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Environmental Overview Report and Feasibility Study

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Environmental Overview Report and Feasibility Study December 2014 Environmental Overview Report and Feasibility Study Prepared for: Prepared by: December 2014 Contents Page No. 1.0 What is the Wyoming Highway 59 Relocation Project? .................................................... 1 2.0 Why is WYDOT Considering Relocating WYO 59?.......................................................... 1 3.0 What Decision is WYDOT Making? ................................................................................. 1 4.0 What Alternatives Did WYDOT Consider? ....................................................................... 3 4.1 No-Build Alternative ..................................................................................................... 5 4.2 Relocate WYO 59 (Build Alternative) ........................................................................... 5 4.3 Alternatives Not Considered for Further Analysis ......................................................... 7 4.4 Proposed Connecting Route ........................................................................................ 7 5.0 What Resources are in the Area and How Would They be Affected with the Relocation of WYO 59? .................................................................................................. 9 5.1 Resources Present .....................................................................................................13 Surface Waters, Floodplains, and Wetlands ..................................................................13 Wildlife and Vegetation ..................................................................................................16 Threatened and Endangered Species ...........................................................................19 Transportation, Traffic, and Safety .................................................................................22 Economics and Mining Operations ................................................................................25 Right-of-way ..................................................................................................................28 5.2 Resources Present but not Affected ............................................................................28 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................28 Visual and Aesthetics ....................................................................................................29 Air Quality ......................................................................................................................29 Prime and Unique Farmlands ........................................................................................30 Noise .............................................................................................................................30 Land Use and Zoning ....................................................................................................30 Social Conditions ...........................................................................................................31 Hazardous Materials ......................................................................................................31 Soils and Geologic Hazards ..........................................................................................32 Parks and Recreation ....................................................................................................32 Section 4(f) Properties ...................................................................................................32 6.0 Public Involvement and Agency Coordination .................................................................32 6.1 Agency Coordination ...................................................................................................32 6.2 Tribal Consultation ......................................................................................................34 6.3 Public Input .................................................................................................................35 Public Scoping Meeting .................................................................................................35 Public Meeting #2 ..........................................................................................................35 Public Meeting #3 ..........................................................................................................36 7.0 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................37 7.1 Engineering Feasibility ................................................................................................37 7.2 Environmental Feasibility ............................................................................................38 7.3 Stakeholder Input ........................................................................................................38 8.0 Next Steps ......................................................................................................................38 Environmental Overview Report and Feasibility Study | i 9.0 References .....................................................................................................................41 Appendices Appendix A. Wetland Delineation Report Appendix B. Biological Survey Report Appendix C. Stakeholder Input Appendix D. EDR Database Report Appendix E. WYDOT Letter Figures Figure 1. Project Location ...................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Build Alternative—Relocate WYO 59 ....................................................................... 6 Figure 3. Proposed Connecting Route between Existing WYO 59 and Garner Lake Road ..... 8 Figure 4. Preliminary Construction Disturbance Associated with Relocated WYO 59 (based on conceptual design) ................................................................................10 Figure 5. Surface Water Features and Wetlands in the Study Area .......................................14 Figure 6. FEMA-designated 100-year Floodplains in the Study Area .....................................15 Figure 7. Vegetation communities within the vicinity of the Build Alternative .........................17 Figure 8. Roadway Segments in Study Area .........................................................................23 Figure 9. Coal Mines and Surface Ownership within the Study Area .....................................26 Tables Table 1. WYO 59 Relocation Alternatives Considered (including alternatives brought forward through stakeholder meetings) ................................................................... 3 Table 2. Resources in the Study Area that Could be Potentially Impacted ...........................11 Table 3. Location of extent of ecosystems (dominant vegetation) within the study area .......18 Table 4. Proposed, Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate Species with the Potential to Occur in Campbell County, Wyoming .................................................................20 Table 5. Existing and Future Traffic Volumes along US 14-16 and WYO 59 ........................22 Table 6. Projected 2014 and Future Traffic Volumes along US 14-16 if WYO 59 is Relocated ...............................................................................................................24 Table 7. Agency Responses ................................................................................................33 Environmental Overview Report and Feasibility Study | ii 1.0 What is the Wyoming Highway 59 Relocation Project? Alpha Coal West, Inc. (Alpha) submitted a proposal to the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) to relocate approximately 4.35 miles of Wyoming Highway 59 (WYO 59) to allow mining operations in the vicinity of Eagle Butte Mine to continue (Figure 1). The project is known as the WYO 59 relocation project. Alpha is financially responsible for the cost associated with evaluating, designing, and constructing the relocated road. WYDOT is responsible for approving the location of the relocated road segment and overseeing design and construction. No federal or state of Wyoming (State) funds will be used to relocate the highway. To support the decision-making process associated with potentially relocating WYO 59, WYDOT completed an environmental review and engineering feasibility study of the proposed road relocation. The study included obtaining input from affected stakeholders and the residents of Campbell County. The results of the environmental review and associated stakeholder outreach are documented in this Environmental Overview Report and Feasibility Study. 2.0 Why is WYDOT Considering Relocating WYO 59? Alpha owns and operates the Eagle Butte Mine in Campbell County. The mining operations are currently restricted by the current location of WYO 59. To continue mining operations, as permitted by the State and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Alpha has requested WYDOT evaluate relocating a 4.35-mile segment of WYO 59. WYDOT responded to Alpha’s request to conduct the evaluation; the results are documented in this Environmental Overview Report and Feasibility Study. 3.0 What Decision is WYDOT Making? WYDOT is considering whether or not to relocate WYO 59. WYO 59 would be relocated from its current location south and east of Eagle Butte Mine to north of the Mine. Most of the current WYO 59 alignment would be abandoned and the land converted to mine operations. A small
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