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<br />0.8 percent sulfur have been underlain by neutralizing rock or <br />amended with lime. <br />4. According to the Division's interpretations of data and <br />consultants reports provided by the Operator, a significant <br />amount of waste rock from the Cresson pit has the potential to <br />generate acid or toxic substances (i.e. dissolved metals), or <br />both, in excess of appropriate surface water quality standards <br />or groundwater conditions, or both. The Operator has <br />disagreed with this position on several occasions, but has not <br />conducted adequate testing or calculations to support their <br />alternative interpretations. All previous submittals, <br />including both reports by David Hyatt, the report by <br />McClelland Laboratories, the report by Kim Lapakko, the report <br />by HCI, and.the Operators submittals have been examined by the <br />Division and determined not to support the Operator's <br />position. Because of this unresolved situation, the Division <br />is proceeding with the interpretation that the potential <br />exists for the waste rock to produce acid or toxic substances <br />in excess of appropriate standards or conditions, unless such <br />waste rock is adequately amended or protected from weathering. <br />Therefore, within 10 working days from receipt of this letter, <br />the Operator must provide the Division with adequate testing <br />or calculations showing that any release of acid or toxic <br />substances will not exceed TVS for surface water at AG 1.5. <br />Furthermore, within 10 working days, the Operator must provide <br />the Division with adequate testing or calculations showing <br />that the release of such acid or toxic substances will not <br />exceed ambient groundwater conditions as measured in the <br />Carlton Tunnel discharge. <br />5. The Operator has disagreed with the Division's interpretation <br />of what constitutes "appropriate standards." The Division <br />iterates again that the appropriate standards to be applied <br />are those that might reasonably be expected to be in place at <br />the time the mine closes. For surface water, the Division <br />anticipates that temporary modifications or technology based <br />standards imposed during mining will be removed after mining, <br />and that table value standards will prevail. For groundwater, <br />the Division allows for metal concentrations equal to the <br />ambient condition or to the current drinking water standards, <br />whichever is higher. Therefore, these are the protocols that <br />the Operator must follow in evaluating potential discharges <br />from acid-generating or metals leachable waste rock. <br />6. As is evident from the above presentations, the Operator has <br />not timely supplied verification of the sulfur content of <br />waste rock, as placed, or that high sulfur waste rock has been <br />adequately amended. As such, the Operator has not verified, <br />with records, that permit conditions are being adhered to. <br />Therefore, within 10 working days, the Operator must provide <br />to the Division a verification monitoring protocol, for <br />Division review, that will adequately identify the sulfur <br />