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ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT <br />• CO-038-97-53 <br />NATIONAL KING COAL, INC. <br />COAL LEASE APPLICATION <br />7 SOUTH MAINS TRACT <br />COC 60941 <br />I. PURPOSE AND NEED <br />The Colorado State Director of the Bureau of Land Management <br />received a lease application from National King Coal, Inc. on <br />July 7, 1997. The, application involves the 7 South Mains <br />Tract (COC 60941) in the amount of approximately 194.79 acres. <br />{ The application was submitted under the Mineral Leasing Act of <br />' 1920, Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1976, and 43 CFR <br />3425. The coal reserves are managed by the Montrose District <br />Office of the BLM. The applicant has need for the coal in <br />order to maintain an existing operation at its current level <br />of production. The purpose of the environmental assessment <br />(EA) is to evaluate potential impacts of leasing the tract <br />upon the physical and socioeconomic environment and to develop <br />mitigating measures to be included as lease stipulations in <br />the event the lease is issued. <br />• The application area, adjacent to existing coal leases C-29125 <br />and COC 49465 leased to National King Coal, Inc., is described <br />as follows: <br />T. 34 N., R. 11 W., N.M.P.M., North of Ute Line <br />Section 6: Lots 1-5, NE'/.SW'/., NW'/.SE'/. <br />Containing approximately 194.79 acres <br />The application area is located in LaPlata County, Colorado <br />(see maps 1 and 2>. The surface is privately owned and the <br />coal rights are reserved to the United States. There are no <br />current oil and gas leases issued on the subject tract (see <br />map 3). <br />Authorizing Actions and Agency Involvement <br />In response to the lease application submitted by National <br />King Coal, Inc., the Bureau of Land Management reviews the <br />coal lease application in accordance with the regulations <br />found at 43 CFR 3425. BLM then prepares an environmental <br />assessment (EA) to analyze the potential impacts of any <br />proposed lease and to develop mitigating measures to be <br />included as lease stipulations in the event a competitive sale <br />is held. BLM conducts a public hearing before a competitive <br />sale is held to allow public comment on the effects of mining <br />• on the proposed lease. BLM must evaluate lease proposals with <br />1 <br />,, <br />~,~ , <br />f, 7 <br />