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`,r7 <br />ti <br />Decision Notice And Finding of No Significant Impact <br />Modification of Iron Point Coal Exploration License (COC-61945) Arilling Plan and <br />Coal Exploration Plan and Gob Ventilation Borehole Installation on Iron point <br />Federal Coal Lease (COC-61209) <br />~pRANQa)~R DISTRICT <br />fly DATE Bowie Resources Limited, Bowie No. 2 Mine <br />APR 3 02002 USDA Forest Service <br />pl(g'((tjCTRANGER~. ''rand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forests <br />NIEl1F.~ ~ Paonia, Colorado <br />LANpgIENG Delta County <br />RAHfiE <br />iN6U ~I.i + <br />1 ui3t7(Yi ASST~- <br />t ~'0 en a assessment (EA) that discusses the effects of accessing and drilling <br />TIMBER~r-exp o1-ration holes, drilling and installing six gob ventilation boreholes (GVBs), <br />--------`ac ssc~'ing GV1~3s and ground water monitoring wells, and amending coal lease <br />stipulations has been completed by the USDA-Forest Service, Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre <br />and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) and released for public review. The actions <br />analyzed in the EA pertain to activities on the Iron Point Coal Exploration License (COC- <br />61945)and Iron Point Federal Coal Lease (COC-61209), which aze associated with the <br />Bowie No. 2 mine located about 7 miles northeast of the town of Paonia, in Delta <br />County, Colorado. The Bowie No. 2 Mine is operated by Bowie Resources Limited <br />(BRL). <br />BRL holds the Iron Point Coal Exploration License (CEL) and is the lessee of the Iron <br />Point Federal Coal Lease (FCL). Issuance ofthe CEL and FCL were analyzed and in the <br />North Fork Coal Final Environmental Impact Statement (North Fork FEIS) and approved <br />under associated Records of Decision (RODS) issued in March 2000. <br />The Iron Point CEL had a drilling plan approved with if at the time the RODS were <br />issued. BRL applied to modify the plan to add or relocate some of the drill locations. <br />This modification has entailed evaluating the effects of accessing and drilling at seven <br />new locations on the CEL. The coal exploration drill holes were proposed to gather <br />additional geologic data about the coal resources. <br />After becoming the successful bidder on the Iron Point FCL, $RL applied to drill two <br />coal exploration drill holes on the lease, and install five GVBs on the lease to liberate <br />methane gas from the underground workings. The Mining Safety and Health <br />Administration (MSHA) has been requiring GVBs in order to keep the methane levels at <br />safe operating concentrations in the underground mine. <br />1'Y1©I ~'!`'~~~ ~ ~- <br />~; ~ <br />