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and drill pads have been reclaimed, and the land has returned to productive uses. In recent years, about 13 miles of <br />new temporary road construction has been approved as part of the on-going methane drainage drilling project. <br />Approval for 2,100 feet of temporary road construction in this decision adds 3% to the new road constmction in the <br />area. An additional 0.3 acres of land would be disturbed for drill pad constmction, representing less than 1% of the <br />total disturbance approved for drill pads in the MDW project area. <br />Box Canyon is in the West Elk Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA). The GMUG Forest Plan allows for load building <br />in this area (EA Supplement, Section 3B.6). The approval to build 0.4 nine of temporary road in Box Canyon is for <br />a temporary road in a specific location. The road will align with a previously built and reclaimed drill road. There <br />will be not long term changes to the locality. <br />Required reclamation of drill pads and decommissioning of the temporary road would alleviate long-term impacts to <br />the land. The effects on public land and users over both the short-term and long-term would remain consistent with <br />that which is presently occurring and has occurred in the past decade. No short or long term significant impacts are <br />expected as a result of this decision in the local context (EA Supplement, Chapter 3A, 3B, 3C). <br />Affected Interests and Affected Region. Affected interests for this project are the owners and employees of the <br />West Elk Mine, owners and employees of adjacent coal nvnes, livestock permit holders in the project area, people <br />who use [he Minnesota Creek road, people living in the Town of Paonia and along the Minnesota Creek road, and <br />residents in Delta and Gunnison Counties. This decision allows continued coal production, MDW installation and <br />road construction, and mineral exploration. Mitigation measures are prescribed in [his decision to reduce effects on <br />other forest uses. No short or long term significant impacts on affected interests are expected as a result of this <br />decision in [he regional context (EA, Chapter 3A, 3B and 3C). <br />Socieri as a Whole. Mine personnel use the existing Meadow Road on MCC property seasonally. The connected, <br />existing National Forest roads are not used extensively by the public. The most use occurs during the hunting <br />season. A portion of the local community uses the roads through the Town of Paonia, and along [he Minnesota <br />Creek corridor. Traffic counts indicate a substantial decrease in use on the Minnesota Creek past the last road <br />intersection east of Paonia. These data suggest [ha[ traffic decreases from over 800 passes per day in the Town of <br />Paonia, to about 80 passes at the end of the pavement on the Minnesota Creek road, and estimate that about 10 <br />passes are normal for the end of the road. With definitively local use on the roads, using the Meadow Road or the <br />existing route should not affect society as a whole. <br />The Box Canyon drill pads and temporary road are located in an area where little human use occurs. The drill pads <br />and temporary road will be reclaimed after use. There will be about 5 years of activity in the canyon, but it will <br />cease in 2010. The drill pads will be used for installation of MDWs. The MDWs will facilitate efficient venting of <br />methane from the underground none that would otherwise be removed by mine ventilation system. Methane would <br />vent at a rate of 0.2 to 1.1 billion cubic feet per year (EA Supplement, Section 3B.8.2) and could account for up to <br />one-quarter of the total methane emissions from the West Elk Mine (i.e. methane emitting from the mine portal, in- <br />mine drainage system and MDWs). The methane emissions from the Wes[ Elk Mine have been estimated to account <br />for only about 0.03% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United Stales as disclosed EA Supplement Section <br />3B.8.2 and Appendix C -Response to Continents/Errata, and the 2002 Panel 16 to 24 DN/FONSI. These analyses <br />show that the methane contribution is not significant, and therefore does not require environmental documentation in <br />an EIS. <br />There will be a temporary impact to a small portion of the West Elk IRA. The surrounding area is roaded, and this <br />approval is for a temporary road in a location whet'e little use occurs. No long-term effects will occur. Therefore, <br />there ate no effects to society as a whole. <br />The Box Canyon seismic survey will have no appreciable land disturbance and will occur over a very short period of <br />time in a location where little human use exists. Therefore, there will be no effects to society as a whole. <br />Significance of Intensity <br />1. Consideration Of Beneficial And Adverse Impacts. Beneficial and adverse impacts were described in the EA <br />(Chapter 3A, 3B and 3C) and considered in Section III of this Decision Notice. Effects of this decision will be <br />Page 15 <br />