1986-06-13_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981018

• Permit No: C1981018
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 6/13/1986
• Doc Name: Permit Application Approval Package Fed Leases C-023703, D-047201, C-8424, C-8425, C-0126669
• From: OSM
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

compliance with NEPA and the guidelines of the Council on
Environmental Quality. OSMRE has reviewed the supplemental report
and agrees with the analysis and conclusions except as discussed
below; therefore, ,the supplemental report is incorporated as an
integral part of this environmental assessment.
The regional impacts of coal mining in the Rio Blanco County area
are addressed in the Rural Electric Association, OSMRE, and Bureau
of Land Management's Moon Lake Power Plant Project, Units 1 and 2,
environmental impact statement, 1981. Site specific impacts of the
existing operations were discussed in the Technical and
Environmental Analysis prepared by OSMRE for the Mining and
Reclamation Plan for the Deserado mine in June, 1981.
2. Alternatives
Alternative 1, Approval Without Conditions--The Assistant Secretary
for Land and Minerals Management may approve the mining plan modification
in accordance with the recommendation of the Colorado MLRD.
Alternative 2, Disapproval--The Assistant Secretary for Land and
Minerals Management may disapprove the mining plan modification. This
alternative would havelthe same effect as taking no action and the
Deserado mine would continue to operate under the terms and conditions of
the mining plan approved in July, 1981.
Alternative 3, Approval With Conditions--The Assistant Secretary for
Land and Minerals Management may approve the mining plan modification
. with additional special Federal conditions beyond those attached to the
State permit by Colorado MLRD and the requirements of the mining plan
approval document.
3. Affected Environment
The description of the affected environment within its resource
setting is contained in Section II. of the State's Decision Document
(pages 4-7).
4. Impact Analysis
A. Impacts of Alternative 1, Approval Without Conditions.
The description of the impacts of the mining and reclamation
operations as proposed to,be approved by Colorado MLRD is contained
in Section II through XXVII of the State's Findings Document (pages
10-50).
Additional impacts identified by OSMRE included the possible threat
of disruption of cultural resource sites by subsidence and possible
impacts to black-footed ferrets, a threatened and endangered
species. These impacts are further discussed under Alternative 3,
Approval with Conditions.
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