Public Notice from AMHT – Coal Gasification Licensing

Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority
Trust Land Office
Public Notice under 11 AAC 99.050
Decision to Conduct a Competitive Underground Coal Gasification Licensing Program Pursuant to AS 38.05.801 and 11 AAC 99

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the provisions of AS 38.05.801 and 11 AAC 99, the Executive Director of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Office (TLO) has determined that it is in the best interest of the Alaska Mental Health Trust and its beneficiaries to conduct a competitive underground coal gasification licensing program involving approximately 190,000 acres of unencumbered Trust land located on the northern Kenai Peninsula, the northern and western Cook Inlet Basin, and in the vicinity of Anderson, Healy, and Nenana. The basis for this determination is explained in a written best interest decision prepared by the Executive Director pursuant to 11 AAC 99.040. Acreage not licensed as a result of this offering may be offered again at a future date without additional public review, unless the terms and conditions of the subsequent offerings are significantly different than those described in the best interest decision. It is anticipated that the exploration program, if successful, will lead to a reduced land package that the licensee could lease for development without an additional public leasing process.

The Trust land affected by the decision is generally described as all unencumbered Trust coal estate within all or portions of the following townships: T5N, R8W; T6N, R11W; T7N, R11W; T8N, R11W; T12N, R12-13W; T13N, R10-13W; T14N, R12-13W; T16N, R1-3W; T17N, R4W; T18N, R1W, all Seward Meridian, and T4S, R7-8W; T6S, R8W; T11S, R7W; T12, R6-7W, all Fairbanks Meridian, consisting of approximately 190,000 acres.

Persons who believe that the written decision should be altered because it is not in the best interests of the Trust or its beneficiaries, or because the decision is inconsistent with Trust management principles set out in 11 AAC 99.020, or any other provision of 11 AAC 99, must provide written comments on or before 4:30 PM on July 20, 2010. Following the comment deadline, the Executive Director will consider timely comments that question the decision on the basis of the best interest of the Alaska Mental Health Trust and its beneficiaries or inconsistency with 11 AAC 99, and the best interest decision may be changed in response to such written comments or other information. Commenting parties will be provided a copy of the final best interest decision after the end of the notice period.

To be eligible to file for reconsideration of the best interest decision, or to file a subsequent appeal to the Superior Court, a person must have submitted written comments during the notice period. Eligible persons will have twenty (20) calendar days after receipt of the final written decision to request that the Executive Director reconsider the decision under 11 AAC 99.060(b).

Copies of the written decision are available at the Trust Land Office, 718 L Street, Suite 202, Anchorage, Alaska 99501, or at www.mhtrustland.org. If you have any questions concerning this action, please contact the Trust Land Office at (907) 269-8658.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Alaska Mental Health Trust is prepared to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Please contact the Trust Land Office at (907) 269-8658 for assistance. Requests for assistance must be received at least 48 hours prior to the comment deadline in order to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.

The Executive Director of the TLO reserves the right to waive technical defects in this notice or to amend, postpone, or vacate the best interest decision.