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respect to the unsuitability criteria developed by the <br />• Department of the Interior in compliance with Section 522 of <br />the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) <br />and 43 CFR 3461. This evaluation was done in conjunction with <br />the San Juan/San Miguel Resource Management Plan. <br />Unsuitability decisions affecting the lease application area <br />have been reviewed and are determined to be adequate. <br /> Following completion of the final EA on competitive coal lease <br /> application COC 60941, the Montrose District Office of BLM <br /> will forward the competitive lease application, EA, maximum <br /> economic recovery report (MER), Record of Decision (ROD), <br /> Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), proposed lease terms <br /> and conditions, and preliminary recommendations to the BLM <br /> State Director in Denver. The State Director will make a <br />~ determination on the leasing action, the proposed lease terms <br /> and conditions and bonding requirements, and the adequacy of <br /> the FONSI or the need for an environmental impact statement. <br /> The State Director then prepares newspaper and Federal <br /> Register notices of the sale and posts a notice of the <br /> proposed sale in the Public Room. The notice of the proposed <br /> sale is then distributed to the public and advice of sale is <br /> sent to the Attorney General. A sales panel consisting of the <br /> Deputy State Director for Mineral Resources, a BLM mining <br /> engineer, a BLM geologist, and a BLM mineral economist is then <br /> designated. <br />• Once the sale has been held, qualified bidders are evaluated <br /> and ranked by the sale panel which would then make <br /> recommendations of acceptance to the State Director. The <br /> successful bidder is then notified of additional requirements <br /> and requested to submit data and information necessary for a <br /> review by the Attorney General. Once the Attorney General has <br /> completed her review the lease documents are then transmitted <br /> to the successful bidder for signature and submission of the <br /> bond. The State Director then makes the decision approving <br /> the bond and issuing the lease. Copies of the decision are <br /> then distributed to the BLM District Office, the Office of <br /> Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), and the <br /> Mineral Management Service (MMS). <br />The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) <br />has agreed to cooperate in preparing this EA. In addition, <br />OSM has jurisdiction in recommending approval of any mining <br />plan modifications that might result from BLM's leasing <br />decision. <br />The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) <br />gives OSM primary responsibility to administer programs that <br />regulate surface coal mining operations on federal lands and <br />the surface effects of underground coal mining operations on <br /> <br />