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N N To accommodate the occasional need for such discharges, a provLsion was written into our new NPDES discharge permit which allows us to ,iis- charge, within limits, when the integrity of the tailing deposition system is threatened. The need for occasional discharges from the tailing water system were noted in a Technical Revision dated October 26, 1983 as follows: "Page 2-7, original permit, states, 'All water used to tr,sns- port the tailing is decanted from the surface and returned to the mill for reuse via a completely closed-loop industrial water circuit.' Please change to read, 'Normally, all water used to transport tailing is decanted from the surface and returned to the mill for reuse via a completely closed-loop industrial water c:Lr- cuit,' and add the following sentence: 'If or when discharge of water is required, it will be done in compliance with all app1:L- cable rules and regulations of the Colorado Department of Health.' "Discussion: During the spring of 1983, discharge at the mill site was necessitated because of the combined circumstances of ex- cessive runoff and less water consumed in operations due to pr~~duc- tion cutbacks. This was the first such occurrence since produ~:tion was initiated in 1976. Similar circumstances may occur in the fu- ture and we require the flexibility to respond to those situat:Lons. "Also, page 6-35, the last two lines, and page 6-36, the i:op two lines, original permit, state, 'No discharge permit for the mill site is necessary. The entire milling operation, requiring the circulation of millions of gallons of water each day, is a closed-loop (recycle) industrial water circuit.' Please change: to read, 'Under normal operations and precluding extreme climatol~>gi- cal conditions, no discharge from the mill site is necessary. The entire milling operation, requiring the circulation of million~t of gallons of water each day, is designed as a closed-loop (recyc:Le) industrial water circuit. However, to accommodate the contingency of abnormal operating and climatological conditions, a discharge location at the mill site is being identified in the NPDES per- mit." Tailing Pond Area As we clearly outlined in our Technical Revision to the Board :Ln October 1983, our previous soil quantity survey indicated more than adequate amounts to meet our needs for final cover. We are not aware of any changes which indicate a need for a new survey. Our plan as outlined at that time was to achieve a balance between acres of tailing deposition and a commensurate amount of soil in a stockpile to accomplish final reclamation on a ~~entennial basis beginning in 1990. (2)