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- ~iver Nahcolite ~nerals III'II'll'II"I"II <br />White <br />February 17, 1999 RECEIVED <br />FEB 2 4 1999 <br />Division of Minerals & Geology <br />Mr. Gregg Squire, Environmental Protection Specialist <br />Division of Minerals and Geology ~c~~ Flo Fla <br />Department of Natural Resources ~ ~ SD . o d <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 --~,r ~~.3 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />Subject: Submittal of Undesirable Event Report, Technical Revision <br />Re: White River Nahcolite, Permit No. M-83-194 <br />Dear Mr. Squire: <br />Enclosed please find a copy of Report of Undesirable Events for February 14, <br />1999. The spill of barren liquor occurred following an un-scheduled outage at <br />the plant. WRN operators attempted February 13 to pump wash water to recover <br />wells for cavities lA and 3A to prevent scaling prior to start-up. )n the attempt <br />to send wash water to re;covery wells, the valve was opened at 1 A-SHR. No wash <br />water was sent to the well field as a result of a closed wash water valve a the mid <br />way point. WRN management subsequently told the graveyard operators to try <br />to bring the wells on line without wash water. As there was no flow at the well <br />head the valve was inadvertently left open. <br />When injection and barren flow was re-established at "1:00 P.M. on February <br />13, the day operators were unaware the wash water valve at the lA-SHR well <br />head was open, and a valve and cross over line to barren line at the mid way <br />point was open. WRN believes the wash water line to the lA-SHR wellhead was <br />frozen and sometime early February 14 the leak occurred. The leakage was <br />controlled initially by a diversion ditch to the mud pit and after it was filled, <br />leakage flowed onto the pad at well 1 A-SHR and off the pad to dry drainage to <br />the south for "600 feet. A routine daily inspection of the wellfield on February <br />14 at "7:30 A.M. discovered the spill and operator immediately turned off the <br />valve at the wellhead. The enclosed undesirable event report provides additional <br />details regarding the spill. <br />Whlta River Mahcollta Minerals, Llmltad Llablllty Company <br />P. O. Drawer 72, 3200 Co. Rtl. 31, Rills, CO 81650 (tel) 970-870-3674 (fax) 970-078-5666 <br />