2008-02-22_APPLICATION CORRESPONDENCE - C2008086 (39)

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CHAPTERFOUR Environmental Consequences and Mitigation 4.1 HUMAN ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE USE 4.1.1 Land Ownership and Use No Action Alternative Under the No Action Alternative, the development of this mine would not occur and there would be no change to the current land use in the project area. Proposed Action Alternative Mine and Facilities CAM is proposing a number of surface facilities to support the mining operation including a coal waste disposal area, fuel oil storage/fueling stations, electrical substations, bathhouse/office building, outdoor material storage areas, equipment shop, warehouse, washbay, covered storage, sewage treatment plant, water tank, water treatment building, mine vent fan, power line, non-coal waste storage, rock dust storage, pump house, conveyor transfer building, railroad maintenance road, water pipeline and diversion, coal preparation plant, mine access roads, and unit train loadout. The loadout would be comprised of the clean coal stockpile, ventilation fan, reclaim tunnel, conveyor belt, batch weigh system, and loadout tower. These facilities would be located on the existing and proposed coal leases. See Section 2.10.6 for additional description of the facilities. Existing land uses in the mine site include dispersed recreation, livestock grazing, and wildlife use as described in the Land Use section of Chapter 3. The McClane Canyon Mine is located approximately 4 miles north of the proposed mine and is included within coal leases currently held by the applicant. The mine and facilities would be located on BLM-administered lands. These lands are managed under the Grand Junction Resource Area Resource Management Plan (RMP) (BLM 1987) and North Fruita Desert Management Plan (BLM 2004). The Grand Junction Resource Area RMP identifies approximately 390,000 acres of the Book Cliffs as acceptable for further coal leasing consideration (BLM 2004). The mine and facilities are among the 390,000 acres identified in the RMP as suitable for coal leasing. The North Fruita Desert Management Plan identifies 5,607 acres within the North Fruita Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) with no surface occupancy (NSO) stipulations (BLM 2004). None of this acreage is within the mine area. Lease Area The future coal leasing area is estimated to be about 23,000 acres. The entire lease area is within BLM jurisdiction. Underground mining would create subsidence within the lease area as described in Section 4.2.4 and Appendix C. Use of BLM lands and minerals will require CAM to obtain rights-of--way grants and leases on these lands. Existing land uses within the lease area include mineral exploration and production facilities, oil and gas development and extraction, livestock grazing, dispersed and developed recreation, and wildlife use. 4-2 DBMS 557