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42 <br />assessment of the alternative's reliability, and the alternative's demonstrated ability to <br />' consistently meet effluent limitations. <br />With respect to implementability, Earth Sciences considered the technical and logistical aspects <br />relating to treatment/management of salt (TDS) in the mine waters. Key factors in evaluating <br />implementability oC management alternatives included availability of off-site treatmentJdisposal <br />i services; availability of required on-site facilities, treatments, materials, and equipment; and <br />the ability to monitor the effectiveness of the management alternative. Additional consider- <br />' ationa include the ability to obtain required regulatory approvals and permits, if needed. <br />' The cost evaluation included conservative budgetary estimates of capital costs and annual costs <br />for operations and maintenance (O&M). For the purposes of comparison of alternatives, the <br />' present worth of annual O&M costs was also calculated over a 5-year operational period with <br />an effective discount rate of 5 percent. <br />The present worth of O&M was calculated so that the impact of varying long-term costs and <br />' initial capital costs of various alternatives could be compared. The total cost of implementing <br />a management alternative was calculated as the sum of capital coats and the present worth of <br />' O&M coats. Alternatives for which coats were substantially higher than other evaluated <br />alternatives were dropped from mneideration if the higher coat alternative did not have signifi- <br />' cant advantages over lower coat alternatives. For this report, all estimated costs are rounded <br />to the nearest $100,000. In addition, the present worth for each salt management alternative <br />' ie presented in two ways. These two ways correspond to complete salt removal (i.e., salt <br />elimination) and partial salt removal (i.e., salt minimization to achieve cumulative 2,000 - <br />pounds per day and 350 tone per year TDS limitations). <br />4.3 Preliminary Screenin¢ of Alternatives <br />Earth Sciences conducted a preliminary technical review (screening) of the six salt management <br />alternatives. The primary focus of thin review was to evaluate the management alternatives <br />based on their efTectiveneae in managing the salt in the mine waters and their ability to be <br />implemented at the PCC Palisade, Colorado facility. Based on this preliminary screening, one <br />of the six management alternatives (MAl) was dropped from further consideration. A descrip- <br />tion ofthis management alternative and the results of the preliminary screening are presented <br />' in the following subsection. <br />1 <br />