[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 184 (Monday, September 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54612-54613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22042]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[UTU 80808]
Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Transfer of Jurisdiction; Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of realty action.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) has filed an application
requesting the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw approximately 936
acres of land from the United States mining and mineral leasing laws
and transfer jurisdiction to the DOE. The land would be used for
ancillary facilities at the DOE's Crescent Junction Uranium Mill
Tailings Repository in connection with moving the Moab Mill Site
uranium mill tailings to the Repository. Except for existing claims,
rights, and interests, including oil and gas leases that would be
retained by the Secretary of the Interior, full management,
jurisdiction, authority, responsibility, and liability for all
activities conducted on the land would be vested in the DOE.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 22, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Moab Field Office Manager,
Bureau of Land Management, 82 East Dogwood Avenue, Moab, Utah 84532.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary von Koch, Realty Specialist, Moab
Field Office at the above address, 435-259-2128.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DOE has filed an application with the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting the Secretary of the
Interior withdraw the following described land from mining and mineral
leasing and transfer jurisdiction to the DOE, subject to valid existing
claims, rights, and interests:
Salt Lake Meridian
T. 21 S., R. 19 E.,
Sec. 22, S\1/2\, excluding SE\1/4\SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, NE\1/4\SW\1/
4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
Sec. 23, S\1/2\, excluding S\1/2\S\1/2\N\1/2\SW\1/4\, S\1/
2\SW\1/4\, and W\1/2\SW\1/4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
Sec. 26, the land lying North of the railroad right-of-way,
excluding W\1/2\W\1/2\NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/
4\NW\1/4\, N\1/2\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, and NW\1/4\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\;
Sec. 27, the land lying North of the railroad right-of-way,
excluding N\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, SW\1/
4\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NE\1/4\NW\1/4\, and E\1/2\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\.
The area described contains approximately 936 acres in Grand
County.
The purpose is to transfer jurisdiction of the 936 acres to the DOE
and to protect DOE's ancillary facilities at the DOE's Crescent
Junction Uranium Mill Tailings Repository in connection with moving the
Moab Mill Site uranium mill tailings to the Repository.
The land proposed for transfer is located within a temporary DOE
withdrawal created by Public Land Order No. 7649, and is therefore
already
[[Page 54613]]
segregated from mining and mineral leasing.
Except for existing claims, rights, and interests, including oil
and gas leases that would be retained by the Secretary of the Interior,
full management, jurisdiction, authority, responsibility, and liability
for all activities conducted on the land would be vested in the DOE.
For a period of 90 days from the date of publication of this
notice, all persons who wish to submit comments, suggestions, or
objections in connection with the proposed action may present their
views in writing to the BLM Moab Field Office Manager, at the address
noted above.
Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, and
records relating to the proposed action will be available for public
review during regular business hours at the BLM Moab Field Office at
the address specified above. Individual respondents may request
confidentiality. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so.
Notice is hereby given that an opportunity for a public meeting is
afforded in connection with the proposed withdrawal and transfer of
jurisdiction. All interested persons who desire a public meeting for
the purpose of being heard on the proposal must submit a written
request to the BLM Moab Field Office at the address indicated above
within 90 days from the date of publication of this notice. If the
authorized officer determines that a public meeting will be held, a
notice of the time and place will be published in the Federal Register
at least 30 days before the scheduled date of the meeting.
There are no suitable alternatives. Rights-of-way or interagency
agreements are not considered desirable or acceptable alternatives.
They would not protect the BLM from the associated liability risks and
they would not adequately constrain nondiscretionary uses that could
adversely affect public health and safety.
All potential sites within a reasonable vicinity of the Repository
were evaluated. The preferred site is strategically located adjacent to
the Repository as identified by DOE as the optimal location for the
ancillary facilities.
This application will be processed in accordance with the
regulations set forth in 43 CFR 2300.
Authority: 43 CFR 2310.3-1.
Dated: September 12, 2008.
Jeff Rawson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. E8-22042 Filed 9-19-08; 8:45 am]
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