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Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences Chapter 3 Surface facilities including office, warehouse, shop, coal handling facilities are located about 5 miles north of the proposed tract. These existing facilities will be used for mining in the Dry Fork LBA tract. Next 10 years No activities beyond the post-lease surface use described in Section 1.8.2 were identified. Coal Exploration Drilling 1990s Dry Fork LBA tract was included in several past Federal coal exploration licenses. Several drill holes dating from the 1970s and 1990s are within the tract boundaries. An additional IS exploration holes are within 1 mile of the tract; most were drilled in the 1970s. Some access roads are still visible. Reclamation success has returned lands to prescribed uses. Road closures and/or obliteration are inhibiting traffic. Portions of drill roads and some pads are currently being used for a methane drainage project. Nezt 5 years The south half of the tract is included in a Federal coal exploration license that proposed drilling five exploration holes and constructing about aone- quarter mile of new temporary road. Drilling activity is proposed for summer 2005. Drill sites and temporary road construction will be reclaimed. For the cumulative effects analysis, it was assumed that four additional exploration holes would be needed during the life of the Dry Fork tract. These would cause about two acres of surface disturbance for drill pads and about 3.5 acres for temporary roads. It was also assumed that these pads and roads would be used for methane drainage wells. The drill sites and roads would be reclaimed after use. Next 5 to 10 years It was assumed that coal exploration may also occur in an area immediately south of the Dry Fork LBA tract. MCC has submitted an application to BLM for exploration in this area known as the Sunset Trail area. Required environmental analysis on this application has not been initiated. About l1 drill pads and 6 miles of temporary road may be associated with this application. The Sunset Trail area lies within the West Elk IRA. MCC has an agreement with a group of interested parties to not pursue exploration in this area for 5 years (starting in 2002) or until the GMUG Forest Plan revision is complete, whichever comes first. This agreement is expected to expire in about 2007. Methane Drainage Drilling 2001 to present MCC was approved in 2002 for installing 58 methane drainage wells from 46 locations over existing leases north of the Dry Fork LBA tract. About 20 approved methane drainage drill locations lie within aone-mile area north of the LBA tract. Eighteen of these locations have been decommissioned and reclaimed. There are 16 more locations currently operating with methane drainage wells within 2 miles of the Dry Fork LBA tract. Ten to 12 more locations will be drilled in 2005, with 10 to 12 locations being reclaimed in 2005. Within the past 5 years, drilling activity in MCC's lease holdings and permit area has been approved to disturb about 60 acres in the more than 11,000 acres of lease holdings. About 23 of the 60 acres have been disturbed and then reclaimed, and about 25 acres are currently disturbed, leaving about 13 acres not ye[ been disturbed. Next 10 years In addition to the post-lease surface use described in Section 1.8.2, lands in [he South of the Divide area (immediately west of the Dry Fork LBA) will likely require MDWs. It is estimated that about 76 wells and about 4 miles of temporary access road (approximately 16 acres) would be needed. MCC has indicated the need for an additional ventilation shafr in the South of the Divide area. The shaft is estimated to require about 5 acres of surface disturbance and would be situated about 2 miles west of the Dry Fork LBA western tract boundary. With this foreseeable ventilation shaft, the West Elk mine plans to convert the existing ventilation system to a blowing system for E Seam mining. The intent is to mitigate spontaneous combustion issues 3-2 Dry Fork Lease-t3y-Application FEIS