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08/09/2000 16:24 9706259137 AMERALIA,INC PAGE 03 <br />The January 2000 exploration program resulted in individual monitoring wells completed <br />to the three fresh water aquifers and two individual monitoring wells completed in the <br />Dissolution Surface Aquifer (MWD-1 and MWD-2). <br />The January 2000 exploration program also demonstrated that the fresh water aquifers are <br />naturally protected from the saline waters by a positive presswe gradient. The fresh <br />water aquifers are under greater pressure than the saline waters, thus preventing <br />contamination of the fresh waters. <br />The Rock School project groundwater monitoring plan was developed prior to the <br />January 2000 drilling and exploration program. The exploration program proved the <br />Dissolution Surface Aquifer is not a resowce. "These waters can not be monitored to <br />demonstrate successful resource protection because they are not a resource. Instead, the <br />Dissolution Surface Aquifer needs to be monitored to protect the fresh water resowces by <br />insuring that it is not forced, through increases in pressure, into tbe fresh water resources. <br />The best way to protect the fresh water resource is to monitor and maintain the protective <br />pressure gradient AmerAlia has installed such a monitoring system. Instruments are <br />placed in each of the three fresh water and the two Dissolution Surface Aquifer <br />monitoring wells to measure dte piezometric pressures. The instrument output is <br />processed and recorded by a microprocessor. Data from the microprocessor will be used <br />in two different ways. Most importantly, a quick tespotrse operation failure alarm will be <br />directly linked to the plant operator station. Secondly, the data will be presended in <br />monthly reports to confirm protection of the pressure gradient protecting the fresh water <br />resources. Absolute protection of the fresh water resource, from the saline waters of the <br />Dissolution Surface Aquifer, is accomplished in this manner. <br />AmerAlia believes it is primarily ow responsibility to protect the resources and to <br />document the success of the program. AmerAlia identified the opportunity to better <br />protect the drinking water resource doting the exploration and monitoring activity and <br />acted to do so. AmerAlia has chosen to exceed generally accepted agency monitoring <br />requirements and expectations. AmerAlia's permit requirements did not include drilling <br />and monthly monitoring of the Uinta Aquifer. The exploration program goals, budget, <br />drilling program, well completion methods and accomplishments clearly exceeded the <br />established nouns and agency requirements, especially for an experimental pilot-plant <br />operation. AmerAlia's piezometric monitoring and alarm system is primary protection of <br />the fresh water resource but is not a permit requirement. <br />AmerAlia knows of three disappointments expressed by the BI.M related to AmerAlia <br />drilling, sampling and data reporting. <br />1- BTEX Would the gas lift sampling system impact the analytical results? <br />AmerAlia has resolved the BTEX issue by modifying the sampling <br />method to sample only laminar flowing water free of entrained nitrogen <br />lift gas bubbles. <br />