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January 2004 GENERAL OVERVIEW This environmental analysis document contains the Supplement to the Coal Methane Drainage Project - Panels 16 to 24 Environmental Assessment which addresses changed circumstances for the decision previously made for constructing a temporary road in Sylvester Gulch, as well as the deferred portions of the original decision for methane drainage drilling and temporary road construction in Box Canyon This National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document also addresses the environmental effects of a newly proposed seismic survey in Box Canyon The following section details the history of these three project components 1.0 Introduction and Background In 2002, the Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) prepared an environmental assessment (EA) that considered a project proposed by Mountain Coal Company (MCC) for liberating excess methane from the underground mine workings at the West Elk Mine The project proposed use of methane drainage wells (MDWs) drilled from the land surtace into the mine to evacuate methane from the mine Called the Coal Methane Drainage Project -Panels 16 to 24 (Panels 16 to 24 EA), the Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact (DN/FONSI) prepared for the project approved installation of 58 MDWs from 46 drill locations, and construction of 10 6 miles of temporary road to access the drill locations The DN also prescribed Conditions of Approval for use of National Forest System (National Forest System) lands In the 2002 DN/FONSI, the Forest Service approved a road alignment in Sylvester Gulch consistent with Alternative 4 of the Panels 16 to 24 EA This Decision allowed a road to be built on the side slopes above the gulch The approved road was to be temporary, and used for the duration of the coal methane drainage project In 2002, MCC along with the Forest Service and the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG), evaluated five potential routes on the Sylvester Gulch slopes None of the routes were determined feasible based on slope stability, slope steepness, engineering and/or reclamation concerns Since 2002, MCC has collected additional geotechnical and geophysical data, and has re-applied for a temporary road in Sylvester Gulch The proposed road considered in this Supplement to the Panels 16 to 24 EA follows an alignment in the water influence zone (WIZ)' of Sylvester Gulch MCC has proposed the Sylvester Road to be light use (as defined by the CDMG)Z and would be in use for the duration of the coal methane drainage project, estimated to be until 2008 Construction of a temporary road in Sylvester Gulch would afford direct access for MCC contractors and personnel from the West Elk Mine site to the MDWs project area Construction of a road in this location would also reroute a substantial percentage of the MDWs drilling traffic from accessing the project site on roads passing through the Town of Paonia, along the Minnesota Creek road, CR 710, and FR 711 The Panels 16 to 24 DN/FONSI specifically deferred portions of the proposed project, including drilling MDWs in Box Canyon and the East Fork of Sylvester Gulch pending additional field review and study MCC has since withdrawn the East Fork of Sylvester Gulch MDWs from consideration The Forest Service has yet to decide on drilling ten MDWs from six locations in Box Canyon, and construction of ~ W IZ is defined as the geomorphic floodplain, riparian ecosystem and inner gorge It's minimum horizontal width (from the top of each bank) is the greater of 100 feet or the mean height of natural dominant late-sera) vegetation It includes adjacent unstable and highly erodible soils The WIZ protects interacting aquatic, riparian and upland functions by maintaining natural processes and resilience of soil, water and vegetation system (Reid and Ziemer, 1994) s CDMG defines a light use road as one used for purposes other than for transportation of coal, spoil or coal mine waste including roads used for monitoring, maintenance or other uses Environmental Assessment Sylvester Gulch Road Construction /Box Canyon Coal Methane Drainage Wells / Box Canyon Shallow Seismic Reflection Survey Gunnison County, Colorado