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CHAPTERFOUR Environmental Consequences and Mitigation <br />County (Simms 2007) indicate that this area could experience a high growth rate of 7 percent per <br />year for the next 20 years. <br />Proposed Action Alternative <br />Mine and Facilities <br />Reconstruction of the intersection of County Road X (a.k.a. Mitchell Road or Power Line Road) <br />and SH 139 will have no adverse impacts to the state highway. CR X will be designed to meet <br />Mesa County Road and Bridge Standard requirements. Since this road lies within the Grand <br />Valley Air Shed, the road surface will be asphalt or chip-n-seal to remain dust free. Traffic <br />ingress and egress will not impact current operations as the road is not congested. <br />Future traffic volumes within the project area would continue to increase as a result of energy <br />development and related growth in the Grand Valley area. The Mesa County regional traffic <br />demand model estimates the growth rate to be 7 percent per year on roads near Mack and Loma. <br />CDOT estimates the traffic growth on SH 139 will be 3.6 percent per year near the <br />Mesa/Garfield County line. <br />The future traffic operations and impacts were evaluated for when the Proposed Action <br />Alternative would be fully functional. In 5 years the Proposed Action Alternative will be <br />operating at full capacity and will add a net of 64 more vehicles per day (vpd) to the roadway <br />network. Traffic generated by the Red Cliff Mine is estimated to be 125 vpd, based on a labor <br />estimate of 250 employees and assuming an average of two employees per vehicle carpooling to <br />and from work. Over the next 5 years, the McClain Mine would close mining operations and <br />truck transport of coal to fuel the Cameo Power Plant would cease. Closing this mine reduces <br />the commuter and heavy truck traffic on SH 139 by 61 vpd. The net gain in traffic of 64 vpd on <br />SH 139 at CR X would be minimal (5 percent) when compared to a 5-year future traffic estimate <br />of 1240 vpd. <br />Future traffic volumes on CR M8 and CR 10 are estimated to be 895 and 530 vpd, respectively. <br />Based on current travel patterns, traffic on these county roads would experience an increase in <br />traffic ranging from 5 to 15 vpd, as a result of the proposed action alternative. <br />The proposed action alternative will not result any permanent substantial impacts to the <br />transportation system. <br />Lease Area <br />The intersection of CR X and SH 139 will have no adverse impacts to the state highway. CR X <br />will be designed to meet Mesa County Road and Bridge Standard requirements. Since this road <br />lies with in the Grand Valley Air Shed, the road surface will be asphalt or chip-n-seal to remain <br />dust free. Traffic ingress and egress will not impact current operations as the road is not <br />congested. <br />Railroad <br />The railroad grade crossing at both CR M8 and CR 10 would delay vehicles by 6.5 to <br />7.5 minutes at each location. During the peak hour of travel, the crossing coal train would delay <br />on average of 14 vehicles on CR M 8 and 9 vehicles on CR 10. During off-peak hours of travel <br />the average total number of vehicles stopped by the train on CR M 8 and CR 10 would be 5 and <br />4-24 <br />DBMS 579 <br />