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<br />!10il358 <br /> <br />- 26 - <br /> <br />~ <br />solids in ground water regimes than pre-mining condition, possibly leading <br />to increased levels of salinity in the receiving waters. There may also be <br />an impact upon ground water availability since surface mining can affect recharge <br />zones for important aquifers, although the significance of this impact is <br />extremely site-specific. It should also be recognized that one of the principal <br />uses of water in mining is for surface dust control. In the case of coal <br />mining there are also uses for mining machines. fire control and coal wash <br />plants. <br /> <br />Under Federal regulations and laws, stringent standards must be applied <br />to mining at all stages, including the potential designation of areas as <br />unsuitable for surface coal mining. The work required to determine unsuitability, <br />grant permits for mining, monitor mining activities, and assure compliance <br />with reclamation requirements will place a very high workload on the State <br />Division of Mine Land Reclamation. It may well be that such a workload swamps <br />the system and generates delays in granting of permits. Delays may be magnified <br />at the Federal level concerning the Department of Interior's leasing and <br />regulatory structure and the environmental impact statement processes. All of <br />these are procedural and bureaucratic problems which will make the high scenario <br />very unwieldy. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Joint Review Process Impacts <br /> <br />The high scenario would significantly increase the number and nature of <br />energy projects which would qualify for inclusion under the Joint Review Process <br />The voluntary nature of this process, which organizes the permitting and <br />licensing sequence among the various levels of government, means that not all <br />eligible projects would seek Joint Review Process designation or be accepted. <br />However, the desirability of benefits to development proponents from use of <br />the Joint Review Process is likely to increase dramatically the workload <br />under this program. The participation of local governments in this process would <br />also be essential, but would place a heavy financial impact on these governmental <br />entities. There will be a substantial impact on other state agencies which <br />are required to hold hearings, or grant permits and licenses as part of the :;/ <br />review process; this impact can be reduced somewhat through Joint Review Process <br />coordination. The high scenario would place a very heavy burden on all of the e <br />governmental entities early in the 1980's in order to process in proper <br />sequence the projects which would have to begin production by the mid-1980's. <br /> <br />Wildlife Impact <br /> <br />In northwest Colorado at least the following numbers of wild animals <br />will be affected to some degree by the high scenario of energy development: <br /> <br />305 species of birds <br />87 species of mammals <br />32 species of amphibians <br />40 species of fish <br />