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Environmental Assessment Bowie Resources, L.L.C. <br />' August 2005 Spruce Stomp Federal Coal Exploration License (150- 2005 -43) <br />2 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES <br />2.1 Proposed Action <br />The BLM proposes to authorize issuing the SSCEL to BRL with Conditions for protecting non - <br />mineral interests on the NFS lands described in Section 2.1.1. Issuing the SSCEL includes <br />approving the construction of specific drill sites and temporary access roads, and approving use <br />of existing NFS and non - system roads. Temporary access roads are defined as roads that would <br />be reclaimed upon project completion. Specifics of the Proposed Action are described below. <br />Eleven coal exploration drill sites are proposed on the SSCEL (Figure 2 -1). Drill pad sizes <br />would be about 200 feet by 200 feet (0.9 acres) each. Construction of each pad would proceed <br />by first selectively clearing brush/vegetation, removing the topsoil and stockpiling it for use in <br />later reclamation, and leveling the subsoil to form a flat pad. Reserve pits would be constructed <br />on the prepared pad. The pads would be designed to contain any runoff, and would be sloped so <br />that all fluids drain toward the reserve pit. No drill mud would be used during drilling activities. <br />All drilling will be conducted with air rigs. New surface disturbance for drill pads is estimated at <br />10.1 acres. <br />Access for drilling the coal exploration holes is proposed using a combination of existing forest <br />roads and new temporary access roads. About one mile of new temporary access road <br />construction is proposed along with reconditioning approximately 6.4 miles of existing roads. <br />Reconditioning of an existing road includes, but is not limited to, grading and shaping, <br />gravelling, and installing drainage features that would serve to improve the roads' travelways <br />and provide drainage to afford safe drill rig access. A temporary road is one that is not intended <br />to be part of the forest transportation system and not necessary for long -term resource <br />management. All temporary roads would be decommissioned by obliteration, and reclaimed <br />when no longer needed at the end of the project. Specifics of the road use and construction by <br />drill hole are shown on Figure 2 -1. Road access needs by drill hole are given in Section 3.3.1.2. <br />Surface disturbance associated with the one mile of new temporary access road construction is <br />estimated at about 3.7 acres. Expected surface disturbance associated with drill pad construction, <br />and new temporary road construction is estimated at about 13.8 acres in the SSCEL. <br />Water would be delivered to each drill site via a 1 -inch high - pressure hose laid alongside the <br />access road and/or with a 4,000 - gallon water truck. Three water pump locations would be used <br />' as shown on Figure 2 -1. Self- contained pumps would be placed in a sheet metal trough capable <br />of containing full volume of the engine oil and fuel supply used for the pumps in case of a leak. <br />Drill hole abandonment, and reclamation of pads and temporary roads would commence as soon <br />as practicable following completion of each drill hole. Drill holes would be plugged according <br />to State of Colorado (State) and BLM standards. Drill pad reclamation activities would involve <br />replacing the sub and topsoils, recontouring the land surface to approximate original contour, <br />working in the removed vegetation to provide organic material on the reclaimed area, and re- <br />seeding with a USDA -FS- approved seed mix. New temporary access roads would be <br />decommissioned by obliteration, whereby, the prism would be removed and the land surface <br />2 -1 <br />