Laserfiche WebLink
EXHIBIT D <br /> MINING PLAN <br /> D-1 DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT SITE <br /> AmerAlia, Inc. plans on building and constructing an experimental nahcolite solution mine and pilot <br /> facility on the Rock School Lease in Rio Blanco County, Colorado (Figure A-1). The site is located <br /> approximately 35 miles southwest of Meeker in the Piceance Basin. It is in Sections 19, 20, 21, 29 <br /> and 30 of Township 1 South, Range 98W of the 6th Principal Meridian as shown on the U.S. <br /> Geological Survey's Wolf Ridge Quadrangle topography map. A legal description of the project site <br /> is included in Exhibit A and site maps are included in Exhibit C. <br /> The nahcolite solution mine facility will be built on a Lease area which is administered by the U.S. <br /> Bureau of Land Management. The Lease area occupies 1,319.59 acres, of which approximately <br /> 74.6 acres will be used for project components. The proposed development is authorized by the <br /> Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended and supplemented (30 U.S.C., 181, et. seq.); the Federal <br /> Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-579, 90 Stat. 2743); and Federal Sodium <br /> Lease CO-119985. The regulations governing the proposal are 43 Code of Federal Regulations <br /> (CFR) Parts 2800-Rights-of-Way, Principals and Procedures, 3500-Leasing of Solid Minerals other <br /> than Coal and Oil Shale. <br /> The total in-situ nahcolite resources per acre on the Lease ranges from approximately less than <br /> 100,000 tons in the western part of the Lease area, to approximately 550,000 tons in the eastern <br /> part of the area. The experimental solution mining wells will be placed in the eastern part of the <br /> Lease area. <br /> This Regular (112) Operation Reclamation Permit Application is for the experimental nahcolite mine <br /> and pilot plant operations. During the expected 5 year pilot plant operation phase, up to 50,000 <br /> tons per year (tpy) of sodium bicarbonate will be produced. A phased approach to commercial <br /> production is anticipated and should the experimental pilot plant project become commercial, over <br /> the estimated 30 .year commercial project life, approximately 4,150,000 tons of nahcolite will be <br /> recovered. <br /> D-1.1 LAND USE <br /> The project site is located on U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered land. <br /> The land surrounding the site also is primarily administered by BLM. Fee land owned by <br /> Marathon Oil Company is adjacent to the Lease area; and White River Nahcolite Sodium <br /> G:\LM=78545.002\Reclamation\Reclamexh.DOC D-1 <br />