GENERAL46647

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 12/1/2003
• Doc Name: Lease COC-67011 West Flatiron Coal LBA-Environmental Assessment
• Permit Index Doc Type: Other Permits
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

December 1.2003
rape 1-1
Chapter 1 -Purpose and Need
~.~ Introduction and Background
This environmental assessment (EA) documents the environmental analysis regarding the possible
offering of the West Flatiron Federal Coal Lease-by-Application (LBA) tract for competitive bid. The EA
was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and this document
provides a forum for public review and comment on proposed leasing of the LBA tract. This EA also
documents the process used to analyze the LBA submittal, the environmental impacts, and possible
mitigation measures to be included as stipulations in the event the lease is issued.
On June 19, 2003 Ark Land Company (Ark Land) filed the LBA request with the United States
Department of the Interior (USDI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) pursuant to the Mineral Leasing
Act of 1920, as amended, 30 U.S.G. Section 201, as implemented by regulatory provisions found at 43
CFR 3425. The lands subject to this LBA are located within Gunnison County, Colorado, adjacent to the
West Elk Mine that is operated by Mountain Coal Company, L.L.C. (MCC).
The location of the West Flatiron LBA tract is shown on Figure 1-1, General Location Map. The lands
involved encompass National Forest System (NFS) lands administered by the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (Forest Service) within the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and
Gunnison National Forests (GMUG), public lands administered by the BLM -Uncompahgre Field Office,
and private lands owned by MCC. The BLM has assigned the West Flatiron LBA tract with Serial Number
COC-67011.
The tract delineated by the BLM for the LBA application area and analyzed in this EA follows:
Township 13 South. Ranoe 90 West, 6`" Principal Meridian
Section 12 Lots 8, 9 and 10 --
Section 13 Lots 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15
Section 24 Lots 3 and 4
Of the approximately 688 acres, the Forest Service manages about 568 acres of the surtace; 40 acres
are BLM public lands, and 80 acres are private land. The coal in the LBA tract is a federal resource
administered by the BLM. The tract contains an estimated 2.3 million tons of recoverable coal. The coal
resource within this LBA tract is limited to coal recoverable by underground mining methods.
The proposed LBA tract has been subjected to a review of unsuitability criteria as established in 43 CFR
3461. See Appendix A, Unsuitability Analysis Report- West Flatiron Lease Tract (COC-67011).
1.2 Purpose of and Need for Action
The purpose of this Federal action is to consider leasing additional Federal coal lands to allow economic
recovery of coal reserves, and determine the conditions under which the coal reserves may be recovered.
The conditions will provide protection for non-coal resources while allowing optimum mineral resource
recovery. The purpose of this EA is to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of leasing
additional Federal coal lands for underground coal resource development.
F~nviranmental Assessment
~A~est Flatiron LBrti i~ract
(3unr:ison County, C;olpradn