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1 CHAPTERFOUR Environmental Consequences L~ 1 1 1 No Action Alternative Under this alternative, mining activities at the test mine facility would likely cease. There would be no additional soil disturbance, and no impacts would occur. Existing facilities would be dismantled and the site would be reclaimed, including about 8 acres of fragile soils, according to the reclamation measures described in the previously approved 1997 Test Mine Plan (Steigers 1997). Mitigation and Monitoring No additional mitigation or monitoring is recommended beyond implementation of the Plan. Unavoidable Adverse Impacts The action altematives would result in some soil loss due to erosion, interruption of natural soil development and structure, and a loss of soil productivity. The predominance of fragile soils throughout the study azeas makes avoidance infeasible. If reclamation is not successful, both action altematives would have long-term adverse impacts. 4.3 SURFACE WATER AND SURFACE WATER DRAINAGES 4.3.1 Introduction Surface water quality could be affected by [he following project activities: construction and reclamation activities; accidental spills and leaks from the various pipelines, evaporation and other process ponds, and temporary dischazges of hydrostatic test water from the pipelines. Potential impacts resulting from these activities could include increased surface waters runoff, erosion and off-site sedimentation, water quality impairment, and channel morphology changes due to road and pipeline crossings. The magnitude of impacts to water resources would depend on the proximity of the disturbance to a drainage channel, slope aspect and gradient, degree and azea of soil disturbance, soil characteristics, duration of time within which construction activities would occur, and the timely implementation and success/failure of mitigation measures. Impacts would likely be greatest shortly after the start of construction activities and would likely decrease in time due to natural stabilization, reclamation and revegetation efforts. Surface water quantity could be affected by the water use requirements of the project. ' Activities that could potentially affect surface water resources aze subject to several regulatory requirements under the Clean Water Act (CWA), and must comply with state water quality standards and antidegradation provisions. Dischazges of stormwater runoffor hydrostatic test ' water to surface drainages would be regulated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Stream crossings by roads or pipelines would be regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE). American Soda has committed to several monitoring programs that would be implemented to protect surface water resources. These include: evaporation pond monitoring, pipeline integrity monitoring and a spill control program designed to handle the storage of chemicals. In the event of a minor accidental spill, project personnel aze trained to promptly contain and clean-up any released material. In addition, the project would be ' Soils 4-9