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Rt0 BLANCO COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT <br />~(~ <br />Apri16, 1999 <br />TO: Rio Blanco Countyy Board of Commissioners <br />FROM: Jim Komaansky, Director of Planning <br />CourdY Courthouse <br />Poll Ottice Bos 509 <br />MOeker. CO 87641 <br />(970) 8186081 <br />Fp)( (970) 6795796 <br />RE: Yankee Gulch Sodium Minerals Project/Piceance Mining <br />Operation <br />Americnn Soda. L.L.P. hoe applied for a Major Development Permtt <br />to Construct and operate a nnhcolite solution mine. The Piceance Site :s <br />located on HLM lands approximately 22 miles west-southwest of Meeker <br />in Sections 15-21 and 29 oET1S, R97W of the 6~ P.M. Ali lands in the <br />project boundary are zoned Agriculture. <br />The project will consist of a full-scale commerctal nahcolice <br />solution mine operation co produce soda ash and sodium bicarbonate <br />(baking soda. The Yankee Gulch Joint Venture lease encompass 4,955 <br />acres, of which 1,030 acres would be impacted under the proposed 30 <br />year mine development plan. The entire project will consist of two sites, <br />the Pittance Mining Operation in Rio Blanco County and a processing <br />plant in Garfield County in the vicinity of Parachute. Two pipelines 4a <br />miles in length tiv>tl connect these two sites. This application deals only <br />with the Piceance mining site in Rio Blanco Counry. The pipelines are to <br />be processed in chc near future with a Special Use Permit. In addition, a <br />new powerline to serve this facility ie !o be applied for by White Rivcr <br />Electric Association. <br />The Pieeancc mining operation is proposed to solution mme 1.4 <br />million tone per year oC nahcofite. The recovered solution will be <br />converted into a concentrated ash solution to be delivered to the lower <br />proceaaing plant ac Pazachute through an insulated pipeline. The lower <br />plant will be used far the production oC light and dense soda ash and <br />sodium bicarbonate. The initial dtsign is to produce 800,000 to <br />1,000,000 tone per year of soda ash end 150,000 tans per year of <br />sodium bicarbonate. The spent solution from the lower plant will be <br />