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Ex~ecutiue Sammary ridgetops, would be sequentially developed at 5-yeaz time intervals. Each mining panel would be sequentially reclaimed after mining in the panel stops. Each well is expected to have a mining production life of approximately 1.5 to 3 years. The dissolved nahcolite would be transported from the initial processing facility at the Piceance Site via the 44-mile-long pipeline to the Parachute Site where it would be processed into commercial-grade soda ash ,md sodium bicazbonate. Water recovered from final processing would be transported ba;,k to the Piceance Site for use in solution mining. Bulk products would be transported from the: Parachute Site to an interstate rail connection at the town of Pazachute, and sodium bicazbonaU~ would be shipped by truck. The construction period would last approximately 18 months. The construction work force would vary up to 390 employees during the construction period, and the project would employ approximately 160 permanent employees during operations. Accelerated Development Alternative -This alternative is similaz to the Proposed Action, with accelerated solution mine development increasing nahcolite recovery to approximately 4 million tpy, which is nearly triple the recovery planned for the Proposed Action. Approximately 45 wells would be developed per year after initial project start-up. However, thc; total number of wells and the total azea to be developed at the Piceance Site would remain the same as under the Proposed Action. Given the accelerated rate of nahcolite extraction, the estimated life of the solution mining operation would be shortened to approximately 10 years, compazed with 30 years under Ute Proposed Action. The size of the initial processing plant at the Piceance Site would be increased to accommodate the increased voltune of nahcolite extraction, and auxiliary pumps would be required on each pipeline. There would be no other change to the proposed pipeline installation or operation under this alternative. The Pazachute Site would be used for final processing of sodium products as described for the Proposed Action. The size of the final processing facility would be increased to accommodate the lazger scale soda ash production. No Action Alternative -The No Action Alternative is required by NEPA fox comparison to other alternatives in the EIS. The No Action Alternative would occur if the Yankee Gulch Project Commercial Mine Plan were not approved because it would cause undue and unnecessary degradation, which is prohibited by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) Sec. 302 (b). Under the No Action Alternative, ongoing mining activities approved under the existing Exploration Plan and Test Mine Plan could continue, but in all likelihood these activities would cease. In this case, workers would be laid off, facilities would be dismantled and the site would be reclaimed. The envirorunental conditions described in Chapter 3 o:F the Draft EIS would continue to exist unchanged by activities related to this mining proposal. Agency Preferred Alternative -This alternative is similaz to the Proposed Action and accomplishes the goal of mining sodium products, but it imposes additional acgency-required mitigation to reduce potential adverse effects. The Agency Preferred Alternative also includes five mitigation/monitoring plans: (1) Pipeline Plan of Development, (2) Subsidence Monitoring Plan, (3) Groundwater and Surface Water Monitoring Plan, (4) Soil Conservartion, Erosion and Sediment Control, Reclamation, and Revegetation Plan, and (5) Wildlife Mitigation Plan. In addition, this alternative includes the Biological Assessment submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to initiate formal Section 7 consultation on potential effects to threatened and endangered species. The Biological Opinion issued by the U:iFWS is also included. Several modifications to the Proposed Action are incorporated into the new Agency ES-2