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modification and areas. A bypass of federal coa~ould most likely occur <br />because future access to the coal seams on the application lands would be both <br />economically prohibitive and technically difficult. As a result, the bypass would not <br />only represent an irretrievable loss of coal but a loss of revenue to the federal <br />government and a loss of potential energy (coal) to the nation as well. <br />To deny the R/W application would result in the lack of access which is necessary <br />for mining purposes. <br />III. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT <br />A detailed description of the existing environment can be found in the Sanborn Creek <br />Mine and Reclamation Plan (CDMG #C-81-022), 1991, West Central Coal EIS, 1979, <br />Uinta Southwest Utah Coal EIS, 1983 Coal Unsuitability Report for the Bookcliff and <br />PaonialSomerset Coal Planning Areas within the Uncompahgre Basin Planning Area, <br />1989, and the Uncompahgre Basin RMP EIS, 1989. <br />The coal modification area lies in the Paonia-Somerset coal field which contains medium <br />to high coal development potential deposits. The main coal beds within the area are <br />found in the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Formation, which is overlain by the early <br />Tertiary Wasatch Formation and underlain by the Upper Cretaceous Mancos Shale. The <br />B seam of the Mesaverde Formation is the seam applied for in the modification area and <br />it averages 9 feet thick. The geologic formations outcropping on the application lands <br />are the Tertiary Wasatch Formation, Mesaverde Formation and Quaternary colluvial and <br />alluvial deposits. <br />The Quaternary deposits are an unsorted mixture of soil and rock formed by various <br />mass-wasting processes as landslides, earth flows, soil creep and debris avalanches as <br />well as clay, silt, sand and gravel deposited in stream channels. <br />The coal bearing sedimentary strata of the Mesaverde Formation is relatively flat lying <br />with a regional dip of 3.5 degrees to the north-northeast. Local dips of up to 7.0 degrees <br />are also found. There have been some faults encountered in the Sanborn Creek Mine, <br />but it is not likely that they extend into modification area. There is no surface evidence <br />of faults. There are lineaments to the east and west of the modification area coinciding <br />with the existing drainages which may indicate faults. The overburden overlying the B <br />seam ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 feet (USGS Coal Investigations, Map C-115). <br />The potential for the discovery of conventional resources of oil and gas under the leased <br />area is very slight. There is a possibility of finding methane in the coal seams. There <br />are no oil and gas leases located on or near the modification area. <br />There are no rights-of-way located on the application lands. The surface and mineral <br />estate is federally owned. <br />The application area is accessed by Colorado State Highway 133 located one-fourth mile <br />south. The topography is characterized as very steep south facing slopes on the <br />southeastern margin of Grand Mesa. The report area is one-fourth mile north of the ~"" <br />North Fork of the Gunnison River at elevations ranging from 6,800 to 7,900 feet above <br />5 <br />