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70 February 2000_ Summary Pa a S-3 <br />Under separate cover from the Final EIS, the BLM and Forest Service will issue Records of Decision <br />regarding their respective decisions on the leasing applications and exploration license. In the Records <br />of Decision, the BLM and Forest Service may decide to: <br />Adopt the No-Action Alternative (no leasing and/or exploration license); <br />Adopt the Proposed Actions (lease the coal as applied for by the applicants and/or grant the <br />exploration license); <br />Adopt an alternative with features of several of the altematives; or, <br />Adopt one of the action altematives with additional mitigation measures. <br />N <br />The BLM Colorado State Director is the NEPA responsible signatory official for the BLM. The Forest <br />Supervisor of the GMUG is the NEPA responsible official for the Forest Service. <br />If approved, the leases would be offered by competitive bid. If one or both of the coal leases are <br />issued, no mining or surface development could occur on the tracts until the lessee or operator <br />submits, and receives approval of a permit application package (PAP). Pursuant to a cooperative <br />agreement between the OSM and the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG), a federal <br />coat lease holder in Colorado must submit (and receive approval of) a PAP from both the OSM and the <br />Colorado DMG for any proposed coal mining and reclamation operations on lands within Colorado. <br />S-1.4 Issues and Concerns <br />Scoping was conducted to focus the EIS on those issues and concerns considered important to the <br />public and various government agencies. A Scoping Summary Document was prepared and made <br />publically available in July 1999. <br />p~ The issues that are addressed in the EIS are as follows: <br /> Air Quality: Identify and minimize air quality impacts; <br />gal ~ Aquatic Resources/Fisheries: Minimize disturbance to fish habitat and fish populations; <br /> Cultural Resources: Identify cultural resources and minimize disturbance impacts to these <br /> resources; <br /> Cumulative Impacts: Address the cumulative impacts of leasing and exploration with other <br /> potential projects; <br /> Geology/Geotechnical Issues/Subsidence: Identify geologic hazards on the lease sites <br /> and the potential for subsidence by underground mining activities; <br />S <br />s ~ ~ Health/Safety: Protect worker health and safety; <br /> Land Use: Minimize disturbance; <br />d ~ Noise: Identify and minimize noise impacts; <br /> Reclamation: Provide for reclamation of disturbed areas; <br />• ~ Recreation: Minimize disturbance to recreational opportunities; <br />- Socioeconomics: Address the social and economic impacts on local residents of Delta and <br /> Gunnison counties; <br />Final Environmental lmpacf Statement <br />