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<br /> <br />LI <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />-i <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />i!~ <br /> <br />h <br />CHAPTERFOUR <br />No Action Alternative <br />Environmental Consequences <br />Under this alternative, mining activities at the test mine facility would likely cease. There would <br />be no additional soil disturbance, and no impacu would occur. Existing facilities would be <br />dismantled and the site would be reclaimed, including about 8 acres of fragile soils, according to <br />the reclamation measures described in the previously approved 1997 Test Mine Plan (Steigers <br />1997). . <br />Mitigation and Monitoring <br />No additional mitigation or monitoring is recommended beyond implementation of the Plan. <br />Unavoidable Adverse Impacts <br />The action alternatives would result in some soil loss due to erosion, interruption of natural soil <br />development and structure, and a loss of soil productivity. The predominance of fragile soils <br />throughout the study azeas makes avoidance infeasible. If reclamation is not successful, both <br />action alternatives would have long-term adverse impacts. <br />4.3 SURFACE WATER AND SURFACE WATER DRAINAGES ~ <br />i,~' c , <br />4.3.1 Introduction ~,t~.•°r <br />Surface water quality could be affected by the following project activities: construction and l,.y~~, <br />reclamation activities; accidental spills and leaks from the various pipelines, evaporation and ~~ ~ ~: '!~ <br />other process ponds, and temporary dischazges of hydrostatic test water from the pipelines. '' <br />Potential impacts resulting from these activities could include increased surface waters runoff. <br />erosion and off-site sedimentation. water quality impairment, and channel morphology changes <br />due to road and pipeline crossings. The magnirude of impacts to water resources would depend <br />on the proximity of the disturbance to a drainage channel, slope aspect and gradient, degree and <br />area of soil disturbance, soil chazacteristics, duration of time within which construction activities <br />would occur, and the timely implementation and success/failure of mitigation measures. Impacts <br />would likely be greatest shortly after the start of construction activiries and would likely decrease <br />in time due to natural stabilization, reclamation and revegetation efforts. Surface water quantity <br />could be affected by the water use requirements of the project. <br />Activities that could potentially affect surface water resources aze subject to several regulatory <br />requirements under the Clean Water Act (CWA), and must comply with state water quality <br />standazds and antidegradation provisions. Discharges of stormwater runoff or hydrostatic test <br />water to surface drainages would be regulated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and <br />Environment (CDPHE). Stream crossings by roads or pipelines would be regulated by the U.S. <br />Army Corps of Engineers (COE). American Soda has committed to several monitoring <br />programs that would be implemented to protect surface water resources. These include: <br />evaporation pond monitoring, pipeline integrity monitoring and a spill control program designed <br />to handle the storage of chemicals. In the event of a minor accidental spill, project personnel aze <br />trairted to promptly contain and clean-up any released material. In addition, the project would be <br />cpZ <br />c '~' <br />t <br />r ~ ~~, ~. <br />Soils 4-9 <br />