Laserfiche WebLink
AIR QUALITY <br />Affected Environment: <br />The Deserado Mine is located on the northern boundary of Rio Blanco County (Latitude: <br />40.194773 / Longitude: - 108.723566), approximately 6.8 miles north northeast of Rangely, <br />Colorado (population approx. 2,365), and south of State Highway 40 approximately 15 miles <br />east of Dinosaur, Colorado. The climate ranges from semiarid to alpine and the complex terrain <br />causes considerable climatic variability affecting precipitation and temperatures, with significant <br />daily temperature changes. The project area is primarily comprised of pinyon /juniper woodland <br />at elevations from 5,300 to 6,400 feet. The average annual precipitation ranges between 11 to 16 <br />inches and is typically distributed fairly evenly throughout the year at nearly one inch per month, <br />with mid - winter receiving the lowest average amounts and spring and fall the highest levels. <br />Further east is the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, a large elevated and flattened dome plateau <br />ranging from nearly 9,000 to just over 12,000 feet. The average temperatures for the area range <br />from 5.2 °F in January to 89 °F in July. On average, there are 242 sunny days per year in Rio <br />Blanco County, CO. The wind tends to blow from the south southeast in the spring and more <br />from the south during summer and fall. Average wind speed is highest in the spring (mean wind <br />speed = 7.8 mph), with highest peak gusts occurring in January through July. <br />Air quality in the region is affected by multiple activities currently conducted within the area. <br />Activities occurring within the area that affect air quality include stationary source facilities such <br />as gas compressor plants, sand and gravel pit operations. Portable source examples include <br />facilities such as drill rigs, frac engines, gravel crushers, and asphalt plants. Mobile sources of <br />emissions within the region would include highway or on -road vehicles, off -road vehicles such <br />as construction related equipment (track dozers, loaders, backhoes, etc.), and recreational <br />vehicles (snowmobiles, ATVs, and dirt bikes). Smoke from grass and forest fires represent area <br />source emissions that can impact air quality. In general air quality within the region is good, and <br />it is not an area within the region has been designated as a nonattamment area. Some of these <br />activities have caused localized or regional level increases in pollution monitoring values within <br />the past few years. <br />Implementation of the Proposed Action Alternative would result in emissions of criteria <br />pollutants, hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and GHGs. Fugitive particulate matter would be <br />emitted when haul trucks and other vehicles associated with the mining activities travel on <br />existing dirt roads or overland access routes to load -out locations. Emissions of particulate <br />matter would be generated from processing equipment, material handling transfer points <br />(including rail load -out locations), storage piles, and mine ventilation shafts. Air quality would <br />also be impacted by fuel combustion sources, such as the engine exhaust emissions from mobile <br />material handling equipment, personnel transport equipment, and any stationary fuel combustion <br />sources. Additionally, all of these emissions would be generated from the construction of surface <br />facilities as described above. <br />DOI- BLM -CO- 110 - 2012 - 0023 -EA 14 <br />