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<br />ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS <br />alternative No. 1: OSH concurrence with C~II.RD on approval"cf the 5 year MRP <br />and issue the ~-year subject to certain stipulations over the above the State <br />documents, conclusions, and stipulations. The OSM staff has reviewed the per- <br />mit application and has found additional conditions necessary. This alter- <br />native is OSM's "preferred alternative" and is referred to elsewhere as such. <br />Alternative No. 2: OSH may disapprove the 5-year HRP and not issue the 5-year <br />permit. (This alternative is the equivalent of the customary "no-action" al- <br />ternative.) <br />Alternative No. 3: OSM map concur with the State documents, conclusions, and <br />stipulations (see Attachment A to this environmental assessment) and approve <br />the operator's Mining and Reclamation Plan (MRP), and the issuance of a 5-year <br />permit. <br />AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT <br />The Roadside and Cameo mines are located. within the Bookcliffs coal field. <br />The Bookcliff coal field is a portion of the Mt. Garfield Formation, Mesa Ver- <br />de Group and is upper Cretaceous in geologic age. The Bookcliffs coal field <br />is located on the southern rim of the Unita Basin. The coal is mined from the <br />Cameo-B seam that lies directly above the Rollins Sandstone. Surface eleva- <br />tions within the permit area range from 4,800 feet to 7,i00 feet. <br />~ There are three stratigraphic units that could be considered aquifers in this <br />~. area: the stratum above the coal seam, the Cameo coal seam, and the Rollins <br />Standstone. The Roadside mine plan area is updip from the Colorado River, and <br />the Cameo mine plan area is dowdip from the Colorado River. Consequently, <br />the aquifers is the Roadside mine plan area will discharge water into the Col- <br />orado River, and the aquifers in the Cameo mine play area could receive re- <br />charge water from the Colorado River if located stratigraphically lower than <br />the river. <br />The Colorado River splits Che permit area and the Cameo and Roadside mine plan <br />areas. The Colorado River and Rapid Creek are the two perenaaa'_ water courses <br />~ / that traverse the permit area. Three ephemeral drainages, Coal Creek, Jerry <br />~~ <br />Creek and an unnamed drainage, are present on the Cameo mine permit area. The <br />Roadside mine will undermine one intermittent stream, Cottonwood Creek and one <br />perennial stream, Rapid Creek. <br />Soils in the general area are commonly high in sodium and, occasionally, sa- <br />line. This is reflected in the sparse vegetation 1n the surrounding area. <br />Variability of the characteristics of the soils on the permit area is <br />primarily due to slope, aspec*_ and topography. Deeper soils (greater than 60 <br />inches) are located in the valley boctoas and the shallower soils (0-40 inches <br />in depth) occupy the side slopes of the canyons. <br />-'- <br />