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Summary <br />within safe working range, therefore additional <br />• methane liberation methods are oftentimes used. <br />For mining on existing leases north of the Dry Fork <br />LBA Tract, the West Elk Mine has used a system of <br />methane drainage wells to assist in liberating <br />methane from the underground mine. These wells <br />are drilled from the land surface into the mine <br />workings and use a gas-powered exhausting pump <br />to pull gas from the mine. Drilling these methane <br />drainage wells requires construction of drill pads <br />and temporary roads on the land surface. These <br />features are on the landscape for two to six years, <br />after which they are decommissioned and the land <br />surface is reclaimed and returned to pre-mining <br />land uses. Reclamation includes returning land <br />surface to approximate original contour and <br />revegetating. Reclamation has been generally <br />successful within two to five years after reclamation <br />work is completed. <br />For the Dry Fork LBA tract, it is anticipated that <br />methane drainage wells may be needed. Other post- <br />leasing surface disturbance that could be reasonably <br />anticipated includes, but is not limited to, <br />groundwater drilling, seismic exploration, <br />groundwater monitor well installation, ventilation <br />and escapeway facilities, water handling facilities, <br />subsidence and hydrology monitoring facilities, and <br />access roads needed for these facilities (MCC <br />2003). Estimated acres by alternative are shown in <br />Table 1-1. For the purposes of the effects analyses <br />in this EIS, it is assumed that surface disturbance <br />would occur periodically over the life of the lease <br />(expected to be about 25 years from lease issuance <br />to lease relinquishment and final bond release). <br />Site-specific locations of anticipated disturbance <br />cannot be identified at the leasing stage, due to the <br />competitive nature of coal leasing and the fact that a <br />final mine operations plan has not been approved. <br />For the purposes of this analysis, it is assumed that <br />about 30 methane drainage wells would be needed <br />over the life of the lease, assuming about one acre <br />of disturbance per pad. Associated temporary road <br />building acres assume a 30-foot average disturbance <br />width for a temporary road with a 14-foot running <br />surface. It is assumed that any exploration drilling <br />and groundwater monitoring drill pads and access <br />ad construction would utilize the same locations <br />s those used for methane drainage wells. <br />Subsidence and hydrology monitoring may require <br />placement of monitoring devices on the land <br />surface. These may include small subsidence <br />monument, survey markers, stream gages, flumes, <br />etc. Access to the facilities may require motorized <br />vehicles that would use the system of existing <br />roads. <br />One additional mine ventilation facility (i.e., shaft) <br />may be needed during the life of the lease and <br />would include associated road construction. <br />At the leasing stage, it is not possible to locate site- <br />specific areas where potential post-lease surface <br />uses may occur; therefore, the surface use and <br />disturbance estimations will be used to aid the <br />effects analysis and cumulative impact analysis <br />discussed in each resource section in Chapter 3. If <br />surface uses are proposed during the life of the <br />lease (if it is issued), then the site-specific proposals <br />would be made based on surface use stipulations on <br />the lease and NEPA analysis completed at that time. <br />'fable S-1 <br />Reasonably Foreseeable Surface Use <br />Activity Alt. B Alt. C <br />MDW (number of) 30 22 <br />MDW (acres) 30 22 <br />Miles of temporary roads for MDW 4.4 2.9 <br />Temporary roads for MDW access <br />(acres) <br />16 <br />11 <br />Acres for ventilation (acres) 5 5 <br />Access for ventilation (acres) 3,5 <br /> <br />Total rounded acres <br />60 A43 <br />MDW = Methane drainage wells <br /> <br />.Design Features of the Proposed Action <br />The Proposed Action includes conditions for <br />protection of non-coal resources in the form of lease <br />stipulations derived from restrictions developed <br />from application of the Coal Unsuitability Criteria <br />from 43 CFR 3461, the Forest Plan, policy, and <br />law. Other lease stipulations have also been <br />identified through the NEPA analysis. <br />S-4 Dry Fork Lease-By-Application FEIS