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Environmental Assessment <br /> impact analyses in the EA and to define alternatives and appropriate mitigation measures to minimize <br /> environmental impacts. <br /> 1.9.6 Draft EA Public Comment and Agency Response <br /> This EA was made publically available for review as a draft document on June 9,2017 on both BLM and <br /> OSMRE webpages. Interested party letters were sent to 115 people/agencies in advance of posting the EA <br /> for public review and comment for 30 days, ending July 10, 2017. Twenty-seven public comment letters <br /> or emails were received by OSMRE and BLM in response to the public draft posting of the EA. During <br /> the 30-day public comment period, on June 20, 2017, OSMRE, BLM and LPC held a public Open House <br /> at the Breen Community Building in La Plata County near the King II Mine. Fifty-seven members of the <br /> public attended the Open House to review informational posters that detailed the Proposed Action; <br /> described the regulatory process associated with the Proposed Action; and presented a variety of affected <br /> resource issues and data. Agency management representatives and resource specialists attended the Open <br /> House poster session to engage with the interested public and to answer questions. In addition to the <br /> public comment received in response to the posted Draft EA, an additional 32 comment cards were <br /> submitted by the public at the Open House. All public comments received from the web posting of the <br /> Draft EA and from the Open House are provided in the Public Comment/Agency Response Matrix <br /> included as Appendix B to this EA. <br /> 1.10 Resources Considered, but Eliminated from Further Analysis <br /> Because the mining operation is conducted underground, surface resources above the coal lease and <br /> permit areas are only minimally impacted by surface activities such as exploration drilling. Over the <br /> course of normal mining operations,there are commonly permit revisions required by the OSMRE or <br /> CDRMS or proposed by the permittee. Should any potential future permit revisions create a need to <br /> disturb any surface areas within the lease or permit areas, the OSMRE and CDRMS would require <br /> environmental review(i.e.,cultural resources, sensitive species clearances)prior to approval of permit <br /> revisions that include ground-disturbing activities. This EA also analyzes the surface impacts associated <br /> with phased road improvements of CR 120 as outlined in the RIA (refer to Appendix B). The resources <br /> and issues that are evaluated in detail in Chapters 3 and 4 are: <br /> ■ Air quality <br /> ■ Climate Change <br /> ■ Geology and minerals (including subsidence) <br /> ■ Paleontology <br /> ■ Water resources <br /> ■ Transportation <br /> ■ Vegetation <br /> ■ Wildlife <br /> ■ Endangered,threatened and sensitive species <br /> DOI-BLM-CO-S010-2011-0074-EA <br /> September 2017 <br /> -33- <br />