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CHAPTERTWO Agency Preferred Altematnre ARer review of environmental information and discussions and communications with agencies and the public, an Agency Preferred Alternative has been developed that best responds to concerns and issues and m;n;m;~>s environmental impacts. This alternative is similaz to the Proposed Action and accomplishes the goal of mining sodium products, but it imposes additional agency-required mitigation and includes several mitigation/monitoring plans not included in the Draft EIS. Although these elements would have been required before approval to proceed with construction was issued by the BLM, it was decided that such modifications and mitigation plans would be incorporated into the EIS process to fully define project requirements and to analyze potential effects of the proposed project in light of the required mitigation/monitoringphns. The Agency Preferred Alternative is distinguished from the Proposed Action by incorporating five mitigation/monitoring plans, some modifications to the project, and additional mitigation measures. Each of these elements is described in this section, and is considered in the analysis of the environmental consequences of the Agency Preferred Alternative in Chapter 3.0. The following five plans aze included as appendices to this Final EIS. Section 2.3 provides a more detailed description of the major components of the plans. • Pipeline Plan of Development. This plan, found in Appendix E, presents a detailed description of the pipeline facilities and construction and operation methods, based on pipeline design by The Williams Companies, a project partner with American Soda. It includes reclamation and sediment control procedures for the pipeline, and a spill contingency plan, • Subsidence Monitoring Plan. This plan, found in Appendix F, includes both surface and subsurface monitoring of potential vertical ground movement at the Yankee Gulch Project. Subsidence monitoring would be performed throughout the wmmercial operating life of the project and results would be checked periodically, as needed, to verify and calibrate numerical models used in the design of the well field layout. • Groundwater and Surface Water Monitoring Plan. This monitoring plan, found in Appendix G, includes groundwater and surface water monitoring for the Yankee Gulch Lease site (solution well field and the upper plant) and the Pazachute Creek site (lower plant) for the first phase (0-5 years) of commercial operations. The objective of the Groundwater and Surface Water Monitoring Plan is to supplement existing baseline data and to establish trends in water quality and flow such that any deviation from the established characteristics is recognizable. This would be accomplished by monitoring a network of groundwater monitoring wells, surface water monitoring stations, and production facilities. Soil Conservation, Erosion and Sediment Control, Reclamation, and Revegetatton Plan (Reclamation Plan). The Reclamation Plan, found in Appendix H, is a revised and expanded version of the Proposed Erosion Control, Reclamation, and Revegetation Procedures included as Appendix A of the Draft EIS. It addresses soil salvage, erosion control, revegetation, and success criteria for reclamation of well fields, surface facilities, and access roads. • Wildlife Mitigation Plan. This plan, found in Appendix I, was prepazed by American Soda in consultation with the CDOW and BLM, in response to lease stipulations and concerns 2-1