GENERAL46521

• Permit No: C1981022
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 4/10/2000
• Doc Name: RECORD OF DECISION NORTH FORK COAL ELK CREEK COAL LEASE TRACT COC 61357
• Permit Index Doc Type: GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

March 2000 Record of Decision Page 3
reasonably foreseeable activities were identified and included in cumulative effects analyses
presented in the Final EIS. Future resource management proposals within the area would have
to be considered on their own merits in subsequent decision making.
If the coal lease is issued and before any mining or surface development could occur, the
lessee or operator would be required to submit a Permit Application Package (PAP). The
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) gives the Office of Surface Mining
(OSM) primary responsibility to administer programs that regulate the surface effects of
underground coal mining. Pursuant to Section 523(c) of SMCRA, the Colorado Department of
Minerals and Geology (DMG) entered into a cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the
Interior authorizing the Colorado DMG to regulate the surface effects of underground mining on
federal lands within the state of Colorado. Pursuant to the cooperative agreement, a federal
coal lease holder in Colorado must submit a PAP to both OSM and the Colorado DMG for any
proposed coal mining and reclamation operation on lands within the state.
As part of the Colorado DMG permitting process, a new mining and reclamation plan or an
amendment to an existing plan would be developed to show how lands in the lease tract and
private/other federal owned coal would be mined and reclaimed. Specific impacts that would
occur during mining would be addressed in the permit or revision, and specific mitigation
measures for anticipated impacts would be identified at that time.
The OSM, BLM, Forest Service and other appropriate federal agencies would review the PAP
to ensure that it complies with terms of the coal lease (including any special conditions of
approval), the Mineral Leasing Act, NEPA, and other federal laws and their attendant
regulations.
The lessee or operator would be required to obtain numerous other permits and approvals prior
to developing any coal. Please refer to the Final EIS, Appendix 8, Agency Jurisdictions
(Permits and Approvals).
Overview of the Project Area
The EIk Creek Coal Lese Tract (COC-61357) contains the following lands in Delta and
Gunnison counties.
T12S, R90W, 6" PM:
Section 31, lots 1 to 14, inclusive
Section 32, lots 3 to 6, inclusive,
T12S, R91 W, 6". PM:
Section 35, all;
Section 36, lots 1 to 17, inclusive
HES No. 134 lying in the
T13S, R90W, 6" PM:
and NEYa;
lots 11 to 14, inclusive, and NW'/a.
NE'/a, E'/z NWYa, SW'/a NW'/<, and that part of
NW'/a NW'/n.
Section 5, lots 7 to 10, inclusive, 15, 17 and 18;
Section 6, lots 8 to 17, inclusive.
T13S, R91 W, 6" PM:
Section 1, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, S''/z NW'/a and SW'/<;
Section 2, lot 1, and SYz NE'/a;
Section 12, S''/z NE'/a, and NW'/4.
The coal resource to be offered for lease is limited to coal recoverable by underground mining
methods.
Forest Service -Elk Creek Coal Lease Tract