Laserfiche WebLink
' CHAPTERTWO Proposed Action and Alternatives <br />' 2.3.1 Piceance Site <br />The Piceance Site would include the same project features as described for the Proposed Action, <br />but the development schedule would be compressed, and some facilities would have to be <br />enlazged to accommodate the accelerated production level. <br />2.3.1.1 Well Field Layout <br />Under the Accelerated Development Alternative, the boundaries of the Piceance Site and the <br />number and distribution of solution mining wells would remain the same as under the Proposed <br />' Action. As depicted on Figure 2-13, the same mining panels would be developed as described <br />for the Proposed Action, but they would be developed at a faster rate. Given the accelerated rate <br />of well development under this alternative, three to four mining panels could be under some <br />stage of development at any given time, compazed with the one or two panels described for the <br />Proposed Action. Surface disturbance would be approximately 254 acres for the 0-5 Year Mine <br />Panels and 229 acres for the 5-10 Year Mine Panels (Table 2-2). <br />2.3.1.2 Development Sequence and Schedule <br />Under this alternative, a mining production level of 4 million tons of nahcolite per yeaz would <br />require the development of approximately 78 solution mining wells for initial project startup. <br />These wells would be developed simultaneously with construction of the initial processing plant <br />and associated facilities. After the start-up period, approximately 45 new solution mining wells <br />would be developed per year, with about 48 wells operating at any given time. The precise <br />' number of wells developed and in operation at any given time would be determined by the <br />amount of sodium solution being produced by the cavities online. As described for the Proposed <br />Action, the "two-pass" development schedule would be implemented in each mining panel, the <br />main difference being that approximately three times as many wells/panels would be under <br />development at any given time under this alternative. Table 2-8 provides a representative <br />schedule of solution mining well development for the first 5 years of commercial operations <br />under this alternative. <br />It is anticipated that construction of the surface facilities at the Piceance Site would be completed <br />within about 18 months following approval of the EIS ROD, with facility startup following <br />completion of construction. <br />1.3.1.3 Solution Mining <br />Solution mining well design, well spacing, solution piping and pipe racks, and cavity <br />' development during operation would be the same as described for the Proposed Action. <br />2.3.1.4 Processing Plant Facilities <br />To accommodate the increased volume of nahcolite extraction, the size of the initial processing <br />plant at the Piceance Site would be increased compazed with the Proposed Action. Adequate <br />initial processing capabilities for 4 million tpy of nahcolite would require construction and <br />operation of three process systems and three heat exchanger units, compazed with one of each for <br />2-31 <br />