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CNAPTERTWO Proposed Action and Alternawes <br />that would serve only isolated, second-pass wells would not be constructed until necessary <br />during the second pass. ' <br />Initial well development to support facility startup would necessarily be somewhat different than <br />the two-pass approach. At startup, all cavities would be relatively immature, ancf therefore, a <br />greater number of such immature cavities would be needed to provide an adequate solution <br />stream to feed the processing plant. A total of about 26 wells (Figure 2-3), mostly in eazly stages <br />of development, would be used to get the processing plant through the start-up acrd initial t <br />operating period. During the initial operating period, the precise number of well,> in operation at <br />any one time would be determined by the ability of the wells to provide an adequate solution <br /> <br />stream for efficient operation of the processing plant. ' <br />Limitations of the existing experimental test phase equipment, which would be used to develop <br />some of the initial commercial production wells, require the well spacing for about eight of the ' <br />initial wells to be 300 feet. As these cavities begin to expand and their production of fluid <br />increases, some of the wells would be placed on standby to effectively halt the growth process <br />and maintain a spacing of 600 feet for active, mature wells. As the latter wells mature and are <br />retired, the wells placed on standby would be reactivated. <br />After the initial operating period, approximately 15 wells would be operated concurrently. Each <br />well is expected to have a mining production life of approximately I.5 to 3 yeazs. New wells <br />would be developed as other wells are retired. The proposed well development schedule is <br />provided in Table 2-3. ' <br />Construction of the surface facilities would be completed within about 18 months of approval of <br />the Record of Decision (ROD), with facility startup upon completion of construction. Mining <br />would occur for up to 30 yeazs. Reclamation and monitoring would continue for another three to ' <br />five yeazs. Mining would proceed 24 hours per day, 365 days per yeaz. <br /> <br />Solution Mining <br />Well Pad Construction ' <br />Each solution mining well would require a drill pad for the drill rig and other drilling equipment. <br />The drill pad would be a leveled azea with approximate dimensions of 150 feet long by 80 feet <br />wide (0.28 acre). After an access road is constructed for a well, vegetation would be cleared, and <br />topsoil would be removed and stockpiled within the drill pad azea. Topsoil would be reused in <br />the future for final reclamation of the well field. A track excavator (bulldozer, track hoe) would <br />be used to do the initial surface work, and a grader would be used to do the final surface leveling <br />of the drill pad. Standard cut and fill techniques would be used in construction of each drill pad. ' <br />Figure 2-4 shows a typical solution mining well and pad. A drilling pit, called a desander pit, <br />would be located on each pad for collection of drill cuttings. At the end of drilling activities, the <br />pit would be filled to the pad surface. t <br />2-4 ' <br />