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

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• • A-ternatives Considered in Detail Alternative 2- The Proposed Action Under the proposed action operations associated with accessing, drilling, constructing, operating, and reclaiming 168 MDVJs on 146 drilling locations, and one ventilation/escapeway shaft, and associated road construction or reconstruction would occur. A portion of these activities is proposed in the West Elk IRA. Operations related to these authorizations are expected to begin late suinlner 2007 and continue for about 12 years (Figure 3). Five of the drilling locations would also serve as staging areas. An additional six staging areas may be used, two of which are currently reclaimed areas. The proposed action alternative includes granting relief from the lease stipulation on federal coal lease C-1362 that restricts activities between December 1 and April 30 for the protection of big game winter range to facilitate construction of the Deer Creek shaft. Additionally, it would grant relief from a least stipulation limiting occupancy in riparian areas, wetlands and floodplains specifically any riparian crossing with a road (this would primarily occur near the Dry Fork of Minnesota Creek and involve approximately 10 acres of riparian vegetation and <1 acre of wetland vegetation, See Chapter 3 Vegetation for further discussion of effects). Development of the Proposed Action The proposed action was developed through several coordination meetings between the Forest Service Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) and MCC. During development of the proposed action for the FEIS, the scope of surface use needed for development of the E Seam reserves, it was found that both the shaft and methane drainage wells would be needed to meet ventilation requirements. Thus, it was assessed that the shaft and methane drainage wells for the E Seam were connected actions according to NEPA, and were therefore analyzed in one analysis to meet NEPA obligations and effectively address cumulative effects. Field trips with resource specialists were helpful in designing the project to minimize surface disturbance, and determining best management practices and design criteria to reduce environmental impacts that will be incorporated as part of the proposed action. The Design Criteria of the proposed Action are shown on Table 2-1. Initial proposals by MCC included the shaft area only and evolved to include other surface use needs (i.e. methane drainage wells) on the C-1362 lease. After further consideration by the Forest Service, probable developments on the COC-67232 lease were included by the Forest Service. Between scoping and issuance of the draft EIS, the proposed action was refined to address concerns and issues related to road access needs and identifying optimal locations for drilling sites to avoid areas with slope stability issues, riparian areas, and other areas with resource concerns. The IDT worked with MCC in a series of office meetings and field trips to realign segments of new road construction to reduce the amount of road construction by approximately 30 percent. Additionally, one- quarter ('/4) mile of road construction off the C- 1362 lease, but in the IRA, to access methane drainage wells on the lease was eliminated due to close examination by the FS. The IDT and MCC also worked to place drilling locations so that multiple MDWs could be co-located on one well site as much as possible. Other refinements to the proposed action related to including operations in the West Elk IRA. The DEIS forwarded that temporary road construction in the West Elk IRA portions of the project were allowable under Exception No. l of the RACR. Further interpretation of the RACR and Judge LaPorte's clarifications prompted revising the Proposed Action Alternative for the FEIS to include only temporary road construction that would be allowable under Exception No. 7 of the RACR. Therefore, based on direction from the USDA Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Regional Office in June 2007, the Proposed Action was Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells FEIS 15