Western Resources Corporation says its subsidiary Western Potash Corporation has successfully started its Hot Mining operations at its Milestone Phase 1 Plant, southeast of Regina. Hot Mining recirculates heated saturated brine from the crystallization pond into the caverns and preferentially extracts the dissolved potash which returns to the crystallization pond while leaving the salt in place underground. The company says that each cavern will be producing about four thousand tonnes of dissolved potash each month. This will be the first greenfield potash mine in Canada that will leave no salt tailings on the surface, reducing water and energy consumption. The process plant is expected to be completed and ready to harvest the inventory of potash in the pond by the end of this year.