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

of and Need for Action
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irregular-shaped pads and rapid reclamation
will minimize visual disturbance.
Livestock Management
Conflicts with livestock managers may occur in
the vicinity of the existing corrals from road
use.
Livestock AiJMs may be temporarily reduced
because of the reduction in forage due to
construction activities and vegetation
disturbance.
Livestock may concentrate along new roads
causing additional disturbance.
Livestock may have reduced water availability
due to subsidence of existing ponds.
Livestock may attempt to drink from MDW
reserve pits if not fenced.
Wilderness character may be affected. in
the West Elk Wilderness due to activity in
the adjacent roadless area. The area of the
proposed action includes previously
roaded areas of West Elk Inventoried
Roadless Area. The West Elk Wilderness
Area lies from one to three miles south
and southeast of the project area..
Therefore, there will be no effects on the
West Elk Wilderness.
. Wildenless access may be curtailed by
construction activities. Public access to the
Wilderness does not exist in the project
area as there are no System routes or
trailheads present.

Primary use of non-public project area
access roads may reduce conflicts with
recreational users. Most of the routes in
the project area are user-created (illegal)
or permitted resource extraction or
management routes not open to the public.
Global warming -methane is a greenhouse
gas. The FEIS has added analysis of
methane as a greenhouse gas to Air
Quality analysis. Due to the immeasurable
quantity of methane released on a global
scale from this project, global warming or
climate change are considered outside the
scope of this document, and while the
greenhouse gas component is addressed,
global warming is anon-significant issue
because no methodology or models exist
to measure the effect of this project at a
scale of that magnitude.
Air Quality
Fugitive dust emissions from construction
activities and road use, and venting of
hydrocarbon gasses and vehicle emissions may •
affect air quality of Class I airsheds.
Methane emissions from wells would increase
greenhouse gas emissions.
Water Quality
Construction and ground disturbing activities
may cause a decline in water quality.
Safety/Emergency Response
Mining operations are dangerous to well-being
of the workers and the public using the area.
Cumulative Impacts
Many surface disturbing activities have been
conducted in the vicinity of the project area
including previous MDW projects, livestock
grazing and management, recreational
activities, and irrigation. projects which all
contribute to issues such as erosion and
sedimentation.
Reasonably foreseeable actions may affect
resources analyzed.
Other Analysis Completed in the
Vicinity of the Project Area
1) Box Canyon Federal Coal Lease EA and
DN, 1995.
2) Raven Gulch Coal Exploration License
Enviromnental Assessment (EA) and De-
cision Notice and Finding of No Signifi-
cant Impact (DN/FONSI), 1998.
3) Coal Lease Modifications for Federal
• Non-Significant Issues Coal Leases C-1362 and COC-56447 EA
Non-significant issues and reasons regarding and DN, 2001.
their categorization as non-significant include:
Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells FEIS 11