Office of the Secretary

For Immediate Release: October 15, 1999

Contact: John Wright 202/208-6416

Babbitt Delivers on Third Utah Monument Promise
$5.5 million settlement with PacifiCorp coal leases reached

Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt today announced a second agreement to relinquish federal coal leases in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah.

Under the agreement with PacifiCorp (which holds the lease as a result of its acquisition of Utah Power & Light several years ago), the company will receive $5.5 million, in return for which it will relinquish all of its interest in the Monument. Like the agreement announced last Friday with Andalex Corp., this agreement is subject to congressional appropriation.

"This is another follow-through by the Administration on President Clinton's proclamation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument," said Babbitt. "I am especially pleased with this agreement because PacifiCorp had initiated discussions with us to resolve these issues even before the President proclaimed the Monument, a fact noted and applauded by the President when he announced his historic action."

-DOI-