Surface Management Regulations for Locatable Mineral Operations; Draft Environmental Impact Availability

Background

BLM is making available for public comment the DEIS for proposed revisions to its surface management regulations, found at 43 CFR 3809. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on February 9, 1999. See 64 FR 6421. BLM is amending the regulations to address issues that have developed since the program began in 1981, as well as those identified during the scoping process described below, and to improve BLM's management of locatable mineral operations on public lands. The Proposed Action in the DEIS would be to adopt the proposed regulations at 43 CFR 3809. The proposed regulations address Federal-State coordination, the need for comprehensive performance standards, failure by some operators to perform reclamation, inadequate reclamation bonding for some types of operations, ineffective enforcement provisions, and the need to better assess the cumulative environmental impacts from small operations. In the DEIS, BLM also identifies and analyzes three additional alternatives for regulating locatable mineral operations on public lands administered by BLM. These alternatives are No Action, that is, no change to the existing regulations; State-Based Regulations; and Maximum Protection, Design-Based Regulations. BLM invites interested members of the public to comment on the DEIS.

Scoping Process

BLM published a Notice of Intent to prepare a DEIS in the Federal Register on April 4, 1997 (62 FR 16177). BLM then held scoping meetings for the public and interested governmental agencies at 11 locations throughout the Western United States, as well as an additional public meeting in Washington, D.C. Over 1,000 people attended the public meetings. In addition to verbal comments collected at the public meetings, BLM also received more than 1,800 comment letters from individuals and representatives of State and local governments, the mining industry, and citizens' groups.

Public Comment Procedures

BLM asks commenters on the DEIS to be specific, explain the reason for any comment, and reference the specific section or page of the DEIS to which their comment applies. The most useful comments are those supported by quantitative information or studies or include citations to and analyses of applicable laws, regulations, and cases. Commenters should send BLM two

copies of their written comments, if possible. Comments that BLM receives after the date indicated in the DATES section or at locations other than the location in the ADDRESSES section will not necessarily be considered in preparing the final environmental impact statement.

Electronic Access and Filing Address

Commenters may transmit comments electronically via the Internet to: 3809EIS[email protected] Please include your name and address in the message. The system will confirm receipt of your Internet message. The DEIS is also accessible on BLM's home page at www.blm.gov.

Confidentiality of Public Comments

BLM will make comments, including names, street addresses, and other contact information of commenters, available for public review at the location listed in the ADDRESSES section. If you are an individual commenter and wish to have BLM withhold your name, street address, and other contact information (such as Internet address or FAX or phone number) from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, please state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. BLM will honor requests for confidentiality to the extent allowed by law. However, BLM will make available for public inspection in their entirety all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses.

Public Hearings

BLM will hold public hearings on the DEIS and proposed rule at the following locations on the dates and local times specified:

Alaska

Fairbanks--Tuesday, March 30, 1999--Carlson Center, 2010 Second Avenue; 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Arizona

Phoenix--Tuesday, March 30, 1999--Sheraton Hotel, 2620 Dunlap Avenue; 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

California

San Francisco--Tuesday, April 20, 1999--Holiday Inn Civic Center, 50 Eighth Street; 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Ontario--Wednesday, April 21, 1999--Doubletree Hotel; times to be determined. Sacramento--Thursday, April 22, 1999--Red Lion Inn, 1401 Arden Way; 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Colorado

Lakewood-- Tuesday, March 30, 1999--Sheraton Denver West Hotel and Conference Center, 360 Union Blvd., Golden Room; 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Washington, D.C.

Wednesday, April 14, 1999--Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle, NW, Monroe Room; 12:30 p.m.

Idaho

Boise--Tuesday, April 27, 1999--BLM State Office, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Sagebrush-Ponderosa Conference Room; 6:00 p.m.

Montana

Helena--Wednesday, April 14, 1999--Colonial Inn, 2301 Colonial Drive; 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

New Mexico

Socorro--Wednesday, March 31, 1999--Macey Center, 801 Leroy, Galina Room; 3:00 p.m.

Nevada

Reno--Tuesday, March 23, 1999--Silver Legacy Hotel; 2:00 p.m. and 7 p.m. Elko--Thursday, March 25, 1999--Convention Center; 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Oregon

Eugene--Thursday, April 22, 1999--BLM District Office, 2890 Chad Street, Conference Room; 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Utah

Salt Lake City--Wednesday, April 7, 1999--Department of Natural Resources, 1594 West North Temple, Rooms 1040/50, 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Washington

Spokane--Tuesday, April 20, 1999--Doubletree Inn; 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Wyoming

Casper--Wednesday, March 31, 1999--Casper Parkway Plaza Inn, 123 West E Street; 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. In order to assist the transcriber and to ensure an accurate record, BLM requests that persons who testify at a hearing give the transcriber a copy of their testimony. The meeting sites are accessible to individuals with disabilities. An individual with a disability who will need an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the hearing, such as interpreting service, assistive listening device, or materials in an alternate format, must notify the person listed under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section two weeks before the scheduled hearing date. Although BLM will attempt to meet a request received after that date, the requested auxiliary aid or service may not be available because of insufficient time to arrange it.

Dated: February 10, 1999. Willie R. Taylor, Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance. [FR Doc. 99-3748 Filed 2-16-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-84-P