GENERAL50821

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 3/19/2007
• Doc Name: Draft EIS Deer Creek Shaft/E-Seam MDWs
• From: Forest Service
• To: DRMS
• Permit Index Doc Type: General Correspondence
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

I ~ Summary
Performing Operations and Maintenance.
• Performing interim reclamation on pad
and light-use (low-volume) road once
shaft and emergency structures are
constructed.
• Sealing airshaft and escapeway with
concrete/steel structure 10 feet below
ground surface and performing final
surface reclamations when no longer
needed at end of life of mine (mine life
estimated at 13-15 years).
Additionally, due to unknown timing of mining
operations, the Proposed Action includes
analysis of the most surface disturbing method
of shaft construction (conventional methods).
Disturbed area for the shaft is estimated to be 4
acres. Sub-soil stockpile is anticipated to be
piled directly east of shafts. The only facilities
visible on the surface associated with the
ventilation shaft will be the collar and exhaust
equipment.
' E Seam Methane Drainage Wells (MDW)
Includes:
Drilling and casing of up to 168 MDWs
located on up to 137 drill locations over
12 years on NFS lands. Five of the
drilling locations would also serve as
' staging areas. An additional six staging
areas may be used, two of are currently
reclaimed areas.

• Constructing approximately 19 miles of
new access road, over 12 years
(approximately 2 miles of which involves
upgrading existing ATV trails on NFS
lands)
• Using and performing maintenance
(upgrading) on approximately 4.8 miles
of existing National Forest System Roads
(NFSR);
• Installing passive and/or active degassing
equipment;
• Operating and maintaining wells for
ventilation of mine while recovering E
Seam reserves;
• Interim reclaiming of mud pits, seeding
and mulching outslopes and cut-slopes;
• Plugging drill holes and performing final
reclamation on pads when drill holes
(estimated life of each MDW is three
years; construction and reclamation
would span 12 years); and
• Decommissioning by obliterating new
access roads and decommissioning
existing roads to desired service level.
Access and Road Construction
Relative to road construction, the Proposed
Action would authorize construction and use of
about 23.8 miles of new roads necessary for
these operations. About 19 of the 23.8 miles
would be new road construction, and about 4.8
miles of upgrades to existing roads. The
proposed action includes a 0.6-mile re-routing
of an existing life-of--mine administrative
access road to address issues related to geologic
hazards, sedimentation control and
maintenance issues. The Proposed Action also
includes authorizing use of approximately 5
miles of existing National Forest System Roads
(NFSRs).
Proposal and analysis include approximately
3.2 miles of new roads (including the 0.6 mile
re-route) associated with constructing or
providing access to about 35 drill sites (17
individual drill sites are proposed in roadless)
in the West Elk IRA. The Purpose of and Need
for these locations have been approved by the
Regional Forester as they fit exceptions to
RACR (see Proposed Activities in IRA section
below).
Access to and from the E Seam MDW drilling
area and the Deer creek shaft would use a
combination of County, existing NFSRs,
existing life-of--mine administrative access
roads serving the coal leases, and newly
constructed administrative access roads.
Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells DEIS S-7