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Notice2025-10210

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Public Hearing, and Request for Comment on the Draft EIS, Maximum Economic Recovery, and Fair Market Value for the Warrior Met Coal Mines EIS Proposed Federal Coal Lease-by-Application for Mine No. 4 (ALES-055797) and Blue Creek Mine No. 1 (ALES-056519), Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

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Published
June 6, 2025

Issuing agencies

Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau

Abstract

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Warrior Met Coal Mines. The BLM is also announcing that a public hearing will be held to receive comments on the Draft EIS, fair market value (FMV), maximum economic recovery (MER), and on factors that may affect the FMV and MER determinations of the coal resources contain in the proposed lease by application (LBA) lease tracts.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 108 (Friday, June 6, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 108 (Friday, June 6, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24161-24163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-10210]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[PO #4820000251; Order #02412-014-004-047181.0]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Public Hearing, and 
Request for Comment on the Draft EIS, Maximum Economic Recovery, and 
Fair Market Value for the Warrior Met Coal Mines EIS Proposed Federal 
Coal Lease-by-Application for Mine No. 4 (ALES-055797) and Blue Creek 
Mine No. 1 (ALES-056519), Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearing.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
announces the availability of the draft environmental impact statement 
(EIS) for the Warrior Met Coal Mines. The BLM is also announcing that a 
public hearing will be held to receive comments on the Draft EIS, fair 
market value (FMV), maximum economic recovery (MER), and on factors 
that may affect the FMV and MER determinations of the coal resources 
contain in the proposed lease by application (LBA) lease tracts.

DATES: To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the 
Draft EIS, please ensure that the BLM receives your comments within 45 
days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
publishes its notice of availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS in the 
Federal Register. The EPA usually publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
    A public hearing will be held on June 24, 2025, at 6 p.m. central 
time (CT).

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Courtyard Northport, 
700 Bridge Avenue, Northport, Alabama 35476. Any updates to the public

[[Page 24162]]

hearing will be provided through the ePlanning project website and a 
press release.
    The Draft EIS and associated documents are available for review on 
the BLM project website at <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2031600/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2031600/510</a>. Written comments related to the Warrior Met Coal 
Mines EIS may be submitted by any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2031600/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2031600/510</a>.
    <bullet> Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Warrior Met Coal 
Mines EIS, 273 Market Street, Flowood, MS 39232.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2031600/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2031600/510</a> or may also 
be examined at the Southeastern States District Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shayne Banks, BLM Southeastern States 
District Manager, telephone: 601-919-4652; address: 273 Market Street, 
Flowood, MS 39232; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#582b3a3936332b183a3435763f372e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="93e0f1f2fdf8e0d3f1fffebdf4fce5">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.
    Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of 
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services for contacting 
Ms. Banks. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay 
services offered within their country to make international calls to 
the point-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM Southeastern States District Office 
received two Federal LBAs to expand current mining operations located 
in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Warrior Met Coal Mining, LLC, proposes 
to expand Mine No. 4 (ALES-055797), and Warrior Met Coal BC, LLC, 
proposes to expand Blue Creek Mine No. 1 (ALES-056519). Warrior Met 
Coal Mining, LLC, and Warrior Met Coal BC, LLC, are subsidiaries of 
Warrior Met Coal, Inc., and will henceforth be referred to collectively 
as ``Warrior Met Coal.''
    The LBA for the Mine No. 4 expansion (ALES-055797) consists of 
approximately 5,704.52 acres of private surface lands (i.e., split-
estate lands) with an estimated 16.9 million short tons of recoverable 
Federal coal. The LBA for the Blue Creek Mine No. 1 expansion (ALES-
056519) consists of approximately 8,346.015 acres of split-estate 
lands, Federal mineral and private-owned surface, with an estimated 
36.3 million short tons of recoverable Federal coal. The combined 
proposed lease area for both applications includes approximately 14,050 
acres of split-estate lands. Warrior Met Coal is seeking to obtain 
leases for the extraction of metallurgical coal resources by means of 
underground longwall mining techniques.
    The BLM initially began preparing an environmental assessment to 
evaluate the LBA for Mine No. 4. Upon further review of the potential 
effects of the proposed action for Mine No. 4 expansion and, given the 
proximity to the Blue Creek Mine No. 1 expansion LBA, the BLM 
determined that an EIS is warranted, and that both LBAs would be 
evaluated under a single EIS.
    The tracts for the proposed Mine No. 4 (ALES-055797) lease, 
underlie private surface in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, and the 
quarter/quarter descriptions are as follows:

Huntsville Meridian, Alabama

T. 18 S., R. 8 W.,
    Sec. 17, NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\, SW\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, and SW\1/
4\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 18, SE\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 28, W\1/2\SW\1/4\ and SE\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 33, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\.
T. 19 S., R. 8 W.,
    Sec. 4, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 11, E\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 18, SW\1/4\ and W\1/2\NW\1/4\.
T. 18 S., R. 9 W.,
    Sec. 21, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 22, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, SW\1/4\, 
and SE\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 24, NE\1/4\, E\1/2\SE\1/4\, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, SW\1/4\, E\1/
2\NW\1/4\, and SW\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 26, NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\, SW\1/4\, and E\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 27, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\, SW\1/4\, and NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 28, N\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 33, E\1/2\NE\1/4\ and NE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 34, NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, and NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 35, N\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\SE\1/4\, SW\1/
4\SE\1/4\, W\1/2\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\ and SW\1/4\NW\1/4\.
T. 19 S., R. 9 W.,
    Sec. 1, NE\1/4\ and E\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 12, NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, and E\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 14, SE\1/4\ and NW\1/4\

    Containing approximately 5,704.52 acres.

    The tracts for the proposed Blue Creek Mine No. 1 (ALES-056519) 
lease, underlie private surface in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, and the 
quarter/quarter descriptions are as follows:

Huntsville Meridian, Alabama

T. 17 S., R. 8 W.,
    Sec. 5, N\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 6, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 7, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, and W\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 8, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, and SW\1/4\NE\1/4\.
T. 17 S., R. 9 W.,
    Sec. 2, W\1/2\NW\1/4\, and NW\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 3, W\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 4, E\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, and S\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 5, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, and E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 6, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, and E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 7, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 8, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\SW\1/4\, E\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SW\1/
4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 9, NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 10, NE\1/4\, W\1/2\NW\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\, and 
NW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 11, W\1/2\NW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 13, N\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, and N\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 14, E\1/2\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SE\1/4\, and NW\1/
4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 15, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, and NW\1/
4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 17, NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 18, E\1/2\NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, and W\1/
2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 20, NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, and SW\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 22, NE\1/4\NW\1/4\, and E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 23, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, and NE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 24, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, and E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 25, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, and NE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 26, NW\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 27, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, and NW\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 30, E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 31, E\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, and SE\1/4\/NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 32, NW\1/4\NW\1/4\, and W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 35, NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 36, NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\.
T. 17 S., R. 10 W.,
    Sec. 1, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 12, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 13, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 35, E\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 36, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, and N\1/2\SW\1/4\.
T. 18 S., R. 8 W.,
    Sec. 5, N\1/2\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\, and NW\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 6, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\, and W\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 7, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\.
T. 18 S., R. 9 W.,
    Sec. 1, E\1/2\NE\1/4\, and NW\1/4\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 6, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, and W\1/
2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 7, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, and N\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 17, W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 18, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, and N\1/2\SE\1/4\.
T. 18 S., R. 10 W.,
    Sec. 1, NE\1/4\NW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SW\1/
4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 11, E\1/2\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 12, NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 13, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, W\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SE\1/4\.

    Containing approximately 8,346.015 acres.

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    The purpose of the project is to provide for responsible 
development of coal resources in the Warrior Basin by responding to two 
Federal coal LBAs submitted by Warrior Met Coal to access a total of 
approximately 14,050 acres of Federal minerals underlying split-estate 
lands in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. The applications propose to 
extract approximately 53.2 million tons of recoverable Federal 
metallurgical coal reserves.
    The need is established by the BLM's responsibility under the 
Mineral

[[Page 24163]]

Leasing Act of 1920, as amended; the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired 
Lands of 1947, as amended; and the Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act 
of 1976, as amended, to respond to two Federal coal LBAs submitted by 
Warrior Met Coal (ALES-055797 and ALES-056519), which seek to expand 
two existing underground mines.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    The proposed action is to offer for competitive lease sale 
approximately 5,704.52 acres of Federal minerals for Mine No. 4 (ALES-
055797) and 8,346.015 acres of Federal minerals for Blue Creek Mine No. 
1 (ALES-056519) with the intent of allowing for the proposed extraction 
of a combined 53.2 million tons of metallurgical coal reserves by means 
of underground longwall mining techniques. The surface of the lands 
identified in both LBAs are privately owned. Implementation of the 
proposed action would result in the BLM holding two competitive lease 
sales, one for each LBA.
    The BLM also evaluated the no action alternative under which the 
BLM would deny the two LBAs and the land would not be offered for 
lease.

Resources Evaluated

    The Draft EIS analyzes environmental impacts of several key 
resources, including air quality, geology and minerals (including 
subsidence), socioeconomics, water resources, and wildlife resources. 
The analysis evaluates the potential impacts of the proposed action and 
the no action alternative on these resources. Additional resources were 
considered, and rationales are provided in the scoping report included 
in the Draft EIS.

Public Involvement Process

    The notice of intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on April 30, 2024. A letter was also provided to the private 
landowners within the project area to notify them of the ongoing 
project, the letter was mailed on May 31, 2024. All comments received 
either from the ePlanning site or provided by mail or email have been 
considered for the development of the Draft EIS.
    A public hearing will be held on June 24, 2025, at 6 p.m. CT. The 
meeting location will be at the Courtyard Northport, 700 Bridge Avenue, 
Northport, Alabama 35476.
    Any updates to the public hearing will be provided through a press 
release and will be posted to the ePlanning project website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2031600/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2031600/510</a>.

Cooperating Agencies

    The Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation and Enforcement and 
the Alabama Surface Mining Commission are cooperating agencies. The BLM 
is the lead agency for this project.

Additional Information

    The BLM will continue to consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a 
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 
13175, BLM Manual Section 1780 and other Departmental policies. Tribal 
concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential 
impacts to cultural resources, will be given due consideration. 
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Indian Tribal Nations 
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the two 
proposed leases for Federal coal that the BLM is evaluating, are 
invited to participate in the comment period.
    The BLM is seeking input and comments for the Draft EIS, the 
proposed sale, the fair market value, and maximum economic recovery on 
the proposed lease tracts, to ensure that a comprehensive review of the 
proposed action and alternatives is considered. Comments should 
specifically address the adequacy of the analysis for each resource 
concern, including but not limited to air quality, geology and 
minerals, water resources, wildlife resources, and socio-economic 
impacts. Additionally, feedback on the adequacy of the alternatives 
considered in the Draft EIS is encouraged, including suggestions for 
any additional alternatives that may warrant an evaluation.
    Any proprietary information or data that you submit to the BLM must 
be marked as confidential and mailed directly to the Southeastern 
States District Office, Attention: Shayne Banks (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section) to assure the data will be treated in 
accordance with the applicable laws and regulations governing the 
confidentiality of such information or data. A copy of the comments 
submitted by the public on the Draft EIS, fair market value, and 
maximum economic recovery for the tracts, except those portions 
identified as proprietary and that meet one of the exemptions in the 
Freedom of Information Act, will be available for public inspection at 
the Southeastern States District Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section) during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
CT), Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

(Authority: 43 CFR 46.435, 43 CFR 3425.3 and 3425.4)

Leah B. Baker,
Acting Eastern States State Director.
[FR Doc. 2025-10210 Filed 6-5-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-18-P


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