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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: <br />Purpose and Need for•Action <br />The GMUG has identified the need to authorize MCC to have reasonable surface use and access <br />to national forest system lands to comply with Mine Safety and FIealth Administration <br />requirements for maintaining safe levels of methane gas in the West Elk underground coal mine. <br />The need for the action is to. ensure safe and efficient recovery of federal coal reserves. <br />Proposed Action <br />The GMUG proposes to authorize MCC to occupy NFS lands subject to the terms and conditions of <br />a federal coal lease, and mitigations identified in an environmental analysis for the purpose of <br />constructing and operating surface facilities needed to continue mining federal coal reserves. <br />Federal coal reserves are currently being mined by Mountain Coal Company, LLC (MCC) from <br />their West Elk Mine. MCC presently operates a longwall system of underground mining at the <br />West Elk Mine, which is permitted with the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and <br />Safety for a production rate of 8.2 million tons of coal per year. The West Elk Mine was opened <br />in 1981 and presently produces coal from several existing federal coal leases. The coal mined at <br />the West Elk Mine, as well as from other mines in the North Fork Valley, is a high BTU, low <br />sulfur coal. It is considered a "clean coal" (compliance coal). Its use in industry helps meet <br />standards of the Clean Air Act. As such, there is a demand for coal from the West Elk Mine and <br />other mines in the North Fork Valley by electric power generation industries. <br />Mining operations in the area have encountered quantities of methane gas that present risk for <br />explosion. In order to continue operations, the methane must be vented to reduce this hazard. A <br />similar project for this same issue was analyzed in 2002 in the Coal Methane Drainage Project <br />Panels 16-24 Mountain Coal Company-West Elk Mine Environmental Assessment, <br />Implementation of that project has resulted in field data which will assist in this analysis. <br />For the purpose of this analysis aworst-case development scenario will be assumed. The <br />proposed action consists of the construction of one (1) ventilation shaft and one (1) emergency <br />escape shaft (combined location), and the installation of 160 methane drainage wells located on <br />" ~ approximateiy'120~pads~with approximatelyl9 miles'of-associated access roads` --- -` - - _ <br />The propsosed Deer Creek Shaft is located in the NE'/a Section 32, Township 13 South, Range 90 <br />West, 6`. Principal Meridian, in Gunnison County, Colorado (approximately 1800 feet southeast <br />of Minnesota Reservoir) and would serve ventilation and emergency escape functions for mine <br />safety. The access and pad location for this shaft have been approved under a previous NEPA <br />decision (2006) for geotechnical work, and have already been constructed. <br />The Deer Creek Shaft Proiect Proposal Includes: <br />• Using raisebore, blindbore, or conventional sink construction methods to construct the <br />ventilation shaft to create a 20-28 foot diameter air shaft by 400 feet deep. <br />