REV98716

• Permit No: C1981022
• IBM Index Class Name: Revision
• Doc Name: OXBOW CARBON & MINERALS INC COAL LEASE MODIFICATIO APPLICATION C-53510 COAL RIGHT OF WAY COC-59584
• Type & Sequence: PR3
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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TABLE 1
POPULATION OF TOWNS IN DELTA COUNTY
TOWN 1980 1990 PERCENTAGE
CHANGE
CEDAREDGE 1,184 1.380 +17
CRAWFORD 268 221 -18
DELTA 3,931 3,789 -4
HOTCNKISS 855 744 -13
ORCHARD CITY 1,914 2,218 +16
PAONIA 1,425 1,403 -2
Housing Vacancy Rates for Delta County have decreased from 14.23 in 1980 to 7.09 in 1988,
the last year available for this data. Vacancy rates of less than 10 percent can be indicative of
a housing shortage. It should be kept in mind that the rates do not indicate either physical
condition or whether the units are available year around or seasonally.
The unemployment rates for Delta County in the middle 1980's were around 10 percent. The
rate for 1991 has been around 5.4 percent.
IV. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES
The impacts to cultural resources, fir quality, climate, vegetation, soils, water resources,
wildlife, recreation, visual resources and land use were found to be negligible, and
therefore were not analyzed further.
A. Alternative One -Proposed Action
Approximately 868,000 tons of coal reserves will be depleted following mining
activities on the R/W and lease modification application areas. This represents 30
percent of the minable coal reserves. Approximately 70 percent of the minable
coal reserves would be unrecoverable under the room and pillar mining method.
Subsidence could occur due to the extraction of coal and pillars on retreat in the
application area. The most likely showing on the surface would be gradual
lowering of the surface without any surface disturbances such as tension cracks,
although surface fractures could occur. In addition, as a result of the requirement
for monitoring of the area for subsidence and the greater thickness of overburden,
it is not anticipated that subsidence will be evidenced.
Subsidence fractures could allow the escape of methane gas to the surface,
interrupt groundwater and increase the hazard of underground and surface fires.
Although this is not likely due to the low liberation of methane, the potential for ~"""
causing surface impacts is present.
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