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<br />GhVIROt:NE;CTAL ASSESSSI:^:T <br />Proposed Mine Expansion <br /> <br />Energy Atines 1 and 2 and the Eckman Park Area <br />Proposed :lction <br />The U. S. Office of Surface ?lining Reclamation and Enforce mer.t (OS:) is <br />recommending approval with stipulations of the mining e::pznsinn proposed b}• <br />Er.erg}• Fuels Corporation for Energy Plines I and 2 and the Eckman Park. area. <br />The mines are located 25 miles southwest of Steamboat Springs in Routt County, <br />Colorado (figure 1). USh1s recommendation :s in acc~,rdance with the initial <br />'nSogr,m regulations (30 CFR 211 and 710) i-plemei;ring the Surface Mining <br />Control and Reclamation Act (SMCR.4) of 1977 and conditions of the leases. The <br />plan has also been reviewed and found in compliance with the performance <br />standard requirements of the permanent program regulations pertai.-.ine ~to <br />Federal lands, with the e>:ception of the standards for contemporan=_ous <br />reclamation (30 CFR 516.100). <br />-Purpose of and heed for Action <br />The Department o`_ [he Interior has roceived a mining and reclamation. plan for <br />Federal coal lands that proposes to extend mini;., .from Enero": i:ine 1 into tiie <br />F,ckman Parl: area (new lease area). in addition [. propos ng ar. c:; panded <br />mining operation, the plan updates a previously approved plan on Enecg7 t9ines <br />1 and 2 in order to meet Che requirements of ~`5C1:.4 and regulations pursuant [o <br />SMCP,A. Energy Fuels will ship the coal by unit train [o Public Serv'_ce <br />Company of Colorado and I1lineis Power Company undo: existing contracts. <br />BacY.ground <br />Energ}• Coal Compan~~ began surface-mining operations at the Energy 1 Mine in <br />1962 (Federal coal lease D-052507). In 1972, Energy Fuels Corporation, the <br />new owner, opened Energy fiine 2, and in 1975, the company opened Energy `fine 3 <br />(no Federal coalj. In 1975, 19i7, 1978, and 1979 the Uepartment approved <br />additional mining of Federal coal (Federal leases C-10294, C-0128433, <br />C-081330, C-20900, C-22644, and D-052547). The U. S, Bureau of Land Management <br />(BLIi) analyzed rile environmental impacts of mining or, these leases in it=_ <br />environmental impact statement (EIS), North~.~est Colorado Coal (FES 77-1, Jan. <br />1977) and supplemental environmental report (Dec. 1973). The operation has <br />been producing over ? million togs per year of hip,h-quality, ]o;:-sul.`ur steam <br />coal s'_nce ! 976. Surface o~,aners of [he land in Che Enery•,v r..ines comple>: are <br />private, Stale, and Federal i;overnmen[. <br /> <br />