[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 192 (Friday, October 3, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51892-51893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26241]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[UT-930-07-1320-00]


Notice of Public Hearing and Call for Public Comment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Utah; Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing and call for public comment on fair 
market value and maximum economic recovery; coal lease application UTU-
71307.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces a public hearing 
on the Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposed coal lease sale and 
requests public comment on the fair market value of certain coal 
resources it proposes to offer for competitive lease sale. The lands 
included in coal lease application UTU-71307 are located in Emery 
County, Utah, approximately 15 miles northwest of Huntington, Utah on 
public land located in the Manti-LaSal National Forest and are 
described as follows:

T. 16 S., R. 6 E., SLM
    Section 1: SE\1/4\;
    Section 10: E\1/2\E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Section 11: All;
    Section 12: All;
    Section 13: All;
    Section 14: All;
    Section 15: E\1/2\E\1/2\;
    Section 22: Lots 1, 2, 4-7, E\1/2\NE\1/4\; SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, N\1/
2\SE\1/4\;
    Section 23: N\1/2\, N\1/2\S\1/2\;
    Section 24: N\1/2\;
T. 16 S., R. 7 E., SLM

[[Page 51893]]

    Section 6: Lots 5-8, S\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Section 7: All;
    Section 8: NW\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Section 18: Lots 1-2, NE\1/4\.

    Containing 5,563 acres more or less.

    The Tract has two potentially minable coal seams including, the 
Hiawatha and the Blind Canyon. The minable portions of the seams in 
this area are from 6 to 12 feet in thickness. This tract contains an 
estimated 60-65 million tons of recoverable high-volatile bituminous 
coal. The range of coal quality in the seams on an as received basis is 
as follows: 12,800-13,300 Btu/lb., 4-5.25 percent moisture, 4.7-8.8 
percent ash, 42-44 percent volatile matter, 45-46 percent fixed carbon, 
and 0.6-0.65 percent sulfur. The public is invited to the hearing to 
make public or written comments on the Environmental Analysis 
concerning the proposal to lease the Mill Fork Tract, and also to 
submit comments on the fair market value (FMV) and the maximum economic 
recovery (MER) of the tract.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with Federal coal management 
regulations 43 CFR 4322 and 4325, a public hearing shall be held on the 
proposed sale to allow public comment on and discussion of the 
potential effects of mining and proposed lease. Not less than 30 days 
prior to the publication of the notice of sale, the Secretary shall 
solicit public comments on fair market value appraisal and maximum 
economic recovery and on factors that may affect these two 
determinations. Proprietary data marked as confidential may be 
submitted to the Bureau of Land Management in response to this 
solicitation of public comments. Data so marked shall be treated in 
accordance with the laws and regulations governing the confidentiality 
of such information. A copy of the comments submitted by the public on 
fair market value and maximum economic recovery, except those portions 
identified as proprietary by the author and meeting exemptions stated 
in the Freedom of Information Act, will be available for public 
inspection at the Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office during 
regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) Monday through Friday. 
Comments on fair market value and maximum economic recovery should be 
sent to the Bureau of Land Management and should address, but not 
necessarily be limited to, the following information:
    1. The quality and quantity of the coal resource.
    2. The mining method or methods which would achieve maximum 
economic recovery of the coal, including specifications of seams to be 
mined and the most desirable timing and rate of production.
    3. The quantity of coal.
    4. If this tract is likely to be mined as part of an existing mine 
and therefore be evaluated on a realistic incremental basis, in 
relation to the existing mine to which it has the greatest value.
    5. If this tract should be evaluated as part of a potential larger 
mining unit and evaluated as a portion of a new potential mine (i.e., a 
tract which does not in itself form a logical mining unit).
    6. The configuration of any larger mining unit of which the tract 
may be a part.
    7. Restrictions to mining which may affect coal recovery.
    8. The price that the mined coal would bring when sold.
    9. Costs, including mining and reclamation, of producing the coal 
and the time of production.
    10. The percentage rate at which anticipated income streams should 
be discounted, either in the absence of inflation or with inflation, in 
which case the anticipated rate of inflation should be given.
    11. Depreciation and other tax accounting factors.
    12. The value of any surface estate where held privately.
    13. Documented information on the terms and conditions of recent 
and similar coal land transactions in the lease sale area.
    14. Any comparable sales data of similar coal lands.
    Coal quantities and the FMV of the coal developed by BLM may or may 
not change as a result of comments received from the public and changes 
in market conditions between now and when final economic evaluations 
are completed.

DATES: The public hearing will be held in the conference room at the 
Museum of the San Rafael (64 North 100 East) Castle Dale, Utah, at 7:00 
p.m., on November 4, 1997. Written comments on fair market value and 
maximum economic recovery must be received at the Bureau of Land 
Management, Utah State Office, by November 17, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Max Nielson, 801-539-4038, Bureau of 
Land Management, Utah State Office, Division of Natural Resources, P.O. 
Box 45155, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84145-0155. Copies of the Mill Fork EA 
may be obtained by contacting Janette Kaiser, Forest Supervisor at the 
Manti-LaSal National Forest, 599 West Price River Dr. in Price, Utah 
(801-637-2817).

    Dated: September 29, 1997.
Douglas M. Koza,
DSD, Natural Resources, Utah.
[FR Doc. 97-26241 Filed 10-2-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P