Environmental assessment of impacts of coal development on the water resources of the Yampa River Basin, Colorado and Wyoming. Phase II. Work plan

Technical Report · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7348583

Steele, T D; James, II, I C; Bauer, D P

Coal resources of the western United States are being developed at ever-increasing rates, causing concerns of the effects of mining and associated activities on the environment. The Yampa River Basin Assessment is a 2 /sup 1///sub 2/-year program of the U.S. Geological Survey designed primarily to assess the availability and quality of the basin's water resources. The basin assessment also will evaluate potential environmental and selected socioeconomic impacts of energy-resource development plans proposed by mining and power companies. This report serves as a work plan for the basin assessment, describes the program objectives, and the various approaches of analysis and evaluation. Environmental studies are outlined for analyzing both the direct effects of various proposals regarding coal mining, transportation, and conversion, and the secondary effects resulting from increased population and urban growth. Economic development in the Yampa River basin will generate higher levels of residuals to be discharged into the environment. Residuals-management encompasses the technological and economic interrelationships that should be considered to comply with Federal and State environmental-control regulations regarding air quality, water quality, and disposal of solid wastes. The basin assessment is designed to provide Federal, State, and local decision-makers with the basic environmental information needed to formulate and to evaluate policies for the development of energy resources.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Lakewood, Colo. (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7348583
• Report Number(s): USGS-OFR-76-368
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200200 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management
AIR POLLUTION
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AVAILABILITY
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
COAL GASIFICATION PLANTS
COAL MINES
COLORADO
ECOSYSTEMS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LAND RECLAMATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MINES
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SALINITY
SEDIMENTS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
SURFACE WATERS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TRACE AMOUNTS
TRANSPORT
USA
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
WATER QUALITY
WATER RESERVOIRS
WATER RESOURCES
WATER RIGHTS
WYOMING