2017-02-03_PERMIT FILE - C1980004 (22)

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APPENDIX P McClane Canyon Mine Expansion and Fruita Loadout Facility Biological Assessment concentrations averaged 170 lag/L (ranging from <1 to 1,591 pg/L). Selenium concentrations below the Mine (station SW -8) similarly averaged 180 pg/L (ranging from <1 to 1,552 pg/L). East Salt Creek is within Lower Colorado River Stream Segment 13a, which is defined in Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Water Quality Control Commission Regulation 37. The stream segment has a Use -Protected antidegradation designation, a Warm Class 2 Aquatic Life Use classification, Recreation class P (potential primary contact use), and numeric standards for metals and inorganic compounds that are based on the Agriculture use. Numeric standards are the conditions necessary to avoid antidegradation for a particular water use, such as agriculture, established by the Water Quality Control Commission. The numeric standard for the selenium concentration in Segment 13a is 20 pg/L. Under Water Quality Control Commission Regulation 31.8(1)(b), use -protected waters "shall be maintained and protected at their existing quality unless it is determined that allowing lower water quality is necessary to accommodate important economic or social development in the area in which the waters are located. For these waters, no degradation is allowed unless deemed appropriate following an antidegradation review in accordance with section 31.8(3)." Loadout Facility. The elevation of the proposed Loadout Facility is approximately' 4,470 feet. The proposed location of the Loadout Facility is the abandoned Fruita Refinery, which is an industrial area (Map 3). Sparse vegetation is present consisting mostly of black greasewood, cheatgrass, and other non-native invasive weed species, especially halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus) (IME Environmental Consultants, 2010). Portions of the Loadout Facility are relatively devoid of vegetation, consisting of areas filled with refinery sludge, former evaporation ponds, berms, -dikes, roads, and excavated barrow areas associated with land farms. The site and adjacent lands were undeveloped or in agricultural use prior to the start of a refinery operation ' in 1957 by the American Giisonite Company. The refinery originally processed gilsonitei.e., bitumen: anaturally-occurring solid or semi-solid hydrocarbon) ore into liquid products and Petroleum, coke. Gilsonite.was mined and transported via pipeline, in slurry form about 72 miles from the Bonanza mining district to the refinery complex from 1957 to 1973. The refinery Was later converted to processconventional crude oils into liquids and coke. Gary Energy Corporation purchased.the operation in December 1973 and produced gasoline and diesel fuel, jet fuel, naphtha, vacuum gas oil, heavy fuel oil, calcined petroleum coke, and liquefied petroleum gas. Refinery operations continued until about 1993, with several owners/operators during that period. Several large impoundments were utilized as evaporation ponds and landfarm areas for. refinery -generated water and waste materials. Landfill areas at the site contain buried coke fines and a 7 -acre closed site containing solidified acid -sludge material on the northeast corner of the Loadout Facility property. The landfarm area covers 39 acres of former evaporation ponds. The area received Closure Certification for residential/unrestricted use from CDPHE in 2005. However, soil surfaces associated with the former landfarm are devoid of vegetation and are somewhat malodorous. Reed Wash is a perennial waterbody that flows through the proposed location of the Loadout Facility before its confluence with the Colorado River. Non-native tamarisk is the dominant overstory species in the riparian zone along Reed Wash.- Reed Wash is within the Colorado River 100 -year floodplain from its confluence With the Colorado River to approximately 7,200 feet upstream (Mesa County, 2011). The Colorado River 100 -year floodplain also extends for a short distance up Loma Drain, another perennial waterbody that flows through the western portion of the Loadout Facility property. No disturbances from previous or existing industrial developments within the proposed Loadout Facility property coincide with the 100 -year floodplain extending up Reed Wash. However, the 7 PR -02 10/12