2008-07-10_REVISION - M1999002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Surface disturbance within the solution mining well field mining panels has been estimated for the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Yankee Gulch Project. Based on planned activity in the 0-5 year mining panel, it is estimated that approximately 47 percent of the area of each of the mining panels will require vegetation at the end of mining in that panel. (Note that other interim stabilization methods, including temporary vegetation, would be used to protect retired/ abandoned well pads and/or temporary access roads until the retirement of the entire panel at the end of the mining period.) The estimated areas of disturbance requiring revegetation activities in the respective mining panels are given in Table L-1. These disturbance areas are related to: well pads, all associated temporary well field roads, the well field piping system (see below), electrical distribution lines, and a well field pumping station. Again, the greatest amount of surface disturbance will be evident at the end of mining in the 5-10 year mining panel. Well Field Piping Reclamation Because the spacing of solution mining wells is predicted to be the same among all the mining panels, quantities of well field piping to connect the solution mining wells can also be calculated according to the relative size of the solution mining panels. Piping for the 0-5 year mining panel was determined as the total of the lengths of the main header piping system (8,500 feet of 12-inch insulated steel pipe), the lateral piping systems (6,400 feet of 8-inch insulated steel pipe), and the individual well piping system (3,900 feet of 4-inch insulated steel pipe). The total length of pipe in the 0-5 year mining panel is, accordingly, 18,800 feet. The estimated total lengths of piping that will require removal from the mining panels are indicated in Table L-2. In general, the piping will be moved from a mining panel as the panel is being retired and will be reused in the subsequent mining panel. Again, the greatest amount of piping reclamation would be required at the end of the mining in the 5 - 10 year mining panel. Table L-2 Estimated Piping Amounts Mining Panel Designation Total Area of Panel acres Estimated Total Pipe Lengths Main Header/Lateral/Well (feet) Estimated Number of Pipe Rack Supports Main Header/Lateral/Well 0-5 160 8,500 / 6,400 / 3,900 285 / 215 / 195 5-10 209 11,100 / 8,360 / 5,090 370 / 280 / 255 10-15 172 9,140 / 6,880 / 4,190 305 / 230 / 210 15-20 167 8,870 / 6,680 / 4,070 295 / 225 / 205 20-25 125 6,640 / 5,000 / 3,050 225 / 170 / 155 25-30 197 10,470 / 7,880 / 4,800 350 / 265 / 240 L-3