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<br />co <br />1"- <br />~ <br /> <br />PREFACE <br /> <br />This Environmental Analysis was prepared for Colorado-Ute Electric Association, Inc., <br />Platte River Municipal Power Association, Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and <br />Power District, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc., and Utah <br />International Inc. The four utilities are participants in the Yampa Project. Two of the <br />utilities, Colorado-Ute and Tri-State, are applying for loan funds from the United States <br />Department of Agriculture, Rural Electrification Administration (REA), to finance portions <br />of the design and construction of two coal-fired generating units at the proposed Craig <br />Station near Craig, Colorado, associated transmission interties and a water storage reservoir. <br />Utah International Inc. (Ull) will supply the coal fuel for the generating units from a new <br />mine. <br /> <br />The introduction to this Analysis, the descriptions of the existing environment, the <br />generating station, reservoir and transmission system, and the summaries of impacts and <br />resource commitments were prepared by Stearns-Roger Incorporated. The description of the <br />mine, including the specific mining impacts and alternatives, was prepared by UlI. This <br />Environmental Analysis was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy <br />Act of 1969, (Public Law 91-190), the guidelines of the Council on Environmental Quality, <br />and those of the REA - the lead agency. The Analysis is intended to support all government <br />action related to the generating station, the mine, the reservoir and the transmission <br />facilities. <br /> <br />Section I of this Analysis provides an introduction to the Yampa Project. The history of the <br />project is described, and the loads and resources of each participant are evaluated. The scope <br />of the project is described in overview, and the major interactions between the Yampa <br />Project and State and Federal government agencies are listed. <br /> <br />Section 2 outlines the important features of the existing environment in the Craig-Hayden <br />area, with particular emphasis on those aspects which might be affected by the project. The <br />data presented in this Section were developed during environmental studies which began in <br />November, 1970, and include work by private consultants as well as pertinent public <br />documents and literature. <br /> <br />In Section 3, each major subsection of the project is dealt with as a separate item. Included <br />is a detailed description, the expected impacts resulting from each component, and <br />alternatives. <br /> <br />In Section 4, the entire project is assessed as a whole. The impacts associated with the <br />overall project are summarized, and the alternatives which were considered for the project as <br />a whole are analyzed. <br /> <br />Section 5 summarizes the favorable environmental effects which will result from the <br />proposed project. Section 6 summarizes the adverse environmental effects which cannot be <br />avoided if this proposal is implemented. <br /> <br />Section 7 discusses the relationship between the local short-term uses of man's environment <br />and the maintenance and enhancement of long-term productivity. Irreversible and <br />irretrievable commitments of resources to the Yampa Project are enumerated in Section 8. <br /> <br />i <br />