GENERAL39459

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 11/5/2007
• Doc Name: Mining Plan Decision Document Federal Lease C-1362 ‎(TR109)‎
• From: Mountain Coal Company, LLC
• To: DRMS
• Permit Index Doc Type: Other Permits
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

•

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less than estimated with this method.
Therefore, this analysis estimates the potential
disturbance by soil type and is not
representative of the actual acres that would be
disturbed by the proposed action.
Constructing approximately ] 5.8 miles of new
access road, over 12 years;
• Using and perforrrting maintenance
(upgrading) on approximately 4.8 miles of
existing National Forest System Roads
(NFSR) and approximately 2.0 miles of
existing ATV trails on NFS lands;
Installing passive and/or active degassing
equipment;
Operating and maintaining wells for
ventilation of mine while recovering E Seam
reserves;
Interim reclaiming of mud pits, seeding and
mulching outslopes and cut-slopes, surface
preparation would occur before seeding;
• Plugging drill holes and performing final
reclamation on pads when drill holes
(estimated life of each MDW is three years;
construction and reclamation would span 12
years); and
Decommissioning by obliterating all new
access roads and decommissioning existing
roads to desired service level or obliterating at
end of needed project use.
Access and Road Construction
Relative to road construction, the Proposed Action
would authorize construction and use of about 22.6
miles of roads necessary for these operations. About
15.8 of the 22.6 miles would be new road
construction, about 4.8 miles of upgrades to
existing NFSRs, and about 2.0 miles of upgrades to
ATV trails on NFS lands. The proposed action
includes a 0.6-mile re-routing of an existing life of
mine administrative access road to address issues
related to geologic hazards, sedimentation control
and maintenance issues.
The Proposed Action includes approving
construction of approximately 2.3 miles of new
roads (including the 0.6 mile re-route) in the West
Elk IRA. The Purpose of and Need for these
locations have been approved by the Regional
Forester as they fit an exception to RACR (see
Proposed Activities in IRA section below).
Access to and from the E Seam MDW drilling azea
and the Deer creek shaft would use a combination
of County, existing NFSRs, existing life of mine
administrative access roads serving the coal leases,
and newly constructed administrative access roads
as follows (Figure S-3):
• Daily project traffic (with the exception of
oversize/over-length vehicles) is required to
access from the north via the Sylvester Gulch
Road (approved as a temporary road in the
2002 Coal Methane Drainage Project Panels
16-24 Environmental Assessment and
DN/FONSI May 2002, and modified to a life
of mine (to approximately 2030) road in the
2006 Supplement to Coal Methane Drainage
Project Panels 16-24 Environmental
Assessment for Sylvester Gulch Road
Construction and Long Draw Saddle
Extension Upgrade). Project traffic on the
Minnesota Creek Road was an issue that has
azisen from Delta County and the town of
Paonia in previous analysis. The Sylvester
Gulch Road is currently under construction
and anticipated to by completed September,
2007.
• Oversize/over-length vehicles such as the drill
rig and semi trucks (large equipment
transport) would access from the west through
the town of Paonia, then via Minnesota Creek
Road in Delta County, Gunnison County Road
710, and NFSRs 710, 711. The estimated
traffic associated with use of county roads for
oversized vehicles is estimated at 5 round trips
per yeaz until project completion. For shaft
construction activities where cement hauling is
required, an estimated 7 round trips per day
with full-sized vehicles (not to exceed 20,000
pounds per axle) will use these routes.
Estimated duration of cementing on shaft is
fall 2007 through summer 2008. MCC has
developed a maintenance agreement with
Delta County to avoid any conflicts with road
use.
• All project traffic would also use the existing
life of mine administrative access roads
known as the West Flatiron Road, Long Draw
Saddle (and Extension), in addition to NFSRs
71 Q, 711, 711.2A and 7 ] 1. 2B.
• About 22.6 miles of road construction or
reconstruction between existing roads and new
drill pads would occur. Approximately 2.3 of
these miles are in the West Elk IRA.
Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Me[hane Drainage Wells FEIS
S-7