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5-1~- ,.~ Decieipn Record/Rationale ~ 2 - Ire, . Coal Lease Application COC-55447 V Environmental Assessment U-94-37 • Decision: The recommendation is to offer for competitive lease 2769.67 acres ider,titied in the Sox Canyon Tract as a result of the Mountain Coai Ccmpany coal lease application (CCC-So'447) subject to the micigat.ne measures listed be Low. Relationship of the Decision to the °_nv~rpnmental Analysis (rA1: Two alternatives were discussed in the ?A. Alternative i considered leasing the coal in the Hox Caaycn Tract and Alternative 2 was to not lease the coal. The decision is to implement Alternative 1 by offering the application area for competitive Lease. The F11 was revised to inc'_ude comments received from the public and the Forest Service. ?: addition, Mountain Ccal Company provided more info^nation relative co their deveicnmer.t needs on the tract; a reasonably foreseeable develpoment scenario was added based upon their input. A section or. Forest Service minerals managment policy and tae leasing process was added as well as a discussion of the public involvement process. Rationale for Decision: The decision Co allow the proposed attic.^. 3oes not result in any undue or unnecessary ezv'_ron.•nencal degradation and is consistent with tae objectives of the Uncompahgre Basin R^iP, approved in July, '_389 and tae Forest Service amended Land and Resource Management Plan, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, approved in September, 1991 T'.:e -:_tiyacz::g measures w:'_! help anscre c ac environmental i_n~acts addressed ir. the :~, wi.L be knot within acceptable i'_aits. tither Factprs Considered '_ *_he Decisiion: ' A. The Uinta Southwest.iaa:. Coa'_ Regicn is cu^ent'_y cperating in a lease by apolicatior. mr'e by c--_s__n of tae Director of the Bureau o' :.and Manageme r.c. --.~~ coa'_ '_ease acc'_itsccon was processed using the procedures acproved by 3a;io^,a. _aal Tea.^i t__ tae Uir.ta Scuths+est Utah Cpal Region. • 3. _- accordance wit`: estab'__sced polic es o: the Department of-the Interior, he ade=_.:acy o= tae avai:ap_e dais was -=_viewed prior to ir.:-iacing tae t'A ___ the lease app..oa Ccn and fcupd to be complete. C. '_`.~o ^b.ic _om~ents were received, one was at tae :nearing and the other was written. .he ?erscn who c=_stified at the public hearing in ?aonia on December -, 1994 _..__tated ..is =enera_ support for coal mining in the North Fx k '•ia:_ey, but wanted to be sur=_ baseline water ~ua'_ity data fcr the L:ort`. For:< o'_ the Gunniscr...°.iver was c_l:ected. 2resently, Mountair. Coal Company is co1'_ectinc base_i-a ~.oater __a:ity data oa the -fiver. In addition, the Nationa: Pp autior. Discaarge 5:_iminatior. System Permit (NPDES), administered by the Colorado Department ct -eait'.n, regulates any point discharge from the ..._ne site. Tae Hermit is designed _- Keep the river within Cae stream classification. and rater t°_a'_ity standards established for tae North Fork River. The commentor was a a o cpncerned about permanent facilities in the Sox Canyon ri_pariaa area ant on otter Harts of the tract. The mitiga c on measures wi'-i stipc'_acz t`.z _ocaticr. and kinds of facilities t!:at can be -pCdt2d Cn Cae trait. The wr_tten ccmmer.t ',:as r_nceraed about the Box Canyon. ^par_ar. area, ae m_c_ _cion measures and tie _ccnomic _=_covery of ,.ae coal. T.`.e comments •.~it n-tine resoons=_ are actacaed _.. Appendix 3. M"iC°`~C M°d5lir°s' The _°O 11Cwj,'7y res[_'___ior.s are ce resu'_t __ [ce a___1__C_On OL tn5 ~Ci ~=D=1: C'f C r_tcri3: Aft=_r the aopl_caci-n of Crit__ion Nu.-iber 16, the '_00-year `loodpiain of the • plcr th _ork cf the Cur.-aon-P_ver (aoorox i:na rely 16 acres)_is~unsuztable ?.,r mining. :o wever, nc related disturbances :nay occur a •+riaer. ird ir.s is :Wade by n or_ze^ Cf'_'_oer -hat a,ining we ~ not -nose a