Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Notice of Public Meetings for a Federal Coal Lease by Application (MTM 105485), Application To Modify Federal Coal Lease (MTM 94378), and Applications To Amend Land Use Permit (MTM 96659), and Land Use Lease (MTM 74913), Big Horn County, MT

Samenvatting

In accordance with Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations, the United States Department of the Interior, BLM Miles City Field Office is publishing this notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential impacts of four proposed actions related to coal mining at the Spring Creek Mine in Big Horn County, Montana. The proposed actions involve the potential sale of two tracts of Federal coal through a Lease-By- Application (LBA) and a lease modification application (LMA). Both applications cover proposed additions to an existing Federal coal lease at the Spring Creak Mine. Related to these leasing requests, the EIS will also evaluate proposed amendments to an existing land use permit to maintain access to mine monitoring and gauging stations and an existing land use lease to provide room for the placement of overburden and infrastructure. The EIS will be called the Spring Creek Coal EIS. This notice initiates the public scoping process for the Spring Creek Coal EIS.