[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 211 (Tuesday, October 31, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64982-64983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-26305]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-930-01-1320-01]


Notice of Public Hearing and Call for Public Comment on Fair 
Market Value and Maximum Economic Recovery; Coal Lease Application UTU-
78562; Whitmore Canyon Tract

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Utah, Interior.


[[Page 64983]]


SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces a public hearing 
concerning the proposed action of offering a Federal coal lease tract 
for competitive coal lease sale and requests public comment on the fair 
market value of the coal resources and acknowledgement of any 
environmental concerns concerning this proposed action. The lands 
included in the delineated Federal coal tract (Whitmore Canyon) are 
located in Carbon County, Utah, approximately 4 miles north of East 
Carbon City. The surface in this area is both private and BLM 
administered public land with the coal being Federally owned. The 
Whitmore Canyon track is described as follows:

T. 13 S., R. 13 E., SLM, Utah
    Section 35: SE, S2SW;
T. 14 S., R. 13 E., SLM, Utah
    Section 1: Lots 2-4, S2NW, SW, W2SE, SWNE;
    Section 12: Lots 1-4, S@N2, SE, NESW;
    Section 13: NENE;
T. 14 S., R. 14 E., SLM, Utah
    Section 6: Lot 6;
    Section 7: Lots 3 and 4;
    Section 18: Lot 1, E2NW

    Containing 1,646.34 acres more or less.

    The Tract received application for a coal lease by Andalex 
Resources Inc. and the Intermountain Power Agency (a 50/50 joint 
ownership). The companies plan to mine the coal as an extension from 
their existing West Ridge Mining operating if the lease is obtained. 
The Whitmore Canyon Tract has one potentially minable coal seam which 
is the Upper Sunnyside Seam. The minable portions of the seam in this 
area are from 6 to 9 feet in thickness and average 8 feet. This tract 
contains an estimated 15-20 million tons of recoverable coal. In-place 
coal samples indicates the average coal quality as follows 12,682 Btu/
lb., 7 percent moisture, 6.7 percent ash, and 1.02 percent sulfur. The 
public is invited to the hearing to make public or written comments on 
the environmental implications of leasing the proposed 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 BLM Price Field Office 
located at 125 South, 600 West in Price, Utah, at 7:00 p.m. on November 
14, 2000. Written comments on fair market value and maximum economic 
recovery must be received at the Bureau of Land Management, Utah State 
Office, by November 30, 2000.

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.

    Dated: October 6, 2000.
Ernest J. Eberhard,
Acting DSD, Natural Resources, Utah.
[FR Doc. 00-26305 Filed 10-30-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-$$