97-1951. Amendment to the List of Affected States Under Federal Coalbed Methane Recovery Regulations

[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4075-4076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-1951]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[ES-930-07-1320-020241A]


Amendment to the List of Affected States Under Federal Coalbed 
Methane Recovery Regulations

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Removal of Illinois from the list of Affected States.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (the Act) (Pub.L. 102-486) 
requires that the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) administer a 
Federal program to regulate coalbed methane development in states where 
coalbed methane development has been impeded by disputes or uncertainty 
over ownership of coalbed methane gas. As required by the Act, the 
Department of the Interior, with the participation of the Department of 
Energy, developed a List of Affected States to which this program would 
apply (58 FR 21589, April 22, 1993). The List of Affected States is 
currently comprised of the States of Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
    The legislative body of the State of Illinois, in the form of 
resolution passed on January 24, 1996, petitioned the Secretary of the 
Interior for removal from the List of Affected States. The resolution 
stated that the General Assembly of the State of Illinois petitions the 
Secretary of the Interior to delete Illinois from the list of Affected 
States for the purposes of section 1339 of the Energy Policy Act of 
1992. Section 1339 of the Act provides three mechanisms by which a 
state may be removed from the List of Affected States:

    1. A state may pass a law or resolution requesting removal;
    2. The governor of a state may petition for removal, but only 
after giving the legislature

[[Page 4076]]

6-months notice, during a legislative session, of his intention to 
submit the petition; or
    3. The state legislature implements a law or regulation 
permitting and encouraging the development of coalbed methane.

    Since the State of Illinois has met the condition for removal from 
the List of Affected States by passing a resolution requesting removal, 
the State of Illinois is officially removed from the List of Affected 
States.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David R. Stewart, Chief, Branch of Resources Planning and Protection, 
Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, 7450 Boston Boulevard, 
Springfield, Virginia 22153, or telephone [phone]; or Charles W. 
Byrer, U.S. Department of Energy, 3610 Collins Ferry Road, Morgantown, 
West Virginia 26507, or telephone [phone].

    Dated: January 16, 1997.
Carson W. Culp, Jr.,
State Director, Eastern States.
[FR Doc. 97-1951 Filed 1-27-97; 8:45 am]
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