A preference right lease shall be issued if, upon review of the application, any available land use plan and the environmental assessment or environmental impact statement, the authorized officer determines that:
(a) Coal has been discovered in commercial quantities on the lands applied for;
(b) The applicant has used reasonable economic assumptions and data to support the showing that coal has been found on the proposed lease in commercial quantities; and
(c) The conditions or protective lease stipulations assure that environmental damage can be avoided or acceptably mitigated. [47 FR 33143, July 30, 1982]