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Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division Rules 2.05.6 and 4.20 require that "underground mining <br />. activities shall be planned and conducted so as to prevent subsidence from causing material <br />damage to the surface". Material damage is defined in Rule 2.05.6 with respect to subsidence as <br />changes which prevent restoration of affected structures and with respect to renewable resource <br />lands; changes which disrupt an aquifer, or a recharge area to an aquifer, which serves as a <br />beneficial use of water; or changes which prevent restoration of productivity for agricultural lands. <br />Implementation of these regulations will minimize the impacts of subsidence. <br />Transportation <br />There is no coal truck traffic increase expected as a result of this operation. At maximum <br />production three trains a week will haul coal out of the valley from the Orchard Valley Mine. <br />County wide traffic associated with coal related growth would not be expected to significantly <br />overload any county or State road system. While traffic accidents would be expected to increase <br />an unspecified amount, the accident rate (accident per vehicle mile) itself would not be expected to <br />increase. <br />Wildlife and Endanoered Species <br />In order to protect and minimize impacts to the Grand Mesa Penstemon that may occur, a <br />Threatened and Endangered plant survey will be required prior to any surface disturbance. In <br />addition, in order to protect and preserve breeding and nesting habitat for the Loggerhead shrike, <br />disturbances in sagebrush and oak stands should be avoided to the extent possible. <br />Coal leasing would have no impact on populations of listed Federal & State Endangered fish <br />species. The Fish and Wildlife Service, through informal consultation, determined "no effect" <br />• ~ would occur to these endangered fish species as the result of this proposal. No water depletion to <br />the Upper Colorado River drainage system will occur as a result of this action. <br />Cultural Resources <br />Impacts to cultural resources in the unsurveyed portions of the application area could occur if <br />future surface disturbances were proposed. These potential impacts can be mitigated by a pre- <br />activity cultural resource inventory prior to surface disturbance. <br />Water Resources <br />Coal extraction or the resultant subsidence of overburden could disrupt and drain ground water <br />systems. Ground water systems, if encountered in the coal seams or disrupted overburden, are <br />recharged from either the North Fork or the ephemeral drainages overlying the proposed lease tract <br />Therefore, disruption of ground water systems could have secondary impacts in the form of water <br />depletion to these surface water systems. <br />Surface effects from subsidence could alter surface flow patterns or intercept surface runoff <br />waters. The severity of surface subsidence would be greatest where the shallowest overburden <br />occurs. Because the overburden thickness ranges from 1,500 to 2,500 feet and averages 2,000 <br />feet, it is not likely that there will be a loss of surface or groundwater due to coal mining. <br />Mitigating measures have been incorporated that are designed to provide complete protection of <br />the surface and groundwater resources in and adjacent to the lease tract. These mitigating <br />measures were developed as a result of public comments on the Uinta Southwest Utah EIS, 1983. <br />• <br />Page 11 <br />