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<br /> <br />Finding of No Significant Impact <br />The technical analysis and environmental assessment identifies certain envi- <br />ronmental impacts that would be caused by mining of the Bear q3 Mine onto a ~ <br />Federal coal lease of approximately 287 acres and in the reclamation of Bear <br />~1 and ~2. Impacts from subsidence, if any, appear to be mitigatable or ~- <br />avoidable. Past abandoned mining in the immediate area reveals very little <br />subsidence. Furthermore, geologically, there is a massive sandstone cap in <br />this area that historically precludes massive subsidence and abandoned work- <br />ings substantiate this. Also, the company is intending to rejuvenate remine <br />and reclaim an area that was previously mined and left unreclaimed. The old <br />workings have been standing since 1934, show little signs of subsidence. All <br />surface disturbance (8 acres) will be done in an area previously disturbed <br />from past mining activities. The mine site is located 140 feet above the <br />North Fork of the Gunnison stream channel and in no way will affect an AVF <br />located about one mile downstream. The mine surface facilities have been <br />designed to prevent harm to the North Fork of the Gunnison stream channel by <br />proper channel ditches and a sediment pond. The reclamation of Bear N1 and N2 <br />will be done in accordance with plans approved by the Regulatory Authority. <br />Based on the evaluation of impacts in the Technical Analysis prepared by the <br />Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division, and the Environmental Assessment <br />Supplement prepared by OSM, the environmental assessment prepared by the USGS <br />~,,,, and the BLM EIS entitled West-Central Colorado Coal issued February 1979, the <br />OSM staff finds that no stgnt scant tmpacts to t e human environment would re- <br />sult from continued mining on this property. Preparation of an environmental <br />impact statement (EIS) under the National Environment Policy Act (iIEPA), 42 <br />U.S.C. 4321 et sue., is, therefore, not required. <br />," o2~-d a. <br />en D. Kletn <br />Administrator <br />Western Technical Center <br /> <br />i <br />II d^~i <br />~, i 1~1 ip ~ ~1 i Y ~~ i <br />