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~ r~ <br />Section 3 <br />AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT <br />AIR QUALITY <br />A description of the existing climate and air quality in the vicinity of the <br />tracts can be found in the West-Central ES. The nearest federal Class 1 air <br />quality area is Arches National Park, 50 air miles southwest of the lease <br />area. The Colorado National Monument, located 15 miles south of the lease <br />area, has been designated as a category 1 area by the State of Colorado. It <br />has also been recommended for federal Class 1 status. <br />GEOLOGY/MINERALS <br />The proposed lease areas are located on the southwestern edge of the Piceance <br />Creek Basin, a broad synclinal depression in western Colorado. <br />The Hunter Canyon syncline is located in the southern part of the lease area <br />with the nose of the Hunter canyon anticline along the northern boundary. The <br />Garmesa anticline is a northwest-trending feature along the western boundary <br />of the proposed lease area. <br />The proposed lease areas include two known geologic structures -- Hunter <br />Canyon and Coal Gulch. There are two producing gas wells within a half mile <br />of the proposed lease areas in sections 9 and 10, T. 8 S., R. 101 W. The <br />wells are shut in pending a pipeline right-of-way in Coal Gulch. The wells <br />are Petro Lewis 1 and 2, oil/gas leases C0124705-A and C088568. Additionally, <br />a Fees-Krey well is located in section 24, T. 8 S., R. 101 W. This well is in <br />oil/gas lease C0128839 and is currently online. The wells are producing from <br />the Dakota Formation. <br />The area is drained by Big Salt Wash. Tributaries of Big Salt Wash, Coal <br />Gulch, and Hatchet and Garvey Canyons, generally dissect the area in east-west <br />directions. Drainage of the area is not continuous; but rather is with rapid <br />but intermittent stream runoff associated with spring thaw and summaer <br />thunderstorms. <br />The topography of the area is dominated by the northwestward-trending Book <br />Cliffs form an escarpment along the northern edge of the Grand Valley. The <br />Book Cliffs are comprised of Mancos Shale and the Mesaverde Group (Cretaceous <br />period). <br />The Mancos Shale consists of grey fissile marine shale with lenses of <br />sandstone. The Anchor tongue of the Mancos Shale interfingers with the basal <br />Mesaverde unit. A lenticular bed of coal occurs near the top of the tongue. <br />The coal seam is 5 to 7 feet thick and is considered to be economical in this <br />area. <br />IIIIIII~II~IIiNIiII~hillfiliiNiillliillll <br />00014052 <br />3-30 <br />