[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 238 (Friday, December 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77018-77019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30981]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
[S1D1S SS08011000 SX064A000 167S180110; S2D2S SS08011000 SX064A000
16XS501520]
North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, Tennessee Lands
Unsuitable for Mining Draft Petition Evaluation Document and
Environmental Impact Statement OSM-EIS-37
AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
(OSMRE) announces that the draft Petition Evaluation Document and
Environmental Impact Statement (PED/EIS) for the North Cumberland
Wildlife Management Area Petition to Find Certain Lands Unsuitable for
Surface Coal Mining Operations is available for public review and
comment.
DATES: Electronic or written comments: OSMRE will accept electronic or
written comments within 45 days of the publication of this Notice in
the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted using any of the following
methods:
Electronic Comments: http://www.osmre.gov/programs/rcm/TNLUM.shtm.
Please follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Mail/Hand-Delivery/Courier: Earl D. Bandy Jr., Director--Knoxville
Field Office, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement,
John J. Duncan Federal Building, 710 Locust Street, 2nd Floor
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902.
You may review the draft PED/EIS online at http://www.osmre.gov/programs/rcm/TNLUM.shtm. You also may review these documents in person
at the location listed below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Earl D. Bandy Jr., Director--Knoxville
Field Office, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement,
John J. Duncan Federal Building, 710 Locust Street, 2nd Floor,
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902. Telephone: 865-545-4103. Email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On September 30, 2010, pursuant to section 522 of the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), 30 U.S.C. 1272(c), the
State of Tennessee filed a petition with OSMRE to designate certain
lands in the state as unsuitable for surface coal mining operations.
These lands include the area within 600 feet of all ridge lines (a
1,200 foot corridor) lying within the North Cumberland Wildlife
Management Area (NCWMA)--made up of the Royal Blue Wildlife Management
Area, the Sundquist Wildlife Management Area, and the New River
Wildlife Management Area (also known as the Brimstone Tract
Conservation Easement)--and the Emory River Tracts Conservation
Easement (ERTCE). The area under consideration for designation
encompasses in total approximately 67,326 acres along 505 miles of
ridgelines. In accordance with its responsibility to administer the
federal coal program in Tennessee, OSMRE must process and make
decisions on all petitions submitted to designate areas in the state as
unsuitable for surface coal mining operations.
The petition includes two primary allegations with numerous
allegations of fact and supporting statements. In primary allegation 1,
the petitioner contends that the petition area should be designated
unsuitable for surface coal mining operations because surface coal
mining in the area would be incompatible with existing state or local
land use plans or programs. SMCRA 522(a)(3)(A), 30 U.S.C.
1272(a)(3)(A). In primary allegation 2, the petitioner contends that
the OSMRE should designate the petition area as unsuitable for surface
coal mining operations because such operations would affect fragile or
historic lands, resulting in significant damage to important historic,
cultural, scientific, and aesthetic values and natural systems. SMCRA
522(a)(3)(B), 30 U.S.C. 1272(a)(3)(B).
The Director, OSMRE, is required to make a decision on the
petition. The draft EIS currently considers in detail the following
alternatives for action by the Secretary:
--Alternative 1--do not designate any of the petition area as
unsuitable for surface coal mining operations (no-action). There would
be no change in types of permits applications accepted for evaluation.
--Alternative 2--designate the entire petition area (67,326 acres) as
unsuitable for all surface coal mining operations (State's proposed
action). No types of surface mining permits applications would be
accepted for this area.
--Alternative 3--designate the state petition area (67,326 acres) while
allowing remining and road access (agency's preferred alternative). The
only acceptable types of permits would be permits for remining.
--Alternative 4--grant an expanded corridor designation of
independently-identified ridgelines within the petition area (76,133
acres) while allowing remining and road access. The only acceptable
types of permits would be permits for remining.
--Alternative 5--designate lands based on the presence of certain
sensitive resources (12,331 acres). No types of surface mining permits
would be accepted for this area.
--Alternative 6--designate a reduced corridor of 600 feet (39,106
acres). No types of surface mining permits applications would be
accepted for this area.
In accordance with the applicable regulations under 30 CFR parts
762 and 764 and the requirements of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, OSMRE evaluated the merits of the
unsuitability petition and analyzed the impacts of these alternatives.
This analysis is reflected in the draft PED/EIS.
OSMRE has identified Alternative 3 as its preferred alternative.
[[Page 77019]]
How do I comment on the DEIS?
In accordance with 43 CFR 46.435(a) and 40 CFR 1503.1(a)(4), the
public is invited to provide written comments on the draft PED/EIS
during the 45-day comment period. Please see ADDRESSES and DATES for
more information.
OSMRE will review and consider all comments submitted via the
methods discussed under ADDRESSES by the close of the comment period
(see DATES). OSMRE cannot ensure that comments received after the close
of the comment period or at a location other than the office and Web
site listed under ADDRESSES will be included in the docket for this
DEIS or considered in the development of a final EIS.
All comments should refer to a specific portion of the draft PED/
EIS (citation to the chapter, section, page, paragraph, and sentence to
which your comment applies would be helpful), be confined to pertinent
issues, explain the reason for any recommended change or objection, and
include supporting data when appropriate.
Before including your address, phone number, or other personally
identifiable information in your comment, you should be aware that your
entire comment--including your personally identifiable information--may
be made publicly available at any time. While you may request in your
comment that your personally identifiable information be withheld from
public review, OSMRE cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.
In addition, a limited number of CD copies of the DEIS are
available upon request. You may obtain a CD by contacting the person
identified in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
If you would like to be placed on the mailing list to receive
future information on the draft PED/EIS, please contact the person
identified in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Public Hearings
OSMRE will hold a series of public hearings on the draft PED/EIS.
OSMRE representatives will provide information at each hearing. OSMRE
will announce arrangements, specific locations, dates, and times for
each hearing in local press releases and on the project Web site at
http://www.osmre.gov/programs/rcm/TNLUM.shtm. If you are a disabled
individual who needs reasonable accommodation to attend and participate
in a public hearing, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT. A court reporter will be available at each hearing
to record your comments if you wish to provide input in this fashion.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.1.
Dated: November 20, 2015.
Thomas D. Shope,
Regional Director, Appalachian Region.
[FR Doc. 2015-30981 Filed 12-10-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-P