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In regard to notification, Wyoming Fuel Company was not <br />notified by any state agency, even though investigations were <br />being conducted as early as March 5, 1988. This is significant <br />since the seriousness of the incident would have been reduced Sf <br />Wyoming Fuel Company had been informed sooner. Had the incident <br />been a threat to humans, this delay could have been truly <br />serious, Sf not catastrophic. <br />Wyoming Fuel Company operations personnel learned of the <br />incident indirectly, and proceeded to notify all appropriate <br />State agencies. Wyoming Fuel Company took immediate action to <br />abate and identify the source and cause of the fish loss. <br />Options such as discontinuing mine water dishcarge were <br />considered but deemed unnecessary since there was no concrete <br />evidence that the flocculant in the mine discharge had caused the <br />fish loss. <br />Abatement procedures included ceasing the use of additives <br />Sn the mine water system, as well as on-site investigations and <br />sampling of the river and mine water discharge streams. A <br />commercial laboratory was contracted to evaluate the flocculant <br />levels in the mine water. This evaluation continued on a daily <br />basis using various digestion techniques and analytical <br />procedures until it was concluded that only NALCO laboratories <br />were equipped technically to provide analytical results. <br />Finally, it is apparently your opinion that Wyoming Fuel <br />Company did not demonstrate good faith in this instance. <br />However, given the facts, Wyoming Fuel Company believes <br />everything possible was done, at significant expense, to abate <br />and ameliorate the damage to the resource. As such, the efforts <br />by Wyoming Fuel Company were extraordinary. Without such efforts <br />the ultimate cause of this unfortunate Incident would not have <br />been determined as quickly and substantial additional damage to <br />the resource would have ensued. <br />Very truly yours, <br />~" _ c <br />David M. Stout <br />Environmental Coordinator <br />DMS/cah <br />cc: Geoff Weston <br />Mike Kolin <br />Linde Trumbly <br />Tom Augustine <br />yc' ~ e~ f <br />(~~~:~~~. sue; . <br />~ ~ ~~ ~~~~ <br />I~IFdEL? ~^'.irL: <br />~SECLrhr,ep,?~n;;+ ni~.~~sinn <br />