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<br />RESIDUAL LDADINGS <br /> <br />The plant-level process 'analysts wi 11 estimate the res idual 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 applicable standards requIring certaIn levels of resid- <br />uals treatment, a variety of these levels will be considered. These consider- <br />ations range from no treatment to a complete change in the residual phase <br />(that is, shifting the released residuals to another form), <br /> <br />Treatment of a residual does not make it disappear from the environment; <br />treatment only changes its form (Reiquam, Dee, and Choi, 1975), Gaseous and <br />lIquid residuals can be transformed into solId res iduals 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 solid), to a gaseous form (hydrogensiulfide to sulfur dioxide), or to <br />aqueous, dissolved-sulfate solutions, <br /> <br />There may be a varIety of possibilities Tor treating residuals generated <br />by a production process, Each 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 envi ronmental qual ity of the bas in, Thus <br />the resIduals loadings need to be tested using the environmental models to <br />evaluate these effects. Undeskable effects on the environment by modified <br />res idual loads may rule out certain levels of treatment, force re-evaluation <br />of poss'ible standards, or require different types of res,idual treatment. A <br />comprehensive assessment of residuals modification requires consideration of <br />all phases of theenvi'ronment. For example, treatment of residuals to attain <br />fun compliance with existing air-quality standards may result in noncompli- <br />an,ce with water-equality standards .or in land-rehabilftation regulations, <br /> <br />Treatmentaltematives and assumed levels of environmental controls will <br />constitute a secondary tie.r of development proposals, Both primary effects <br />directly assoclated witih coal development as well as those associated with <br />socioeconomic sectors and re'lated activities will be consldered. <br /> <br />len summa.ry, the information needed to estImate net 'inputs of roes iduals <br />in'to the environment includes: (1) The residual treatment options, (2) the <br />p'rod.uction patte,rns, and (3) raw-materia.lsqual ity or composition. These net <br />i n'pwts .wI H be usad to perform the 'en v ironmenta.l assessment's descr i bed in the <br />next section, <br /> <br />ENV IRDNMENTAL ASSESSMENTS <br /> <br />The Vampa Rh'.<eir basin assessment will apply a variety of model ing and <br />less quantitaUve techniques. After the various energy-development proposals <br />'have been del' i nerl,exi st i ng or potent i alenv i ronmenta I problems and poss i b Ie <br />con.f 1i cts ar is ing f.rom the use of na,tura 1 .resources will :be i nd i cated. <br /> <br />.t <br /> <br />T,his wo,rk p~andescr"fyesithe ,modeHng activities caned background informa- <br />t ion 'on wateir av:aHability ,and the amb ient ,en",i ronmentof the 'bas in. The <br /> <br />14 <br />