GENERAL33252

• Permit No: C1982056
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Name: MINING PLAN DECISION DOCUMENT FOIDEL CREEK MINE FEDERAL LEASE COC 53560
• Permit Index Doc Type: GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

• I. INTRODUCTION
Purpose and Heed for Action
The Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), conducts leaaing of federal coal to assure that adequate coal
supplies are available to meet national long-term energy requirements and
adequate reserves are available to continue existing production.
Coal has been mined for approximately 30 years in the Twentymile Park
area of Routt County, Colorado, and Cyprus Western Coal Corporation
(CWCC) is currently mining coal in the Foidel Creek Mine. Twentymile
Park is located between the towns of Hayden and Oak Creek (Map 1). CWCC
has applied for federal coal lease COC53560 to lease the underground
mineable coal of the Wadge seam adjacent to their existing operation.
This lease would add additional federal reserves to the Foidel Creek
Mine's reserve base that currently is made up of federal, state, and
private (fee) coal. If this tract ie not mined by CWCC or its operating
affiliate, Twentymile Coal Company (TCC), it ie unlikely that any other
party will be able to mine the coal in the future. CWCC controls the
coal on three aides: east, north, and west. The Wadge seam is not
considered mineable to the south dne to faulting and high sulfur content.
This environmental analysis (EA) is being prepared to assess the impacts
that would result from the leaaing and subsequent development of the
underground mineable coal in this area. The proposed action is to issue
federal coal lease COC53560 for the underground mining of the Wadge seam,
encompassing approximately 537 acres and 3,584,000 tone of recoverable
• coal.
Authorizine Actions and Aeencv involvement
In response to the competitive coal lease application submitted by CWCC,
the BLM reviews the coal lease application in accordance with the
regulations found at 43 CFR 3420. The BLM then prepares an environmental
assessment to annlyze the potential impacts of the proposed lease and to
develop mitigation measures to be included ae lease stipulations in the
event a competitive sale is held. The BLM conducts a public hearing
before a competitive sale is held to allow public comment on the effects
of mining on the proposed lease. The BLH must also evaluate lease
proposals with respect to the coal unsuitability criteria developed by
the Department of the Interior in compliance with Section 522 of the
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) and 43 CFR
3461.
Following completion of the EA for competitive coal lease application
COC53560, the Craig District Office will forward the competitive lease
application, the EA, the maximum economic recovery report (HEA), Decision
Record (DR), Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), proposed lease
terms and conditions, and preliminary recommendations to the BLM State
Director. The Colorado State Director will make a determination on the
leaaing action, the proposed lease terms and conditions and bonding
requirements, and the adequacy of the FONSI or the need for an
environmental impact statement. The State Director then prepares
newspaper and Federal Reoister notices of the sale and poets a notice of
the proposed sale in the public room. The notice of the proposed sale ie
then distributed to the public and advice of sale ie sent to the Attorney
General. A sales panel consisting of the Deputy State Director for
Hineral Resources, a BLM mining engineer, a BLM geologist, and a BLM
• mineral economist ie then designated.