Brophy Coal Ea [Ea]

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IVERSEN MINE FIRE ABATEMENT PROJECT RICHLAND COUNTY, MONTANA PREPARED BY: MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ABANDONED MINE LANDS PROGRAM REMEDIATION DIVISION P.O. BOX 200901 HELENA, MONTANA 59620 IN COOPERATION WITH UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT CASPER, WYOMING FIELD OFFICE August 2020 2 Acronym List _______________________________________________________________________________ 5 Description of Proposed Action AND NEED FOR Proposed Action _____________________________________ 6 Project Location ___________________________________________________________________________________ 6 Project History ____________________________________________________________________________________ 6 Alternatives Considered ______________________________________________________________________ 7 Alternative 1 – Removal of Berm, Waste Coal, and River Restoration ________________________________________ 7 Alternative 2 – No Action ____________________________________________________________________________ 7 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ____________________________________________________________________ 8 General Setting ____________________________________________________________________________________ 8 Regional and Local Geology __________________________________________________________________________ 8 Hydrogeologic Setting ______________________________________________________________________________ 9 Surface Water Hydrology ____________________________________________________________________________ 9 Vegetation _______________________________________________________________________________________ 9 Fish and Wildlife ___________________________________________________________________________________ 9 Historic or Archeologically Significant Features __________________________________________________________ 9 Soils ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 10 Recreational Resource Values _______________________________________________________________________ 10 Air Quality _______________________________________________________________________________________ 10 Noise ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Topography ______________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Social and Economic Values _________________________________________________________________________ 11 Conformance with Federal, State, Regional, and/or Local Land Use Plans, Programs and Policies _________________ 11 Environmental Justice _____________________________________________________________________________ 11 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED ALTERNATIVES______________________________________ 12 Alternative 1 – Approval of the Proposed Abandoned Mine Restoration Project (The “Preferred Alternative”) ______ 12 Resource Values __________________________________________________________________________________ 12 Cumulative Impacts ________________________________________________________________________________ 7 Alternative 2 – Disapproval of the Proposed Abandoned Mine Construction Project (The “No Action Alternative”) ___ 7 Resource Values ___________________________________________________________________________________ 7 Cumulative Impacts ________________________________________________________________________________ 8 3 SUMMARY _________________________________________________________________________________ 9 REFERENCES _______________________________________________________________________________ 10 Attachment A _____________________________________________________________________________ 11 Fish and Wildlife __________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Attachment B ______________________________________________________________________________ 12 Cultural Resources ________________________________________________________________________________ 12 Attachment C ______________________________________________________________________________ 13 Public Comments _________________________________________________________________________________ 13 4 Acronym List Acronym Meaning AML Abandoned Mine Lands amsl above mean sea level ATP Authorization to Proceed BMP Best Management Practices DEQ Department of Environmental Quality EA Environmental Assessment FONSI Finding of No Significant Impact NRHP National Register of Historic Places OSMRE Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement SMCRA Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act USGS United States Geological Survey USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Services 5 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION AND NEED FOR PROPOSED ACTION The purpose of this Environmental Assessment (EA) is to document the potential environmental impacts that could result from the proposed Iversen Mine Fire Abatement Project (Figure 1). In accordance with the Montana Abandoned Mine Reclamation Plan, as amended July 19, 1995 (Federal Register Vol. 60 No. 138 pg. 36998), the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Abandoned Mine Lands (DEQ AML), is proposing to complete the abatement of the coal seam fire followed by reclamation of areas impacted by the abatement. The site includes two areas impacted by the coal seam fire. DEQ AML has determined that there are potential negative impacts to the area due to the coal fire, including surface grassland fires caused by the coal seam fire. The proposal will need to be approved by an Authorization to Proceed (ATP) issued by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) after issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) before grant funds can be expended to fund this project. This effort will protect private lands by limiting the potential for grasslands fires. Eligibility for the abandoned mine reclamation fund is based on the presence of wagon mines used by local homesteaders. No previous reclamation has been completed at this site (USGS, 1914). Mining activities took place prior to August 3, 1977. The coal seam fire has been categorized as a Priority 1. Local oral history indicates that there was a homestead in the area and that this area was mined for home use. Local oral history indicates that owners of the nearby homestead mined the burning seam for domestic use coal. There are several large-scale mines in this area that have been reclaimed. The coal fire on the Iversen property was likely ignited following a grass fire that occurred in the area in 2017 and has been burning since that time. High winds occurred in the area on 13 June 2020 and a grass fire was found by the property owner who contacted local fire fighters to control two impacted areas. The fire impacted approximately 5 acres of range land. During a visit to the site on 23 June 20, surface temperatures of 98C were noted. Heat from the fire is charring grass and roots near vents and has the potential to start additional wildfires. Smoke from the vents can be seen coming from the vents and the odor of burning coal is evident. Project Location The project is located approximately 2 miles south of the Missouri River on privately owned property in Section 17, Township 27N, Range 55E, 48.085608°N, -104.635713°W (Figure 1). The site is in grasslands south of the floodplain of the Missouri River. The Missouri River flows east-northeast to the confluence with the Yellowstone River in North Dakota. Project History The site is located within the Girard Field of the Fort Union Coal Field and was classified as coal land by the USGS in 1914. There is no recorded lease of coal at the site. On the site there are pits and one tunnel dug into the coal. These are near an abandoned homestead. DEQ believes that the site was mined by homesteaders in the early 1900 for domestic use coal. 6 Figure 1 Site Location Map Iversen Mine Fire Roosevelt Co. � Iverson Mine Fire 0 0.5 Miles 0 Alternatives Considered Alternative 1 – Approval of Iversen Mine Coal Fire Abatement Project Under this alternative, the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) Field Office Director would approve extinguishing the fire using best available technologies. The fire abatement program at the Iversen Mine may include limited drilling to determine extent of the fire, excavation of the burning coal seam, extinguishing the fire, recontouring and seeding of the disturbed area. The proposed time schedule for this alternative is: Summer and Fall 2020 Eligibility determination, field investigation, and reclamation design. Prepare bid package, advertise for bids and award contract for reclamation. Winter 2020, Spring 2021 Project Construction completed 2021-2022 Project Monitoring A professional engineering firm licensed in Montana will complete the engineering design for the project. Work by this firm will be contracted for, supervised, and approved by staff from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Contract bidding and award will be by the Department of Environmental Quality staff. After the construction contract is awarded, and construction begins, a full-time construction inspector will be on-site to ensure quality control during construction. Alternative 2 – No Action Under this alternative, would not request OSMRE funding. Under this alternative, the OSMRE Field Office Director would not approve the Iversen Mine Fire Abatement Project and the fire will be allowed to burn with no control activities undertaken. This may create conditions that pose a risk to

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