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n <br />FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT <br />Introduction <br /> <br />This assessment of economic impacts addresses the concerns associated with <br />modification of the present stream standards to more practicall reflect the <br />ambient standards of the receiving stream. Colorado Yampa Coal Company (CYCC) <br />believes that the present effluent limitations, based on stream standards, <br />should be modified in accordance with the ambient conditions of the receiving <br />stream. CYCC has initiated monitoring programs to determine ambient conditions <br />of the receiving stream. Data from the monitoring program will be utilized to <br />evaluate and perform alternative treatability studies, if such studies are <br />necessary to meet the ambient effluents limitation standards. <br />Costs <br />No costs are anticipated to be necessary since the Petition proposed only <br />requests that the present stream standard limitations be modified to reflect <br />ambient conditions of the receiving stream. <br />If alternative treatment and disposal methods are ultimately required to <br />comply with ambient stream standards, costs associated with the development, <br />operation, and maintenance of the alternative treatment and disposal methods <br />would be born by the consumer as pass-though costs. Where pass-though costs are <br />not appropriate, it is assumed that the company would carry the financial burden <br />as operations and/or in maintenance costs. <br />Benefits <br />Approval of the Petition would benefit the State of Colorado, the <br />electrical consumer, the citizens of Routt County, and Colorado Yampa Coal <br />Company (CYCC). The State of Colorado would benefit by relieving the Department <br />of Health, Water Quality Control Division (DOH, WQCD) of enforcement <br />responsibilities of certain stream standards which presently exceed ambient <br />conditions of the receiving stream, while ensuring that the receiving stream <br />quality is not negatively impacted by the mining operation. The electrical <br />consumer would benefit due to the most practical production of coal to generate <br />electricity in an environmentally sound manner. The citizens of Routt County <br />would benefit by the approval of this Petition by maintaining direct and <br />indirect employment opportunities for the local population associated with CYCC, <br />as well as ensuring a significant portion of the tax base within the county <br />attributable to the CYCC operations. CYCC will benefit from the approval of <br />this Petition by being able to mitigate potential environmental degradation, due <br />to its mining operations, in the most practicable manner. <br />Conclusions <br />Considering the cost/benefit analysis above, it is evident that the benefit <br />derived from the approval of this Petition are vast and far-reaching in both <br />number of people and areas of the country. It is also evident that this <br />Petition, when approved, would not, in any way, reduce the ambient receiving <br />stream quality and as such would have no potential for environmental <br />degradation. <br />