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Show U Federal oil shale tract nominations expected about Jan. 15, 1981 (Special to the Vernal Express) By Helene C. Monberg S. fehington Tract nominations by I ialry would be requested by the 4 tor Department on or about Jan. .'.SI, under the new three-year lease Mule which the oil shale task force it lo Under Secretary of Interior as A. Joseph on Sept. 10; to. lease t: more oil shale tracts. , , "it: the schedule, which Joseph tat yet approved, there would be a resale of up to four more oil shale nonpublic land on Aug. 16, 1983. It I, aimed that the tracts will be in 11 tado and Utah. The leasing would i continuation of the Interior iMrlment's 1974 test lease plan, distant Interior Secretary Guy R. Win has submitted a precise lle to Joseph as head of the task g It is designed to touch all bases to the lease sale takes place. It is ' , Allows: i-5V. . , , planning analysis, 75 days, to be "pitted on Oct. 15, 1980. It provides developing a tract delineation and bon criteria, following a call for 3 U mnation of oil shale technologies vees ih as published in the Federal pier on Aug. 18. Public meetings " I held on proposed tract "Jlion and selection criteria. The 'ill be done by the district offices Bureau of Land Management 1(11 in Colorado and Utah. 6 !aping and publishing traction tract-ion criteria, 90 days. It will begin w-17 and end on Jan. 15, 1981. 'aly, it provides for a 90-day rt period to put the tract 'I"" "ion criteria in final form. The So?- "'ill be done by the BLM state ie' state agencies and will be 581 : 'T1 by the task force operating ttr Martin. tract nominations, 60 days. It tosed on existing information ev? f companies have finished their h ;. J1? Program in the field this industry will have from Jan. 15-( 15-( '5 1981, to nominate tracts, with geological Survey handling the C , tor industry to identify lei' r',H tracts and suPPlv SUP" ta as to why industry wants i tracts. 5- isfnt63"00' 60 to' from lb. 5 to May 15, 1981 . This work will ,:l the BLM field, district and IP t W 'lleU'S' Geological Survey i. h and Wildlife Service 3li? i;ca!1Vlthheavy state involvement. Wy U lnvolves determining Ji r . are and whether there concerning them. J i;' 150 s, from March 15 to Kp ',1881- Here enough time has n atil for act"al field in-,th in-,th o i . panicu'arly of the Utah 'W 1 j less data "ave been 'iionM a.ddition to the agencies Ve' individuals and W w?1 knowledge of such n ffWJ asked t0 Provide in-nabut in-nabut specific areas. nJK analysis, 120 days, from !? 1981' This is a Cental nnder the National En-flC- iltakethi 0licv Act (NEPA) and :ieled , same governmental input K . and state levels as above, f '' tract ranking, 45 days, from Dec. 15, 1981-Feb. 1, 1982. This will be based on information already developed, and state coordination will be critical at this stage. Preliminary cumulative analysis, 60 days, from Feb. 1, 1982 thru April 1, 1982. By this time an environmental impact statement team (EIS) would be on board in each state, and it would work "with the task force and others in BLM, USGS,:' F&WS and at 'the state level to evaluate the cumulative impacts im-pacts of leasing various combination of tracts and alternatives. Formal EIS Scoping, 15 days, from middle of March to April 1, 1982. It is basically a period of public meetings to meet NEPA requirements under the regulations put out by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Development of draft environmental impact analysis, April 15 to Oct. 15, 1982, with the work to be done by many agencies under the direction of a BLM team in lead state, not yet determined. Preferred alternatives will also be spelled out, with heavy state involvement. in-volvement. Comment period on the draft EIS, 90 days, from Oct. 15, 1982-Jan. 15, 1983. This will give the public its first crack at the EIS. Preparation and filing of final EIS, 90 days, from Jan. 15 thru April 15, 1983. The work would be under the direction of the BLM team, with heavy state involvement. The BLM director would file the final EIS with CEQ on April 15, 1983. Comment period on final EIS, 30 days for public review, from April 15-May 15, 1983. Plan approval and recommend tracts for leasing, 30 days, from May 15-June 15. 1983. The recommendations would go to the Secretary of Interior from a BLM state team which would recommend recom-mend the tracts. The Secretary of Interior would determine the tracts to be leased and alternative tracts, 30 days, from May 15 to June 15, 1983. ' Department of Energy review, 30 days, from May 15 to June 15, 1983. Sale notive, 30 days from July 15 to Aug. 15, 1983, by Interior. Sale of four tracts to be leased, Aug. 16, 1983, by Interior. |
