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CHAPTER II <br />• DESCRIPTION OF THE ALTERNATIVES <br />A. Primary Alternatives Under Analysis <br />i. Alternative 1: Approval of the Proposed Mining Plan <br />Modification without Special Federal Conditions (The <br />Proposed Action). <br />Under this alternative, the Assistant Secretary, Land and <br />Minerals Management, would approve the mining plan for <br />Federal leases COC-57632 and COC-57633 proposed by BCC <br />without special conditions. <br />The mining plan proposed by BCC would extend underground <br />mining operations in the Mesaverde Formation, Lower Coal <br />Member, B coal seam into about 260 acres. The overlying <br />C seam has been mined out. The proposed mining plan would <br />cause no new surface disturbance except for additional <br />mining-induced subsidence. At the current average <br />production rate, 500,000 tons per year, the life of the Bear <br />Mine operations would be increased by about 5 years. <br />Eighteen new underground mining panels would be added to the <br />underground mining area in the B seam adjacent to and east <br />of the current B seam mining area. With this mining plan <br />• action, the approved mining plan area for the Bear Mine <br />would contain a total of 960 acres. <br />2. Alternative 2: Disapproval of the Proposed Mininq Plan <br />Modification (The "No Action" Alternative). <br />Under this alternative, the ASLMM would disapprove the <br />mining plan modification for Federal leases COC-57632 and <br />COC-57633. If disapproved, about 2.6 million tons of <br />Federal coal would not be mined. Operations at the Bear <br />Mine would continue to be conducted under the <br />currently-approved mining plan. Coal reserves approved for <br />mining under the currently-approved mining plan and permit <br />would be mined out in one to two years at which time <br />reclamation of the mine would begin. <br />B. Other Alternatives Considered But Eliminated From Detailed <br />Analysis <br />Approval of the Proposed Mininq Plan Modification with <br />Special Federal Conditions. <br />No special Federal conditions are required to satisfy the <br />requirements of Federal laws, Executive orders, and <br />regulations, and the analysis of approval without special <br />Federal conditions did not result in the identification of <br />• 3 <br />