BLM Eastern States, Office of External Affairs
| Contacts: | Bob Gillcash | , 703-440-1704 | , rgillcash@blm.gov |
BLM Announces Availability of Final Land Use Analysis and Environmental Impact Statement for East Lynn Lake Coal Leases
Washington, D.C. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today published in the Federal Register the Notice of Availability for the Final Land Use Analysis and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for East Lynn Lake Coal Leases in Wayne County, W.V.
In response to two lease applications to develop federal coal near East Lynn Lake, the BLM prepared a land use analysis and environmental impact statement that, under the preferred alternative, outlines a process by which the BLM can hold a competitive federal coal lease sale. The two pending applications propose to mine 13,089 acres of federal coal by underground mining methods from two existing deep mine shafts on adjacent private land the using room and pillar mining method. A competitive leasing process would be open to all qualified bidders, and any winning proposals would undergo geological study and risk assessment analysis of the buffer before any operations could begin.
For more information, on the East Lynn Lake project, select this link: http://www.blm.gov/es/st/en/prog/east_lynn_lake_coal.html.
For links to the Final Enviornmental Impact Statement documents, including maps and data, select this link: http://www.blm.gov/es/st/en/prog/east_lynn_lake_coal/documents.html
Link to the Federal Register notice: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-06-11/pdf/2012-14180.pdf
Copies may be requested by email at: EastLynnLakeComments@blm.gov
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.