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No Action Alternative <br />There would be no competitive sealed bid for this LBA and federal coal lease COC74813 would <br />not be issued and the recoverable coal resources in the LBA would be bypassed. Due to the mine <br />geology and longwall panel orientation, the use of longwall mining would be limited on adjacent <br />leases near lease boundaries and the maximum economic recovery of coal resources on the <br />adjacent leases would not occur. <br />ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT NOT CARRIED FORWARD <br />If an alternative is considered during the EA process but the agency decides not to analyze the <br />alternative in detail, the Lead Agency must identify those alternatives and briefly explain why <br />they were eliminated from detailed analysis (40 CFR 1502.14). An action alternative may be <br />eliminated from detailed analysis if: <br />• It is ineffective (does not respond to the purpose and need). <br />• It is technically or economically infeasible (consider whether implementation of the <br />alternative is likely given past and current practice and technology). <br />• It is inconsistent with the basic policy objectives for the management of the area (such as, <br />not in conformance with the Land Use Plan). <br />• Its implementation is remote or speculative. <br />• It is substantially similar in design to an alternative that is analyzed. <br />• It would have substantially similar effects to an alternative that is analyzed. <br />Methane Capture <br />An alternative to capture the coal mine methane (CMM) was considered, but eliminated from <br />detailed analysis because it is technically or economically infeasible and its implementation is <br />remote or speculative. The obstacles to CMM capture include technical challenges, power prices, <br />pipeline capacity, and quality constraints. <br />Methane released from the LBA and from the mine as a result of mining operations would be <br />vented through the mine ventilation system and gob degas wells. Practical constraints on <br />commercial development of methane or natural gas in this area include the depth of the resource, <br />the occurrence of the resource, resource quality and quantity, and limitations relative to effective <br />resource development and production and the mine life. With respect to resource quality and <br />quantity, methane liberation and resulting concentrations from the B -Seam coal are low, and <br />methane released is further diluted by mine ventilation air, with the result that the concentration <br />of methane discharged from mining operations as a component of ventilation exhaust air is <br />below the limits of current available technologies to collect and concentrate the methane <br />resource for sale and use. Deserado's 2011 gob degas operations consisted of operating two gob <br />degas holes 7 out of 365 days. <br />Technologies for Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) Capture are still in the developmental stage <br />and cost information is still limited (EPA CMOP, 2011). Therefore, the implementation of <br />methane capture is unlikely, given past and current practice and available technology. <br />Methane Flaring <br />The alternative to flare the methane was also considered and eliminated from detailed analysis. <br />The BLM determined it to be technically or economically infeasible and its implementation is <br />DOI- BLM -CO- 110 - 2012 - 0023 -EA <br />