[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7905-7906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3748]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WO-300-1990-00]
Surface Management Regulations for Locatable Mineral Operations;
Draft Environmental Impact Availability
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces that the draft
environmental impact statement (DEIS) analyzing proposed changes to
BLM's surface management regulations for locatable mineral operations
is available for public review and comment. This action is necessary to
comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. BLM has
prepared the DEIS to determine the potential environmental impacts of
the various regulatory options under consideration.
DATES: Comments will be accepted until May 10, 1999. See the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for the dates of public hearings on
the DEIS and proposed regulations.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Bureau of Land Management,
Attention: Paul McNutt; Nevada State Office; P.O. Box 12000; Reno,
Nevada 89520-0006. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for the
electronic access and filing address and for the locations of public
hearings. Comments will be available for public review at the BLM
Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, Nevada from 7:45
a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Pacific time, Monday through Friday, excluding
Federal holidays.
You may obtain a copy of the DEIS by contacting either of the
persons identified under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section or
by contacting any BLM State office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul McNutt, BLM Nevada State Office,
(775) 861-6604, or via e-mail: pmcnutt@nv.blm.gov. An alternate contact
is Andrew Strasfogel, BLM Washington Office, (202) 452-7723, or via e-
mail: astrasfo@wo.blm.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf may contact Mr. McNutt or Mr. Strasfogel by calling
the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 between 8:00
a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, excluding
Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
BLM is making available for public comment the DEIS for proposed
revisions to its surface management regulations, found at 43 CFR 3809.
The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on February 9,
1999. See 64 FR 6421. BLM is amending the regulations to address issues
that have developed since the program began in 1981, as well as those
identified during the scoping process described below, and to improve
BLM's management of locatable mineral operations on public lands. The
Proposed Action in the DEIS would be to adopt the proposed regulations
at 43 CFR 3809. The proposed regulations address Federal-State
coordination, the need for comprehensive performance standards, failure
by some operators to perform reclamation, inadequate reclamation
bonding for some types of operations, ineffective enforcement
provisions, and the need to better assess the cumulative environmental
impacts from small operations. In the DEIS, BLM also identifies and
analyzes three additional alternatives for regulating locatable mineral
operations on public lands administered by BLM. These alternatives are
No Action, that is, no change to the existing regulations; State-Based
Regulations; and Maximum Protection, Design-Based Regulations. BLM
invites interested members of the public to comment on the DEIS.
Scoping Process
BLM published a Notice of Intent to prepare a DEIS in the Federal
Register on April 4, 1997 (62 FR 16177). BLM then held scoping meetings
for the public and interested governmental agencies at 11 locations
throughout the Western United States, as well as an additional public
meeting in Washington, D.C. Over 1,000 people attended the public
meetings. In addition to verbal comments collected at the public
meetings, BLM also received more than 1,800 comment letters from
individuals and representatives of State and local governments, the
mining industry, and citizens' groups.
Public Comment Procedures
BLM asks commenters on the DEIS to be specific, explain the reason
for any comment, and reference the specific section or page of the DEIS
to which their comment applies. The most useful comments are those
supported by quantitative information or studies or include citations
to and analyses of applicable laws, regulations, and cases. Commenters
should send BLM two
[[Page 7906]]
copies of their written comments, if possible. Comments that BLM
receives after the date indicated in the DATES section or at locations
other than the location in the ADDRESSES section will not necessarily
be considered in preparing the final environmental impact statement.
Electronic Access and Filing Address
Commenters may transmit comments electronically via the Internet
to: 3809EIS[email protected] Please include your name and address in the
message. The system will confirm receipt of your Internet message. The
DEIS is also accessible on BLM's home page at http://www.blm.gov.
Confidentiality of Public Comments
BLM will make comments, including names, street addresses, and
other contact information of commenters, available for public review at
the location listed in the ADDRESSES section. If you are an individual
commenter and wish to have BLM withhold your name, street address, and
other contact information (such as Internet address or FAX or phone
number) from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of
Information Act, please state this prominently at the beginning of your
comment. BLM will honor requests for confidentiality to the extent
allowed by law. However, BLM will make available for public inspection
in their entirety all submissions from organizations or businesses, and
from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials
of organizations or businesses.
Public Hearings
BLM will hold public hearings on the DEIS and proposed rule at the
following locations on the dates and local times specified:
Alaska
Fairbanks--Tuesday, March 30, 1999--Carlson Center, 2010 Second
Avenue; 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Arizona
Phoenix--Tuesday, March 30, 1999--Sheraton Hotel, 2620 Dunlap
Avenue; 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
California
San Francisco--Tuesday, April 20, 1999--Holiday Inn Civic Center,
50 Eighth Street; 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Ontario--Wednesday, April 21, 1999--Doubletree Hotel; times to be
determined.
Sacramento--Thursday, April 22, 1999--Red Lion Inn, 1401 Arden Way;
1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Colorado
Lakewood-- Tuesday, March 30, 1999--Sheraton Denver West Hotel and
Conference Center, 360 Union Blvd., Golden Room; 1:00 p.m. and 7:00
p.m.
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, April 14, 1999--Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas
Circle, NW, Monroe Room; 12:30 p.m.
Idaho
Boise--Tuesday, April 27, 1999--BLM State Office, 1387 S. Vinnell
Way, Sagebrush-Ponderosa Conference Room; 6:00 p.m.
Montana
Helena--Wednesday, April 14, 1999--Colonial Inn, 2301 Colonial
Drive; 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
New Mexico
Socorro--Wednesday, March 31, 1999--Macey Center, 801 Leroy, Galina
Room; 3:00 p.m.
Nevada
Reno--Tuesday, March 23, 1999--Silver Legacy Hotel; 2:00 p.m. and 7
p.m.
Elko--Thursday, March 25, 1999--Convention Center; 1:00 p.m. and
6:00 p.m.
Oregon
Eugene--Thursday, April 22, 1999--BLM District Office, 2890 Chad
Street, Conference Room; 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Utah
Salt Lake City--Wednesday, April 7, 1999--Department of Natural
Resources, 1594 West North Temple, Rooms 1040/50, 1:00 p.m. and 6:00
p.m.
Washington
Spokane--Tuesday, April 20, 1999--Doubletree Inn; 1:00 p.m. and
7:00 p.m.
Wyoming
Casper--Wednesday, March 31, 1999--Casper Parkway Plaza Inn, 123
West E Street; 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
In order to assist the transcriber and to ensure an accurate
record, BLM requests that persons who testify at a hearing give the
transcriber a copy of their testimony. The meeting sites are accessible
to individuals with disabilities. An individual with a disability who
will need an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the hearing,
such as interpreting service, assistive listening device, or materials
in an alternate format, must notify the person listed under the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section two weeks before the scheduled
hearing date. Although BLM will attempt to meet a request received
after that date, the requested auxiliary aid or service may not be
available because of insufficient time to arrange it.
Dated: February 10, 1999.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 99-3748 Filed 2-16-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P
