The Bureau of Land Management NEWS |
 |
|
The Bureau of Land Management NEWS |
|
|
Last updated: 04/04/03
For Immediate Release: March 30, 1999
The Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a public meeting April 14 in Washington, D.C., to hear comments on a proposed rule that would revise the agency's "3809" surface management regulations. The proposed rule would update 18-year-old mining regulations while ensuring better protection of the public lands. The BLM is also seeking comments on an accompanying Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
"Our goal is to develop the best possible rule," BLM Acting Director Tom Fry said. "To do that, we need everyone who has an interest in this proposed regulation to comment. We will stay at the hearing until everyone who wishes to speak has done so."
The proposed rule is intended to prevent "unnecessary or undue degradation" of public land resources by mining operations. The proposal would also improve the clarity and organization of the BLM's existing 3809 surface mining regulations, found in subpart 3809 of the BLM's mineral rules, which govern the exploration and development of hardrock minerals considered "locatable" under the General Mining Law of 1872. (These types of minerals include gold, silver, and copper.) The proposed rule would also incorporate mining policies that the BLM has developed since 1980, the last time the Bureau issued surface mining regulations.
All comments made at the hearing will be transcribed by a court reporter and included as part of the administrative record.
The public meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the Monroe Room of the Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle, NW (at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and 14th Street, NW). Please notify Queen Washington (202-452-5032) no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 5 of any special needs you may have for the meeting, such as an interpreter for the hearing-impaired. The BLM will try to accommodate the request.
Written comments should be sent no later than May 10, 1999, to the following address: Bureau of Land Management, Administrative Record, Nevada State Office, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, NV 89520-0006. Comments may also be sent electronically via e-mail to WOComment@wo.blm.gov. Those submitting comments electronically should include "attn: AD-22" in their message, along with the sender's name and address. For additional information, you may call Paul McNutt at 775-861-6604; Bob Anderson at 202-208-4201; or Michael Schwartz at 202-452-5198. You may also obtain a copy of the rule and the EIS through the BLM's Internet Web site at http://www.blm.gov/nhp/Commercial/SolidMineral/3809/.
|
This page was created by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Office of Public Affairs 1849 C Street, Room 406-LS Washington, DC 20240 Phone: (202) 452-5125 Fax: (202) 452-5124 |
Please contact us with any questions relating to accessibility of documents. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader |
This is a U.S. Government Computer System. Before continuing, please read
this disclaimer
and privacy statement. Accessibility
|