GENERAL51080 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

DECISION RECORD/RATIONA+.c Decision St To offer for lease 1,670,000 tons of in-place coal reserves lying in the upper seam of the Menefee formation. The coal reserves would be mined by underground mining methods, on a 180-acre tract (T. 35 N., R. 11 W., NMPM, Section 31; N',NE;SE;, and Section 32; SW ;) in La Plata County; Colorado. The leasing of the tract woul.l be subject to mitigating measures listed in Item D and standard leasing stipulations. Rationale 1. The decision is consistent with the objectives of the 1975 C.~rango- Chromo Management Framework PTan. 2. Three alternatives were analyred in th<; EA. Alternative A: Proposed Action Offer for lease 1.41 to 1.58 million tans of underground in-place coal reserves lying in the upper seam of the Menefee formation on a 160-acre tract in La Plata County, Colorado. (i) Selecting this alternative would be consistent with the iineral Leasing Act of 1920, Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act ~;` 197fi, and 43 CFR~ 3400. (ii) '~l,is alternative would not .;ive the e::isting underground mi=e aperation the coal reserves for which they qur.iif;~ to mai:~in their annual level of production fora pFriod ,~:~ ti!~.e not to exceed eight years. Alternative 8: R,lav the Action Hold tl+e lease sale for the *.r~ct is a later date and not in response to the emergency lease applic~..l~n. (i) selecting this alternat~•~e ~..~+ld not be consistent with the Mineral La~~sing Act of :920, Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1976, and 43 CFR .3400. (iij The le~:s•a sale would i;;: a;eld at a later date after tha cor.;~:?•~- t`.on of the San Juan Resou ' ~ Management Plan an ". `"n~ ~i; r.~~,;_ntal S:~~tement, •:cheduled for :'.:->•'. This wo+~'.d most 1i;::~ly r=svlt ir, :;i~ •:losing of the ex:~;.;-.g mine and ::c.:~ld re.:i In f~s-t'.~:• sur`~,ce disturbance at %: future ;ate in the opening ~:r ~ r:ew rir :.