HYDRO31382

• Permit No: C1981022
• IBM Index Class Name: Hydrology
• Doc Name: SOMERSET MINING CO COAL LEASE APPLICATION C-53510 ENVIRONMENTAL ANAYSIS U-92-13
• Permit Index Doc Type: OTHER GROUND WATER
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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SOMERSET NININO COMPANY
• COAL LEA88 APPLICATION C-53510
ENVIRONMENTAL ANPS.Y8I8 U-92-13
I. PURPOSE AND NEED
The Colorado State Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLN) received on
December 19, 1991, a coal lease application from Somerset Mining Company. The
application was submitted under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, Federal Coal
Leasing Amendments Act of 1976, and 43 CFR 3420. The coal reserves are
managed by the Montrose District Office of the BLH. The purpose of the
environmental assessment (EA) ie to evaluate potential impacts of lease
issuance upon the physical and socioeconomic environment and to develop
mitigating measures to be included se lease stipulations in the event the
lease ie issued.
The coal lease application area lies to the east of a block of fee coal
controlled by Somerset Mining. Somerset Hining began development of an
underground mining operation called the Sanborn Creek Mine on fee property in
October, 1991. They would like to continue development from the fee land into
the federal coal to the east. Mining on federal lands would occur in all of
the B Seam and 'a portion of the C Seam on the Sanborn Eaet Tract.
The original competitive lease application submitted by the Company identified
a 1,180-acre area. A 170-acre area lying along the eastern boundary of the
application area was added to the Sanborn Eaet Tract during tract delineation.
The additional area was incorporated into the tract in order to ensure all
federal coal for which there were adequate data were included to avoid a
potential by-pass tract.
• The Sanborn Eaet Tract, analyzed in this EA, ie described ae follows:
T.13S., R.90W., 6th Principal Meridian,
Sec. 1: Lots 14 to 19, inclusive;
Sec. 2: Lots 13 to 20, inclusive;
Sec. 3: Lots 13, 14, 17 and 18;
Sec. 10: Lots 1, 2 and NEIISE~;
Sec. 11: Lots 1 to 8, inclusive;
Sec. 12: Lots 2 to 4, inclusive,
SE'~NW} and SW}NEB lying north of
River.
SW~NW}, and those portions of
the North Fork of the Gunnison
containing 1349.98 acres in Gunnison County, Colorado.
All of the surface and mineral estate is federally owned with the exception of
40 acres located in Section l0:NE1~SE~ where the surface ie owned by Somerset
Hining Company (See Mape 1, 2 and 3).
Authorizing Actions and Agency Involvement
In response to the competitive coal lease application submitted by Somerset
Mining Company, the Bureau of land Management reviews the coal lease
application in accordance with the regulations found at 43 CFR 3420. The BLH
then prepares an environmental assessment to analyze the potential impacts of
the proposed lease and to develop mitigating measures to be included ae lease
stipulations in the event a competitive sale ie held. The BLM conducts a
public hearing before a competitive sale ie held to allow public comment on
the effects of mining on the proposed lease. The BLM must also evaluate lease
• proposals with respect to the coal unsuitability criteria developed by the
Department of the Snterior in compliance with Section 522 of the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SHACA) and 43 CFR 3461. The Coal
Unsuitability decisions affecting the lease application area are analyzed in
Appendix I.