HYDRO28762

• Permit No: M1999002
• IBM Index Class Name: Hydrology
• Doc Date: 7/26/1999
• Doc Name: VIC
• From: RIO BLANCO CNTY
• To: RIO BLANUS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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DRAFT STATEMENT OF BASIS
AMERICAN SODA, L.L.P.
YANKEE GULCH PROJECT
CLASS III SOLUTION MINING WELLS
RZO BLANCO COUNTY, COLORADO
EPA AREA PERMIT NUMBER: C03858-00000
CONTACT: Mr. Chuck Williams (BP-W-GW)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
999 18th Street, Suite 500
Denver, Colorado 80202-2466
Telephone: [phone]
COMPANY: Mr. Kurt R. Nielsen
General Manager
American Soda, L.L.P.
710 Cooper Avenue, Third Floor
P.O. Box 2070
Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81602
DESCRIPTION OF FACILITY AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On August 28, ~99B, American Soda, L.L.P. (American Sodal,
made application :or a Class III Solution Mining Well Underground
injection Control(UIC) area permit. American Soda proposes to
operate commercial solution mining wells across essentially the
entire Yankee Gulch Joint Venture Sodium Leases (the Piceance
Site) in Rio Blanco County, Colorado: This operation is
currently in the test phase, and commercial operation of the
Yankee Gulch Sodium Minerals Project (Yankee Gulch Project) is
anticipated to begin in Fall 2000. The test phase began in July
1997 as a Class V experimental test cavern with the purpose of
determining whether it was economically and technologically
feasible to extract the mineral nahcolite by the use of a
solution mining process with elevated temperature and pressure.
This application is for a Class III Solution Mining Well Area
Permit to be used for multiple wells over the remainder of the _.
test phase and throughout commercial operations within the
Piceance Site. The Yankee Gulch Project commercial mining program
is anticipated to operate indefinitely. This commercial mine
plan illustrates the anticipated development sequence for the
first 30 years of operation.