(a) As a matter of policy, the Department shall complete the processing of all preference right lease applications.

(b) Preference right lease applications shall be processed in the cycle of on-going comprehensive land use plans unless the authorized officer determines that the processing of the application, in the cycle of on-going comprehensive land use plans, will not be completed by December 1, 1984.

(c)

(1) Each applicant may file a request with the authorized officer:

(i) For an estimate of when the application shall be processed in the cycle of on-going comprehensive land use plans; and

(ii) To have the applicant's application processed in advance of the period specified in the authorized officer's estimate.

(2) The request shall include a statement of how the applicant will benefit from having the application processed more quickly than otherwise scheduled, and shall specify how the pendency of the application affects the applicant's production, marketing or use of coal before 1986.

(3) If the authorized officer concludes that the failure to process an application apart from the cycle of on-going comprehensive land use plans would cause the applicant substantial hardship, the authorized officer may process the application apart from the cycle of on-going comprehensive land use plans in a land use analysis.

[44 FR 42628, July 19, 1979, as amended at 47 FR 33143, July 30, 1982; 52 FR 25798, July 8, 1987]