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Environmental Consequences of the Proposed Action: <br />Direct and Indirect Effects: The Proposed Action is to lease 3,154.76 acres of <br />underground coal reserves and extend the life of the Deserado Mine. Well drilling would result <br />in an additional 56 acres of surface disturbance that includes access roads and small pads to be <br />built. Besides these wells, no new mine facilities would be constructed since the conveyer, <br />electric train, and buildings built for the current mine would be used during the mine expansion. <br />With proper construction and drilling practices, impacts to surface water quality are extremely <br />unlikely. Groundwater may be impacted by dewatering activities and changes in the coal <br />formation being mined, but impacts should be limited to the coal formation. <br />Drilling activities associated with the Proposed Action would alter overland flow and natural <br />groundwater recharge patterns in localized areas due to the construction of pads and access <br />roads. Potential impacts include surface soil compaction caused by construction equipment and <br />vehicles, which would likely reduce the soil's ability to absorb water and increase the volume <br />and rate of surface runoff, which in turn would increase surface erosion. Runoff associated with <br />storm events may increase sediment /salt loads in surface waters down gradient of disturbed <br />areas. Sediment can be deposited and stored in Red Wash where it would be moved into the <br />White River during heavy convection storms. Surface erosion for this project is most likely <br />during drilling activities and erosion would be unlikely with the mitigation in the Soils Resources <br />Section. <br />During surface discharge of produced water, hydrology in ephemeral streams tributary to Red <br />Wash may be impacted; however impacts are not expected due to the discharge design allowing <br />for infiltration, the relatively brief period of discharges, and the low volume proposed. This <br />conclusion is based on site visits conducted in 2011 for proposed discharge facilities that would <br />be used to support this action. <br />Discharged water will meet permit standards established by the State of Colorado to protect <br />surface water quality standards for White River Segment 13a. An antidegradation review would <br />have been done before considering the surface discharge permit with the state. The discharge <br />permit for this project has been effective for previous mining, and the Proposed Action would be <br />within the considerations of this permit. <br />Cumulative Effects: Impacts from the Bonanza Power Plant in Utah on water quality <br />could include air -born contaminants emitted during coal burning and storage of solid and liquid <br />wastes from the power plant. Air -born contaminants could include sulfur oxides (SOx) and <br />nitrogen oxides (NOx), that may be transported to alpine lakes and potentially change the pH of <br />these lakes. The EPA has required some special design measures to reduce air emissions at the <br />Bonanza Power Plant. However, even with these design features air -born mercury and selenium <br />may be deposited in surface waters and could be a water quality concern when combined with <br />other sources. Oil and gas development activities in the region contribute air pollutant emissions. <br />The White River and tributaries to the White River below this location appear to be meeting <br />standards for selenium and mercury in both Colorado and Utah since there are no segments listed <br />on the 303d list for either state for these parameters. <br />DOI- BLM -CO- 110 - 2012 - 0023 -EA 39 <br />