Work towards new plant continues at federal level

More details about a new soda ash plant project near Green River have emerged as work continues with state and federal agencies.

The site is located west of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and will utilize a solution mining process. The company behind the project, Pacific Soda LLC, is conducting core hole drilling in the area. A Research and Development License application through the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s Land Quality Division is in its public comment phase, which will run through August.

According to a newsletter to stakeholders involved in the Pacific and Atlantic Soda Project, work continues on permitting through the Bureau of Land Management’s Kemmerer Field Office. The company is awaiting an Environmental Assessment for use of an existing access road to the project site, which it anticipates will be finished later this month. The BLM has also drafted a memorandum of understanding for an Environmental Impact Statement for the project. The Notice of Intent for the EIS is expected to be published in the Federal Register February 2021. The company has also started working with the BLM’s Rock Springs Field Office to help develop its mine plan.

Last month, Pacific Soda received permission to appropriate 20 cubic feet of water from the Green River for the project.

The company’s newsletter states use of the water will be examined during the permitting processes for both the BLM and the Wyoming DEQ’s mine permit application. Field studies in coordination with discussions between the company and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers have also started because of the agency’s oversight of the Clean Water Act.

The company started working with both the county’s land use office and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department this month. With the WGFD, the company is working to address potential impacts to local wildlife and habitat. The company is studying wildlife, vegetation, soils, hydrology, special status species and cultural resources in the project area and expect to finish during the fall. Pacific Soda also plans to draft resource reports to summarize its findings prior to the EIS notice of intent publication.

A preliminary mine plan is also in development and is expected to be delivered to agencies later this month.