OCR Text |
Show Utah, Colorado lands eyed for coal The Interior Department has started assessment which could lead to leasing of lands in Utah and Colorado estimated to contain 1.6 billion to 2.1 billion tons of coal, according to an agency spokesmen. The lands, with a total of 291,000 acres, are located in the Uinta-southwestern Uinta-southwestern Utah coal production region of Colorado and Utah. About 280,000 acres are in central and southern Utah, said Garrey Carruthers, assistant secretary for land and water resources. The Bureau of Land Management will identify lands that might be suitable for leasing, prepare environmental impact statements and then decide which tracts, if any, will be offered for competitive bid. A regional coal team will meet in Salt Lake City July 22-23 to determine possible coal tracts, said Carruthers. |