Notice2025-16096
Environmental Impact Statement, Public Hearing, and Request for Comment on Maximum Economic Recovery and Fair Market Value for the Navajo Transitional Energy Company Proposed Federal Coal Lease-by-Application for the West Antelope Mine, Campbell and Converse Counties, WY
Primary source
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Published
August 22, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In accordance with the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended by the Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1976, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces that an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the West Antelope III Federal coal lease by application (LBA) is available. The EIS analyzes the Navajo Transitional Energy Company's (NTEC) Federal coal lease by application (WYW-184599) for the West Antelope Mine. The BLM also announces that a public hearing will be held to receive comments on the Maximum Economic Recovery (MER) and Fair Market Value (FMV), and on factors that may affect the MER and FMV determinations of the coal resources contained in the proposed LBA lease tracts. The BLM takes 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 161 (Friday, August 22, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 161 (Friday, August 22, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 41108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16096]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[A2407-014-004-065516; #O2412-014-004-047181.1]
Environmental Impact Statement, Public Hearing, and Request for
Comment on Maximum Economic Recovery and Fair Market Value for the
Navajo Transitional Energy Company Proposed Federal Coal Lease-by-
Application for the West Antelope Mine, Campbell and Converse Counties,
WY
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearing.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended
by the Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1976, the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) announces that an environmental impact statement (EIS)
for the West Antelope III Federal coal lease by application (LBA) is
available. The EIS analyzes the Navajo Transitional Energy Company's
(NTEC) Federal coal lease by application (WYW-184599) for the West
Antelope Mine. The BLM also announces that a public hearing will be
held to receive comments on the Maximum Economic Recovery (MER) and
Fair Market Value (FMV), and on factors that may affect the MER and FMV
determinations of the coal resources contained in the proposed LBA
lease tracts. The BLM takes 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 EIS will be available on August 22, 2025. A public hearing
will be held on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Mountain Time at the Wright Town Hall, 395 Lariat Way, Wright, Wyoming.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the MER and FEV by any of
the following methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2039704/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2039704/510</a>.
<bullet> Mail: Wyoming State Office 5353 Yellowstone Road Cheyenne,
Wyoming 82009.
Documents pertinent to this proposal are available online at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2039704/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2039704/510</a> and at the
Wyoming State Office located at 5353 Yellowstone Road Cheyenne,
Wyoming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alfred Elser, Wyoming BLM Deputy State
Director for Minerals and Lands, telephone 307-775-6146; address 5353
Yellowstone Road Cheyenne, WY; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e283878e918790a2808e8fcc858d94"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6100040d12041321030d0c4f060e17">[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
Mr. Elser. 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 is considering issuing a coal lease
as a result of an application submitted in 2015 by Antelope Coal, LLC
(Antelope) to lease the Federal coal in the West Antelope III coal
tract. The tract is located in Converse and Campbell counties and is
near the Antelope Mine, approximately 20 miles south of Wright,
Wyoming. The EIS analyzes and discloses the potential impacts of
issuing the coal lease.
Antelope originally applied for the tract in accordance with 43 CFR
part 3420 subpart 3425 to extend the life of the existing Antelope
Mine. The Powder River Regional Coal Team reviewed the LBA at a public
meeting on January 27, 2017, and recommended the BLM process the
application. A notice of intent was published on July 28, 2017 (82 FR
35237), initiating a public scoping period that ended September 29,
2017. A public meeting was held in Wright, Wyoming, on September 20,
2017. NTEC acquired the Antelope Mine as part of a larger acquisition
of assets in May 2021.
The application filed by Antelope contains approximately 300
million tons of in-place Federal coal underlying the following lands in
Converse and Campbell counties, Wyoming:
Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming
T. 41 N., R. 71 W.,
Sec. 8;
Sec 9, lots 1 through 8;
Sec 10, Lot 5;
Secs. 17 and 19;
Sec 20, lots 1 thru 13;
Sec 29, Lots 4, 5, 12, and 13;
Sec 30, lots 5 thru 16.
The areas described aggregate 3,508.31 acres, according to the
surveys 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 Wyoming State
Office, Attention: Alfred Elser (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 Wyoming State Office (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT), during regular business hours (8 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m.), 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)
Kristina Kirby,
State Director (Acting) BLM Wyoming.
[FR Doc. 2025-16096 Filed 8-21-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-26-P
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