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SALT LAKE CITY — A 6,100-acre tract of land that contains 55.7 million tons of recoverable coal in Sanpete and Sevier counties will be offered by the Bureau of Land Management in a competitive lease sale.
The Bureau of Land Management said the coal resources will be offered to the highest bidder in a sale on Sept. 22 using sealed bids.
BLM authorities say the coal resources are being offered despite a three-year national moratorium on any new federal leases for coal because the Greens Hollow tract qualifies under exceptions to the moratorium.
In this case, federal agencies had already conducted an environmental review and made a decision that it could proceed with the sale prior to the moratorium coming into effect.
The tract is about 10 miles west of Emery on lands managed and owned by the U.S. Forest Service, and the coal is adjacent to the existing SUFCO mine, which is operated by a subsidiary of Bowie Resources.
Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, praised the BLM decision to move ahead with the coal lease.
“Today’s announcement is welcome news for central Utah’s rural communities, as coal production will preserve thousands of high-paying jobs," Stewart said. "I’m pleased that the BLM has recognized the importance of diverse energy sources, and I’m committed to fighting for sustainable energy sources that are good for both rural Utah and our energy independence.”
