2008-06-09_PERMIT FILE - C1980007 ‎(5)‎

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 6/9/2008
• Doc Name: Exhibit 79 Deer Creek Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells Project Final-August 2007
• Section_Exhibit Name: Exhibit 80 Drilling Activities - TR111
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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• Upgrading 1.3 miles of existing ATV routes
on NFS lands.
• Using and performing maintenance on
approximately 4.8 miles of existing National
Forest System Roads (NFSR);
Access and Road Construction.
This is the same as the Proposed Action except
there would be no road construction or
reconstruction or upgrades in the West Elk IRA.
Relative to road construction, Alternative would
authorize construction and use of about 19.9 miles
of roads necessary for these operations. About 14.1
of the 19.9 miles would be new road construction,
4.8 miles of upgrades to existing NFSRs, and 2.0
miles of ATV trail upgrades.
Relief from Lease Stipulation
Relief requested would be the same as Proposed
Action.
Activities in Inventoried Roadless Area
There would be no activities in IRAs under this
alternative.
Reclamation
Same as Proposed Action.
Alternatives Considered but
Eliminated from Detailed Study
Federal agencies are required by NEPA to
rigorously explore and objectively evaluate all
reasonable alternatives to the Proposed Action and
to briefly discuss the reasons .for eliminating any
alternatives that were not developed in detail (40
CFR 1502.14). Public comments received in
response to the Proposed Action provide
suggestions for alternative methods for achieving
the purpose and need. Some of these alternatives
may have been outside the scope of compliance
with Mine Safety and Health Administration
requirements for methane gas management,
duplicative of the alternatives considered in detail,
or determined to be components that would cause
um~ecessary environmental harm. Therefore, a
number of alternatives were considered, but
dismissed from detailed consideration for reasons
summarized below.
Flaring of Methane Gas
Flaring of methane gas may cause mine explosions
due to fluctuations in the levels of methane. This is
an undesired condition and is not approved by
MSHA.
MSHA indicates that additional research and
development on this technology would have to
occur before MSHA would consider flaring a
reasonable option (personal communication B
Reitze, MSHA, to Liane Mattson, FS, June 2006).
Capture/Use of Methane and Leasing
of Coal. Mine Methane
This was not carried forward as an alternative
analyzed in detail because of complexities and legal
limitations stemming from the leasing processes
and regulations of two separate mineral resources,
uncertainty with relation to quality and quantity of
gas resource, and economic concerns related to
additional facilities do not support detailed analysis
in this EIS. The reasons for this include: 1) an
alternative to capture the gas would not satisfy the
specific purpose and need for the project which is to
ensure health and safety of the underground mine
and facilitate efficient recovery of leased federal
coal reserves, 2) such an alternative would not be
legal because the gas is not under lease, and 3)
capturing the gas was not forwarded as part of the
proposal made to meet mine ventilation needs to
satisfy MSHA requirements. A discussion of each
situation is given in Chapter 2.
Further, some of the components of the capture/use
of methane concept are outside of the FS control as
they are tied to national policy or direction.
Methane Drainage Wells only on
Currently Leased Coal Areas
Public comment requested that the project be
limited to areas within existing federal coal leases.
It was mentioned that a decision to allow the
methane drainage wells in currently unleased areas
would serve to improve the prospects of leasing and
developing unleased federal land. This alternative
was not considered in detail because, with the sale
of the Dry Fork Lease (analyzed in 2004-2005 in an
EIS) effective date March 1, 2007, all lands in the
project area have been leased.
Use Horizontal Boreholes or Longhole
Horizontal Boreholes
Mine Ventilation Plans including design of
ventilation system are approved by MSHA from
submittals and measurements made by MCC.
Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seain Methane Drainage Wells FEIS
S-11