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<br />{)02432 <br /> <br />RESIDUAL LOADINGS <br /> <br />The plant-level process'analysis will estimate the residual loadings that <br />would be introduced directly into the environment in the absence of treatment, <br />Compl iance with existing regulations and potential changes of effluent or <br />water-quality standards may require treatment of these residuals, Because of <br />the uncertainty in the appl icable standards requiring certain levels of resid- <br />ua,ls treatment, a variety of these levels will be considered, Theseconsider- <br />a,tions range from no treatment to a complete change in the res idual phase <br />(that is, sh i ft i ng the re,leased resi dua I s to another form). <br /> <br />Treatment of a residual does not make it disappear from the environment; <br />treatment only changes its form (Rei quam, Dee, and Choi ,1975), Gaseous and <br />1 iquid resIduals .can be transformed into sol id residuals because the sol ids <br />may minimize environmental degradation (Bower and Basta, 1973), Gaseous ma- <br />terIal of one form may be transformed into a gaseous material of another form.' <br />For example, gaseous sulfur compounds may be converted to form elemental sul- <br />fur (a sol id), to a gaseous form (hydrogen,.sulfide to suI fur dioxide), or to <br />aqueous, dissolved~sulfate solutions. <br /> <br />There may be a vari(;lty of possibil ities for treating residuals genera,ted <br />by a production process, ~ach treatment process has as associated cost that <br />will depend on the amounts of residuals and the level of treatment desired. <br />Each treatment process affects the environmental qual ityof the basin. Thus <br />the residuals loadings need to be tested using the environmental models to <br />eva I ua te these eFfects. Undes I rab! e effects on theenv I'ronment by mod i f i ed <br />residual loads may rule outce-rtain levels of'treatment', 'force re-evaluation <br />of possible standards, or require different types of residual treatment. A <br />comprehens ive assessment of 'residuals modification requires cons ideration of <br />all phases of the ,envi ronment. .For example, treatment of. 'residuals to attain <br />full compliance--with .existing air-quality standardsmayr,esult in noncompll~ <br />ance with water-quality standa-rdsor In land-rehabilitatlonregulations, <br /> <br />Treatment ..a Lte,rnati ves 'and assumed levels of environmental controls wi 11 <br />constitute a s.ecortdarytier .of developmentp'roposals. "Both primary 'effects <br />directly assoc1ated with coal develoPment,as.we11 as those associated with <br />,socioeconomicse.c:t'ors and related activities will beconsi,dered, <br /> <br />'I'll. .summary, ,the Informati'on ne,ededto e-stimate net inputs of residuals <br />into'the,environment includes: (1) The-l"esidual treatment options, (2) the <br />production patterns, and (3) raw-materials 'quality or composition. These net <br />'inputs will be .us'ed to perform the 'environmental ,assessments described in the <br />next ,section, <br /> <br />ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS <br /> <br />The'Yampa'Rieve'r basin assessment will apply a vari-ety of modeling and <br />le'ss quantitative :.techniques.After ,the varlousenergy-development proposals <br />have been define.d, .existing 'or potential-environmental problems and possible <br />conflicts aris'ing 'from the us'e:of natural resources wi11.be indicated, <br /> <br />t <br /> <br />This work'plan describes the modeling activities and background informa- <br />ti'on.on.'wate'rc:availability;andthe ambient environment of the basin, The <br /> <br />14 <br /> <br />" <br />