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_~ ~ <br />~~~ - <br />~i <br />~~~ <br />oiw6i <br />i~ <br /> <br />:} <br />t <br />:, <br />., <br />^' Y <br />,`! <br />., <br />4 ~ <br />,; <br />_~ <br /> <br />9' ;/ <br />UNITED STATESv~VIRONM6NTAL PROTECTIO~.GENCY <br />REGION Vtll <br />1060 UNCOIN 57REET <br />OE-+VEa COlOa~00 9030] <br /> <br />Raf <br />8F1-EE <br />Mr. Oale Andrus. Director <br />bureau of Land Management <br />1600 Croadvay <br />Denver, Colorado 86203 <br />Oear tir. Andrus: <br />In response to a request, by the 1•lestern Slope Energy Research <br />Center, Inc., a citi~cn's group in the North Fork Valley of the Gunnison <br />River, EPA has conducted a review of the draft Environm°ntal Assessment <br />Record (~1R) addressing Coal Leese Sale App]ication C-25098 ar~d other <br />proposed actions by the Bureau of Land i•lanag~nent. As you know, EF.4 <br />leas the authority to review the decisions of other Federal agencies in <br />order to assr'ss the need for an environmental impact statement pursuant <br />to the requirrJ-ne:~t5 of the National Environm:ntal Policy Act. Our <br />authority 'ror this rnvicly is contained in Section 309 of the Cleat Air <br />Act. <br />In.:onducting an environmental review under Section 309 dt' the <br />Clean Air Act, v:2 e;<amine the impacts of Federal decisions frnm the <br />perspective or' EPA's areas of authority and expertise, including sir and <br />svaiar quality, noise, pesticides, solid waste, and radiation. Our re- <br />viev: or" the draft EAR on Coal Lease Sale Application C-25098 is there- <br />for•e l lr~ited in its: scope to ti,c primary and szcondary impacts of fire <br />cont~~:plated actions in the specified areas of EPA's autltor•ity and <br />eracrtise. <br />f!ased an the review of tflc dra'~'t EAR er:d other information gathered <br />uur~fng our analysis, ue believe that a projec•c of the magnitude that is <br />proposed in the lease sale aoplication would be a major Federal action <br />r~hich r:ould result in significant enviroruaental impacts. Sale of such <br />a lease tvould, in our opinion, r.^_yuire the preparation of a Complete <br />enviro~tmcntal impact stst~~nent (CIS} pursuant to Section 162(c) of the <br />'lational Enviroentiantal Policy Act. `le also believe that it t:culd set an <br />lnappropriat.e pr2cedn,~t to mal:L a long-taYm co~nii7aent of coal resources ~. <br />without ~rirst addressing in detail fire optisnal approach to utilization <br />of tit+' coal resources of the entire Norttt Fork 'l alley i;id tixa impacts <br />tita•t h:v2 ~alr2ac;y occurred there through ~aveio~-n~nt of nela facilities <br />in assticipation of cbcaining a substcntial Federal +:oal lease. ibis <br /> <br />_ _~~,.. <br />