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<br />Section IV - P.nv].ronmental Consequences <br />A. Lease Sale of 770 acres containing 4,950,500 tons oC con•1 <br />reserves for surface mining. The environmental conszn,uences <br />addressed in this section will be associated with the scrip <br />mining method similar to what is presently used on th~~ I:crr <br />Coal operation mine. <br /> <br />• <br />1. Impacts <br />a. Climate - The general climate of the vicinity will b„ <br />unaffected, but the micro-climates on the proposed araa . <br />would be changed. Rearrangement of the topogr,phy <br />would change the wind patterns and vegetative removal <br />would result in extreme temperature changes on the bare <br />ground. These impacts are epected until the: site is <br />properly reclaimed, recontoured, and revegetatcd. <br />Reclamation would be requirt'd by existing laws and <br />regulations governing coal leasing and surface miuingt <br />b. Air Quality - Air quality will continue to be impacted <br />at its present rate. Dust and particulate matter would <br />be generated by the mining operation and exhaust would <br />be emitted by the equipment and haulage vehicles. If <br />the mining within the area did not expand to exceed <br />present operations, the air quality would continue to <br />meet state requirements. . <br />c. Tooograohti•, Geology, and Paleontology_ - The general <br />topography within the proposed tract would be temporarily <br />altered during the mining operation, but it is techni- <br />cally feasible to return it to its original contour. <br />Undiscovered paleontological resources could be dammed. <br />or destroyed, but that possibility is remote due to the <br />characteristics of the.Coalmont formation. <br />~l <br />i <br />• + <br />i <br />l <br />d. Water Resources - Present mining plans call f:or the <br />avoidance of the too major drainages within the proposed <br />tract. Neither drainage flocs water year. round. Surface <br />mining and associated activities are expected to increase <br />the amount of sediment during flora.periods. The amount <br />of surface water yield from the tract should not prodc~cu <br />significant impacts on the Canadian River. <br />A small spring locate~3 in Section 22 (sec map l,'7) will uc <br />lost with the eventual mining of Pit Unit fr3. <br />Small localized pockets of ground water may be d;ir.;:. ^,,-: cl <br />or lost if intercepted by the pit during strip minim; <br />methods. <br />26 <br />