GENERAL30354

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Name: Federal Lease COC-56447 Decision Document
• Permit Index Doc Type: Other Permits
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Following completion of the E4 for competitive coal lease application
COG-56447, the Montrose District Office of BLY would forward the
competitive lease application, the EA, maximum economic recovery report
(MER), Decision Record (DR), Finding of [:o Significant Impact (FONSI),
proposed lease terms and conditions, and preliminary recommendations to the
BIM State Director in Denver. The Colorado State Director would make a
determination on the leasing action, the proposed lease terms and
conditions and bonding requirements, and the adequacy of the FONSI or the
need for an environmental impact state=ent. The State Director then
prepares newspaper and Federal Register notices of the sale and posts a
notice of the proposed sale in the Public Room. The notice of the proposed
sale is then distributed'to the public and advice of sale is sent to the
Attorney General. A sales panel consisting of the Deputy State Director
for Hineral Resources, a BLM mining engineer, a BLM geologist, and a BIM
mineral economist is then designated.
Once the sale has been held, qualified bidders are evaluated and
ranked by the sale panel which would then make recommendations of
acceptance [o the State Director. The successful bidder is then notified
of additional requirements and requested to submit data and information
necessary for a review by the Attorney General. When the Attorney General
has completed his review, the lease documents are then transmitted to the
successful bidder for signature and submission of the bond. The State
Director then makes the decision approving the bond and issbing the lease.
Copies of the decision are then distributed to the BIM District Office, the
Office of Surface Mining (OSM) and the Minerals Management Service (MMS).
Office of Surface Hining and the Colorado Division of Hinerals and Geology
SHCRA gives OSM primary responsibility to administer programs that
regulate surface coal mining ope.at'_or.s on federal lands and the surface
effects of underground coal mining o?e:a[ions on federal lands. Pursuant
to Section 503 of SMCRA, the Colorado ~~~:'_sion of Minerals and Ceplogy
(CDMC) developed, and the Secretary of the Interior approved, a permanent
program authorizing CDMC to regulate s~~rface coal mining operations and
surface effects of underground coal mi^ing on non-federal lands within the
State of Colorado. In September 1982 ,...pursuant to Section 523(c) of SMCRA,
CDMG entered in co a cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the
Interior authorizing CDMG to regulate surface coal mining operations and
surface effects of underground mining on federal lands within the state.
Pursuant to the cooperative agree=ent, federal coal lease holders in
Colorado must submit permit applicatior, packages co OSM and CDMG for
proposed mining and reclamation operations on federal lands in the State.
The CDMG reviews the packages co ensure that the permit application
complies with the permitting reauiremencs and that the coal mining
operation will meet the approved permanent program's performance standards;
if it does comply, CDMC issues the :essee a permit co conduct coal mining
operations. The OSH, USFS, 3Ly, and other federal agencies review the
permit application package to ensure that it complies with ch^ term; of the
coal lease; the requirements of the Mineral Leasing Act of 19_0; [he
National Environmental Policy Acc of 1969; and other federal lays and their
at[endanC regulations. The OSM recommends approval, approval with
• conditions, or disapproval of the mining plan to the Assistant Secretary -