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• Soils <br />Soils may be difficult to protect from erosion, because of normal <br />problems associated with revegetation in arid climates. Colorado <br />MLRD revegetation monitoring reports show revegetation at this <br />minesite is feasible. Colorado MLRD and the applicant have recently <br />upgraded the soil testing requirements to assure revegetation <br />success. <br />Vegetation <br />Vegetation will be difficult to establish on these steep slopes and <br />shallow soils with low precipitation rates. This may adversely <br />impact soil stability and represents a potential irreversible <br />environmental problem; Colorado MLRD revegetation monitoring reports <br />show that revegetation is feasible. <br />Fish and Wildlife <br />The only impact is the possible slight diminution of flow in the <br />Upper Colorado River with attendant adverse impact on endangered <br />fish. OSMRE has conditioned the permit to require mitigation of <br />this impact. <br />Socioeconomic <br />• Fifteen people will be employed which will produce very slight <br />socioeconomic changes. <br />B. Impacts of Alternative 2, Disapproval <br />Disapproval of the mining plan modification would result in 229,882 <br />tons of Federal coal not being mined unless and until an alternative <br />mining plan is developed, and submitted by the applicant, and <br />approved by the Secretary of the Interior. The disapproval <br />alternative eliminates mining at the McClane Canyon mine, will cause <br />mine closure, eliminate a valuable home heating and steam power <br />plant resource, and result in the layoff of up to 15 people causing <br />an economic loss in purchases and property taxes in Mesa County. <br />The operator would incur financial loss due to the capital <br />investment in equipment and facilities. Because of the unique <br />geologic nature of the coal strata, future mining of this coal, if <br />the mine were closed, is unlikely and would result in the loss of <br />229,882 tons of recoverable Federal Coal. <br />The impacts described for Alternative 1 would not occur; however, <br />the impact analysis of the proposed action did not result in the <br />identification of any impacts that would warrant disapproval of the <br />mining plan. <br />• <br />-10- <br /> <br />