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^- MINE ID ;{ OR PROSPECTING ID ,f` INSPECTION DATE (Page 3) INSPECTOR'S INITIALS highway to direct stormwater to the river, thus relieving pressure on the pump station. The question was raised as to whether water in the concrete flume would be considered storm water or process water. While this sort of finding is better left to the jurisdiction of the Water Quality Control Division, it is DMG'e opinion that since a component of the water in the flume consists of Storks Yard Seepage, the water in the flume is considered process water, and subject to control and containment by an Environmental Protection Facility as defined in the Regulations of the Mined Land Reclamation Board. Based on this opinion, the operator agreed to submit a written report describing the incident in accordance with Rules 8.1 and 8.2 of the Hard Rock/ Metal Mining Rules of the Mined Land Reclamation Board. Inspection of the Lower North interceptor Canal On 5/12/96, Climax notified the Division of an incident involving snowmelt runoff at the Lower North Interceptor Canal. This location was inspected; observations and a description of the incident are provided here. The Lower North Interceptor Canal collects water from the hillside above the Oxide Tailing Pond (Eagle Park Reservoir) and delivers the collected water to the Eagle River below the seep water collect. Historically, the Lower North Interceptor was passed through the upper part of the tailing dam in a corrugated metal pipe (CMP). Excavation at the right abutment of the dam to instal outlet works for the Eagle Park Reservoir conversion project has resulted in the CMP being cut. In order to insure the delivery of intercepted water to the outfall, the contractor installing the outlet works inserted a smaller diameter PVC pipe into the CMP, and sealed the annulus created with a gasket consisting of automobile tire inner-tubes. Late on 5/11/96 or early on 5/12/96, this gasket was blown out, and a portion of the Lower North Interceptor water flowed down the groin of the dam and into the seep water collection ponds. Flows into the seep water collection ponds quickly overwhelmed the capacity of the pump-back system, and discharge occurred from the seep water collection ponds to the Eagle River. When Climax Mine personnel discovered this situation during routine inspection at 3:30 a.m. on 5/12/96, the flows were diverted around the seep water collection ponds, and into the Eagle River. By 11:00 a.m. on 5/12/96, discharge from the seep water ponds had ceased. cc: Carl Mount, DMG Kathleen Sullivan Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment WQCD-PE-B2 4300 Cherry creek Dr. S. Denver, CO 80222-1530 I & E Contact Address ^ CE NAME Brvice Romio ^ BL OPERATOR Climax Molvbdenum Companv ^ FS STREET Climax Mine /H ichwav 91 ^ HW CITY/STATE/ZIP Climax. CO 80429 ^ HMWMD (CH) ^ E W QCD (CH) ^ OTHER