1981-08-20_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981038

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SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA) TO TECHNICAL EXAMINATION/ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS RECORD NUMBER CO-030-9-34 COLORADO WESTMORELAND, INC . SHORT-TERM COMPETITIVE COAL LEASE C-27432 This final Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared under the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations, 40 CFR Part 1500, published November 29, 1978, and effective August 1, 1979. This EA follows the format described in the CEQ regulations, as interpreted by the State Director, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado, on May 10, 1979. 40 CFR Subpart 1500.4, "Reducing Paperwork" specifically directs agencies to reduce excessive paperwork. Subpart 1500.4(i) directs tiering from statements of broad scope to those of narrower scope. Subpart 1500.4(j) directs incorporation by reference. SECTION ONE -- PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE ACTION This EA has been prepared to supplement TE/EAR CO-030-9-34, Colorado Westmoreland, Inc. , Short-Term Competitive Coal Lease C-27432. The EA analyzes the environmental impacts of removal of Special Stipu- lation 30c in Federal Coal Lease C-27432 (issued August 14, 1979) . The - Special Stipulation limits the lessee, Colorado Westmoreland, Inc. (CWI ) to -a production level of 700,000 tons of coal per year. This production level was required by a court order (NRDC v. Hughes) in effect while the lease was being considered and TE/EAR CO-030-9-34 was being written. After the TE/EAR was written and the lease considered (but before it was issued) the Regulations for federally Managed Coal , 43 CFR Part 3400, were put into effect (July 19, 1979) . Under the new regulations, the BLM is not constrained by the court order and the limitation on production is no longer in effect. Since the court order was not in _ effect when the lease was issued, CWI immediately asked BLM to delete Special Stipulation 30c. In order to consider the impacts of this deletion, this EA has been prepared to supplement TE/EAR CO-030-9-34 (which only analyzed the 700,000 tons/year production level ) . If the Special Stipulation were deleted, CWI could produce coal from its lease at whatever it is allowed in an approved Mining Plan. (Mining Plans must be approved-by the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) , U.S. Department of the Interior, with input from the surface managing agency; in this case, BLM.) At present, CWI has an approved Mining Plan ^ . for 700,000 tons/year. It is assumed that if the special lease stipu- lation were deleted, CWI would submit a Mining Plan to OSM proposing a 1.3 million tons/year level of production. For analysis purposes in this EA, it is assumed that the Mining Plan will be submitted and approved, and that CWI will attain a• 1.3 million tons/year production rate. 1 : .