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2010 and fall of 2011 identified additional acres of mineable coal resources and the LBA was <br />modified to include this area. Based on current mine plans, if BME is the successful bidder on <br />this LBA, mine longwall development entries into the LBA could occur in 2013. The B -Seam <br />and D -Seam leased coal resources have been mined out to the south of the lease tract near the <br />coal outcrop. Access to the coal reserves would be best attained from the existing Deserado Mine <br />workings. These coal seams have no outcrop within the LBA and it is unlikely a bidder other <br />than BME would consider the recovery of the coal resource economical due to the capital cost of <br />required infrastructure for access and the limited amount of coal resources. <br />The LBA is located in a Known Recoverable Coal Resource Area on which the unsuitability <br />criteria were applied in the 1981 Coal Amendment to the White River Management Framework <br />Plan (MFP). Coal unsuitability criteria were established by the Surface Mining Control and <br />Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 and criteria cited in the act is expanded in 43 CFR 3461. <br />Coal unsuitability criteria are applied to lands having coal development potential. These criteria <br />evaluate the lands to determine if they are suitable for further consideration for mining. <br />Underground mining of coal deposits is exempt from the criteria, where there would be no <br />surface coal mining operations as stated at 43 CFR 3461.1.1(a). Surface mining operations <br />include surface operations and surface impacts incident to an underground mine as defined in 43 <br />CFR 3400.0- 5(mm). In addition, where underground mining would include surface operations <br />and surface impacts on federal lands to which a criterion applies, the lands shall be assessed as <br />unsuitable unless an exception or exemption applies (43 CFR 3461.1(b)). Each criterion is <br />subject to exceptions and /or exemptions as prescribed in the regulations. <br />Application of the unsuitability criteria in the 1981 Coal Amendment resulted in the <br />determination that the area encumbered by the LBA is suitable for subsurface coal development. <br />Decisions in the 1981 Coal Amendment, pertaining to management of coal resources, were <br />carried forward into the 1997 White River Record of Decision and Approved Resource <br />Management Plan (1997 White River ROD /RMP) which also specifies the unsuitability criteria <br />would be reapplied at the time a coal lease application is received (See Appendix A). <br />PURPOSE & NEED FOR THE ACTION <br />Purpose: The BLM purpose is to decide whether to hold a competitive sealed -bid lease sale for <br />the tract as applied for, hold a competitive sealed -bid lease sale for a modified tract, or reject the <br />current application and not offer the tract for sale at this time. <br />Need: The BLM need is to respond to an application to lease coal in accordance with the <br />National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the MLA of 1920, as amended by FCLAA (1976), <br />and FLPMA (1976). <br />SCOPING, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, AND ISSUES <br />Scoping: Scoping was the primary mechanism used by the BLM to initially identify issues. <br />Internal scoping was initiated when the project was presented to the White River Field Office <br />(WRFO) interdisciplinary team on 12/06/2011. External scoping was conducted by posting <br />DOI- BLM -CO- 110 - 2012 - 0023 -EA <br />