2020-06-25_REVISION - C1981035 (35)

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Environmental Assessment would not result in significant environmental effects beyond those already addressed in the BLM Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO)/San Juan National Forest Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Final San Juan National Forest and Proposed TRFO Land and Resource Management Plan (USDI/USDA September 2013). Following issuance of a Decision Record and FONSI by BLM, OSMRE would prepare a separate FONSI and either approve, disapprove, or approve with conditions the permit renewal and revision applications for the King II Federal Permit CO-0106A under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) and then prepare a recommendation for the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, Land and Minerals Management(ASLM)to either approve, disapprove, or approve with conditions the mining plan modification as provided for in the Mineral Leasing Act(MLA). See 30 United States Code (USC) 207. This chapter presents the purpose and need of the proposed project, as well as relevant issues such as human,natural, cultural, and environmental elements that could be affected by the implementation of the proposed project. In order to meet the purpose and need,the BLM and OSMRE have analyzed two alternatives: the Proposed Action Alternative and the No Action Alternative,both of which are presented in Chapter 2 (other alternatives considered but eliminated from detailed analysis are also included in Chapter 2). Chapter 3 describes the existing environment of the project area and describes the potential environmental effects from each alternative. Chapter 4 describes cumulative impacts. 1.2 Background The King Coal Mine began operation in 1938 at the current location in Hesperus, Colorado, with the first federal coal lease for the mine obtained in 1941. Coal production has occurred and is currently occurring on land obtained through federal leases, fee owners, split estate,the Ute Mountain Ute (UMU) Tribe,and beginning in 2007, a State of Colorado lease. The King I Mine operated continuously from 1938 until 2009 from a single mine portal location south of La Plata County Road (CR) 120. The reserve that makes up the King II Mine was discovered in 1998 and lies north of CR 120. The King II Mine surface operation and portal were constructed in 2007, approximately 2 miles southwest of the King I Mine on the north side of CR 120. The operation is located in Section 36,Township 35, Range 12,New Mexico Principal Meridian on CR 120 approximately 6.5 miles west of Colorado State Highway(SH) 140. See the Vicinity Map in Appendix A,Map A-1. GCC acquired ownership of the King Coal Mine in 2005 and obtained all applicable mining permits, including,but not limited to,permits from La Plata County (LPC), CDRMS, OSMRE, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration(MSHA). Both the King I and King II Mines were operated by GCC until 2009,when mining operations ceased at the King I site due to exhaustion of the coal resource. The current mine permit authorizes some mine refuse disposal from the King II operations at the King I site. The existing King 11 Mine operations are currently within a 1,311.69-acre federal coal lease (COC-62920) and a 640-acre State lease (CO-3388), as shown on the Project Area Map (Appendix A, Map A-2). All surface facilities and disturbance for the King II Mine extension are located on the State land,and have been permitted under CDRMS permit number 4C-1981-035 (refer to Permit Revision number 408, approved June 19, 2006; Technical Revision [TR] Number 15 [TR-15], approved March 15, 2010;TR-22 approved July 16, 2014; TR-24, approved August 29,2016; TR-25, approved December 17, 2015; and TR-26, approved October 20, 2016). Surface facilities at the King II site cover approximately 25.5 acres, DOI-BLM-CO-S010-2011-0074-EA September 2017 -13-