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3.3 Solution Mining Wells and Pads <br />American Soda constructed 34 well pads in the summer of 2000. The size of <br />each pad is approximately 150 feet by 80 feet, plus cut and fill slopes. Total <br />disturbance associated with construction of the 34 well pads is approximately 15 <br />acres. <br />Out of the 34 pads constructed, 24 wells were actually drilled and completed <br />during the summer and fall of 2000. Two wells formerly part of the American <br />Soda's Test Mine Facility were also converted to commercial wells and brought <br />on-line. Drilling of new wells commenced in July 2000 and was completed in <br />November 2000. <br />3.4 Well Field Piping and Pump Stations <br />There are three types of well field piping utilized by the Yankee Gulch Project. They <br />include the 12-inch diameter main header pipe rack, which extends from the <br />Piceance Site Processing Facility down the length of the 0 - 5 year mining panel; <br />numerous 8-inch lateral pipe-ines to serve groups of solution mining wells; and fl- <br />inch individual well pipelines. Two pump stations have been constructed in the well <br />field to lift nahcolite solution from the well field to the Piceance Site Processing <br />Facility. Figure 3 provides a detailed map of the well field layout, including the well <br />field piping and pump station configuration, Total disturbance associated with well <br />field piping and pump houses is approximately 8.8 acres. <br />3.5 Well Field Roads <br />Access through the Well Field is provided by the Well Field Access Road that <br />extends from the Main Access Road down to the Test Mine Area below (Figure <br />3]. This road was constructed in January and February 2000 and resulted in <br />disturbance of approximately 9.8 acres, Individual well pads are served by <br />narrow one-lane roads. It is estimated that construction of these well pad roads <br />has resulted in the disturbance of approximately 8 additional acres. <br />3.6 Main Access Road <br />The Main Access Road has been constructed from Rio Blanco County Road 5 <br />(Piceance Creek Road) to the Piceance Site Processing Facility. The Main Access <br />Road is a 24-foot-wide asphalt concrete road with 4-foot-wide shoulders. <br />Disturbance associated with the construction of this road is approximately 13 <br />acres. The route of the Main Access Road is provided in Figure 1. <br />American Soda, L.L.P. 4 <br />DMG Annual Report <br />July 12, 20D2 <br />