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Coa(Rtetham< Drainage Psmjee- PameG 76-24 Wert E!k R-Pine 2.3.1 Alternative 1 - No-Action Alternative 2-S Analysis of the No-Action Alternative is required by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ} ' Regulations (Title 40 CFR Part 1502.14(d)). In the No-Action Alternative, the proposed coal methane drainage project would not be approved. The existing mine ventilation system and underground horizontal degasification boreholes would vent approximately 7 million cubic feet of ' methane per day. These venting mechanisms, along with the previously completed MDWs, would allow production of approximately 3.5 million tons of coal from current active mining panels in 2002. Production beyond 2002 would not be economically viable with methane venting limited to the ' existing mine ventilation system and underground horizontal degasification boreholes. No new road construction, road rehabilitation, drill pad construction, surface drilling, or vertical methane drainage activities would occur in the project area. The network of roads that currently exist in the project area under Alternative 1 is shown on Figure F4, Current and Historic Roads -Alternatives 1, No-Action. ' Surface disturbance and related impacts from the coal methane drainage project would not occur. The Minnesota Creek Road, Dry Fork Road, and Horse Gulch Road would continue to exist in the project area. The West Flatiron Road is currently being used Eor access to MI~Ws that were ' constructed in 2001. This road would be decommissioned in 2002 or 2003 and reclaimed to become an ATV trail. Existing motorized trails would continue to be open for public and administrative use. 2.3.2 Alternative 2 -Sylvester Gulch/Long Draw Saddle Long-Term Access Alternative 2 is the Proposed Action, as described in Section 1.3. A classified road would be ' constructed in the project area and used for the next 30 yeazs (approximately 2030) for access to the numng lease area. 'T'his route would begin at the MCC mine facilities area, run south on private land approximately 2.1 miles (the existing Lower Sylvester Gulch Mine Road} until it reaches the National Forest boundary. At the boundary, a new road would be constructed south and east approximately ' 1.1 miles along Sylvester Gulch to its intersection with the West Flatiron Road. The route would follow the existing West Flatiron Road For 0.7 miles, then the existing Long Draw Road for 0.4 miles. A new segment of road would be constructed connecting the Long Draw Road to the Dry Fork ' Road. This new segment would be called the Long Draw Saddle Road. Once the Sylvester Gulch access route is established and stabilized, approximately 2 miles of the West Flatiron Road, (east of its intersection) with the Sylvester Gulch Road, would be closed and reclaimed. ' The existing Minnesota Creek/Dry Fork access would be utilized Eor initial project area access until completion of the Sylvester Gulch access route, in the fall of 2002. The Minnesota Creek/Dry Fork access route would continue to support project traffic for the operation of IvIDWs along the Upper ' Deep Creek Road until 2003, or early 2004. After the Upper Deep Creek road and drill pads ate obliterated in 2003 or 2004, this access route would no longer be used Eor project-related traffic. The remainder of the proposed roads are temporary roads. These temporary roads would exist for two to four years. The roads and drill pads would be built and then obliterated sequentially from 2002 to 2008 as shown in Tables T1A and T1B. The network of roads and trails that currently exist ' or would be constructed in the project azea under Alternative 2 is shown on Figure F5, Existing and Proposed Roads - Alternative 2. Because Alternative 2 would Involve construction of roads and drill pads in restricted azeas, exceptions to the high geologic hazazd; steep slope; and wetland, floodplain, ~ and riparian lease stipulations would be required. Under Alternative 2, approximately 2.1 miles of existing roads would be used to access the project area, 11.4 miles of existing road would be used within the project area, 8.6 miles of previously constmcted road or trail would be reconstructed and used as temporary roads, and 4.1 miles of new temporary roads would be constructed. The maximum total length of existing, reconstructed, and new roads in the project azea under Alternative 2 would be approximately 24.1 miles. ' Ii~P/M~sv.G1G/E!/D~l/+l0?El USFS EnvironsnentalA.rrerrment e/r/mil,.