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(Page 2) . <br />MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-77-493 <br />INSPECTION DATE 8-18-97 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS AC~_ <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />This inspection was conducted to investigate concerns raised in a letter from the Sierra Club <br />received by the Division on 8/1/97. The Sierra Club letter included a photo of water <br />discharging from a concrete pipe and indicated that this discharge was a point source. The <br />letter requested a site analysis of the point source including measurement of pH and <br />pollutants. <br />The discharge referred to in the Sierra Club letter was identified at the site and <br />investigated. The water being discharged is a partial diversion of the flow of process water <br />from the East Tailing Delivery Line. When the Climax Mill is not in operation, the East <br />Tailing Delivery Line is used to deliver treated water to the Ten Mile and Mayflower Ponds for <br />precipitation of pollutants. At this point in the circuit, hydrated lime has already been <br />added to the process water at the new lime addition facility. The discharge in question flows <br />directly into the Ten Mile Pond at a pH of approximately 8.5. With a target pH of <br />approximately 6.5 in the Ten Mile Pond, most of the iron and aluminum can be precipitated at <br />this stage of treatment. Ten Mile Pond water is then decanted to the Mayflower Pond through <br />the Ten Mile Tunnel. The Mayflower Pond is maintained at a much higher pH in order to <br />precipitate manganese. By dropping iron and aluminum out of a percentage of the treated water <br />in the Ten Mile Pond, beneficial conservation of sludge storage capacity in the Mayflower Pond <br />is achieved. <br />The phrase point source has a regulatory definition as a conveyance from which pollutants are <br />discharged into state waters. Since the discharge in question is to the Ten Mile Pond, and <br />the Ten Mile Pond is not state waters, but is internal to the Climax Mine water management <br />system, the discharge is not a point source. A Schematic diagram is included in this report <br />to depict the relationship of the features described herein. <br />The Climax Water Treatment and Discharge System involves collection of contaminated water from <br />numerous locations at the site, consolidation and treatment of the collected water at the new <br />lime addition facility, and ultimate consolidation and pollutant precipitation in the Mayflower <br />Pond. This process is followed by release of treated water at the Colorado Discharge Permit <br />System outfall to Ten Mile Creek. The Climax Water Treatment and Discharge System is <br />identified as an Environmental Protection Facility in the Climax Mine Environmental Protection <br />Plan. No problems with the Climax Water Treatment and Discharge System were identified during <br />this inspection. <br />I & E Contact Address <br />NAME Bryce Romia <br />OPERATOR Climax Molybdenum Co. <br />STREET Climax Mine <br />CITY/STATE/ZIP Climax. CO 80429 <br />cc: Carl Mount, DMG <br />^ CE <br />^ BL <br />^ FS <br />^ HW <br />^ HMWMD (CH) <br />^ SE <br />^ WQCD (CH)- <br />^ OTHER <br />