Comment period opens on coal exploration license

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Uncompahgre Field Office has released its preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA) and unsigned Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on the Oxbow Mining, LLC proposed federal coal exploration license COC74911 known as the Oak Mesa project.

Oxbow has applied for exploration drilling encompassing about 13,873 acres of federal coal that underlies BLM and private surface lands.

The objective of exploring coal deposits is to obtain geological, environmental and other pertinent data concerning coal deposits (43 CFR 3410.0-2).

Oxbow proposes to drill 43 exploration drill holes on private and federal lands into federal subsurface holdings. The drill holes would result in mostly temporary surface disturbances from road and pad construction affecting about 33 acres. Ten drill holes would require construction of a pad to create level ground for drilling (about 5.0 acres). Occupation (no grading) would occur on all the remaining drill pads (about 16.5 acres).

The Oak Mesa project extends from the western edge of the Bowie Mine holdings westward across the mesa to the Leroux Creek area, north of Hotchkiss. The exploration license is in Delta County in Township 13 South, Ranges 92 and 93 West, 6th P.M.

To review the EA and FONSI, go to www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/nepa/ufo.html. Scroll to DOI-BLM-CO-S050-2011-0036 EA.

Comments must be submitted by Wednesday, June 13, in writing to the BLM Uncompahgre Field Office, Attn: Desty Dyer, 2465 S. Townsend Avenue, Montrose, CO 81401; fax 970-240-5368; or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Please note comments and information submitted regarding this project, including e-mail addresses and street addresses of respondents will be available for public review and disclosure.

Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name, e-mail address, or street address from public view or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by the law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.

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