2009-06-15_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1982056 (2)

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f II. ALTERNATIVES • A. Proposed Action Alternative Under this alternative Tracks A and B would be leased together through the lease modification process. This would result in a modification of existing lease C-081330 to add two parcels of federal coal lands that are immediately adjacent to this existing lease. This alternative would allow maximum economic recovery of the coal from the federal lands involved and eliminate the bypass of the federal coal. B. No Action Alternative Under the No Action Alternative, the modification of existing lease C-081330 to add the additional federal coal would not be approved. This would result in Cyprus Western Coal Company bypassing the recoverable coal contained within these unleased tracts. Because of the location of these tracts, it is unlikely any other party would ever be able to economically recover the minable coal from these lands. III. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT Best available data indicates the following resources do not exist • within the affected area: saleable and locatable minerals, threatened and endangered species, floodplains, wetlands, riparian values, prime or unique farmlands, solid or hazardous wastes, areas of critical environmental concern, wilderness values, wild and scenic rivers, alluvial valley floors, or recreation values. Geology The Foidel Creek Mine site is situated in the eastern portion of the Williams Fork Mountains which form the southeastern boundary of the Sand Wash Basin that encompasses northwestern Colorado and southwestern Wyoming. The basin is bounded on the east by the Park Range Uplift, the southwest by the Axial Basin Anticline, and on the northwest by the Uinta Mountain Uplift. Numerous folds and faults are superimposed upon the southern edge of the Sand Wash Basin and stratigraphy ranges in age from Precambrian through Quaternary. The Foidel Creek Mine site is located between the eastern limb of the Tow Creek Anticline and the western limb of the Twentymile Park Syncline. There has been significant faulting in the vicinity of Tracts A and B. Some of these faults are visible at the surface in the Twentymile Sandstone outcrop along Routt County Road 27 near the Cyprus Western Coal mine offices. Stratigraphy in the area is limited to Late Cretaceous sedimentary • rocks and Quaternary stream deposits. The oldest rocks in the area belong to the Williams Fork Formation of the Late Cretaceous Mesaverde Group. The Mesaverde Group is made up of the lower Iles Formation and the upper Williams Fork Formation. The Iles Formation