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RECORD OF DECISION <br />This document records the decision reached by the Bureau of Land Management <br />(BLM) on Wolf Ridge Corporation's (WRC's) Nine Plan for a commercial-scale <br />nahcolite solution mine. WRC's Hine Plan involves development on four federal <br />sodium lease tracts within the Piceance Basin in northwest Colorado, Rio <br />Blanco County. <br />DECISION <br />The decision is hereby made to approve WRC's Hine Plan (the Proposed Action), <br />subject to the stipulations contained in Appendix A. Their Hine Plan, which <br />was submitted to BLH pursuant to federal regulations at 43 Code of Federal <br />Regulations (CFR) 3570, was defined and analyzed in an environmental impact <br />statement (EIS) in conformance with the National Environmental Policy Act of <br />1969. <br />ALTERNATIVES <br />Four alternatives were described and analyzed in the EIS: the No Action <br />ALternative, the Proposed Action 1125,000 Tons Per Year), the 50,000 TPY <br />Alternative, and the 500,000 TPY Alternative. <br />No Action Alternative: <br />This alternative involves construction and operation of a 6-ton per hour, <br />2-year maximum pilot-scale nahcolite mine that was analyzed by BLH in an <br />environmental assessmea~t (EA Number CO-010-86-07) and approved in a decision <br />record signed Hay 2, 1986, and subsequently amended on September 10, 1986. <br />Therefore, this action (the pilot-scale mine) is independent of WRC's <br />commercial-scale mine plan and can occur, regardless of the decision resulting <br />from the EIS analysis. The pilot project represents the continuation of <br />current management practices in the study area. Thus, under the No Action <br />Alternative, the approved pilot project will take place; however, expansion of <br />the approved pilot project to a commercial-scale will not occur. <br />Facilities approved fo~• the pilot project include: a 5-acre plant site, a <br />4-acre well field for in situ solution mining of nahcolite, an evaporation <br />pond encompassing 4 acres, a new water well and ancillary pipeline, and <br />upgrading (including graveling) of the existing access road into the plant <br />site. <br />No significant impact:. will result from the No Action (Pilot Project) <br />Alternative. Minor sYwrt-term impacts will occur to air quality, soils, <br />vegetation, livestock grazing, water resources, wildlife, and <br />recreational/visual resources. Cultural and paleontological resources will <br />also be potentially impacted. Existing and future mineral lease rights could <br />be complicated because. of diminished surface occupancy possibilities within <br />the project development. area. <br />Y <br />1 <br />