Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 82 / Friday, April 27, 2012 / Notices 25193 

Dated: April 17, 2012. 

Laura Noguchi, 

Acting Chief, Branch of Operations, Division 

of Management Authority. 

[FR Doc. 2012–10232 Filed 4–26–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

U.S. Geological Survey 

[GX12GB009PAMR00] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Comment Request 

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of an extension of an 

information Collection (1028–0089), 

Mineral Resources Program’s (MRP) 

Mineral Resource External Research 

Program (MRERP). 

SUMMARY: We (the U.S. Geological 

Survey) will ask the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve the information collection (IC) 

described below. To comply with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 

and as part of our continuing efforts to 

reduce paperwork and respondent 

burden, we invite the general public and 

other Federal agencies to take this 

opportunity to comment on this IC. This 

IC is scheduled to expire on August 31, 

2012. 

To submit a proposal for the MRERP 

a project narrative must be completed 

and submitted via Grants.gov. 

Furthermore, for multi-year projects, an 

annual progress report must be 

completed, and for all projects, a final 

technical report is required at the end of 

the project period. The narrative and 

report guidance is available at http:// 

www.usgs.gov/contracts/Minerals/ 

index.html. 

DATES: Submit written comments by 

June 26, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on this information collection to the 

Information Collection Clearance 

Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 

Sunrise Valley Drive MS 807, Reston, 

VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648–7199 (fax); 

or smbaloch@usgs.gov (email). Use 

Information Collection Number 1028– 

0089 in the subject line. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff 

L. Doebrich at 703–648–6103. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Mineral Resource External 

Research Program (MRERP). 

OMB Control Number: 1028–0089. 

Form Number: Project narrative and 

report guidance posted on Grants.gov. 

Abstract: Through the MRERP, the 

MRP of the USGS offers an annual 

competitive grant and/or cooperative 

agreement opportunity to universities, 

State agencies, Tribal governments or 

organizations, and industry or other 

private sector organizations. Applicants 

must have the ability to conduct 

research in topics related to nonfuel 

mineral resources and that meet the 

goals of the MRP. The MRERP will 

consider all research-based proposals 

that address one of the MRP’s long-term 

goals. The long-term goals of the MRP, 

as described in its strategic plan 

(http://minerals.usgs.gov/plan/ 

2006-2010/2006-2010_plan.html) are (1) 

Ensure availability of up-to-date 

quantitative assessments of potential for 

undiscovered mineral deposits, (2) 

ensure availability of up-to-date 

geoenvironmental assessments of 

priority Federal lands, (3) ensure 

availability of reliable geologic, 

geochemical, geophysical, and mineral 

locality data for the United States, and 

(4) ensure availability of long-term data 

sets describing mineral production and 

consumption. Furthermore, annual 

research priorities are provided as 

guidance for applicants to consider 

when submitting proposals. Annual 

research priorities are determined by 

USGS MRP management. Since its 

initiation in 2004, the MRERP has 

awarded more than $2.8 million to 48 

different research projects across the 

country. 

We will protect information from 

respondents considered proprietary 

under the Freedom of Information Act 

(5 U.S.C. 552) and implementing 

regulations (43 CFR part 2), and under 

regulations at 30 CFR 250.197, ‘‘Data 

and information to be made available to 

the public or for limited inspection.’’ 

Responses are voluntary. No questions 

of a ‘‘sensitive’’ nature are asked. We 

intend to release the project abstracts 

and primary investigators for awarded/ 

funded projects only. 

Frequency: Annually. 

Estimated Annual Number and 

Description of Respondents: 

Approximately 500 research scientists 

from universities, State agencies, Tribal 

governments or organizations, and 

industry or other private sector 

organizations. 

Estimated Total Number of Annual 

Responses: 25. 

Estimated Annual burden hours: 

1125. 

Estimated Annual Reporting and 

Recordkeeping ‘‘Hour’’ Burden: We 

estimate the public reporting burden 

averages 45 hours per response. This 

includes the time for (1) Project 

conception and development, proposal 

writing and reviewing, and submitting 

project narrative through Grants.gov, (2) 

preparation of annual progress report, 

and (3) preparation of final technical 

report. 

Estimated Reporting and 

Recordkeeping ‘‘Non-Hour Cost’’ 

Burden: There are no ‘‘non-hour cost’’ 

burdens associated with this collection 

of information. 

Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA 

(44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides that an 

agency may not conduct or sponsor and 

you are not required to respond to a 

collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

Comments: We are soliciting 

comments as to: (a) Whether the 

proposed collection of information is 

necessary for the agency to perform its 

duties, including whether the 

information is useful; (b) the accuracy of 

the agency’s estimate of the burden of 

the proposed collection of information; 

(c) how to enhance the quality, 

usefulness, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (d) how 

to minimize the burden on the 

respondents, including the use of 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Please note that the comments 

submitted in response to this notice are 

a matter of public record. We will 

include or summarize each comment in 

our request to OMB to approve this IC. 

Before including your address, phone 

number, email address, or 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 can ask OMB in your 

comment to withhold your personal 

identifying information from public 

review, we cannot guarantee that it will 

be done. 

Dated April 13, 2012. 

Ione Taylor, 

Associate Director, Energy and Minerals, and 

Environmental Health. 

[FR Doc. 2012–10177 Filed 4–26–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4311–AM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLWYD03000 

L51100000.GN0000.LVEMK10CW580–WYW– 

166318] 

Notice of Availability of the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Lost Creek Uranium In Situ 

Recovery Project, Wyoming 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

25194 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 82 / Friday, April 27, 2012 / Notices 

ACTION: Notice of Availability. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) has prepared 

a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) for the Lost Creek Uranium In Situ 

Recovery (ISR) Project and by this 

notice is announcing the opening of the 

comment period. 

DATES: To ensure that comments will be 

considered, the BLM must receive 

written comments on the Lost Creek ISR 

Project Draft EIS within 45 days 

following the date the Environmental 

Protection Agency publishes its Notice 

of Availability in the Federal Register. 

The BLM will announce future meetings 

or hearings and any other public 

involvement activities at least 15 days 

in advance through public notices, 

media releases, and/or mailings. 

ADDRESSES: Comments related to the 

Lost Creek ISR Project may be submitted 

by any of the following methods: 

• Email: 

Lost_Crk_Mine_WY@blm.gov. Please 

reference ‘‘Lost Creek ISR Project’’ in 

the subject line. 

• Fax: 307–328–4224. 

• Mail: Bureau of Land Management, 

Lost Creek ISR Project, Attention: 

Dennis Carpenter, Field Manager, 1300 

N. Third Street, P.O. Box 2407, Rawlins, 

Wyoming 82301. 

Copies of the Lost Creek ISR Project 

Draft EIS are available in the BLM 

Rawlins Field Office, at the address 

indicated above, the BLM Lander Field 

Office, 1335 Main Street, Lander, 

Wyoming 82520; the BLM High Desert 

District Office, 280 Highway 191 North, 

Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901; and the 

BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 

Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 

82009; and at the following Web site: 

http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/ 

NEPA/documents/rfo/lostcreek.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Dennis Carpenter, Field Manager, at the 

BLM Rawlins Field Office, telephone: 

307–328–4200; address: 1300 N. Third 

Street, P.O. Box 2407, Rawlins, 

Wyoming 82301, email: 

Lost_Crk_Mine_WY@blm.gov. Persons 

who use a telecommunications device 

for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 

1–800–877–8339 to contact the above 

individual during normal business 

hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week, to leave a message 

or question with the above named 

individual. You will receive a reply 

during normal business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

applicant, Lost Creek ISR, LLC (Lost 

Creek), has filed a plan of operations 

pursuant to the 43 CFR subpart 3809 

regulations to construct a uranium ore 

recovery plant, an access road to the 

site, and a pipeline system for the flow 

of oxidizing leach solution to injection 

wells and return of fluids from recovery 

wells to the recovery plant site; to drill 

injection, recovery and monitoring 

wells; and to construct associated 

facilities such as parking lots, power 

lines, etc. Development and recovery of 

the uranium consists of dissolving 

underground uranium-bearing minerals 

into solution and then bringing the 

solution to the surface facility for 

concentration. The Lost Creek ISR 

Project is located about 40 miles 

northwest of Rawlins, Wyoming, in 

Sweetwater County. The project is 

located in the following area. 

Sixth Principal Meridian 

T. 25 N., R. 92 W. 

Secs. 16 to 20, inclusive; 

Secs. 29 to 31, inclusive. 

T. 25 N., R. 93 W. 

Secs. 13, 24, and 25. 

The project area boundary includes 

approximately 4,250 acres, but only 

about 345 acres would be subjected to 

actual surface disturbance that would be 

approved by the BLM. Most of the 

surface disturbance would be related to 

construction of pads for wells used to 

extract uranium in solution from the 

site. 

The plant site would comprise 

approximately 10 acres, including 

parking space for about 50–60 

employees. Multiple subsurface ore 

bodies ranging in depth from about 300– 

700 feet below the surface are found at 

the site. Each of the three separate 

production areas containing uranium 

would be established and mined, one at 

a time. It is expected that mining 

operations would last about 8 years. An 

estimated additional 3 years would be 

required for startup and closure of the 

site for a total project length of 11 years. 

A proposed final reclamation plan for 

the project area has been submitted. All 

surface facilities would be removed 

when the project is completed and the 

land re-contoured to near 

predisturbance condition and revegetated. 

The draft EIS addresses the direct, 

indirect, and cumulative impacts of the 

proposed action and three alternatives 

including the No Action Alternative, the 

‘‘Not Fencing the Pattern Areas’’ 

Alternative, and the ‘‘Drying 

Yellowcake On-Site’’ Alternative. 

The No Action Alternative, as 

required by NEPA, describes conditions 

expected to occur if no ISR operations 

would be conducted within the permit 

area, although activities currently ongoing would continue and other 

activities at the site during the proposed 

licensing/permitting period would still 

occur. Under the ‘‘Not Fencing the 

Pattern Areas’’ Alternative, temporary 

fencing would be installed only around 

the drill pits, including those drilled 

within the mine units, and around the 

plant and storage ponds, as opposed to 

the entire well field of the pattern area. 

Under the ‘‘Drying Yellowcake On-Site’’ 

Alternative, a yellowcake drying and 

packing facility would be constructed 

and operated at the permit area. As with 

the Proposed Action, yellowcake slurry 

(30 to 50 percent solids) would be 

produced; however, the slurry would be 

filter-pressed to remove additional 

water, dried, and packaged on-site. 

The Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS 

was published in the Federal Register 

on February 11, 2011 (76 FR 7877). Key 

issues identified during scoping 

include, among others, the project 

impact on public-land access, wild 

horse use and distribution, greater sagegrouse, air and water resources, 

livestock grazing operations, and public 

health and safety. 

Please note that public comments and 

information submitted including names, 

street addresses, and email addresses of 

persons who submit comments will be 

available for public review and 

disclosure at the above address during 

regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), 

Monday through Friday, except 

holidays. 

Before including your address, phone 

number, email address, or 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 ask the BLM in your 

comment to withhold your personal 

identifying information from public 

review, we cannot guarantee that we 

will be able to do so. 

Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 

1506.10. 

Larry Claypool, 

Acting State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2012–10045 Filed 4–26–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–22–P 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES