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Show Impact Study on Coal Development in Southern Utah A final statement assessing the broad regional environmental impacts of proposed and possible mining of federal coal and of related coal-development activities and projects in southern Utah has been released by the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, The statement also describes local environmental en-vironmental impacts from the operation of seven proposed underground mines and one proposed strip mine on federal lands, and the cumulative impact of the Allen-Warner Valley Energy System, a 2,500 megawatt electric power generation project. The area covered by the regional statement includes the Henry Mountains, Kaiparowits Plateau, Alton and Kolob coal fields in Garfield, Wayne, Kane, Iron .Washington and Beaver counties. The total potential coal resources of the entire study area are estimated at nearly 20 billion tons. At the projected production level, approximately 250 million tons of coal would be mined. If that much coal is produced, royalty payments to the federal government could exceed $445 million in terms of 1979 dollars with half those royalties being returned to the state and local governments. That amount of coal would also supply the energy equivalent of about one billion barrels of oil. The statement assumes various scenarios for different dif-ferent levels of coal production, but concentrates its main analysis on an -annual production of 12 million tons of federal and yion-fcdoral coal per year. ''Based on reaching this level of production by 1990 'and maintaining it for the planned lives of the proposed mines, the statement's jimmary of environmental vmpacts includes the following: -Land surface on 18.584 acres would be disturbed. The Alton mine would affect 8,280 acres and the A-WV projec t 9.588 acres over the entire project life. After reclamation, land use probably would change permanently on 2,725 acres. -"Population in 1990 would increase by 8.400. Kane and Garfield countied, Utah and (or) Coconino County, ARiz. would be expected to absorb 8,200. an increase from an anticipated no-action (without any projected development) population of 10,100 to a total population of 18.200. -"Total water use would be 43.940 acre-feet (14.3 billion gallons) per year, coasisting of 42.040 acre-feet for the A-WV A-WV project. 240 acre feet for mining and 1,660 acre-feet for public supply. All would be consumed except 830 acre-feet of sewage effluent which could be reused for irrigation. -"The A-WV project might impact a threatened or endangered species (woundfin) and disturb rare species (Gila monster, desert tortoise, desert bighorn sheep). -"A water-project component com-ponent of the proposed A-WV project would provide as much as 18.000 acre-feet (5.9 billion gallons) per year to increase agricultural production from 10.000 acres of currently irrigated land. (This would be in addition to the 42.040 acre-feet consumed con-sumed by the A-WV project.) -"Competition for labor would adversely affect existing area businesses and rising incomes would spur competition for goods, services and housing. Those persons on fixed incomes could suffer. -"Fugitive dust would be controlled by use of Rest Available Control Technology and Best Management Practices. Therefore, air quality and visibility impact would be minimal and would be restricted to the close vicinity of roads that would be unpaved for short periods. The calculated . impact on Bryce Canyon National Park is a reduction of average visibility from 87 I to 85 miles. J -"Soils on 18.584 acres would be disturbed by mining, mine facilities. J transportation systems, power lines, water projects, power plants and com- i munity development. On site erosion rates could in- ' crease ' by an average of 10 j cubic yards per acre per i year. ' - "Vegetation 'on 18.584 acres would he destroyed by t mines, power plants, ancillary an-cillary facilities and urban I development over the life of j the project. The loss would be 11.200 AUMs (Animal Unit Months ) from the A-WV .project and 1.729 AUMs from . the mines. ' -"The present visual I quality of the landscape would be changed as a result of mining and the ancillary I transportation and (ran- ( smission facilities. "About 10.304 acres of 1 wildlife habitat would be lost for the duration of I ho projects. The Alton mine would disturb an additional 8.280 acres over the entire mine life, but only a part of the acreage would be disturbed or unreclaimed in any specific year during the mine life. About 538 acres would be permanently lost to urbanization and roads. -"Substantial demands would he placed on transportation tran-sportation systems. The 104 miles of roads needed to provide direct mine access ' would require 205 acres of land. -"A total of about 250 million tons of coal would be extracted. (About 65 million tons probably would not be recoverable.) Subsidence associated with mining ciuld affect about 3.000 acres on the Kaiparowits Plateau. Fractures, depressions and surface buckling might accompany subsidence. -"Some fossils might be destroyed. Others could be revealed." The final EIS is available lor review at a number of federal, state and university offices, including the USGS Area Mining Supervisor in Salt Lake City (8426 Federal Bldg. ,125 South State St.) A limited number of copies are available on request from the LIA Office. USGS. Stop 701. Federal Center. Box 25046. Denver. Colo.. 80225. |