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<br />CNAPTERFOUR <br />Environmental Consequences <br />Noise impacts from construction (i.e., drilling activities) and operation (i.e., field operations) <br />would be similaz to those described with the Proposed Action, <br />' 4.6.2.3 No Action Alternative <br />Under the No Action Alternative, the commercial-scale mining operation described as the <br />Proposed Action would not be developed. <br />4.6.2.4 Impact Summary <br />The Proposed Action and each of the alternatives would lead to short-term increases in noise <br />levels during construction. The use of enclosed compressor stations would mitigate some <br />operational impacts. However, vehicle trafftc, well workovers and drilling would produce short- <br />term locally elevated noise levels. The impacts experienced at a given receptor would depend on <br />the distance between the receptor and the activity. <br />' 4.6.3 Mitigation <br />In cases where project facilities aze located close to sensitive receptors, mitigation measures aze <br />recommended. The use of enclosures for the boilers, generators, pumps, and compressors would <br />reduce noise levels during operation to acceptable levels. <br />4.6.4 Unavoidable Adverse Impacts <br />Construction and operational activities would result in intermittent and short-term unavoidable <br />adverse impacts to receptors located within approximately 500 feet of the activity. <br />' 4.7 VEGETATION <br />' 4.7.1 Introduction <br />Impacts from construction of project facilities and mining activities would include the <br />disturbance or removal of vegetation. The total amount of incremental disturbance of an array of <br />plant communities, conVOl of noxious weeds, and the adequacy of the proposed reclamation plan <br />to meet post-mining land use objectives, primarily wildlife habitat, aze the key issues for analysis <br />of impacts to vegetation. Additional impacts of concern include disturbance of wetland and <br />riparian habitat, a ponderosa pine remnant vegetation association (RVA), and vulnerable or <br />imperiled plant communities. <br />Disturbance may be short term, for example from temporary disturbance for construction work <br />zones and pipeline installation, or long term, where project facilities such as processing plants <br />' and evaporation ponds would occupy previously vegetated azeas for 30 yeazs or longer. Where <br />disturbance is short term, the ecological effects may be either short term or long term, depending <br />on the plant community affected and the success of revegetation. Areas of short term disturbance <br />' would be reclaimed as soon as possible after construction activities, while azeas of vegetation <br />occupied by semi-permanent project facilities would be reclaimed at the conclusion of the <br />' Noise 4-37 <br />