Laserfiche WebLink
<br />C 'rWENTYMILE <br />COAL COMPANY <br />A Cyprus Amax Company <br />January 28, 1999 <br />1111II11llIIl1U 11l <br />Ms. Cula Lenkey <br />Colorado Departmen[ of Public Heal[h and Environment <br />W a[er Quality Control Division - Permiu and Enforcement <br />9700 Cherry Creek Drive South <br />Denver, CO 80222-1530 <br />RE PERMIT CO-00917th FOURTH QUARTER 1998 DMRPERMIT CO- DMR SURM~AI. <br />Deu Ms. Lenkey: <br /> <br />Twentymile Coal Company <br />29515 Routt County Road k27 <br />Oak Creek, Colorado 80467 <br />970-879-3800 <br />~ ~~~~ <br />Pleue find enclosed the above relerenced discharge monitoring report for the period (mm Ottober 1, 1998 through December Jl, 1998. <br />Su permit limintion <xceedencu are reported for this period. Two exceedences occurred very eul y in the period, and four exc<edevices <br />occurred near the end o(the period,- _ ~ <br />Alter having been idle fo n eztended period the discharge of mine water wu resumed a[ Oudall 001 on August 24, 1998 utilizing <br />mnhodologiro that had reviously been e[( rive (polymer coagulants and Ooccvle¢t). As laboratory a¢ilyse begin coming in <br />i[ became apparent tbaz [he prolonged. emian of water wi[hIn the mine had reduced pH levels and elevated iron levels rendering that <br />trea[mev[ ineffective. Piunn ; u termina[ed October B and remained idle t rouTi~gFTSecember 11. <br />Continuing analysis oL the settling ponds, which were no longer diuharging, showed that erne limin[ions could be met by retaini¢g <br />the tented w'mer for a longer period of time. Several co¢stiltants and produce represe¢tatives suggested that rising the pH of <br />the raw water would also ucelerate «on removil. TCC devised several tests to borer undernwd how varying pH and mention <br />times migh[ be used to effectively treat the water. 7CC also purchased additional field analyse equipment so that iron conceotrauon <br />could be testeJ immediately and wt would no longer have to win[ three or four weeks Cor laboratory analysis <br />On December f 1 TCC begin intermiRent discharge o(« eared water lrom individual cells o! the pond. A botching process wu initiated <br />wherein mine warer was being retained is [he individual cells, (or an extended time, until the iron levels were within specifications. <br />The individual cells were being (filled and discharged on a mtativg schedule. A detailed log wu kept of this process -indicating times, <br />quantities discharged, and field analysis. Unfortuna[ely, u laboratory analysis also began coming in euly January, 1999 it became <br />appuent that i he field equipment that bad been purchued wu not being operated properly and that the field vilues Ior iron that had been recorded <br />were imccurnc and that rxcecdences hu occurred. CDPHE wu no[iGed immedutely upon the realization that exceedences had occurred. <br />Proper operation of rhr f del equipment hu been implemen[ed and a number o(compariso¢s have been made with laboratory a¢alysis co uswe <br />a good correlation be[w'ren the two methods. <br />During January, 1999 we have c¢ntinued to improve the [reatment process at Outfil1001. Ballles have been placed in all three cells of the <br />treument ponJ m prevent short circuiting and [o maximiu recension times. More recently we bane received approval Lrom CHPHE <br />to include NaOH and H?509 in our [reatment process, so that we can adjust the pH of the water is an effort w more effectively remove the iron. <br />TCC is still uvablishing appropriate chemial feed n[es, iron.hu been able to produce complian[ discharge water using this methodology. <br />Ou[(all 001 failed Whole EfOuem Touciry• (W E'n tests during [be third quarter o(1998. Accelerated tenivg wu scheduled on October 9. When the pumps <br />were restore) in December, in a phone conversation (Cula Lenky and Joe Shoemaker) it wu determined that further WET testing should be delayed until <br />an appropriate treatment method had been identified and a more predittable routine had been established. in a phone Conversation (Cula Lenky and Joe <br />Shoemaker) it was determined Chu further WET teeing sbould be,l bane schedule) quarterly WET testing (first quarter 1999) for the week of Mucb 15. <br />Pleue tom nit urn at (770) 379 27)0 for any further questions or additional informmiov. <br />iWENTYA111-E COAL COMP4ANY <br />Jac oemaka <br />Envuonmcn ril $pcriali.~ <br />mdosures <br />cu DMG <br />CWPS Penuh No. CU 0092161 fle <br />