HYDRO23138

• Permit No: C1981019
• IBM Index Class Name: Hydrology
• Doc Date: 2/12/1999
• Doc Name: REQUEST TO DISCHARGE PIT WATER COLOWYO COAL CO LP CDPS CO-45161 FORMERLY COG-8500127 MOFFAT CNTY
• From: WQCD
• To: COLOWYO COAL CO LP
• Permit Index Doc Type: CORRESPONDENCE
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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STATE OF COLORADO
Bill Owens, Governor
Jane E. Norton, Executive Director
Dedicated to protecting and improving the health and environment o! the people of Colorado
4300 Cherry Creek Dr. S. Laboratory and Radiation Services Division
Denver, Colorado 80246-7 530 8100 Lowry Blvd.
Phone f303) 692.2000 Denver C0 80220.6928
located in Glendale, Colorado [phone]
http://wsvsv.cdphestate. co. us
Water Qualiry Control Division RECEIVED
WQCD-P-B2
[phone] FAX [phone] FEB 12 1999
January 27, 1999
Kimberley A. Wolf
Environmental Engineer
Colowyo Coal Company, L.P.
5731 State Highway 13
Meeker, CO 81641
7ivision of Minerals & Geob¢y
RE: Request to Discharge Pit Water
Colowyo Coal Company, L.P. -Colowyo Coal Mine
CDPS CO-45161 (pending) (formerly COG-850017)
Moffat County
Dear Ms. Wolf:
../ F Cp~++
Colorado Department
of Public Health
and Environment
This letter responds to your January 21, 1999, letter which was first submitted via telefax and followed by a
copy delivered via Federal Express. Your letter requests authorization to pump water from mining pits to
existing sedimentation ponds that are currently.authorized to discharge to state waters under general permit
certification number COG-850017. -
As you are aware, although the sedimentation ponds are currently authorized to discharge to state waters, the
only pollutant source authorized under the general permit is surface runoff. Pit water is not authorized under
this general permit. However, the new individual permit currently drafted and scheduled to be submitted for
public notice on January 29, 1999, does authorize discharge of pit water after meeting certain numeric effluent
limitations.
Colowyo Coal Company, L.P. ("Colowyo") submitted an application for renewal of general permit certification
number COG-850017 in January of 1997. During permit drafting discussions, Colowyo and the Division
reached consensus that it would be more appropriate to drafr an individual permit for this facility than to renew
the facility's certification under the general permit. One major reason for this determination is to authorize
discharge of pit water. A first draft of the individual permit was submitted to public notice in July of 1997.
Subsequent to that time, Colowyo made the decision to modify the configuration of the facility's sedimentation
ponds to change the mode of routine discharge from manual operation to automatic dewatering. Colowyo was
required to secure approval from the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology ("CDMG") prior to making
this change. The approval process has consumed several months, delaying revisions of the individual permit
that would address the change. Although the individual permit has not yet been issued, the draft permit has
been revised such that it addresses the concerns of the Division, the permittee and the CDMG.
On the basis described herein, the Division will use enforcement discretion regarding discharges of pit water
that occur prior to the effective date of the final permit via points specified in the revised draft permit,
providing afi tetras and conditions in the draft permit are adhered to that apply to such discharges.