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G. The southern road and water line between the plant and production well field <br /> have been moved to coincide with the northern well field pipeline road. <br /> H. The BLM selected an alternative powerline route from the northeast instead of <br /> from the east. The same substation at the plant site will be used. <br /> I. The well field pipeline road has been designed, with balanced cut and fill, to <br /> provide a continuous, gentle grade from the plant down to the production well <br /> field. The containment ditch that follows below the pipeline now is graded to <br /> flow along the road to the well pads. <br /> J. Initially,three of the six wells shown on Revised Figure C-1 will be installed. <br /> K. The well field drainage pond has been moved to a location down gradient of <br /> the well field and also of the monitoring wells northeast of the well field. <br /> L. The freshwater storage pond has been moved to the location previously <br /> occupied by the evaporation and process ponds. <br /> M. The resulting approximate total acres of disturbance are 22.7 for the <br /> pinyon/juniper vegetation type, 23.9 for the sagebrush vegetation type, and 1.5 for <br /> the barren/rock outcrop type. A break-down of the approximate acres of <br /> disturbance by various descriptors is presented in Attachment 2. Please note that <br /> the freshwater storage pond may not be constructed pending receipt of water <br /> rights to deep groundwater aquifers from the State Engineer. If the freshwater <br /> storage pond, and resulting topsoil stockpile, are not constructed, approximately <br /> 14 acres of the sagebrush type, included in the above total,will not be disturbed. <br /> Following are responses to the DMG adequacy concerns. <br /> l.AmerAlia, Inc. understands that the Division of Minerals and Geology(DGM)has <br /> determined the Rock School Lease Experimental Nahcolite Mine Project(Project)to be a <br /> Designated Mining Operation(DMO). AmerAlia disagrees with this determination in <br /> 'light of the non-toxic nature of any process constituents,the ubiquitious nature of these <br /> constituents to be mined in the area, the low qualities and subsequent limited use of the <br /> surrounding surface and ground waters, small project size and experimental nature, and <br /> negligible risk to the environment. <br /> An Environmental Protection Plan for the Rock School Lease Experimental Nahcolite <br /> Mine project is included as Attachment 3 to this response <br /> 2. Please note that the process will extract nahcolite(or sodium bicarbonate) and not soda <br /> ash. Nahcolite, also termed baking soda, is a human bathing salt and food additive,and is <br /> not toxic to the environment. Soda ash, in small quantities, is known to be damaging to <br /> human and animal skin, eyes, and lungs. <br /> Shortly after Project start-up, AmerAlia will provide an extensive chemical analysis of <br /> the process pregnant solution including dissolved organic carbon,BTX, oil and grease, <br /> and methane. Other trace elements or contaminants will be analyzed for and following <br /> the protocol developed through the AmerAlia/Interagency Monitoring Plans(Monitoring <br /> Plans). The Monitoring Plans are included as Attachment 4 to this response. <br /> 2 <br /> DMG 11-23-99 Response AmenAlia,Inc. <br />