{"abstract":"The Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corporation (DM&E) has filed an application with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) for authority to construct and operate new rail line facilities in east-central Wyoming, southwest South Dakota, and south-central Minnesota. The project, known as the Powder River Basin Expansion Project, involves approximately 280.9 miles of new rail line construction and would extend DM&E's existing rail line from Wall, South Dakota west to coal mines in Wyoming's Powder River Basin. Additionally, DM&E proposes to rebuild approximately 597.8 miles of existing rail line along its current system to standards acceptable for operation of unit coal trains. The project would require actions by a number of Federal agencies, including the Board, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), and the U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard). The Board, through its Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) and in cooperation with USFS, BLM, COE, Reclamation, and the Coast Guard, has published a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for the Powder River Basin Expansion Project. This Draft EIS is a preliminary analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the DM&E proposal and its reasonable and feasible alternatives, including the No-Action Alternative. SEA emphasizes that the conclusions and recommended environmental mitigation measures in this Draft EIS are preliminary, and invites public and agency comments on all aspects of the Draft EIS. SEA is providing a 90-day public comment period on the Draft EIS. Comments must be postmarked by the close of the comment period, which is January 5, 2001. Information on how to submit comments is set forth below. SEA, working with the five cooperating agencies, will make its final recommendations on the project, including environmentally preferable alternative(s) and environmental mitigation, to the Board in the Final EIS, after considering all public comments on the Draft EIS and conducting further environmental analysis, agency consultations, and site visits, as appropriate. The Final EIS will be issued after public comments have been received, reviewed, and fully evaluated. Notice of availability of the Final EIS will be published in the Federal Register. Following issuance of the Final EIS, the Board will make its final decision regarding this project and any environmental conditions it might impose. When considering whether to grant final approval of the proposed transaction, the Board will consider the potential environmental effects and the cost of any environmental mitigation it might impose on the project. In reaching its final decision in this proceeding, the Board will take into account the full environmental record, including the Draft EIS, the Final EIS, and all public and agency comments received. The cooperating agencies will issue their decisions based on the same environmental record.","action":"Notice of availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement and notice of public meetings.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION","name":"Transportation Department","id":492,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/transportation-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/492","parent_id":null,"slug":"transportation-department"},{"raw_name":"SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD","name":"Surface Transportation Board","id":481,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/surface-transportation-board","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/481","parent_id":null,"slug":"surface-transportation-board"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2000/09/27/00-24852.html","cfr_references":[],"citation":"65 FR 58146","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":null,"disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["STB Finance Docket No. 33407"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"00-24852","effective_on":null,"end_page":58148,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2000/09/27/00-24852.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2000/09/27/00-24852/dakota-minnesota-and-eastern-railroad-corporation-construction-into-the-powder-river-basin","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/00-24852?publication_date=2000-09-27","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2000-09-27/00-24852/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":3,"page_views":{"count":40,"last_updated":"2026-04-04 12:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2000-09-27/pdf/00-24852.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":null,"publication_date":"2000-09-27","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2000/09/27/00-24852.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{},"regulation_id_numbers":[],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":null,"signing_date":null,"start_page":58146,"subtype":null,"title":"Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corporation Construction Into the Powder River Basin","toc_doc":"Dakota, Minnesota  Eastern Railroad Corp.","toc_subject":"Environmental statements; availability, etc.:","topics":[],"type":"Notice","volume":65}