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The proposed lease lands lie adjacent to TCC's existing Foidel creek mine. The Foidel Creek mine operates under approved Colorado DMC Permit to Mine Coal (NO. C-82-056, dated 06-08-88) and an approved Pedaral Mining Plan (dated 01-16-87).- TCC submitted a Permit Application Package (PAP) to Colorado DMG and OSM on January 7, 1992 proposing to include the proposed lease area within both the existing permit and mining plan ae the "southwest mining district." OSM intends to use the results of this environmental analysis in their process of recommending approval or disapproval of the proposed mining plan modification. IZ. PROPOSRD ACTION AND ALTER101TIVS8 A. Proyoeed Actio The Proposed Action Alternative ie to issue federal coal lease C0C53560 for lands in Routt County, Colorado, ae described below and shown on Map 2. T. SN. , R.86W. , 6th PM, section 31, W1~NE~(, NW1~ T.SN., R.87W., 6th PM, section 36, N~ (encompassing 537 scree, more or lees.) if leased, the subject lands would be incorporated in the overall mine plan of the Foidel Creek Mine, currently in operation to the east and north. Twentymile Coal Company ie the operator of the Foidel Creek Mine and is wholly-owned and controlled by Cyprus Yampa Valley Coal Corporation (CYCC), which ie a subsidiary of Cyprus Western Coal Company (CWCC). Cyprus Western Coal Co. ie a subsidiary of Cyprus Coel Company which is a subsidiary of Cyprus Minerals Company. The Wedge coal seam underlying the proposed lease area would be mined by longwall underground mining methods, utilizing TCC's existing conveyor belt, surface handling, and tipple systems. Development of the proposed lease is expected to begin in 1994 with actual longwall mining in 1995. Routt County Road 27, power and telephone lines, and three residences will be subsided ae a result of the mining. TCC'e mine plan includes an analysis of subsidence. Projections for levels of eubeidence range from 0 inches to 6 feet; lase eubeidence with increasing distance from the panel and overburden thickness. The longwall mining method is designed for eubeidence to occur uniformly in blocks, minimizing surface disturbance. The etrntigraphy in the area ie fairly uniform, further encouraging uniform levels of eubeidence. B. No Action Alternative Under the No Action Alternative, the federal coal lease would not be issued and the Wedge seam would not be mined in the subject lands. The Foidel Creek Mine would progress northward from the north section lines, mining the private coal lease and existing federal coal lessee. The coal in the subject lands would likely never be mined since it 1e too small an area with too many geologic constraints to be economically viable by itself. There would be no eubeidence of the surface.