BLM receives right-of-way application for coal mining activities

GRAND JUNCTION, CO – The Bureau of Land Management Grand Junction Field Office has received a right-of-way application from Central Appalachia Mining (CAM) for the installation of several new facilities related to the proposed expansion of their coal mining operations located in the Book Cliffs near the base of Douglas Pass. A wash plant, conveyor belt, refuse pile and haul roads are just a few of the proposed activities included in the application. The company is also requesting a ROW to build a railroad that would cross both private and BLM public lands carrying coal from its expanded operations to the Union Pacific tracks in Mack. The BLM is in the initial phase of reviewing the application.

“BLM realizes that the local communities have lots of questions, and BLM will be seeking those same answers and many more,” Grand Junction Field Manager Catherine Robertson said. “BLM wants the public to know that the process will allow ample opportunity for them to be heard and involved.”

An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be used to analyze the impacts of this proposed project to both private and public lands. BLM will likely enlist a third-party contractor to administer the EIS, with CAM Holdings reimbursing BLM for costs related to the project. Numerous federal agencies, state and local governments, as well as local communities will engage in a scoping process to identify issues that need to be considered in the EIS. The review process is estimated to take at least two years.

BLM finalized a management plan in late 2004 for the North Fruita Desert, which is designated as a Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA). Public lands located in the western portion of the SRMA would be impacted by these proposed activities. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on the public lands.

BLM is developing a mailing list to provide future communications to the interested public on this proposed ROW. If you would like your name added to the list, please submit your mailing information to melodie_lloyd@blm.gov. For additional information on this ROW application, contact David Lehmann at (970) 244-3021.

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