GENERAL53904

• Permit No: C1981022
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 4/6/2000
• Doc Name: RECORD OF DECISION Elk Creek Lease Tract COC 61357
• Permit Index Doc Type: GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

March 2000 Record of Decision Page 17
VI. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
This ROD covers specific decisions for the EIk Creek Coal Lease Tract. The EIS analyzed the
affects of both the Elk Creek and Iron Point Coal Lease Tracts. Alternatives were developed
and analyzed to respond to the purpose for and need of the proposed actions, to address social
and environmental issues, to respond to public and agency concerns and input, and to satisfy
NEPA regulations. Three "action" alternatives and the "No Action" alternative were considered
in this EIS. These four alternatives encompass a complete spectrum of possible decisions
ranging from no leasing, to leasing and allowing subsidence over the complete tract, to limiting
mining that would cause subsidence in order to protect sensitive surface resources. This
comprehensive range allows for selecting an alternative which allows access to coal reserves
and conservation of surface resources.
Under the action alternatives considered, the BLM would hold coal lease sales for the Iron Point
and Elk Creek Coal Lease tracts, subject to coal lease stipulations of the BLM and the Forest
Service, as well as any coal lease stipulations developed to protect non-coal resources. As
such, the Final EIS analyzes the effects of a Reasonably Foreseeable Development Scenario
(RFD) for the coal lease tract. The RFD's are discussed in further detail in Section 2.4 of the
Final EIS. Chapter 2 of the Final EIS contains a complete description of the alternatives and
process used to identify them. It should be noted that the Lease by Application process is, by
law, an open, public, competitive, sealed-bid process whereupon the coal lease would be
granted to the highest qualified bidder. Following is a summary of the alternatives considered
in detail.
Alternative A - No-Action
This alternative assumes no leasing would occur. NEPA requires that a "No-Action" alternative
be considered in environmental documents. Under the No-Action Alternative, the lease tract
would not be offered for sale at this time. The coal operations would continue operating under
the approximate production levels permitted by the Colorado DMG.
Alternative B -Proposed Action
The proposed action for the Elk Creek Coal Lease Tract encompasses lands lying between Elk
Creek and Hubbard Creek. The tract would be mined by longwall techniques. The production
on this tract would be at 5 million tons per year from the D coal seam. An estimated 21 million
tons of recoverable reserves are contained within this lease tract for the D seam.
The proposed action for the Iron Point Coal Lease Tract assumes a northern boundary south of
the Terror Creek Reservoir, along with an area that would provide access under Terror Creek to
coal reserves to existing federal coal lease (C-37210) in an area known as the Bowie No. 1
"pod " There would be no subsidence under the Curecanti-Rifle 230/345 kV electric
transmission line which essentially is parallel to Terror Creek. Production from the Iron Point
Coal Lease Tract was assumed to be 5 million tons per year from the D coal seam via longwall
mining techniques. An original estimate of 24 million tons of recoverable reserves are
contained within this lease tract for the D seam. In addition, the lease tract would provide for
access to the "Bowie No. 1 pod" which contains an estimated 10 million tons of remaining coal
reserves.
BLM -Elk Creek Coal Lease Tract