BLM and OSMRE seek comments on Coyote Creek lease application and Environmental Assessment
Organization
Media Contact:
(DICKINSON, N.D.) – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) are accepting public comments on an environmental assessment (EA), that analyzes potential impacts from leasing 320-acres of federal coal to the Coyote Creek Mining Company. The agencies are also accepting comments on the Lease-by-Application, Fair Market Value, and Maximum Economic Recovery.
The proposed lease tracts are adjacent to the company’s existing Coyote Creek Mine in Mercer County, southwest of Beulah, and contain an estimated 5.23 million tons of federal coal.
The coal lease application is part of Coyote Creek Mining Company’s ongoing mining operation in Mercer County and would not extend the life of the Coyote Creek Mine. The coal within the project site is owned by the federal government and is located within the current mine planning area.
The comment period on the EA will end on June 8, 2020. During the public comment period, BLM and OSMRE plan to hold a public hearing for the proposed lease sale (see EA) and the fair market value and maximum economic recovery on the proposed lease tract. The hearing will be conducted via teleconference on May 20, 2020, beginning at 3 p.m. Central Time and ending at 5 p.m. Interested members of the public are invited to attend by calling 1-800-369-1853 and entering passcode 3787572 when prompted.
The Coyote Creek EA is part of an innovative Department of the Interior pilot project to streamline required National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance. In order to increase operational efficiencies, the BLM and OSMRE are working as co-lead agencies on the EA allowing each agency to issue its own findings regarding the significance of potential impacts resulting from leasing and permitting coal mining.
For more details on the proposed lease sale, how to comment and pertinent contact information, go to the BLM ePlanning page dedicated to this project at: https://go.usa.gov/xvwpz. The project NEPA number is: DOI-BLMMT-C000-2018-0006-EA. The EA will also be available for review by requesting a copy to the email and mailing address below or by calling Joel Hartmann at 406-896-5159.
Comments may be mailed or hand-delivered to the BLM North Dakota Field Office at 99 23rd Ave. West, Suite A, Dickinson, ND 58601. In the address line include: “COYOTE CREEK LBA NDM-110277, Attn: Joel Hartmann.” Emailed comments can be sent to: BLM_MT_North_Dakota_CoyoteCreekLBA@blm.gov. Those who intend to provide comments are advised that including an address, phone number, email address or other personal-identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While those commenting can ask in their comments to have personal-identifying information withheld from public review, the agencies cannot guarantee that they will be able to do so. All submissions from organizations, from businesses and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of organizations or businesses, will be available for public review.
– BLM & OSMRE –
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The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.