amendments. Comments on issues 

may be submitted in writing until June 

30, 2011. The date(s) and location(s) of 

any scoping meetings will be 

announced at least 15 days in advance 

through local media and the BLM Web 

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

info/NEPA/documents/hdd/ 

gateway_south.html. In order to be 

considered in the Draft EIS, comments 

must be received prior to the close of 

the scoping period or 15 days after the 

last public meeting, whichever is later. 

We will provide additional 

opportunities for public participation 

upon publication of the Draft EIS. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on issues and planning criteria related 

to any of the plans identified in this 

notice by any of the following methods: 

• Web site: http://www.blm.gov/wy/ 

st/en/info/NEPA/documents/hdd/ 

gateway_south.html. 

• E-mail: 

GatewaySouth_WYMail@blm.gov. 

• Mail: BLM Wyoming State Office, 

Energy Gateway South Transmission 

Project, P.O. Box 21550, 5353 

Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 

82003, Attention: Tamara Gertsch. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

have your name added to our mailing 

list, contact Tamara Gertsch, National 

Project Manager; telephone (307) 775– 

6115; address: BLM Wyoming State 

Office, P.O. Box 21550, Cheyenne, 

Wyoming 82003; e-mail: 

GatewaySouth_WYMail@blm.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS 

for the Proposed Energy Gateway South 

500-kV Alternating Current (AC) 

Transmission Line Project in Wyoming, 

Colorado, and Utah may address 

amendments to the following land use 

plans: 

• Colorado Canyons National 

Conservation Area Resource 

Management Plan (RMP), 2004* 

• Rawlins RMP, 2008 

• Green River RMP, 1997 

• Grand Junction RMP, 1987 

• Little Snake RMP, 1989 

• White River RMP, 1997 

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18242 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 63 / Friday, April 1, 2011 / Notices 

• House Range RMP, 1987 

• Warm Springs RMP, 1987 

• Price RMP, 2008 

• Ashley National Forest Land and 

Resource Management Plan (LRMP), 

1986 

• Manti-La Sal National Forest LRMP, 

1986 

• Uinta National Forest LRMP, 2003 

• Medicine Bow National Forest 

Revised LRMP, 2003 

• Wasatch-Cache National Forest 

LRMP, 2003 

• Routt National Forest Revised 

LRMP, 1997 

• White River National Forest 

Revised LRMP, 2002 

The applicant PacifiCorp, doing 

business as Rocky Mountain Power, has 

requested a right-of-way (ROW) 

authorization to construct, operate, and 

maintain a 500-kV overhead 

transmission line that would extend 

approximately 400 miles, depending on 

the route selected, from south-central 

Wyoming to central Utah, potentially 

crossing northwestern Colorado. The 

Project would include a single-circuit 

500-kV AC transmission line beginning 

near Medicine Bow, in Carbon County, 

Wyoming, at the planned Aeolus 

Substation, and would extend south and 

west to the planned Clover Substation, 

near Mona, in Juab County, Utah. The 

Project also would include two series 

compensation stations, about 200 acres 

in size, at two separate points between 

the planned Aeolus and Clover 

Substations to improve transport 

capacity and efficiency of the 

transmission line. When completed, the 

Project would transmit about 1,500 

megawatts of electricity generated from 

renewable and thermal sources at 

planned facilities in Wyoming. Possible 

alternative routes identified to date 

cross Federal, State, tribal, and private 

lands. The requested ROW width on 

Federal lands for construction and 

operation of the Project is 250 feet. The 

Project proponent proposes to 

predominantly use self-supporting steel 

lattice single-circuit towers from 140 to 

190 feet in height with average spans 

between towers of 1,000 to 1,500 feet (4 

to 5 structures per mile). Permanent and 

temporary access roads a minimum of 

14 feet wide would be needed for the 

Project. Temporary access roads would 

be needed for construction only. 

Temporary work space would be needed 

during construction for material storage, 

fly-yards, conductor tensioning sites, 

and to accommodate vehicles and 

equipment. Alternative routes currently 

identified would use portions of utility 

corridors on Federal lands, parallel 

portions of existing overhead and 

underground utilities and roadways, or 

cross undisturbed land areas. 

The BLM will respond to applications 

for ROWs on BLM-administered lands, 

and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) will 

respond to applications for ROW on 

lands it administers. Documents 

pertinent to this proposal may be 

examined at the following offices: 

• BLM, Wyoming State Office, 5353 

Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 

82009 

• BLM, Rawlins Field Office, 1300 N. 

Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301 

• BLM, Rock Springs Field Office, 

280 Highway 191 N., Rock Springs, 

Wyoming 82901 

• BLM, Little Snake Field Office, 455 

Emerson Street, Craig, Colorado 81625 

• BLM, White River Field Office, 220 

East Market Street, Meeker, Colorado 

81641 

• BLM, Grand Junction Field Office, 

2815 H Road, Grand Junction, Colorado 

81506 

• BLM, Fillmore Field Office, 35 East, 

500 North, Fillmore, Utah 84631 

• BLM, Moab Field Office, 82 East 

Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532 

• BLM, Price Field Office, 125 South, 

600 West, Price, Utah 84501 

• BLM, Vernal Field Office, 170 

South, 500 East, Vernal, Utah 84078 

• BLM, Richfield Field Office, 150 

East, 900 North, Richfield, Utah 84701 

• U.S. Forest Service (Lead Forest 

Office), Dixie National Forest Office, 

1789 North Wedgewood Lane, Cedar 

City, Utah 84721 

Pursuant to Section 368 of the Energy 

Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15926), a 

Programmatic EIS was prepared by the 

Department of Energy for energy 

corridors in the 11 western states 

(Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, 

Wyoming, California, Nevada, Utah, 

Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico), 

and notice of its availability was 

published on November 28, 2008 (73 FR 

72521). Records of Decision (ROD) 

signed January 14, 2009, designated 

energy corridors and provided guidance, 

best management practices, and 

mitigation measures to be used where 

linear facilities are proposed crossing 

Federal lands. Designation of corridors 

does not require their use, nor does such 

designation exempt the Federal agencies 

from conducting an environmental 

review on each project therin. The Final 

RODs are available at the following Web 

site: http://corridoreis.anl.gov/eis/guide/ 

index.cfm. The Project EIS will take into 

consideration the use of the corridors 

described in the Final Programmatic 

EIS. The BLM is the designated lead 

Federal agency for preparation of the 

EIS as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5. 

Agencies with legal jurisdiction or 

special expertise have been invited to 

participate as cooperating agencies in 

preparation of the EIS. The following 

agencies have agreed to participate as 

cooperating agencies: USFS; Bureau of 

Indian Affairs; U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers; Department of Defense, and 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the 

States of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah; 

Mesa, Moffat, and Rio Blanco counties, 

Colorado; Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, 

Juab, Sanpete, and Uintah counties, 

Utah; and Carbon County, Little Snake 

River Conservation District, Medicine 

Bow Conservation District, SaratogaEncampment-Rawlins Conservation 

District, and Sweetwater County 

Conservation District, Wyoming. 

During the public scoping period, the 

BLM will solicit public comments on 

behalf of all cooperating agencies 

regarding issues, concerns, and 

opportunities that should be considered 

in the analysis of the proposed action. 

Comments on issues and potential 

impacts, or suggestions for additional or 

different alternatives may be submitted 

to the addresses listed in the ADDRESSES

section above. The purpose of the public 

scoping process is to determine relevant 

issues that will influence the scope of 

the environmental analysis, including 

alternatives, and guide the process for 

developing the EIS. At present, the BLM 

and cooperating agencies have 

identified the following preliminary 

issues: 

• Socioeconomic impacts; 

• Public health and safety; 

• Air quality; 

• Soil disturbances and erosion; 

• Wildlife and vegetation, including 

threatened and endangered and 

sensitive species; 

• Cultural resources and historical 

sites; 

• Paleontological resources; 

• Changes in visual quality and 

settings; 

• National Scenic and Historic Trails; 

and 

• Conflicts with other land uses and 

management prescriptions on various 

areas of critical environmental concern, 

scenic byways, inventoried roadless 

areas on National Forests, wilderness 

study areas, and wilderness 

characteristic lands that occur within 

the Project area. 

Authorization of this proposal may 

require amendment(s) of the BLM and 

USFS land use plans listed above. 

By this notice, the BLM is complying 

with requirements in 43 CFR 1610.2(c) 

to notify the public of potential 

amendments to land use plans, 

predicated on the findings of the EIS. 

Approval of this proposal may also 

result in the amendment(s) of USFS 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 63 / Friday, April 1, 2011 / Notices 18243 

LRMPs. Pursuant to 36 CFR 219.9, the 

USFS notifies the public of potential 

amendments to LRMPs. If a land use 

plan amendment is necessary, the BLM 

and USFS would integrate the land use 

planning process as described in 43 CFR 

subpart 1610 and 36 CFR 219.8, 

concurrently, into the NEPA process for 

this Project. The plan amendments 

would comply with all applicable 

Federal law, regulations, and agency 

policies. The plan amendments would 

apply only to public lands managed by 

the BLM or USFS and would recognize 

all valid existing rights. 

Native American tribes will be 

consulted to identify areas, sites, and 

objects important to their cultural and 

religious heritage. Plan amendment 

decisions would comply with the 

Endangered Species Act and follow 

interagency agreements with the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the 

Section 7 consultation process. Because 

the proposed Project may involve action 

in floodplains or wetlands, this Notice 

of Intent also serves as a notice of 

proposed floodplain or wetland action, 

in accordance with Department of 

Energy regulations for Compliance with 

Floodplain and Wetlands 

Environmental Review Requirements at 

10 CFR 1022.12(a). The EIS will include 

a floodplain/wetland assessment and, if 

required, a floodplain/wetland 

statement of findings will be issued 

with the Final EIS or ROD. 

The BLM will use and coordinate the 

NEPA commenting process to satisfy the 

public involvement process for Section 

106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470(f)) as 

provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3)). 

Native American tribal consultations 

will be conducted in accordance with 

policy, and tribal concerns will be given 

due consideration, including impacts on 

Indian trust assets. 

Before including your address, phone 

number, e-mail address, or any other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you may request in your 

comment that your personal identifying 

information be withheld from public 

review, we cannot guarantee that we 

will be able to do so. 

Donald A. Simpson, 

Wyoming State Director, Bureau of Land 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2011–7736 Filed 3–31–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLNVW0300. L5110000. GN0000. 

LVEMF1000880 241A; 11–08807; 

MO#4500019124; TAS: 14X5017] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Proposed Hycroft Mine Expansion 

Project, Humboldt and Pershing 

Counties, Nevada 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended (NEPA), and the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca 

District, Black Rock Field Office, 

Winnemucca, Nevada intends to 

prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) and by this notice is 

announcing the beginning of the 

scoping process to solicit public 

comments and identify issues. 

DATES: This notice initiates the public 

scoping process for the EIS. Comments 

on issues may be submitted in writing 

until June 30, 2011. The date(s) and 

location(s) of any scoping meetings will 

be announced at least 15 days in 

advance through local media, 

newspapers and the BLM Web site at: 

http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ 

wfo.html. In order to be included in the 

Draft EIS, all comments must be 

received prior to the close of the scoping 

period or 15 days after the last public 

meeting, whichever is later. We will 

provide additional opportunities for 

public participation upon publication of 

the Draft EIS. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

related to the Hycroft Mine Expansion 

Project by any of the following methods: 

• Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/ 

en/fo/wfo.html; 

• E-mail: wfoweb@blm.gov; 

• Fax: (775) 623–1503; or 

• Mail: BLM Winnemucca District, 

Black Rock Field Office, 5100 E. 

Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, 

Nevada 89445. 

Documents pertinent to this proposal 

may be examined at the Black Rock 

Field Office. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information and/or to have your 

name added to our mailing list, contact 

Kathleen Rehberg, project lead, 

telephone: (775) 623–1500; e-mail: 

Kathleen_Rehberg@blm.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Hycroft 

Resources and Development, Inc. 

(Hycroft) proposes to expand its existing 

open pit operation and associated 

disturbance of 1,371 acres by including 

an additional 2,041 acres in its 

operation. This would lead to 

operations on 3,412 acres of public land 

managed by the BLM Winnemucca 

District. The proposal would also add 

1,812 acres of new disturbance on 

private land controlled by Hycroft. The 

proposed operations would extend the 

mine life by 12 years. The BLM 

regulates this operation through 43 CFR 

part 3809. 

Current mining was analyzed in four 

previous environmental assessments: 

NV–020–4–25–EA, Lewis Mine Project, 

Decision Record (DR)/Finding of No 

Significant Impacts (FONSI) dated 4/4/ 

1984; NV–020–07–31–EA, Crofoot 

Project, DR/FONSI dated 8/3/1987; 

NV020–05–19–EA Brimstone Pit 

Expansion Project, DR/FONSI dated 

5/5/1995; NV–020–06–30–EA, Hycroft 

Crofoot/Lewis Mine, DR/FONSI dated 

10/2/1996. 

A range of alternatives will be 

developed, including the no-action 

alternative, to address the issues 

identified during scoping. Mitigation 

measures will be considered to 

minimize environmental impacts and to 

assure the proposed action does not 

result in unnecessary or undue 

degradation of public lands. 

The purpose of the public scoping 

process is to determine relevant issues 

that will influence the scope of the 

environmental analysis, including 

alternatives, and guide the process for 

developing the EIS. At present, the BLM 

has identified the following preliminary 

issues: 

(a) Waste rock dumps, heap leach 

pads, or pit walls may potentially 

produce acid rock drainage or heavy 

metals. These features need to be 

analyzed to ensure that the proposed 

action does not degrade the waters of 

the State or cause undue or unnecessary 

degradation of public lands; (b) 

Potential effects to the viewshed posed 

by the close proximity of the project to 

the Black Rock Desert-High Rock 

Canyon-Emigrant Trails National 

Conservation Area (NCA) and the Black 

Rock Desert Wilderness Area. While the 

project is outside of the NCA and the 

wilderness area, it is within the 

viewshed of both areas; (c) An updated 

inventory of lands with wilderness 

characteristics will be utilized in order 

to comply with Secretarial Order 3310 

and should lands with wilderness 

characteristics be identified they will be 

considered in the NEPA process; (d) 

Wildlife issues include potential 

impacts to sage-grouse winter habitat, 

potential bighorn sheep habitat, and 

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