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46 e:o FED6ttAL REPOSTEB, 2d BBRIEB <br />Despite the lsrge opacity (16[4,000 gal- <br />lon for the reserve sump) ws view tbie <br />opent(on ae a elaed circulating system <br />to serve the gold axtreation proveas w[th <br />no diaeharge. YiRten 1t fails because of <br />flaws is the eonettvetlon or Inadequate <br />sire to handle the fluids utnlsed, with <br />resultlrtg diaeharge, whether fmm a fu- <br />sure in the dirt berm or overflow of a <br />well, the escape of ifquld from the eon- <br />finad system is from a point scares. Al- <br />though the aouree of the eioaes liquid ie <br />rainfall or enaw mol; this fa not the load <br />of general runoM oowidared to be front <br />nonpoint eourooe seder the [Act]. <br />699 F.2d at 874. <br />The aouR aLo ejected deteadant'a oon- <br />teadon that the Aet coven only the intea: <br />band diaaherge of pollutanp into navigable <br />water. Section 1898(11, the court noted, <br />"defies dieeharge of pollutanb u'any ad- <br />dltlon vt a4Y pollutant to navigable water <br />from any point scares."' Id. (mart's em- <br />phaels). Thus, the court held shat even <br />uniateationa] diaehargea of pol]utante from <br />s min system duignad to catch ntnott <br />during periods of exaew melting met the <br />etatuWry def(nitioa of a point scare. <br />[6] Under the view of the law adopted <br />here, there tenets genuine faun of meterl- <br />tl fact Viewed in a light moat favorable to <br />Sierra Clnb, the party opposing the motion <br />for summary judgment Adirkea v. S H. <br />Kress ~ lb., 898 U.S. 144, 157, 90 B.Ct <br />1688, 1808, >'8 L.Ed2d 142 {1970), the atfi- <br />davita and dapoeitiona considered by the <br />district court iadieate that slgnitirsnt <br />smounta of dirt, Band and other solid partl- <br />elea wen tnmported from the spoil banks <br />by rainwater to Daniel Creek. Earl Bailey, <br />a Sierra Club vice pnaldeat end a professor <br />at tba Unlvenfty of Alsbama, testified by <br />sffldsvit that he observed <br />gullies and ditches running down the <br />sides of steep spoil piles created by Ab- <br />sWn Construction Company. The sedi- <br />mentation end poUuten4 are carried <br />through these discernible, confined and <br />dist.rete conveyances to Dsniel Creek. <br />BsUey's obxrvatlons of ditches find gullies <br />Here confirmed by Philip Abston, president <br />of the AbsWn Construction Co., who noted <br />that the gullies would carry water and sedi- <br />ment Wward the creek. <br />Dwigbt Hicks, who roved u defendant <br />Drummond Co.Y manager of reclamatloa <br />and envieonmental control, t~Nfied that is <br />some areas, drainage buim were conatructr <br />ed io eatoh.aedlment flowlag down the out- <br />er edges of the spoil piles. Hleks noted the <br />buim were mnetructed slong ^ "drainage <br />scares," by placing asrehan material on the <br />lower end of a slops. He described rnn• <br />atruction of the "H-Y3" dam as follows: <br />[T]hat4 just the general type dam section <br />that is put into the small drainage scans <br />with a standp[pe sod m emergency spill- <br />~y <br />The material 4 elthor pushed la or <br />hauled in after residual vegetation L re- <br />moved. It i. eompaeted and a eundplpa, <br />the primary mean of outflow, to Install- <br />ed, and ehea as emergency epUlway b <br />by11t srouad the side of 1t <br />Hicks added that is the areal of a meuun- <br />ble amount of peec[pttation, water and <br />small amonMs o? sediment would drain <br />through the sediment Fula outflow. <br />An affidavit fUed by Qarry Drummond, <br />president of defendant Drummond Co. fn <br />support of its motion for summary Judg- <br />ment coataim starkly aontrsaeing !so- <br />~~ <br />Neither oomparyy has engaged 1a the <br />operation of any discernible, confined and <br />discrete oonveyanoe, including but not <br />United to any pipe, ditch, ehsnnel, tunnel, <br />conduit, wall, discreu fiestas, container, <br />rolling stark, concentrated seine! feeding <br />operation oc vessel or other floating colt <br />from which pollutants ere or may be dis- <br />charged. <br />Neither company hu dueharged any <br />pollutant including aurfaee water runoff <br />into Daniel Creek or the tributaries of the <br />same during the period of operation ae <br />noted hereinsbove. <br />On some oceaalons, according to the vsri- <br />ous aftidavlts and dapoeitiose, severe ro1n- <br />tell caused some of the sediment basins to <br />OYOfIIOW, apllllRg out their oontenb, and <br />1 S'90LA LEA EOE ~'1d30 MVO ~VO~ W'Ad ~ lL:tl 46-9 -Z '0~ 9NINIW 1tl0~ W+itd:AB 1N3S <br />