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1 Introduction <br />This Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) was prepared for the Bureau of Land <br />Management (BLM), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) pursuant to federal and state requirements <br />concerning the Natural Soda LLC (NS) nahcolite solution mining operations in <br />Rio Blanco County, Colorado. <br />NS operates, monitors, and reports in accordance with stipulations contained in the BLM <br />Record of Decision (ROD), the EPA Area Underground Injection Control (UIC) Permits <br />(permit numbers: CO30358-00000 and CO32169), the DRMS Permit M-1983-194, and any <br />subsequent conditions of approval and required mitigation. NS submits routine reports to <br />the BLM, EPA and DRMS. Should there be a discrepancy between the ROD, UIC Permits or <br />DRMS Permit (Permits) and this Environmental Monitoring Plan, the Permits will take <br />precedence. The NS monitoring programs are intended to provide the Agencies with a <br />means of determining the surface and subsurface environmental impacts of the NS <br />operations. This EMP is designed to comply with the requirements set forth by the <br />regulatory agencies. <br />The Permits were approved for the operational life of the project. The mine has been <br />successfully operating since 1993; that is more than 20 years without significant <br />environmental issues. The regulatory agencies and NS continue to proceed on a phased <br />approach based upon an updated Mine Plan; which provides more detailed information <br />concerning current operations and operations anticipated in the near future. In addition, <br />the Mine Plan provides general plans for long term operations. <br />2 Groundwater Monitoring Program <br />2.1 Groundwater Monitoring Wells <br />Groundwater monitoring wells are established inside and outside of the area of well -field <br />operations. The monitoring wells are completed within the following aquifers: Perched, <br />A -Groove, B -Groove, and Dissolution Surface (DS). Figure 1 illustrates the location of the <br />four aquifers of interest. <br />Groundwater monitoring wells are located up -gradient and down -gradient from the <br />solution -mining well field with respect to groundwater flow. These monitor wells assess the <br />impacts of mining operations on groundwater entering and leaving the area <br />stratigraphically above the solution -mining zone. Figure 2 (Natural Soda LLC and Rock <br />School Leases) and Figure 3 (Natural Soda LLC Plant Vicinity) illustrate the locations of the <br />monitoring wells and the mining area. These figures will be periodically updated as monitor <br />wells are either installed or plugged and abandoned (P&A). <br />Daub & Associates, Inc. <br />Page 1 Natural Soda LLC 2015 EMP <br />