Coal Exploration License Filed in Las Animas County for 16,323 Acres
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CAÑON CITY, Colo. - Texas and Oklahoma Coal Company, LLC, filed a coal exploration license with the Bureau of Land Management for roughly 16,323 acres in Las Animas County, on lands managed by the Royal Gorge Field Office.
As part of the licensing process, BLM regulations require a company to announce an invitation to the public to participate in the coal exploration process prior to beginning any exploration activities. Opening the invitation to other companies allows them to share data and costs. This is primarily done to encourage the widest dissemination of coal resource information and to encourage a more competitive coal market.
Once the 30-day notice period closes, the BLM will begin an environmental assessment analyzing the company’s proposed exploration drilling plan. Drilling exploration wells is the next step a company takes to gather definitive information about the existing coal resources. After the coal exploration has been completed and the data is analyzed, the company may decide to apply for a lease. At that point a separate EA will be required prior to leasing the parcel.
In Colorado, there are currently nine producing coal mines (seven underground and two surface) encompassing 75,000 acres on federal lands. In Fiscal Year 2011, coal energy production on BLM Colorado public lands directly contributed $884 million to the economy and accounted for 5,719 direct and indirect jobs in Colorado.
Members of the public who seek to participate in the exploration process should notify Kurt Barton at 303-239-3714 with the BLM Colorado State Office and the applicant Haldene Morris, 2711 N. Haskell Ave, Suite 550, Dallas, TX 75204 in writing by Feb.25, 2013.
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.