GENERAL45129

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 8/16/2007
• Doc Name: Environmental Impact Statement-Final
• From: US Foreset Service
• To: DRMS
• Permit Index Doc Type: Other Permits
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

This environmental impact statement considers
the effects of installing MDWs and a
ventilation shaft and escapeway to facilitate
continued operations to recover leased federal
coal reserves.
Purpose of and Need for Action
The Forest Service has identified the need to
respond, via its concurrence role in the state
coal mine permitting process, to a mine permit
action and future mine permit action handled
by the Colorado DRMS (and further resulting
in an Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement mining plan modification due
to the preparation of this EIS 30 CFR §
746.18(d)(5)) that would approve MCC
(operator of the West Elk underground coal
mine) to construct, operate, and reclaim up to
146 methane drainage well sites that would
support 168 individual MDWs, one ventilation
and escapeway facility, and use or construction
of approximately 22.6 miles of associated
roads. The operations are needed for the West
Elk Mine to comply with Mine Safety and
Health Administration (MSHA) requirements
for methane gas management to ensure worker
safety. The operations would enable safe
recovery of leased federal coal reserves in
compliance with lease terms and requirements
for efficient recovery of federal coal'.
The purpose of the agency's action is to protect
public health and safety, to prevent loss of
1 Standard terms of a federal coal Icase include the following
rights and responsibilities conveyed to [he Lessee by the coal
lease.
Right to constmct such works, buildings plants, structures,
equipment and appliances and the right to use such on-]ease
rights-of--way which may be necessary and convenient in the
exercise of the rights and privileges granted (Section 2).
Lessee shall carry on all operations in accordance with
approved method and practices as provided in the operating
regulations, having due regard for the prevention of injury to
life, health, property and prevontion of waste damage or
degradation to any land, air wafer, cultural, biological, visual,
and other resources, including the mineral deposits and
formations of mineral deposits not leased, and to other land
uses or users (Section 7).
Lessee shall...maintain a safe working environment in
accordance with standard industry practices (Section 8).
leased federal coal resources, and to facilitate
safe and efficient production of compliant and
super compliant coal reserves. In addition, the
agency's action allows the lease-holder to
exercise their lease rights.
This project wouldlcontribute to meeting the
need for energy resources developed and
produced in an environmentally sound manner.
The project resp finds to the goals and
objectives outlined in the Amended GMUG
Land and Resource anagement Plan (GMUG
Forest Plan, USDA FS 1991) which calls for
encouraging environmentally sound energy and
minerals development. By providing for coal
leasing and development in this area, the
GMUG Forest Plan and Bureau of Land
Management's (BLM) Uncompahgre Basin
Resource Management Plan (Uncompahgre
RMP, USDI BLM 1189) acknowledged that the
area could at some flIuture time support surface
facilities necessary tfc support coal production.
The GMUG Forest Plan also identified
providing livestock forage, managing big game
winter range and pr~>tecting riparian habitat as
the desired future cc~mditions of the area. The
proposed action is designed to be consistent
with moving the area towards those desired
conditions. The Uncompahgre RMP supports
coal leasing and development in the area with
respect to management of mineral resources.
Proposed Action in Brief
The Forest Service lproposes to concur with
Colorado DRMS mme permitting action and
impending permitting actions and Office of
Surface Mining I Reclamation and
Enforcement's (OSM) mine plan
modification(s) that iwould authorize MCC to
conduct surface operations associated with
accessing, drilling, constructing, operating, and
reclaiming 168 methane drainage wells on 146
drilling locations, and one ventilation and
escapeway shaft on the National Forest System
(NFS) lands described below. These operations
are associated with the West Elk Mine. Five of
the drilling locations would also serve as
staging areas. An additional six staging areas
may be used, two I of which are currently
t

2 Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam jVlethane Drainage Wells FEIS ,