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iii iiiiiiiiiiiii iii ! • <br />~-z~-~'~ <br />~7iV :EXHIBIT T <br />DESIGNATED MINING OPERATION <br />ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN <br />T.1 Definition of Designated Mining Operation <br />The Mined Land Reclamation Act 34-32-101 et seq., C.R.S. 1973 as amended provides <br />the definition of a "designated mining operation" in 34-32-102(3.5)(a). A mining <br />operation is a "designated mining operation" if <br />toxic or acidic chemicals used in extractive metallurgical processing are <br />present on site; or <br />• acid- or toxic-forming materials will be exposed or disturbed as a result of <br />mining operations. <br />T.2 Classification of Yankee Gulch Project <br />The Yankee Gulch Sodium Minerals Project (Yankee Gulch Project) will use <br />pressurized, heated water to dissolve nahcolite into a solution form. The solution <br />mining process will not result in the exposure or disturbance of any acid- or toxic- <br />forming materials. <br />The sodium solution will be pumped from the solution mining cavity to surface <br />processing facilities. Processing will not involve extractive metallurgical processes, and <br />metallurgical processing chemicals will not be present on site. The sodium solution is <br />not toxic or acid-forming. The solution will contain about 25 percent sodium <br />bicarbonate, 3 percent sodium carbonate, less than 1 percent sodium chloride, and 61 <br />percent water. The pH will range from approximately 8.8 to 9.0. Hence, the Yankee <br />Gulch Project is not by definition a designated mining operation. <br />T-1 <br />