The federal agency also released its unsigned finding of no significant impact regarding the modifications requested for the complex near Paonia.
Bowie Resources wants to add about 500 adjacent acres to its COC37210 and COC61209 leases to continue operations.
The producer aims to access about 3.25 million tons of recoverable federal coal in the area.
Because the lease modification’s surface area includes private and public lands, including a BLM-managed portion, the agency is following protocol to remain in compliance with the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of 1947 and the Uncompahgre Basin resource management plan via the National Environmental Policy Act.
Written comments via mail, fax or email are being accepted by the BLM’s Uncompahgre field office until May 30.
All input will be also made available for public review.
Bowie followed the same public comment process for the other two leases last October, with input due last November.
The 297-worker Bowie No. 2 mine opened in November 1997 and produced about 2.5Mt of coal last year.
The mine’s home county, Delta, received $US860,000 in tax revenues from Bowie in 2011, the largest revenue source for the county for the year.
