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r~~~~~~i~~~i~°1~r <br />March 23. 1999 <br />Carla Lenkey <br />Colorado Departrnent of Public Health and Environment <br />Water Quality Control Division <br />4300 Cherry Creek Drive South <br />Denver, Colorado 80222-1530 <br />RE: PERMIT CO-0042161; SPILL NOTIFICATION, OUTFACE 001 <br />Dear Ms. Lenkey: <br />On March 23, 1999, your ofFice was notified via voice mail, that an unanticipated upset had occurred on <br />that date at Outfa11001 of the above referenced permit. 1 submit this letter as the written report of that incident. <br />As you are aware, a previous upset occurred at this site on March 17. 1999. Appropriate notifications were <br />issued and the source of the upset, a failed compression joint, was repaired. At 8:00 a.m., on March 22, the mine <br />discharge pump was restarted and operation of the treatment system resumed. As a part of the startup procedure, the <br />recently repaired piping was examined and found to be N goad working condition. The site was visited several <br />times during the day as routine samples were collected and the well depth was checked. I made the final check far <br />the day, at Outfall 001 at approximately 5:00 p.m. and found nothing out o(the ordinary. <br />' On the morning of the 23rd, 1 began my day with a visit to Outfall 001. As [observed the first treatment pond i <br />knew that something was amiss. The water Icvel in the pond was below its normal elevation. I immediately went to <br />check the location of Ure recent pipe repair in the South Pump manhole and determined the problem. ]t was not a <br />recurrence of the previous leak in the manhole. Instead, 1 found a new leak approximately 10 fee[ outside of the <br />manhole. Water was again running into the containment area, then seeping from under the toe of the contaitunent <br />area's embatrlatten[. <br />I immediately shut off the pump, thereby stopping additional flow (8:00 a.mJ. I Uren checked and <br />recorded field parameters of the untreated water. I also recorded field parameters at several locations within the <br />treatment system and measured the flow at the Outfall 001 discharge flume. After returning to my office to procure <br />sample bottles, L collected a sample of the water Cor analysis (9:00 a.mJ. <br />The source of the leak was found [o be a separated jourt in the bell and spigot pipe. The saturated soil <br />around the pipe had apparently allowed enough movement of the pipeline to separate the joint. <br />Analysis of rho discharge sample will be forwarded to you, as they become available. ]f you rcquirc <br />additional information please call me at (970) 870-2730. We will inspect the remainder of the system for similaz <br />problems and take the appropriate preventative steps, if necessary. <br />l'wentymite Coal Company <br />Jce Shoemaker <br />Environmental Specialist <br />Cc: DMG <br />CWPS Permit No. CO-0042161 <br />2'd T9LZ-OLB IOL67 Ruedwo0 teo~ a1 LwRluaml eSZ r60 61 9Z -+eN <br />