Powder River Regional Coal Team Still Scheduled to Meet on Jan. 27, 2016
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The Powder River Regional Coal Team (RCT) will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016 at the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in Casper, Wyoming. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m.The RCT will be hearing presentations on two recently submitted applications. Antelope Coal Company will make a presentation regarding the need for additional reserves to maintain production at their Antelope Mine located in Campbell and Converse Counties, Wyoming. Lighthouse Resources will present on the need for their application to maintain production at their West Decker Mine located in Big Horn County, Montana.The RCT will only be making recommendations to the BLM on whether or not to process the two pending coal Lease By Applications (LBAs) and begin environmental review. No leasing decisions will be made at the meeting."I can understand how holding the Regional Coal Team Meeting this soon after the issuance of Secretary Jewell's Order regarding the Federal Coal Program can be confusing," said Acting BLM Wyoming State Director Mary Jo Rugwell. "Under the Secretary's Order these two pending Lease By Applications can continue to be moved through the NEPA process subject to the Regional Coal Team recommendation.While the NEPA process for these two applications may proceed, the BLM will not make a final leasing decision until the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to modernize the Federal Coal Program is complete. The Interior Department and BLM estimate that it will take approximately 3 years to complete the PEIS.For a list of pending lease applications to be processed please visit http://blm.gov. Several other presentations will be made at the meeting including reports on land use planning efforts, data standards, the impact of coal on the economy of Wyoming, and coal geology.A public comment period will take place after all other agenda items are concluded. Depending on the number of persons wishing to comment and time available, the time for individual oral comments may be limited. If there are no members of the public interested in speaking, the meeting will be adjourned.The RCT consists of the Wyoming and Montana Governors (or their designated representative), BLM State Directors and the BLM Wyoming Deputy State Director of Minerals and Lands. There are also a number of non-voting members from other federal and state agencies, county governments and Native American tribes on the team.
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.