"Moab Native" and Moab Jim Debate the Moab Potash Conundrum - 2012

 

"Moab Native" and Moab Jim Debate the Moab Potash Conundrum

Near Moab, Utah, the Intrepid Potash Cane Creek Facility overlooks the Colorado River. With its in-situ mine and settling ponds resting so close to the river, I wondered about safety. If the earthen dams that impound so much brine were to fail, what environmental damage might ensue? In August 2009, I began writing about potash production near Moab and later regarding newly planned mines near Holbrook, Arizona.

With over two hundred thirty-five articles on this website, I am always happy to see a reader comment on my work. Before publishing, I always research my articles to the best of my ability. Even so, I enjoy constructive criticism and do my best to correct errors in fact. By putting my name on every article, I put my own integrity on the line every day.

It was with a spirit of enthusiasm that I read a comment by one “Moab Native” regarding my August 21, 2009 article titled, “A Place Called Potash”. Although I did not agree with everything Moab Native wrote, until his final sentence I was encouraged by his thoughts. In his parting words, Moab Native elected to call me “ignorant”. Here are “Moab Native’s” comments, typos and all, followed by my responses to his supposed “facts”.

Moab Native – “There are actually numerous errors in this blog. Potash is not calcium carbonate, not potassium carbonate, but potassium chloride (KCl).”

Moab Jim – According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the definition of potash is “Various potassium compounds, chiefly crude potassium carbonate”. According to Wikipedia, “potash refers to potassium compounds and potassium-bearing materials, the most common being potassium chloride (KCl).” I cannot say which website is correct, but these two authoritative sources disagree on the chemical formula for potash.

Moab Native – “Also, the Moab facility does not produce "industrial grade fertilizer" that can spoil the Colorado, but farm grade fertilizer.”

Moab Jim – According to the “Industrial Products” page on the Intrepid Potash website, the company sells eleven different industrial products. How many of these come from the Cane Creek Facility is not mentioned. On the Moab, Utah page of the same website, the only product listed is “Muriate of Potash”, an archaic or technical reference to potassium chloride (KCL). According to the same webpage, “The potash and salt are then dried, sorted, and processed into various agricultural, feed, and industrial products”.

Moab Native – Also, the reason the facility is categorized as low risk, is that NaCl and KCl are naturally occuring minerals in the Colorado river watershed.

Moab Jim – According the Salt Lake Tribune article titled, “Dam Safety in Utah”, the Moab Salt (now Intrepid Potash) Stockpile Dam has a “hazard level” of “significant”. That dam has a height of seventy feet, can retain up to 1200-acre-feet of brine and drains an area of three square miles. The safety rating of any facility is only as strong as its weakest link. Since the predecessors to Intrepid Potash completed the Stockpile Dam prior to the requirement for environmental impact statements (EIS), no one knows if local precipitation could fill, over-top or breach the stockpile dam.

Moab Native – “The actual amount of dissolved salts in the system at any given time is dependent upon the runoff up stream. If all of the ponds were to breach at one time (only an act of sabotage could cause this) the amount of salts introduced would still be negligible.”

Moab Jim – If the “Monkey Wrench Gang” were to ride again, breaching of some or all the retention ponds would be possible. Moab Native claims that even a catastrophic failure of all the dams would produce "negligible impact" on the Colorado River. In his comment, he produces no evidence to back his assertion.

Moab Native – In the more likely case of a single breach, the cause woud be excess precepitation. The precipitation would act to dissolve the KCl and NaCl to bring the event to a null introduction to the river. Also, to a common sense viewer, it can be seen that the ponds depths do not exceed 6".

Moab Jim – Moab Native's assumption that only precipitation could cause a single dam breach is disingenuous. If sabotage could breach all of the dams, could it not breach one or two? Without a cleansing rainstorm to help neutralize the salts, concentrated brine could easily reach the river. The Salt Lake City Tribune article shows retention dam heights of twelve feet. The Intrepid Potash website mentions that “400 acres of shallow evaporation ponds”, but gives no depths. I consider myself a “common sense viewer”, but only someone with access to the retention ponds would know that each twelve-foot high dam retains only six inches of brine.

Moab Native – Regarding seismic activity. The canyonlands region has never recorded any seismic activity (allowing the existence of arches). The reason for this is due to the plastic flow tendency of the 7000 foot thick salt deposits underfoot. The layer of potash mined has already been filled in with plastic flow.”

Moab Jim – "Never" is a long time. When popular Wall Arch collapsed in August 2008, no one could say why. The USGS database shows that there is a 1.062% chance of a 5.0 or greater magnitude earthquake within 50 kilometers of Moab, Utah within the next 50 years. The largest recorded earthquake within 100 miles of Moab was a 5.3 magnitude e3vent in 1988. Even if Moab Native’s theory of "plastic flow" is correct, an earthquake originating outside of the immediate area could still affect the facility. Although excess precipitation or sabotage is more likely than an earthquake, there is no EIS to tell us what the various dams could withstand.

Moab Native – Regarding state inspection: inspections are conducted on a regular basis by the state. This includes runoff water testing and inspection of all the liquid holding earthen damns.

Moab Jim – The state may be conducting inspections of the ongoing operations at the Cane Creek Facility, but that does not mean that the facility is benign. Since the current retention ponds went into operation in 1970, they were and are exempt from ongoing environmental scrutiny. In the event of a future disaster, Intrepid Potash would surely use the “Moab Native” defense. I can hear them saying, “We did everything that we were required to do by law. If the dams broke, it was an Act of God” The term, “Act of God” is an insurance industry invention. It means, “We are not responsible for this disaster, God is”.

Moab Native – “Because ignorance is not bliss, ignorance is just ignorance.”

Moab Jim – Ignorance is a state of being uninformed (lack of knowledge). If any one of us has knowledge that others may require, it is our duty to share that knowledge. Having learned several new facts from Moab Native, I thank him and share his thoughts here. I agree that ignorance is not bliss. However, denigrating and denying the research and reporting of others can lead to a self-imposed, ignorant form of bliss known as self-righteousness.

Regardless of whether any dams at Potash break or not, a drive through the Cane Creek Facility is an environmental revelation. In recent years, Intrepid Potash has taken many environmental shortcuts, including uncontrolled flooding from the in-situ mining sites to their retention ponds. The only life that can survive in such a degraded environment is bacteria. Just because it is technically legal to inundate natural creek beds within the facility does not make it right. If state or federal regulators conducted an independent EIS at the Cane Creek Facility today, major changes in environmental management would surely be required.

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By James McGillis at 01:30 PM | | Comments (0) | Link

Potash, Utah - That Sinkhole Feeling, Again - 2009

 

Potash, Utah - That Sinkhole Feeling, Again

During a 2009 visit to the Intrepid Potash - Moab, Utah website we were pleased to see new safety related information regarding the mining and processing of potash (potassium chloride) and salt (sodium chloride) crystals at their Cane Creek potash plant. In an earlier article, we had criticized the company for not providing holding ponds designed to catch leaks or overflow from settling ponds at a higher elevation.

 

Their website now states that, “the solar ponds are lined with heavy vinyl to prevent valuable brine from leaking into the ground and the Colorado River. A series of holding ponds have been constructed to catch any spills and return potassium-rich brine to the ponds.” Whether these safety features existed all along, or are recent additions, we do not know. Either way, Intrepid's release of more information about their operation, rather than less is laudable.

 

In the event of a catastrophic failure at the upper ponds, what percentage of the brine might the holding ponds catch and retain? With the continued absence of information regarding holding pond capacity, we can only guess and hope that it is adequate. “Adequate for what?” you might ask. We can think of at least two scenarios in which a catastrophic failure might test Intrepid's holding pond design and capacity.

 

First is weather. What is the expected level of water flow into the settling ponds during a “one hundred year flood”? What about the "one thousand year flood"? In order to determine the size of a one hundred or one thousand year flood within the Shafer Basin and Potash, researchers must consider both historical data and paleoflood records.

 

Now that a drier climate in the Four Corners region is an established fact, we can expect storm and flood activities to increase in intensity, if not in number. Lack of an historical record does not preclude the formation of larger storms there in the future. In that regard, we would not be happy with a holding pond system that provides less than full containment of all settling pond brine.

 

A second threat at the Cane Creek Plant and its ponds results from the solution mining of potash itself. The Intrepid Potash - Moab Utah website indicates that, “water from the nearby Colorado River is pumped through injection wells into the underground mine. The water dissolves the potash from layers buried approximately 3,000 feet below the surface.” Missing from the company’s website is information on injection well locations, and their proximity to the fragile holding ponds.

 

In order to understand the importance of proximity, we need look no further than the City of Carlsbad, New Mexico. According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, New Mexico mines used a solution-mining technique similar to that of Intrepid, at Moab. Over the years, six million cubic feet of brine solution mining has been extracted from a salt deposit located directly beneath Carlsbad.

 

Although there has not yet been a collapse at the Carlsbad mine, in 2008 two similar mines north of the city experienced catastrophic failures. With the collapse of the overlying rock, each of those mines became a sinkhole four hundred feet across and one hundred feet deep. Since the mines operated within state and federal guidelines, there does not appear to be easy recourse against them. The state and the mine operators can simply call these unexpected events “Acts of God” and then proceed to disown any further liability.

 

In the case of Carlsbad, New Mexico, a collapse under the busiest intersection in town is a real possibility. Rail lines, an irrigation ditch and a mobile home park are now under threat of collapse. In the case of Intrepid Potash – Moab, Utah, no one knows how likely a catastrophic mine collapse might be. In an event similar to the Carlsbad scenario, might the solar ponds disappear into a sinkhole? Worse yet, could gravity cause the brine to cascade downhill towards the holding ponds and the Colorado River below?

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By James McGillis at 06:36 PM | Colorado River | Comments (0) | Link

The Best View of Moab? Take Potash Road to Canyonlands, on the Shafer Trail - 2009

 

The Best View of Moab? Take Potash Road to Canyonlands, on the Shafer Trail

 

Where the pavement ends in Potash, Utah, so too does the Potash Road (Utah Route 279). There, a gravel and dirt road continues up and around the potash settling ponds. Beginning at that point, a hodgepodge of county, federal and social names prevail along various segments of the road. The two most popular names associated with the upper reaches of that track are, “South Fork Road” and the “Shafer Trail”. Before proposing our candidate for the official road name, we shall describe both its dangers and its beauty.

 

Starting at the Intrepid Potash, LLC settling ponds in Shafer Basin, the road takes a meandering course, up-slope past hoodoos, towers and buttes. As we drove the track, it roughly paralleled the flow of the Colorado River. As we climbed, the river descended until there was a 2000-foot difference in elevation between the river and our location atop the sandstone canyon rim. Along this section, are the best views of the Colorado River Gorge.

 

Prior to reaching the high point above the gorge, we came upon a large, shallow pothole. Dependent for their existence on rainfall and local runoff, wet and dry potholes dot the Canyonlands landscape. After a summer shower, they shine like so many silver coins in the sunlight. Each pool of retained water has its own unique life-cycle. Some support ancient aquatic life forms, while others are drinking water sources for wild horses or other mammals. In any given pool, a wide variety of insects and other organisms might sustain themselves through their entire life-cycle. Although our selected pothole was within yards of the main track, no wheel marks had disturbed or desecrated its pristine beauty.

 

Near the highest point along the Colorado River Gorge, Thelma & Louise met their fate in the 1991 movie by the same name. For us, a close approach to the unmarked and unguarded canyon rim made our heart skip a beat.

 

Having previously stood at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, we knew its depth to be about one mile. There, the scene is one of grandeur. Although at least fifty-three individuals fell to their death there over the past eighty years, most landed on various ledges, not more than five hundred feet below their point of departure. Although the Colorado Gorge is only two-fifths as deep, there are no intermediate ledges or outcroppings to break one’s fall. Unless it has wings, whatever goes over the edge here will not stop until it strikes the surface of the Colorado River. As we stood close to the rim here, our predominant feeling was one of queasiness.

 

Mistaking our truck’s accelerator for the brake pedal at his spot would set in motion a slow motion disaster. After going over the edge, brakes and steering would no longer matter. The mass of our body and the pickup truck surrounding it would feel weightless for the ten seconds it took to reach the bottom. There, the freefall would end abruptly at the surface of the Colorado River. Since water is quite unyielding when impacted at high speeds, it might as well be solid concrete. Knowing that such was the fate of characters Thelma & Louise, we stepped carefully back from our closest vantage point, about eight feet from the brink. After a deep breath or two, we were ready to go back to the truck and motor slowly up the trail.

 

To our way of thinking, the best natural light in the desert appears near sunup or sundown. Having taken our time along the way, we took our final look back towards the river at almost 7:00 PM. Looking forward and upward, we noted a small wooden sign, which marked our entrance into Canyonlands National Park.

 

 

Watch the Video, "Mudflaps & Helicopters"

 

 

 

Moab Utah - Best View

Shifting our Nissan Titan V-8 into four-wheel drive, we traveled up a long, otherwise undisturbed valley. Where that valley abruptly ended, the road began an equally long upward traverse of a talus slope. After that climb, we looked up at what seemed to be a sheer cliff. Hidden from our view in the fading light, was a famous set of switchbacks. Ascending the trail slowly was the prudent thing to do. Just beyond the top of the switchbacks is a mesa top, still within Canyonlands National Park.

 

During various excursions in Canyonlands, we had experienced a phenomenon that is alien to urban drivers. Often, we had perceived that a particular road would next turn in one direction, only to find it turn the other way. While climbing this set of switchbacks, we often could not determine if the road went on at all. In the failing light of dusk, the steep canyon wall hid all the switchbacks above and below us. As we continued our ascent, we wonder if the spirit of the Ancients might be riding along with us, having a good laugh about the optical illusions of the trail.

 

After viewing unique pillars of stone and other rock tableau, we crested the Mesa top, and then paused to look back from whence we came. Many miles to the east, the alpenglow crept up the sides of the La Sal Mountains. Day turned to night in the canyon below. Near our junction with State Route 313, we stopped at the Canyonlands self-pay box and did our part to support maintenance and upkeep of this unique road.

 

The stretch of road we just described starts as Potash, by the Colorado River and ends on the mesa top in Canyonlands. On many maps, including our 2005 Edition of the Delorme Utah Atlas & Gazetteer it appears as “South Fork Road”. Recently, Google Maps began showing both "South Fork Road" and the more common, "Shafer Trail" along this section of road. According to our research, “South Fork Road” is a social-road name, not used by any official agency in the area. When we questioned several Moab local residents, each said that the road has always been the “Shafer Trail”. On most locally produced maps, there is no other name associated with the road,  the road.

 

The track has its origin in Shafer Basin, adjacent to the potash settling ponds. Just below its mesa-top crest, stands Shafer Campground. Before extensive grading allowed its use as a haul-road for uranium ore in the late 1940s, a local rancher named Shafer used the trail each year to herd cattle from what we now call Shafer Basin to the mesa top and back again. In the interest of public safety and standardization among mapmakers, the road from the Cane Creek Potash Plant, up to Canyonlands National Park, should bear the name of its originators, and his brother Frank Shafer. Since the track is as much a trail as it is a road, henceforth its name should be, “The Shafer Trail”.

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By James McGillis at 05:09 PM | | Comments (0) | Link