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changes were made to reasonably accommodate larger drill rigs and additional tanks <br />required for closed -loop drilling systems resulting in added protection for surface and <br />ground water. The locations of drill holes and access roads remain the same and are <br />located within the resource survey areas. In addition, the Project includes improving <br />existing access roads, most of which would be within the lands under permit application. <br />A legal access agreement with private land owners would be needed by RM Potash to <br />access sites 2 and 6. <br />Potash is the common name for the element potassium (symbol K). Potash is generally <br />found associated with salt deposits or salt brines and is one of three key ingredients in <br />fertilizer. Potash is also used in the manufacture of TV and computer screens, soaps, <br />perfumes, water softeners, de- icers, aluminum recycling, metal electroplating, steel heat - <br />treating, drilling mud, ceramics, potassium hydroxide, pharmaceuticals, and livestock and <br />poultry feed. Currently, over 90 percent of required potash in the United States is <br />imported. <br />Core drilling is proposed on the six permit application sites to confirm the presence of <br />potash and determine its thickness and grade. Geophysical logs from petroleum <br />exploration wells drilled in the prospecting permit areas indicate the presence of potash <br />layers in the evaporite sequences of the Paradox Formation in the Dolores Anticline at <br />thicknesses and depths which may be amenable to commercial production. <br />1.2 Background <br />RM Potash has submitted 21 Prospecting Permit Applications (Applications) over a <br />combined area of approximately 40,000 acres (Figure 1). However, this document is <br />analyzing the issuance of up to six individual permit applications for this exploration <br />Project: COC73567, COC73569, COC73572, COC73574, COC73576, and COC74370. <br />If RM Potash determines that the results of core drilling indicate the deposit would not be <br />economical, further drilling could be discontinued. If the results of drilling on the six <br />individual permit holes are promising, RM Potash could submit additional drilling plans <br />on other permit applications requiring additional site - specific NEPA analysis. <br />The six permit applications cover a total of 9,954 acres and disturbance for each core hole <br />would be limited to a 250 foot by 250 foot pad (-1.4 acres) and associated road <br />improvements (up to 20 feet wide) on 3 access roads (Tables 2.2, 2.3). Total disturbance <br />is estimated to be approximately 19 acres for all drill pads and road improvements; this is <br />defined as the Project Area (see Figure 2 in Chapter 2). <br />RM Potash needs geologic, geochemical, and technical information to delineate and <br />assess the potash resources within the permit application areas and proposes to conduct <br />an initial "proof of concept" drilling program to test the continuity and thickness of the <br />potash beds and provide core for geochemical analysis. <br />RM Potash Exploration Project 2 <br />Environmental Assessment <br />