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r, <br />~,~ <br />CHAPTERTHREE Affected Environment <br />The severance tax rate applied to "metallic minerals," which include sodium minerals such as <br />nahcolite, is 2.25 percent of gross income in excess of $] 1 million. For all metallic minerals, <br />severance taxes collected by the State in 1997 amounted to about $740,000. <br />' 3.15 TRANSPORTATION <br />The transportation network within the study area includes all roads and transportation modes that <br />serve the communities of Meeker, Rangely, Glenwood Springs, Pazachute, and Rifle. It is <br />expected that this transportation network would be used not only by construction and operations <br />' workers commuting to work sites, but also by trucks hauling equipment and supplies to the mine <br />and processing facility. <br />' The main access route to the Piceance site and the northern portion of the proposed pipeline is <br />along Colorado Highway 13. Additional access to this site would be provided from Colorado <br />Highway 64, from Meeker and Rangely. From Highways 13 and 64, access to the northern <br />project facilities would be reached via County Road 5 (Piceance Creek Road). Some travel along <br />single lane dirt access roads would also be required. Workers commuting to the mine and <br />northern portions of the pipeline would use these routes. In addition, these roads would also be <br />used to truck in equipment, supplies and material for construction and operation. Access to the <br />Parachute site and the southern portion of the pipeline would be along Garfield County Road 215 <br />(a two-lane, paved road), which extends north from Interstate 70 and the town of Pazachute. <br />' Table 3.15-1 presents the ] 989, 1994 and 1996 average daily traffic counts along Project Area <br />roads. In 1997 these traffic levels aze below designed carrying capacities for the associated <br />' roadway type. Highways 13 and 64 are maintained by the Colorado Department of <br />Transportation, and the Piceance Creek Road is maintained by the Rio Blanco County Road and <br />Bridge Department. Maintenance responsibilities for the Parachute Creek Road fall within the <br />' authority of the Garfield County Road and Bridge Department. <br />3.16 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS <br />' The affected environment for hazardous materials includes air, water, soil, and biological <br />resources that could potentially be affected by an accidental release of hazardous materials <br />during transportation to and from the project azeas, and during storage and use at the project <br />azeas both during construction and operations. Sensitive areas for hazardous materials release <br />would include riparian zones along Piceance Creek and Pazachute Creek, the Colorado River, <br />' and azeas where humans or wildlife would be directly impacted. <br />Table 2-5 lists all hazardous materials that are expected to be used for construction and <br />' operations of the Yankee Gulch Project, and it includes the storage location and quantity of <br />materials stored. <br />I' 3.17 HEALTH AND SAFETY <br />Health and safety issues are discussed in Section 4.17. <br />1 <br />' Transportation 3-63 <br />