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Environmental Assessment Bowie Resources, L.L.C. <br />August 2005 Spruce Stomp Federal Coal Exploration License (150- 2005 -43) <br />Discuss future potential impacts from mining, methane venting, and road building associated <br />with successful exploration. <br />As the Proposed Action is for an exploration- drilling program only, the only outcome of <br />the Proposed Action would be information. Likewise, "successful exploration" would <br />only result in data retrieval. Any future mining, methane venting, and associated mining <br />roads are speculative, and are, therefore, not analyzed in this EA. However, road <br />building associated with the exploration drilling would be analyzed as part of the <br />Proposed Action. <br />Assess likely or known proposed locations of Methane Drainage Wells. <br />Methane Drainage Wells are not necessary for coal exploration activities; therefore, <br />locations would not be discussed. <br />Assess greenhouse gas emissions of reasonably foreseeable venting methane from underground <br />mining, burning of coal, emissions as a result of transportation of coal and overall efficiency of <br />the utilization of coal burning form mine to load. <br />As the Proposed Action is for an exploration- drilling program only, the only outcome of <br />the project would be information; therefore, underground mining activities, burning of <br />coal or emissions as a result of transportation of coal are not part of the Proposed Action <br />or would be considered a result of the Proposed Action. <br />' Include a full set of color foldout large -scale maps (alternatives, travelways, vegetation, past road <br />construction, riparian and wetlands, landslide risk) with the Draft EIS. <br />This will be an EA -level analysis. There is no requirement for map size or color in NEPA <br />or its implementing regulations. The EA will contain maps and figures sufficient to <br />convey the necessary information to the reader. <br />' Will the Proposed Action affect the Pitkin Mesa springs or water transport facilities? <br />Pitkin Mesa spring is outside the area of potential effect of the Proposed Action. The <br />' spring is located approximately 114 mile from the project boundary and approximately 12 <br />mile from the nearest drilling hole. Additionally, drilling would occur hundreds of feet <br />below the elevation of the spring. <br />Project - related noise can frighten livestock within the area, which results in non -use of and area <br />larger than actual disturbance area. <br />Project - related noise would be temporary in nature and is not expected to have long -term <br />effects on livestock. <br />1 -12 <br />