High Plains District Office
| Contacts: | Lesley A. Collins 307-261-7603 |
South Gillette Final EIS Available from Wyoming High Plains District Office
The South Gillette Coal Lease Application final environmental impact statement (FEIS) is now available for review from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Wyoming High Plains District.
BLM received the following applications to lease maintenance tracts of federal coal in Campbell County, Wyoming:
- RAG Wyoming Land Company (RAG) applied for a maintenance coal lease for approximately 1578.74 acres (approximately 208 million tons of in-place coal) in a maintenance tract of federal coal adjacent to the Belle Ayr Mine. RAG subsequently sold the Belle Ayr Mine and its associated interests to Foundation Coal West a directly held subsidiary of Foundation Coal Holdings, Inc.
- Ark Land Company (Ark) applied for a maintenance coal lease for approximately 1,151.26 acres (approximately 63.3 million tons of in-place coal) in a maintenance tract of federal coal adjacent to the Coal Creek Mine.
- Caballo Coal Company (Caballo) applied for a maintenance coal lease for approximately 777.485 acres (approximately 98.2 million tons of in-place coal) in a maintenance tract of federal coal adjacent to the Caballo Mine.
- Cordero Mining Company (Cordero) applied for a maintenance coal lease for approximately 4653.80 acres (approximately 504 million tons of in-place coal) in a maintenance tract of federal coal adjacent to the Cordero-Rojo Mine.
The FEIS is not a decision document. Its purpose is to inform the public of impacts associated with issuing a federal coal lease in the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin. A record of decision (ROD) will be prepared for each lease maintenance tract after the close of the 30-day review period. Comments received on the FEIS will be considered during the preparation of the RODs.
BLM will accept public comments on the FEIS through September 21, 2009. Please address questions, comments, or concerns to the Wyoming High Plains District , Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Teresa Johnson, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, Wyo., 82604; by facsimile (fax) to (307) 261-7587; or send e-mail comments to the attention of Teresa Johnson at casper_wymail@blm.gov.
Copies of the final EIS are available for public inspection online at: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/HighPlains/SouthGillette.html or at the following BLM offices:
- Bureau of Land Management
Wyoming State Office
5353 Yellowstone Road
Cheyenne, WY 82009
- Bureau of Land Management
Wyoming High Plains District Office
2987 Prospector Drive
Casper, Wyoming 82604
For more information contact Teresa Johnson or Mike Karbs at (307) 261-7600.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
High Plains District Office 2987 Prospector Drive Casper, WY 82604