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<br />- 13 - <br />b alternatives to approving the mine plan. <br />Alternative 1. <br />Disapproval of the plan <br />The disapproval alternative eliminates minixlg at the t4cClane Canyon mine, will <br />cause mime closure, eliminate a valuable home heating and. steam power plant <br />resource, and result Sa the immediate layoff of up to-15 people causing an <br />economic loss in purchases and property taxes in Mesa County. The operator <br />would incurr financial loss due to the capital investment in equipment and <br />facilities. Because oP the unique geologic nature of the coal strata, future <br />mining of this coal if the mina were closed is unlikely and would result in <br />the lose of 370,000 plus tons of recoverable Federal Coal. .' <br />Alternative 2. No Action <br />The Federal Mineral leasing laws and existing leas_ requirements require the <br />Secretary of the Interior to respond to application to conduct mining opera- <br />tion on Federal leases and therefore is oonaidered but discounted as a viable <br />alternative. <br />Long Term Impacts <br />Long term impacts that would occur if the mine play is approved are: Maximum <br />recovery of coal used for local and steam operation purposes: further deline- <br />6 atI'oa of a resource that possibly could be mined: further continued employment <br />for about 15 people: potential subsidence on approximately 248 acres of sur- <br />face land over the workings. <br />Sfiort Sean impacts <br />Short term impacts are expected to be the same as long term impacts except <br />continued mining would causn some short term fugitive dust in the area: <br />people and machinery will adversely affect wildlife: about 7.7 acres of land <br />have been removed from wildlife grazing. -. --. - <br />r, <br />