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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />l~ <br /> <br />) <br /> <br />en <br /> <br />(...~: <br /> <br />This concept provides Colorado with additional eaployaent <br />opportunities and a diversified eaployaent base. Prospects for <br />crowth and expansion of the STEP pollution control technolocy are <br />provided as added incentitive to investors. The Colorado Basin <br />benefits from the reduced salinity of the river. and froa the fact <br />that this technolocy is transferable for the treataent of other <br />problea saline sources. <br /> <br />C:~l <br />c.; <br /> <br />BIOLOGICAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE CONSIDERATIONS <br /> <br />Three biological processes aust function efficiently to aaxiaize the <br />overall effectiveness of the STEP technology. First, the candidate <br />plant aust be able to grow and reproduce in the Grand Junction region <br />in order to aake beneficial use of Glenwood Sprincs saline water. To <br />accomplish this. the plant aust be able to photosynthesize <br />efficiently in saline waters and produce sufficient energy to <br />aaintain growth and salt balance. <br /> <br />Second. the plant needs to actively transpire against a high salt <br />concentration gradient within the soil. This will permit salt <br />concentrating to be accoaplished by the plant at levels that aake <br />further concentrating steps aore economical. <br /> <br />Third, the plant needs to continue to synthesize compounds that are <br />valuable to the nutrition of livestock and/or to chemicals <br />aanufacture. This mandates that aechanisms must exist within the <br />plant to protect it from salt degradation. <br /> <br />Environmental Conditions and Performance Expectations <br /> <br />Each of the above is given careful consideration, comparing <br />biological capacities and characteristics recorded for salt tolerant <br />species within their natural habitats to the physical and chemical <br />properties of Glenwood Springs saline water. as well as to the Grand <br />Junction region. in order to arrive at process design criteria. The <br />results are shown in Table I. <br /> <br />Product Opportunities <br /> <br />An analysis of the chemical composition of halophylic eaergent plants <br />was conducted which uncovered a variety of product oppo~tunities that <br />are dependent upon species. growth conditions. and aarkets. Salt <br />content aay benefit the forage value of these crops by iaproving the <br />mineral composition of feed mixes. Similarly. species able to <br />tolerate highest internal salt concentrations are the aost likely <br />candidates to produce extractable chemicals, such as mannitol. <br />resorcinol, and amino-acetic acid. This opens a broad spectrum of <br />opportunities. <br /> <br />Species Selection <br /> <br />The six <br />species <br /> <br />genera of plants shown <br />that appeared suited for <br /> <br />in Table II were found to contain <br />deployment in STEP processes. <br /> <br />E-3 <br />