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

ventilation plan. Therefore, use of directional
drilling opportunities has been used as much as
possible, however because in places the
overburden is not thick enough that directional
drilling either from outside the IRA is practical
or possible, therefore some of the operations
must be placed in the IRA
Do Not Construct Roads or MDWs in
IRAs
An alternative that included acreage in the IRA
separately was considered, but eliminated from
detailed study because, with Regional Forester
approval of access roads to MDWs for health
and safety reasons under 2001 RACR
exception, it was determined unnecessary to
analyze separately. Roadless will instead be
analyzed as part of the Proposed Action. In
addition, some areas that do not fall under the
exceptions of the 2001 RACR will not be
implementable, but will be analyzed in the
event the RACR is changed.
Comparison of Alternatives
This section provides a summary of the effects
of implementing each alternative considered in
detail. Information in the table is focused on
activities and effects where different levels of
effects or outputs can be distinguished
quantitatively or qualitatively among
alternatives. The analysis assumed that since
coal could not be mined economically without
the methane drainage, ventilation shaft and
escapeway, the Altemative 1 would result in
previously leased coal not being mined from
the area affected. As discussed earlier in this
chapter, the no action alternative would likely
cause underground coal mining operations in
the E seam to slow significantly or diminish
entirely over time, due to the economic
feasibility.

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5-12 Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells DEIS '