81 FR 80592 - Stream Protection Rule; Final Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 221 (November 16, 2016)

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), announce the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Stream Protection Rule developed pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 16, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 80592-80593]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27655]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

30 CFR Parts 700, 701, 773, 774, 777, 779, 780, 783, 784, 785, 800, 
816, 817, 824, and 827

[Docket ID: OSM-2010-0021; S1D1S SS08011000 SX064A000 178S180110; S2D2S 
SS08011000 SX064A000 17XS501520]


Stream Protection Rule; Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 
Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; final environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement 
(OSMRE), announce the availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for the Stream Protection Rule developed pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

DATES: The final EIS is available on November 16, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS are available for public inspection at 
the following OSMRE locations:
     Administrative Record, Room 101 SIB, 1951 Constitution 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20240, (Phone: 202-208-2823).
     Appalachian Regional Office, Three Parkway Center, 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15220 (Phone: (412) 937-2815).
     Mid-Continent Regional Office, William L. Beatty Federal 
Building, 501 Belle Street, Room 216, Alton, Illinois 62002 (Phone: 
(618) 463-6460).
     Western Regional Office, 1999 Broadway, Suite 3320, 
Denver, Colorado 80201 (Phone: (303) 293-5000).
     Charleston Field Office, 1027 Virginia Street East, 
Charleston, West Virginia 25301 (Phone: (304) 347-7158).
     Knoxville Field Office, 710 Locust Street, 2nd floor, 
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902 (Phone: (865) 545-4103).
     Lexington Field Office, 2675 Regency Road, Lexington, 
Kentucky 40503 (Phone: (859) 260-3902).
     Beckley Area Office, 313 Harper Park Drive, Beckley, West 
Virginia 25801 (Phone: (304) 255-5265).
     Harrisburg Area Office, 215 Limekiln Road, New Cumberland, 
Pennsylvania 17070 (Phone: (717) 730-6985).
     Albuquerque Area Office, 100 Sun Avenue NE., Pan American 
Building, Suite 330, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109 (Phone: (505) 761-
8989).
     Casper Area Office, Dick Cheney Federal Building, 150 East 
B Street, Casper, Wyoming 82601 (Phone: (307) 261-6550).
     Birmingham Field Office, 135 Gemini Circle, Suite 215, 
Homewood, Alabama 35209 (Phone: (205) 290-7282).
     Tulsa Field Office, 1645 South 101st East Avenue, Suite 
145, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74128 (Phone: (918) 581-6430).
    Electronic copies of the FEIS are available at:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
The Docket ID for the FEIS is OSM-2010-0021.
     OSMRE Web site: www.osmre.gov.
    In addition, a limited number of CD copies of the FEIS are 
available upon request. You may obtain a CD by contacting the person 
identified in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robin Ferguson, Office of Surface 
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Department of the Interior, 
1951 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20240. Telephone: 202-208-
2802. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Significant advances in scientific knowledge and mining and 
reclamation techniques have occurred in the more than 30 years that 
have elapsed since the enactment of the Surface Mining Control and 
Reclamation Act of 1977, 30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq., and the adoption of 
Federal regulations implementing that law. On July 27, 2015, OSMRE 
proposed the Stream Protection Rule for the primary purpose of updating 
its regulations and providing regulatory certainty to industry using 
these advances in scientific knowledge to minimize the adverse impacts 
of surface coal mining and underground mining operations on surface 
water, groundwater, fish, wildlife, and related environmental values, 
with particular emphasis on protecting or restoring streams and aquatic 
ecosystems. (See 80 FR 44436.)
    The draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the proposed 
rule was made available for public review and comment on July 17, 2015. 
(See 80 FR 42535.) After an extension was granted, the comment period 
closed on October 26, 2015. (See 80 FR 54590.) During the comment 
period, OSMRE held six public hearings in Colorado, Kentucky, Missouri, 
Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, and

[[Page 80593]]

received approximately 95,000 comments on the proposed rule, DEIS, and 
the draft Regulatory Impact Analysis.
    The FEIS for the Stream Protection Rule analyzes the environmental, 
socioeconomic, and other effects of the preferred alternative--
Alternative 8, as revised--and a reasonable range of other 
alternatives, including a No Action Alternative. The FEIS, including 
Alternative 8, has been revised, as appropriate, in response to 
comments and other information received on the DEIS, proposed rule, and 
draft Regulatory Impact Analysis. It also includes the input of 
cooperating agencies.


    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.1

    Dated: November 11, 2016.
Sterling Rideout,
Assistant Director, Program Support.
[FR Doc. 2016-27655 Filed 11-15-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-05-P