Notice2025-15515
Draft Environmental Assessment, Public Hearing, and Request for Comment on Maximum Economic Recovery and Fair Market Value for the Navajo Transitional Energy Company Proposed Federal Coal Lease Modification for MTM 110693 and Lease-By-Application and Mining Plan for MTM 105485-01, Big Horn County, MT
Primary source
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Published
August 15, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) announce that a draft environmental assessment (EA) is available. The draft EA analyzes the Navajo Transitional Energy Company's Federal coal lease modification application (LMA), serial number MTM 110693, and lease-by-application (LBA) and mining plan, MTM 105485-01, for Spring Creek Mine. The BLM also announces that a public hearing will be held to receive comments on the Fair Market Value (FMV), Maximum Economic Recovery (MER), and on factors that may affect the FMV and MER determinations of the coal resources contained in the proposed LBA lease tracts. The BLM and OSMRE take these actions in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended; the Mineral Leasing Act, as amended; and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 156 (Friday, August 15, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 156 (Friday, August 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39416-39417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15515]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[A2407-014-004-065516; #O2412-014-004-047181.1]
Draft Environmental Assessment, Public Hearing, and Request for
Comment on Maximum Economic Recovery and Fair Market Value for the
Navajo Transitional Energy Company Proposed Federal Coal Lease
Modification for MTM 110693 and Lease-By-Application and Mining Plan
for MTM 105485-01, Big Horn County, MT
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearing.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Office of Surface
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) announce that a draft
environmental assessment (EA) is available. The draft EA analyzes the
Navajo Transitional Energy Company's Federal coal lease modification
application (LMA), serial number MTM 110693, and lease-by-application
(LBA) and mining plan, MTM 105485-01, for Spring Creek Mine. The BLM
also announces that a public hearing will be held to receive comments
on the Fair Market Value (FMV), Maximum Economic Recovery (MER), and on
factors that may affect the FMV and MER determinations of the coal
resources contained in the proposed LBA lease tracts. The BLM and OSMRE
take these actions in compliance with the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, as amended; the Mineral Leasing Act, as amended; and the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended.
DATES: The draft EA will be available on August 15, 2025. A public
hearing will be held on Friday, August 15, 2025, from 3 p.m. until 6
p.m. Mountain Time (MT).
ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Sheridan County
Courthouse, Room #210, second floor, 224 S. Main Street, Sheridan, WY
82801. Any updates to the public hearing will be provided through the
ePlanning project website and a press release.
The draft EA and documents pertinent to this proposal are available
on the BLM ePlanning project website at <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2039569/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2039569/510</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tessa Wallace, BLM Montana/Dakotas
State Office, Solid Minerals, 5001 Southgate Dr., Billings, MT 59101;
telephone: 406-896-5086; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#98ecf4eff9f4f4f9fbfdd8faf4f5b6fff7ee"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bcc8d0cbddd0d0dddfd9fcded0d192dbd3ca">[email 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. Wallace. 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 purpose and need for the BLM's Federal
action is to respond to Navajo Transitional Energy Company's LMA and
LBA to lease Federal coal resources at the Spring Creek Mine in
Montana. The Federal tracts associated with the LBA and LMA contain
approximately 177 million tons of minable coal over
[[Page 39417]]
approximately 1,412 acres which could be mined through 2034. The
purpose of OSMRE's Federal action is to conduct an analysis of the
potential environmental effects of the proposed mining plan for the
proposed MTM 1105485-01 lease. OSMRE will use this analysis to inform
its recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals
Management, who may approve, disapprove, or approve with conditions the
proposed Federal mining plan. Three alternatives are analyzed in the
draft EA.
Comments on the FMV and MER received from the public will be
considered and incorporated as appropriate into the final written
report.
The tracts for the proposed MTM 110693 lease modification and MTM
105485-01 lease underlie Federal and private surface and are described
as follows:
Principal Meridian, Montana
Principal Meridian, Montana
T. 8 S., R. 39 E.,
Sec. 13, W\1/2\SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/
2\NE\1/4\NW\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\NW\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\NW\1/4\, N\1/
2\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, W\1/2\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, and
NE\1/4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
Sec. 14, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\NE\1/4\;
Sec. 35, E\1/2\.
T. 9 S., R. 39 E.,
Sec. 1, lots 1 thru 4, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/
4\SE\1/4\, and E\1/2\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
Sec. 2, NE\1/4\.
T. 9 S., R. 40 E.,
Sec. 6, lots 5 thru 7, S\1/2\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, S\1/
2\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, NW\1/4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, and
S\1/2\SE\1/4\.
The areas described aggregate 1,412.57 acres, according to the
surveys of the said land, on file with the BLM.
Through this notice, the BLM is inviting the public to provide
comments regarding any factors that may affect the determinations of
the FMV and MER.
Any proprietary information or data that you submit to the BLM must
be marked as confidential and mailed directly to the BLM Montana-
Dakotas State Office, Attention: Tessa Wallace (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT) 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 FMV and MER 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 BLM Montana/Dakotas State Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT), during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MT),
Monday through Friday, except 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, the BLM cannot guarantee that we will
be able to do so.
(Authority: 43 CFR 3425.3 and 3425.4)
Joshua F. Alexander,
Deputy State Director, BLM Montana/Dakotas.
[FR Doc. 2025-15515 Filed 8-13-25; 12:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4331-20-P
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