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A request will be placed with the Bureau of Land Management to temporarily <br />suspend mining activities under the Sodium Minerals Leases. <br />A modification to the UIC Area Wide Permit will be initiated to make appropriate <br />changes in the UIC Permit concerning construction requirements for new Class <br />III production wells and changes to the Ground Water Monitoring Plan and <br />Subsidence Monitoring Plan to modify sampling requirements and types of <br />monitoring systems. <br />American Soda personnel will maintain a daily presence at the Piceance Facility <br />for inspection and maintenance of equipment and security of assets. <br />The operations at the Parachute Facility are conducted on Fee Land owned by <br />American Soda and the requirements of operations are somewhat different that <br />those for the Piceance Facility. However, we will conduct the changes in <br />operations at the Parachute Facility in a manner that complies with all permits <br />and regulations. <br />The Parachute Facility will be modified to continue producing sodium bicarbonate <br />even though a supply of sodium carbonate brine will not be available during <br />curtailed operations of the Piceance Facility. To accommodate the continued <br />production of Sodium Bicarbonate at the Parachute Facility soda ash will be <br />purchased in bulk and shipped to the Parachute Facility and converted to sodium <br />bicarbonate using the existing crystallizer system. <br />The soda ash production systems at the Parachute Facility will be mothballed <br />and maintained in a standby status until such time as the Piceance Facility can <br />be economically brought back into production. <br />All environmental monitoring will continue at current levels and on present <br />schedules and will only be changed where agreed upon by modification to <br />existing permits. <br />I have made arrangements for a joint meeting with the EPA, BLM and CDMG at <br />1 PM on Thursday April 22, 2004 at the EPA Region VIII offices in Denver, <br />Colorado to discuss the items proposed in this document and have requested <br />your participation. <br />This will also provide an opportunity for discussing other items that may have <br />been missed in this initial plan as well as discussing the upcoming Cavity <br />Characterization Test. <br />Please contact me at 970-285-0407 or <mailto:ecooley@americansoda.com> if <br />you have questions or I can provide further information. <br />