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2. Alternatives <br />Alternative 1, Approval Without Conditions - -The Assistant Secretary for <br />Land and Minerals Management may approve the mining plan, as modified, in <br />accordance with the recommendation of the Colorado MLRD. <br />Alternative 2, Disapproval --The Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals <br />Management may disapprove the mining plan modification. This alternative <br />would have the same effect as taking no action and the Coal Basin mines <br />would continue to operate under the terms and conditions of the mining <br />plan approved in June 1983. <br />Alternative 3, Approval With Conditions - -The Assistant Secretary for Land <br />and Minerals Management may approve the mining plan, as modified, with <br />additional special Federal conditions beyond those attached to the State <br />permit by Colorado MLRD and the requirements of the mining plan approval <br />document. <br />3. Affected Environment <br />The description of the affected environment within its resource setting <br />is contained in the Environmental Description section of the State's <br />Findings of Compliance for Permit Revision No. 1, dated August 1984, <br />pages 5 -9. <br />4. Impact Analysis <br />A. Impacts of Alternative 1, Approval Without Conditions. <br />The description of the additional impacts of the mining and <br />reclamation operations as proposed to be approved by Colorado MLRD <br />is contained in the Findings Section of the August 1984 Findings of <br />Compliance Document, pages 9 -63; and on page 2 of the Findings and <br />Compliance Document, dated February 1986. <br />Federal Lands Review <br />Under section 522(b) of SMCRA, the Secretary of the Interior must <br />conduct a review of Federal lands to determine, pursuant to the <br />standards set forth in sections 522(a)(2) and 522(a)(3) of SMCRA, <br />whether there are areas on Federal lands that are unsuitable for all <br />or certain types of surface coal mining operations. The Federal <br />lands within the permit area were reviewed by OSMRE and the results <br />of that review are discussed below. <br />Section 522(a)(2) of SMCRA requires that reclamation must be <br />technologically and economically feasible. OSMRE (1) reviewed the <br />operations and reclamation plan portion of the permit application, <br />(2) reviewed and concurs with Colorado MLRD's finding that <br />reclamation, as required by the State program approved pursuant to <br />SMCRA, can be accomplished under the reclamation plan contained in <br />the permit application, and (3) reviewed and concurs with Colorado <br />MLRD's reclamation cost estimate determined for bonding <br />requirements. As a result of this review, OSMRE determines that the <br />reclamation as proposed in the PAP is technologically and <br />economically feasible. <br />-3- <br />