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P-2 <br />P-2.1 <br /> <br />FM(. ~erppranOn <br />:lea , <br />....- , : , FMC <br />h4rcfi 1, 1999 <br />klr. Lury gchulls =_ <br />Nrtunl 0.esomu Spttidiet - <br />U g Burem of Lmd Msnegenlmt - <br />Whin 0.ivu Ronuroe Area _ = <br />]JSta Highwry bd - <br />Meekn.C0616a1 u~r' ' <br />-r:mv -- <br />re Ymya (+n.r. a,n:,, Mtltaals Prdea - Duft EIS v <br />Dur Mr. Sdulb: <br />1 am tvtidng to rolomenl on the !hall fsvironmental Impacl Sletemmt for the <br />prop0ud Ymkee Gulch Sodium hlineNs Projat for Mledun Sode, L L P. FMC <br />Corporstion hat a tlrany in[nca Iv ssnuirlg [Nt othn compwm imrodieg m pnmiu <br />sotutioP mining of aod'mm dkd~ mivemis do m in m enviramneoayy rnpouible and <br />terludcehy sound mmoer <br />FMC CorpOtalion is the only mmpavy to wccnsfully mmmeruegze uvna <br />mlt1linn INowg on a loge xsle Funhemmre, FMC is fimiliu with the neltcdite depadt <br />In the Piceance Basin because we luv<eWuoed possibly devdopiN Net resouru ao <br />snerd oauienf during the IPH few yeah. FMC may dttide to make m imntment in <br />nshcokle o same fume dtle. gurh en invnlmml world cake advmtage ofproptimry <br />tahmblD' Nu FMC his dnelopeJ in its work on lrom aoluGon mirdvg. FMC wmn m <br />make utuin Ih•r the Pmpwed Americo Soda projttt doesn't Fopudize wr invnlmmt <br />In dkali minosb solution ntidng try uaroductrlg Iechrmlogy SIn has rim been proven to be <br />environmentdty mun0. and Ihe[ef9re dsm+ging the ivugriry of sodium s9ludan muting u <br />e whole <br />Unfortunstdy thue arc eo deuih provided in drt draft 615 smemem eonuming the <br />Ieauhs of the apenmenlel ue minS eo our cammeen du uol have IM1e henefn o(thet <br />additiond infumsuon. Honethelm, we would like to poim ow the follorviog ttthdcd <br />ismes which we believe eMuld be adJrnsed before rommercid mining and errvironmend <br />prmliu ue grmlcd. <br />1) Unexpected dnelopmems an common in the dndopment oinew soution miring <br />mchnologin. We bdavv thn s c9mmndal midpg permit shwW dlnw opnsting <br />conditions fur wells ody within the range of cordilions test have ban successfully <br />danomuated m m experimmW tut trim including rt leut two dI&rem wdla. ThoK <br /> <br /> <br />P-.!' vpenting roodition> which should love hero dcmouvated in the experimrnW mine <br />slnuld include n Inn msdmum cavity mmpnnure, mWmum cowry preaun, maximrm <br />ahem injccliun Oow me: and the full mining tone (ke, miring the enure approwwmfy <br />600-630 foot inurvel plame0 in a rommettial mine) and the full !elan! growho[the <br />cavity (odiured to be 700 fool diemner). The worn csm combiution of opnsting <br />P•2.2 conditmm should be tatted simullumuely If it is ImDnclical to ten those coadniom <br />mlh the current expenmmlel mine setup, then we belies • 7 yeu experimenN trine <br />permit and trot a JO ynr commenid perdt should be grmted kr the proposed I A <br />mllhon ton per Year opentivn. NumativdY. the propmcd well opveling condirigm for <br />the rommeuial mine could be oipulsled to not aceed whet has been suunsfillly <br />Jemonnrned in the axisdrlg expedmeud mires. <br />P-2.3 2) OurnsNsnonofthesolutionmidngaPproechplmnedhyAmedcmSOdasuggesb <br />some of the moo ugdficml risks have ro do with dcpsnurn m enud experience ham the <br />idolized drooluuon geomnry underlpound. The dnfl EIS riot 'has the 0nd "cavity" u <br />bring a 700 foot diamuer by 606630 (Dot hiyh cylinder. However, the enud <br />cunflguntion ewld be much dif7erent For innuu, the mining solution mWd fdlow <br />v[ud frulutee to ueas outride of the cylirWn Nso, the mining snlWion could <br />preferemialb dissolve bdJe0. high asuy nshcokte tMt likely would dissolve more rtsddy <br />Ihm rWlcolim muted in oil dlala. Hence, the rosily could extent well btyond the <br />usumed 7001bot maximum dumner The avrouol of nshcdne diuolved cart be <br />Jeurmined Rom the composinon and 0ow rue of the solutiom entering and leaving <br />well, but ttit doesn't prmide my irdormetion rvgsrdin9 the shape of the linty. I(thc <br />mining alulioo goo Fir enough army loudly, then lwo mining uvitio could romxn <br />tognha and perNps uhimatdY COdeue. Tlut would be undGirable bttmse. l) <br />hvdreWic commudcation world increex the risk of hydrofranuring the formation in the <br />cold, ron-upuatiunal cavity ria high prnsure Buid from the apnuinp cavity, sml J) <br />coalescence o(cavitiea could mvdidate the subwdeue model The EIS fhould Dart how <br />the !notion of the minlog solutipn will be delermined to verify [hsl the mimpg solution has <br />nor gone beyond the defined 700 foot diemeur tylmdu <br />P•2.4 J) We assume that Amencee gods will rode efforts [n try to menage the tNpe n(the <br />mining mviq', prohehly by using m imrt gas or inert Ouid "bhnketi' es cpmmoNy used in <br />solution miring sell domes FMC rue expniencc in.Wl dome mlulion miring sod bdicve <br />Ihel apylirnian aFlhu uchmlogy to the Picr+nce Auin nahcnim dcpmit would he <br />problamstie Firstly, the sdt dome+<onldn little lnmluble mueriel whereu thedM EIS <br />' dexribes the pro0osed mining Intern) ss mn[siving epProxlmatdY ]0-]SY~ Insoluble <br />shale sod rink Mwiutr Sadanpata Wouc lS-]~/. n[the materiel in tfie miring mete <br />will dlsaoln and lane behind • honeycomb stmemn os oppossd to • large open void. <br />'I'het type of a nrumuro could make blenkding Ineffective and Blow some of the <br />uta nlWmg roiuuou Io migrue above me urgned rmning mne, pmsibiy ruching <br />the pui(eram. Saordly, it is ourundenunding that puts ofthe formation contain <br />naWd liecturn Those Endures could make it diRmh to msinpin a bWlkel. Given <br />Ihex rollaru. we believe Ilm aperifc ceps fhoNd be included in the CIS that sate <br />eandly what will done If the blanks (or othu romml mcchadim) falls to pronde the <br /> <br />