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• ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT SALT CREEK MINING COMPANY i McCLANE CANYON MINE ' MINING PLAN, AS MODIFIED NOVEMBER 1985 1. Purpose and Need Salt Creek Mining Company submitted a permit application package (PAP) and request for permit renewal involving the mining of Federal coal at the McClane Canyon mine. Pursuant to 30 CFR 746.14, the Secretary of the Interior must approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove the mining plan, as modified, for the mining of the Federal coal as proposed in the PAP. This document assesses the environmental effects of the proposed mining and reclamation operations and alternative actions available to the Secretary including approval without conditions, approval with conditions, and disapproval of the mining plan. The PAP was submitted on October 17, 1984 to Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division (MEAD) as a renewal of permit application number C-004-80. The McClane Canyon mine is located in Garfield County, Colorado, • approximately 20 miles north of Loma on Colorado Highway 139 in Sections 15, 16, 21 and 22, Township 7 South, Range 102 West, and has been operating since 1977. The mine was permitted under the approved Colorado permanent regulatory program in April 1982. The mining plan for the McClane Canyon mine was originally approved in July 6, 1982. Since the original approval of the mining plan, there have been no mining plan modifications. The permit renewal area associated with this mining plan contains approximately 248 acres, all of which are within Federal coal lease C-0125439. Surface ownership in the permit renewal area is all Federal, administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BEM). Upon approval of this mining plan, as modified, the approved mining plan area for the McClane Canyon mine will contain approximately 248 acres within Federal lease C-0125439. Under this approval, mining is anticipated to proceed until 1988. The PAP indicated that mining operations for the life of the McClane Canyon mine would cease around the year 1988 and would affect approximately 248 acres, all of which are leased Federal coal lands. This document assesses the environmental effects that will result from the approval, approval with a condition, or disapproval of the mining plan, as modified. Salt Creek Mining Company has proposed a room and pillar operation. The • underground mining operation principally will utilize room and pillar mining methods. The Cameo coal seam will be mined at a production rate of approximately 80,000 tons per year. All mining and reclamation operations are scheduled to cease around the year 1988.