HYDRO23461

• Permit No: M1982090
• IBM Index Class Name: Hydrology
• Doc Name: RATIONALE CAMP BIRD MINE CHIPETA MINING CORP OPERATOR OF THE CAMP BIRD VENTURE AND CAMP BIRD COLO IN
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, Water Quality Control Division
Rationale - Page 9. Permit No. CO-0026981
CHANGES SINCE PUBLIC NOTICE: (Continued)
The compliance schedule includes the following steps:
1. Preliminary Assessment Report by December 15, 1987
2. Submit Engineering Design and Costing Study by March 1, 1988
3. Submit Final Engineering Report by May 15, 1988
4. Achieve completion of project by December 1, 1988
5. Achieve compliance with PART I, A.2. Effluent Limitations by January 1,
1989
Additional specific project time schedules have been indicated in the June 2,
1987 letter from Camp Bird Venture.
With respect to the water quality-based effluent limitations of PART I, A.2.,
it is recognized that these limitations have not been previouly applied to the
permittee, and with the previous operation and treatment processes that these
effluent limitations have sometimes not been achieved in the past. However,
previous treatment may not have been optimized to levels which might have met
these limitations. Also, alternatives for reduction of water flows into the
mine, reduction of mine discharge and/or identification of specific water
sources for treatment still need to be investigated.
In addition, although water quality-based effluent limtations have not
previously been in effect for this permit, the existing water quality standards
for Segment 9 were adopted January 10, 1983 and effective March 2, 1983 with
amendments for the Gunnison and Lower Dolores River Basins effective on January
30, 1984 and October 30, 1986.
As previously mentioned, Camp Bird Venture is presently involved in an ongoing
water quality and biological study of Canyon Creek, and will be presenting data
in a petition for a hearing to be scheduled before the Commission, planned for
the first quarter or half of 1988. Thus, this permit's water quality based
effluent limitations would be subject to modification if the Commission adopts
different numeric standards for Segment 9. Such change may affect this
permit's compliance schedule, if new standards are adopted.
Economic Reasonableness Evaluation
Section 25-8-503(8) of the revised (June 1985) Colorado Water Quality Control
Act required the Division to "determine whether or not any or all of the water
quality standard based effluent limitations are reasonably related to the
economic, environmental, public health, and energy impact to the public and
affected persons, and are in furtherance of the policies set forth in sections
25-8-102 and 25-8-104.