GENERAL31841 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Proposed Action Surface and Groundwater puality In our original Biological Assessment we did not address the potential for groundwater or surface water contamination in any detail. These issues have received a hil;h level of public and governmental scrutiny throughout the NEPA process, and although we feel that pollution control mechanisms installed within the Agency Preferred Alternative aze as thorough and efficacious as the situation warrants, we feel it is appropriate to give this isstre increased attention in this document. The following discussions outline the pertinent issues involving the potential for project- related contamination to local water sources, as well as designs for protecting the quality of ground and surface waters (pages 4-9 through 4-18 of the Draft EIS provide details). Surface Wager With the exception of storm water runoff, both facility sites have been designed to eliminate any accidental dischazge to off-site surface water. Storage and evaporatio~t ponds have been designed to accommodate all process water with a required safety factor a~td freeboard safety mazgin (in accordance with Bureau of Reclamation Small Dam Design criteria). All evaporation ponds will be constructed with a double liner and leak detection and collection system in accordance with CDMG requirements. Storm water runoff will be captured at both facilities in 1-acre retention ponds, suspended solids allowed to settle, the water tested and, if meeting appropriate dischazge permit limits and water quality standards, dt;canted into an adjacent ephemeral drainage (Piceance site) or Pazachute Creek (Pazachute site) under a Colorado Pollution Dischazge System (CPDS) permit administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Ponds designed to control facility runoff have been designed to withstand a 24-hour, 100-year flood conditions in addition to a volume equal to the lazgest capacity storage tank on-site plus a 50% safety capacity margin. American Soda has prepazed a Preliminary Response Plan that addresses various safety, spill prevention and materials management issues, and includes BLM and OSH.~ requirements for spill detection, confinement and cleanup. This plan requires that hazardous materials be stored in durable containers and located such that any accidental spillage would riot drain into waters courses or groundwater. Larger quantities of hazazdous materials (>500 g;rllons) must be surrounded by impermeable containment structures designed to contain 150% of the total storage volume of storage tanks plus all possible precipitation and runoff that might be simultaneously impounded. A °Pipeline Plan of Development" has been developed and contains information on detection and response to an accidental release of product through a leak or a catastrophic pipeline failure. Pipeline construction and design specifications exceed applicable DOT staitdazds and would provide greater resistance to catastrophic damage than the region's natural gas pipelines. The 44-mile line would be divided into 3 segments with manually operated gate valves placed in 2 readily accessible locations, 1 in the upper Parachute valley (TSS R95W section 30); the other