GENERAL46377 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

• B. Existing Environmental Documentation In March 1977, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Short Term Competitive Lease Application for Federal lease C-25079 which analyzed the impacts of mining on about 240 acres adjacent to the then existing Orchard Valley mine on non- Federal lands. In March 1979, BLM prepared an EA for the Short Term Competitive Lease Application for Federal lease C-27432. The document assessed the impacts of mining an additional 5.6 million tone of Federal coal at 700,000 tons per year on about 844 acres. In 1980, BLM prepared a supplemental EA on the impacts of increasing the production rate to 1.3 million tons. The final environmental impact statement (EIS), "West- Central Colorado Coal Environmental Statement" (Bureau of Land Management, May 1979) described and analyzed the environmental impacts that would result from approval of six mining and reclamation plans on Federal and private lands in west-central Colorado; one of those mining plans included the existing operations at the Orchard Valley mine. • In February 1983, BLM prepared an EA for the lease readjustment of Federal lease D-036955 that assessed the impacts of mining in 280 acres adjacent to the Orchard Valley mine. In April 1983, OSM prepared an EA for approval of the mining plan modification, incorporating a 160-acre lease modification for Federal lease C-27432 and the 280 acres of Federal lease D-036955. In October 1983, BLM completed the Uinta-Southwestern Utah Coal Region Round Two Final Environmental Impact Statement which described and analyzed the environmental impacts that would result from leasing 27 coal tracts; one of those tracts became the 5000-acre Federal lease C-37210. In November 1985, OSM prepared an EA for approval of the mining plan modification to add Federal lease C-37210. The EA identified and analyzed the environmental impacts of mining the 5000-acre lease. The EA identified mitigatable impacts to endangered fishes in the Upper Colorado River Basin, protection of golden eagle nesting areas during construction of future, but unspecified, surface disturbances, and protection of archaeological sites from the effects of subsidence. Since the EA was prepared, Colorado MLRD has placed conditions in its permit protecting . the nesting areas and archaeological sites and contributions have been made to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for the Orchard Valley mine to offset effects to the