45868 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 168 / Friday, August 29, 1997 / Notices

There is no other source of the

information, and failure to provide the

information is grounds for terminating

the contract.

Based on past experience in

administering previous helium

distribution contracts, BLM estimates

that there will be approximately 10

respondents annually and that it will

take each respondent an average of

approximately 30 minutes to supply the

requested information. This includes a

range of from 15 minutes to 2 hours.

The frequency of response is quarterly.

The estimated total annual burden is 20

hours. These numbers may change as

BLM gains experience in administering

Act and the new contract.

Any interested member of the public

may obtain a copy of the proposed

contract, without charge, by contacting

the person identified under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT.

BLM will summarize and include all

responses to this notice in the request

for approval to the Office of

Management and Budget. All comments

will also become part of the public

record.

Dated: August 26, 1997.

Carole Smith,

Bureau of Land Management, Information

Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–23052 Filed 8–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–84–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV–930–1430–01; N–16095]

Determination Regarding Opening of

Nellis Air Force Range Withdrawn

Lands to Mineral Exploration and

Development; NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 12

of Pub. L. 99–606, as amended by Pub.

L. 100–338 in 1988, the Nevada State

Director has determined, after

conferring with the Commander, Nellis

Air Force Base, that no withdrawn lands

with in the Nellis Air Force Range are

suitable to opening for operation under

the Mining Law of 1872, The Mineral

Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the

Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands

of 1947, the Geothermal Steam Act of

1970, or any one or more of such Acts.

The Nellis Air Force Range is used as

high hazard tactical and weapons

training area and is closed to the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mike Dwyer, District Manager, Bureau

of Land Management, Las Vegas Field

Office, 4765 West Vegas Drive, Las

Vegas, Nevada 89108.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Military Lands Withdrawal Action of

1986 (Pub. L. 99–606), as amended,

provided for the withdrawal of lands for

military purposes in four states,

including 2,209,326 acres in Clark,

Lincoln, and Nye Counties of Nevada

for the Nellis Air Force Range (See 53

FR 25694–25696 July 8, 1988, for the

legal description of the affected lands).

Section 12(a) requires that the Secretary

of the Interior, with the concurrence of

the Secretary of the appropriate military

department, determine which, if any, of

the withdrawn lands may be considered

for opening to operation under the

Mining Law of 1872, the Mineral

Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the

Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands

of 1947, the Geothermal Steam Act of

1970, or any one or more of such Acts.

The Department of the Air Force has

closed the Nellis Air Force Range from

public access. The intent of the closure

is threefold: to protect the public from

injury due to ordnance hazards; to

ensure that national security is not

compromised; and to ensure that

military programs can be conducted

without disruption. Therefore, it has

been determined that no withdrawn

lands within Nellis Air Force Range are

suitable to opening for mineral

exploration and development.

Dated: August 14, 1997.

Jean Rivers-Council,

Associate State Director, Nevada.

[FR Doc. 97–22998 Filed 8–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[(WY–060–1620–01), WYW136142,

WYW136458]

Notice of Availability of a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement and

Notice of Public Hearing on Two

Separate Coal Lease Applications for

Federal Coal in the Decertified Powder

River Federal Coal Production Region,

Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the

Availability of a Draft Environmental

Impact Statement (DEIS) pursuant to 40

CFR 1500–1508 for the Powder River

(WYW136142) and Thundercloud

(WYW136458) Coal Lease Applications

in the Wyoming Powder River Basin,

and announces the scheduled date and

place for a public hearing pursuant to 43

CFR 3425.4. The purpose of the hearing

is to receive comments on the DEIS, and

on the fair market value, the maximum

economic recovery, and the proposed

separate competitive sales of coal from

the two tracts. The Powder River tract

is being considered for sale as a result

of a coal lease application received from

Powder River Coal Company on March

23, 1995 (WYW136142), for

approximately 4,020 acres containing

approximately 515 million tons of coal

in an area adjacent to the company’s

North Antelope and Rochelle Mines in

Campbell County, Wyoming. The

Thundercloud tract is being considered

for sale as a result of a coal lease

application received from Kerr-McGee

Coal Corporation on April 14, 1995

(WYW136458), for approximately 3,400

acres containing approximately 427

million tons of coal in an area adjacent

to the company’s Jacobs Ranch Mine in

Campbell County, Wyoming. The two

application areas are about 9 miles

apart.

DATES: A public hearing will be held at

7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 8, 1997,

at the Holiday Inn, 2009 S. Douglas

Highway, Gillette, Wyoming. An open

house will start at 6:30 p.m., prior to the

hearing, to answer questions related to

the Lease by Application (LBA) process

and these coal lease applications. The

DEIS is scheduled to be available to the

public on August 22, 1997. In order to

assure that comments are considered in

the Final Environmental Impact

Statement, they should be postmarked

no later than October 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Please address questions,

comments or requests for copies of the

DEIS to the Casper District Office,

Bureau of Land Management, Attn:

Nancy Doelger, 1701 East E Street,

Casper, Wyoming 82601, or FAX them

to 307–234–1525.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nancy Doelger or Mike Karbs at the

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Both

applications were filed as maintenance

tract LBAs under the provisions of 43

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

3425.1.

On March 23, 1995, Powder River

Coal Company filed a coal lease

application with the Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) for a maintenance

tract LBA for the following lands, which

contain an estimated 515 million tons of

Federal coal:

T. 41 N., R. 70 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming

Section 6: Lots 10 thru 13, and 18 thru 21;

Section 7: Lots 6, 11, 14, and 19;