Avalanche danger closes pass

BILLINGS, Mont. - The east entrance into Yellowstone National Park over Sylvan Pass has been shut down to all traffic due to avalanche danger - only a day after it first opened for the winter season.

Access over Sylvan Pass has been a point of contention in recent months between park administrators, who say it is a safety risk, and officials in Wyoming who say the route is vital to the Cody-area economy.

A compromise last summer led the park to drop a plan to quit maintaining the pass during winter.

Park deputy superintendent Colin Campbell said closures will continue as avalanche dangers warrant.

Meanwhile, recent snowfalls led park officials on Tuesday to open all interior roads where snowmobiling is allowed. Much of the interior had remained shut to snowmobiles at the start of the winter season on Dec. 15.

Oil spill prompts travel advisory

GILLETTE - The Wyoming Department of Transportation is warning motorists against unnecessary travel on Highway 50 south of Gillette because of an oil spill.

A Black Hills Trucking company truck spilled crude oil over a 25-mile stretch of the southbound lane of the highway at around midnight on Saturday.

WyDOT said the cold weather is hampering the cleanup. Although the highway has been sanded, the oil isn't being absorbed by the sand.

The department urges travelers to take Highway 59 to go south.

West Antelope II final EIS available

The West Antelope II Coal Lease Application Final Environmental Impact Statement is now available for review from the Bureau of Land Management Casper Field Office, according to a release.

The BLM is considering issuing a coal lease as a result of an April 6, 2005, application made by Antelope Coal Company to lease the federal coal in the West Antelope II coal tract.

This tract is located in Converse and Campbell counties and is near the Antelope Mine, approximately 50 miles north of Douglas.

Antelope Coal Company estimates the tract includes approximately 429.7 million tons of mineable federal coal, which would allow the mine to maintain present production rates and extend the life of the mine.

The FEIS is not a decision document. Its purpose is to inform the public of impacts associated with issuing a federal coal lease in the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin.

A record of decision will be prepared after the close of the 30-day review period. Comments received on the FEIS will be considered during the preparation of the ROD.

The BLM will accept public comments on the FEIS through Jan. 20.

Address questions, comments or concerns to the Casper Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Sarah Bucklin, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, WY, 82604; by fax to (307)261-7587; or send e-mail comments to the attention of Sarah Bucklin at casper_wymail@blm.gov.

Copies of the final EIS are available for public inspection online at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/cfodocs/West_Antelope_II.html or at the following BLM offices: Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne; Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector Drive.