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EMD-81-70 1 (1981-04-02)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabbrx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: APRIL 2. 1981 B-202645 The Honorable James G. Watt t,33 Secretary of the Interior D Dear Mr. Secretary: Subject: Questions Concerning Proposed Utah Power and Light Company Coal Lease Exchange (EMD-81-70) As you know, we have been reviewing the proposed Utah Power and Light Company coal lease exchange--involving the relinquishment of preference right lease applications (PRLAs) for coal in southern Utah in return for coal leases in central Utah. We plan to have a draft report ready for the Department's review on this matter sometime in April. But, meanwhile, we understand you may be close to making a decision which could consummate such an exchange, perhaps even before our April draft. Thus, in advance of our draft report which will provide a full treatment of our evaluation, we would like to highlight some concerns we have about the desirability of making the exchange. Basically our concerns boil down to: --A question concerning the validity of the PRLAs themselves. --The lack of data, particularly on coal reserves, for making the required equal value determination. --The effect giving over highly desirable coal lands in central Utah would have on opportunities for competitive leasing in that area. - IL) - a' I..- - - - Most basically, we believe there is an unanswered question as to whether Utah Power and Light Company has a valid right to be issued a preference right lease--thus whether an exchange is even appropriate. This has never been resolved. The prior administration entered into an exchange agreement with the company and began its evaluation on the basis that this ques- tion did not need to be addressed because Congress authorized the exchange. However, the Congress expressed its intent that before accepting the PRLAs the Secretary would first satisfy (008970) 7~J (~( :- ~A I N'' ENERGY AND MINERALS DIVISION UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D.C. 20548 -D-6 &~ 4 3 (I'W 6 2 -3 3 ww/qz L

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