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1 <br />' CHAPTERTWO Proposed Action and Alternawes <br />' 2.3.3.1 New Surface Facilities Layout <br />While many of the same existing Unocal buildings would be used under this altemative, the size <br />of the new processing plant would be increased to accommodate the lazger scale soda ash <br />production. It is estimated that the soda ash segment of the Pazachute Site processing plant <br />would be approximately triple the size of the plant described for the Proposed Action, as depicted <br />on Figure 2-15. Accordingly, there would be about 4 acres of additional ground disturbance <br />(Table 2-2). <br />' The lazger scale of the product processing operation would also require increased evaporation <br />pond capacity. Under this altemative, the MVR purge pond would be expanded from 21 to about <br />45 surface acres and serve as an evaporation pond. The total azea of ground disturbance would <br />be 47 acres (Table 2-2). The stormwater pond and the water storage pond would remain the <br />same as described for the Proposed Action. <br />2.3.3.2 Development Sequence and Schedule <br />It is anticipated that constmction of the surface facilities at the Pazachute Site would be <br />completed within about 18 months following approval of the EIS ROD, with facility startup <br />following completion of constmction. <br />L 2.3.3.3 Ancillary Facilities and Infrastructure <br />Access roads, natural gas lines, and the substations described for the Proposed Action would be <br />adequate to serve the increased production under this altemative. <br />2.3.3.4 Process Water Supply System <br />As with the Proposed Action, process water would be obtained using Unocal's existing water <br />right on the Colorado River. Since production would be accelerated under this altemative, the <br />rate of water usage would increase [o about 4.8 cfs or approximately 3,475 acre-feet per yeaz. <br />Process water would be recycled as described for the Proposed Action and pumped back to the <br />Piceance Site via the water return pipeline for reuse in solution mining. <br />' 2.3.3.5 Work Force <br />' During the 18-month construction phase, American Soda would utilize a construction work force <br />of up [o about 852 employees at its peak. Employment of the permanent operating staff for the <br />entire project would be approximately 340 employees, which is about double the employment <br />under the Proposed Action. This construction work force would be composed of both local and <br />non-local construction workers. <br />Although production of nahcolite and the size of the processing plants would neazly triple, <br />economies of scale would be realized in terms of the work force, and it is estimated that the <br />operational work force would approximately double relative to the Proposed Action. <br />2-33 <br />