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

Summary
Purpose of and Need for Action
The Forest Service has identified the need to
authorize Mountain Coal Company (MCC),
operator of the West Elk underground coal
mine, to construct, operate, and reclaim up to
137 methane drainage well sites that would
support 168 individual MDWs, one ventilation/
escapeway facility, and approximately 23.8
miles of associated roads. The operations are
needed for the West Elk Mine to comply with
Mine Safety and Health Administration
(MSHA) requirements for methane gas
management to ensure worker safety. The
operations would enable safe recovery of
leased federal coal reserves in compliance with
lease terms and requirements for efficient
recovery of federal coal.
The purpose of the agency's action is to protect
public health and safety, to prevent loss of
leased federal coal resources, and to facilitate
safe and efficient production of compliant and
super compliant coal reserves.
This project would contribute to meeting the
need for energy resources developed and
produced in an environmentally sound manner.
The project responds to the goals and
objectives outlined in the Amended GMUG
Land and Resource Management Plan (GMUG
Forest Plan, USDA FS 1991) which calls for
encouraging environmentally sound energy and
minerals development. By providing for coal
leasing and development in this area, the
GMUG Forest Plan and Bureau of Land
Management's (BLM) Uncompahgre Basin
Resource Management Plan (Uncompahgre
RMP, USDI BLM 1989) acknowledged that the
area could at some future time support surface
facilities necessary to support coal production.
The GMUG Forest Plan also identified
providing livestock forage, managing big game
winter range and protecting riparian habitat as
the desired future conditions of the area. The
proposed action is designed to be consistent
with moving the area towards those desired
conditions. The Uncompahgre RMP supports
coal leasing and development in the area with
respect to management of mineral resources.
Proposed Action in Brief
The Forest Service proposes to authorize MCC
to conduct surface operations associated with
accessing, drilling, constructing, operating, and
reclaiming 168 methane drainage wells on 137
drilling locations, and one ventilation/
escapeway shaft on the National Forest System
(NFS) lands described below. 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 The
Forest Service also proposes to authorize
construction and use of about 23.8 miles of
roads (19 miles of new and 4.8 miles existing)
necessary for these operations, which includes
a 0.6 re-routing of an existing life of mine
access road to address issues related to geologic
hazards, sedimentation control and
maintenance. Operations related to these
authorizations are expected to begin in summer
2007. The proposed action includes granting
relief from the lease stipulation on federal coal
lease C-1362 that restricts activities between
December 1 and April 30 for the protection of
big game winter range to facilitate construction
of the Deer Creek shaft. Specific details of
operations to be conducted under the proposed
action are described in Chapter 2.
Location of Proposed Action
The Deer Creek ventilation shafUescapeway is
located in NE'/< Section 32, Township 13
South, Range 90 West, 6`h Principal Meridian,
in Gunnison County, Colorado (approximately
1,800 feet southeast of Minnesota Reservoir)
on federal coal lease C-1362. The proposed E
seam methane drainage well development is
located in Sections 26-29 and 32-35, Township
13 South, Range 90 West and in Sections 1-5,
and 9-11, Township 14 South, Range 90 West,
6`h Principal Meridian, in Gunnison County,
Colorado (approximately 7 to 10 miles east and
northeast of Paonia, Colorado) on federal coal
leases C-1362, COC-56447 and COC-67232
(Figure S-1).
Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells DEIS S-3