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Environmental Assessment Bowie Resoutces, L.L.C. <br />August 2005 Spmce Stomp Federal Coal Explomtion License (150- 200543) <br />Potentialfor Geologic Hazards <br />' Proposed drill holes PRP -SS -2, PRP -SS -3, PRP -SS -4, PRP -SS -13 and PRP -SS -15 as well as the <br />reconditioning of NFSR 701.1A and NFSR 703, and construction of pump site WTC -P1 are <br />1 located near areas of unstable (stabilized earth flow) slopes (BLM and GMUG 2000). <br />PRP -SS -5, PRP -SS -8, PRP -SS -9, PRP- SS -10, PRP- SS -11, and PRP- SS -11, as well as the <br />reconditioning of NFSR 824 and U803, and construction of pump site TC -P1 and TC -P2 are <br />located near areas of unstable (stabilized landslide) slopes (BLM and GMUG 2000). <br />' While all of the Proposed Action holes are near past geologic hazards, there is no discernable <br />potential for these holes to result in any new geologic hazards. The BLM and USDA -FS IDT <br />placed the drill hole locations and temporary access roads to avoid areas of instability. <br />Therefore, negligible earth movements are expected as a result of the Proposed Action. <br />Based on the varied degree geologic hazards in the SSCEL, the improvement of existing roads <br />and construction of temporary roads associated with some of the exploration holes (as listed <br />' above) would not be allowed to occur on mountainside slopes or toe slopes of unstable or <br />potentially unstable slopes, where the potential for geologic hazards is the greatest. <br />No Action Alternative <br />The No Action Alternative eliminates the potential for the Proposed Action to impact the <br />SSCEL. <br />3.3.5.3 Mitigation Measures <br />1. Conditions prescribed by the GMUG (Section 2.1.1) detail requirements for preserving <br />soils and geologic stability. No other mitigations have been identified. <br />3.4 Cumulative Impacts <br />The following discussion examines the impacts by resource area that the Proposed Action could <br />have in combination with other past and future projects. <br />3.4.1 Air <br />Approval of the Proposed Action would result in a temporary, minor increase in fugitive <br />emissions in the form of PMIo and tailpipe emissions. The Proposed Action is located in an <br />attainment area. Fugitive emissions are not regulated in Colorado, and no database for <br />quantifying background emissions is maintained. The major contributors to such emissions have <br />been, and would continue to be, from the near -by urban areas of Paonia and Hotchkiss, industrial <br />activities including coal and aggregate mining, and agricultural activities. The temporary minor <br />increase of fugitive emissions resulting from approval of the Proposed Action will not represent <br />a significant cumulative degradation in air quality. No increase in fugitive emissions would <br />occur as the result of selecting the no- project alternative. <br />3-47 <br />