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• Finding of No Significant Impact The technical analysis and environmental assessment identifies certain envi- ronmental impacts that would be caused by mining of the Bear q3 Mine onto a ~ Federal coal lease of approximately 267 acres and in the reclamation of Bear pl and l12. Impacts from subsidence, if any, appear to be mitigatable or 1' avoidable. Past abandoned mining in the immediate area reveals very little subsidence. Furthermore, geologically, there is a massive sandstone cap in this area that historically precludes massive subsidence and abandoned work- ings substantiate this. Also, the company is intending to rejuvenate remine and reclaim an area that was previously mined and left unreclaimed. The old workings have been standing since 1934, show little signs of subsidence. All surface disturbance (8 acres) will be done in an area previously disturbed from past mining activities. The mine site is located 140 feet above the North Fork of the Gunnison stream channel and in no way will affect an AVF located about one mile downstream. The mine surface facilities have been designed to prevent harm to the North Fork of the Gunnison stream channel by proper channel ditches and a sediment pond. The reclamation of Bear N1 and rW2 will be done in accordance with plans approved by the Regulatory Authority. Based on the evaluation of impacts in the Technical Analysis prepared by the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division, and the Environmental Assessment Supplement prepared by OSM, the environmental assessment prepared by the USGS • and the BLM EIS entitled West-Central Colorado Coal issued February 1979, the OSM staff finds that no sig m scant impacts to t e human environment would re- sult from continued mining on this property. Preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) under the National Environment Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et sec., is, therefore, not required. 1 -~~-8~ en D. Klein Administrator Western Technical Center