Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 8 / Friday, January 11, 2013 / Notices 2425 

ADDRESSES: The lease sale will be held 

in the BLM’s Utah State Office, 

Monument Conference Room, Fifth 

Floor, 440 West 200 South, Salt Lake 

City, Utah. Sealed bids can be hand 

delivered to the cashier, Utah State 

Office, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, 

Salt Lake City, Utah, during normal 

business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), 

Monday through Friday, except 

holidays. Sealed bids may also be sent 

by certified mail, return receipt 

requested to the Cashier, BLM Utah 

State Office, P. O. Box 45155, Salt Lake 

City, Utah 84145–0155. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff 

McKenzie, 440 West 200 South, Suite 

500 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101–1345 or 

telephone 801–539–4038. 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 individual. 

You will receive a reply during normal 

business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This coal 

lease sale is being held in response to 

a lease by application (LBA) submitted 

by Wasatch Natural Resources, LLC, to 

the BLM on April 27, 2012. All coal 

LBAs submitted to the BLM for 

processing on or after November 7, 

2005, are subject to processing costs on 

a case by case basis (43 CFR 

3000.10(d)(1), (70 FR 58872, October 7, 

2005). The processing cost rules 

implemented for coal LBAs at 43 CFR 

3473.2(f) (70 FR 58876, October 7, 2005) 

require the applicant who nominates a 

tract for a competitive lease sale to pay 

the processing fee (43 CFR 3000.11) 

prior to publication of the sale notice. 

Wasatch Natural Resources, LLC, paid 

the BLM a processing fee in the amount 

of $6,600. The successful bidder must 

pay to the BLM the cost recovery 

amount of all costs the BLM incurs 

processing the coal lease sale and all 

processing costs that BLM incurs after 

the date of the sale notice leading to 

lease issuance (43 CFR 3473.2(f)). If the 

successful bidder is someone other than 

the applicant, the BLM will refund to 

the applicant the processing fee 

specified in this sale notice. If there is 

no successful bidder, the applicant 

remains responsible for all processing 

fees. The coal resources to be offered 

consist of all recoverable reserves 

available in the following described 

lands located in Carbon County, Utah, 

approximately 3 miles northeast of 

Helper, Utah, on both private and BLM 

surfaces with federally-administered 

minerals. They are described as follows: 

Salt Lake Meridian 

T. 12 S., R.10 E., 

Sec. 25, N1⁄2; 

Sec. 26, N1⁄2; 

Sec. 27, N1⁄2; 

Sec. 28, NE1⁄4, E1⁄2NW1⁄4, SW1⁄4NW1⁄4, S1⁄2; 

Sec. 29, E1⁄2SE1⁄4; 

Sec. 33, all. 

T. 13 S., R.10 E., 

Sec. 3, all; 

Sec. 4, lots 1–4, S1⁄2N1⁄2, N1⁄2S1⁄2; 

Sec. 8, lot 4; 

Sec. 10, N1⁄2, W1⁄2SW1⁄4; 

Sec. 11, N1⁄2, SE1⁄4. 

Containing approximately 4,325.01 acres. 

Wasatch Natural Resources, LLC, 

submitted the application for the coal 

lease. The application indicates that the 

company plans to mine the coal through 

new or rehabilitated entries if it obtains 

the lease. The coal in the Dry Canyon 

B tract has three minable coal beds; the 

Aberdeen, the Kenilworth; and, the D 

seam bed. The minable portions of the 

coal beds in this area are approximately 

ten feet in thickness for the Aberdeen; 

approximately 8 feet in thickness for the 

Kenilworth and approximately 6 feet in 

thickness for the D seam. The tract 

contains approximately 42.2 million 

tons of recoverable high-volatile A/B 

bituminous coal. The coal quality in the 

coal beds on an ‘‘as received basis’’ is 

as follows: (1) Aberdeen: 13,414 Btu/lb., 

2.35 percent moisture, 5.57 percent ash, 

41.86 percent volatile matter, 49.83 

percent fixed carbon and 0.49 percent 

sulfur; (2) Kenilworth: 13,287 Btu/lb., 

2.06 percent moisture, 6.91 percent ash, 

42.88 percent volatile matter, 48.26 

percent fixed carbon and 0.72 percent 

sulfur; and, (3) D: 12,470 Btu/lb., 6.00 

percent moisture, 8.00 percent ash, 

39.00 percent volatile matter, 47.00 

percent fixed carbon and 0.50 percent 

sulfur. 

The Dry Canyon B Tract may be 

leased to the qualified bidder of the 

highest cash amount, provided that the 

high bid meets or exceeds the fair 

market value (FMV) for the tract. The 

Department of the Interior has 

established a minimum bid of $100 per 

acre or fraction thereof. The minimum 

bid is not intended to represent the 

FMV. The FMV of the tract will be 

determined by the Authorized Officer 

after the sale. The lease that may be 

issued as a result of this offering will 

provide for payment of an annual rental 

of $3 per acre, a royalty rate of 12.5 

percent of the value of coal mined by 

surface methods, and a royalty of 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 

1206.257. 

The BLM signed a Determination of 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) Adequacy (DNA) on February 

18, 2009. The DNA was the result of 

analyzing numerous previously 

prepared NEPA documents. On 

February 20, 2009, a Finding of No 

Significant Impacts (FONSI)/Decision 

Record (DR) was signed based on the 

DNA. No appeals of the BLM decision 

to lease were filed during the appeal 

period that ended on March 24, 2009. 

The BLM held a public hearing and 

requested comments on the NEPA 

review and the FMV of the Dry Canyon 

Tract on August 13, 2009. No comments 

were received and the FONSI/DR 

remains in effect. 

The required Detailed Statement for 

the offered tract, including bidding 

instructions and sales procedures under 

43 CFR 3422.3–2, and the terms and 

conditions of the proposed coal lease, is 

available from the BLM, Utah State 

Office, P.O. Box 45155, Salt Lake City, 

Utah 84145–0155 or in the Public Room 

(Room 500), 440 West 200 South, Salt 

Lake City, Utah 84101. All case file 

documents and written comments 

submitted by the public on FMV or 

royalty rates except those portions 

identified as proprietary by the 

commentor and meeting exemptions 

stated in the Freedom of Information 

Act, are available for public inspection 

during normal business hours in the 

BLM Public Room (Suite 500). 

Approved. 

Juan Palma, 

State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2013–00459 Filed 1–10–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–DQ–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLAKF02000.16100000.DP0000.LXSS09

4L0000] 

Notice of Availability of a Supplement 

to the Eastern Interior Draft Resource 

Management Plan/Environmental 

Impact Statement for Leasing of 

Hardrock Minerals in the White 

Mountains National Recreation Area, 

AK 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended, and the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act of 1976, as 

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2426 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 8 / Friday, January 11, 2013 / Notices 

amended, the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) is announcing the 

availability of a Supplement to the Draft 

Resource Management Plan (RMP) and 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for the Eastern Interior Planning Area 

(Alaska) and the extension of the 

comment period for the Draft RMP/EIS. 

The purpose of the Supplement is to 

analyze and obtain public comment on 

opening part of the White Mountains 

National Recreation Area to hardrock 

mineral leasing. 

DATES: To ensure that comments will be 

considered, the BLM must receive 

written comments on the Draft RMP/EIS 

and Supplement thereto within 90 days 

after the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) publishes its notice of 

availability of the Supplement in the 

Federal Register. The BLM will 

announce future meetings or hearings 

and any other public participation 

activities at least 15 days in advance 

through public notices, media releases, 

and/or mailings. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

related to the Eastern Interior Draft 

RMP/EIS and Supplement by any of the 

following methods: 

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

en/prog/planning.html. 

• Fax: 907–474–2282. 

• Mail: Eastern Interior Field Office, 

Attention—Eastern Interior Draft RMP/ 

EIS, Bureau of Land Management, 1150 

University Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska 

99709. 

Copies of the Supplement to the Eastern 

Interior Draft RMP/EIS are available at 

the Fairbanks District Office at the 

above address; at the Alaska State 

Office, Public Information Center, 

Bureau of Land Management, 222 West 

7th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99513; 

and on the following Web site: http:// 

www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/ 

planning.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jeanie Cole, 907–474–2340 or 

j05cole@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 individual. You will receive a 

reply during normal business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Supplement to the Eastern Interior Draft 

RMP/EIS amends Alternative D to 

address hardrock mineral leasing in the 

White Mountains National Recreation 

Area (NRA). Section 1312 of the Alaska 

National Interest Lands Conservation 

Act (ANILCA), 16 U.S.C. 460mm–4, 

withdrew the lands within the White 

Mountains NRA from location, entry, 

and patent under the Mining Law of 

1872, but allows the Secretary to 

‘‘permit the removal of the nonleasable 

minerals’’ from these lands, provided 

the Secretary makes a finding that such 

disposition would not have significant 

adverse effects on the administration of 

the NRA. The BLM has interpreted 

section 1312 as allowing for the disposal 

of previously locatable minerals within 

the NRA by lease, as described in its 

regulations at 43 CFR part 3500 and 

3580, subpart 3585. 

The White Mountains RMP issued in 

1986 recommended opening about 44 

percent of the NRA to hardrock mineral 

leasing. This decision was never 

implemented. 

The BLM published a Notice of 

Availability for the Eastern Interior Draft 

RMP/EIS in the Federal Register on 

February 24, 2012 (77 FR 11154). The 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

published its Notice of Availability of 

the Draft RMP/EIS in the Federal 

Register on March 2, 2012 (77 FR 

12835), beginning a 150-day public 

comment period. This notice announces 

the extension of the comment period for 

the Draft RMP/EIS for 90 days after EPA 

publishes its notice of availability of the 

Supplement in the Federal Register. 

The Draft RMP/EIS considered hardrock 

mineral leasing in the White Mountains 

NRA as an alternative considered but 

not analyzed in detail. 

In the Draft RMP/EIS, the BLM 

previously described that the provisions 

under ANILCA for hardrock mineral 

leasing in the White Mountains NRA 

(implemented by 43 CFR 3585) applied 

only to removal of hardrock minerals 

from unperfected mining claims that 

existed before November 16, 1978. Since 

there are no longer any mining claims 

of record within the NRA, it was 

thought that no one could meet the 

requirements to lease hardrock 

minerals. This understanding was 

incorrect, as the BLM, through its 

regulations at 43 CFR part 3500 and 

subpart 3580, has interpreted Section 

1312 of ANILCA as allowing for the 

disposal of hardrock minerals by lease 

even in the absence of an underlying 

unperfected mining claim subject to 

certain findings by the Secretary. 

In order to analyze in detail and 

obtain public comment on an alternative 

involving hardrock mineral leasing in 

the White Mountains NRA, the BLM has 

issued a Supplement to the Eastern 

Interior Draft RMP/EIS. The Supplement 

amends Alternative D to include 

hardrock mineral leasing. This 

alternative would recommend making 

approximately 160,000 acres in the 

White Mountains NRA available for 

hardrock mineral leasing. The 

Supplement describes the additions to 

Alternative D, assumptions for analysis, 

and the environmental effects associated 

with hardrock mineral leasing. A 

decision on whether or not to 

recommend opening the NRA to 

hardrock mineral leasing as a feature of 

the agency preferred alternative in the 

Proposed RMP/Final EIS will be made 

after reviewing and considering public 

comments on the Draft RMP/EIS and the 

Supplement. 

Pursuant to section 810 of ANILCA, 

the BLM evaluated the effects of the 

alternative presented in the Supplement 

on subsistence activities and 

determined that there may be a 

significant restriction on subsistence 

uses. The BLM will hold public 

hearings related to section 810 of 

ANILCA in conjunction with public 

meetings on the Supplement, in the 

affected region. The BLM will announce 

notice of specific dates and locations for 

public meetings and ANILCA hearings, 

through public notices, media releases, 

and/or mailings. 

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 federal 

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 can ask us 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, 1506.10, and 43 

CFR 1610.2. 

Ted A. Murphy, 

Acting State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2013–00316 Filed 1–10–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–JA–P 

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