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<br />•COLORdDO DEY.IRTVtENT OF//Ed TtL Kierar Qrm(rrp !'orrero(Dirisiar ~ - ~ - ~ ~ _~ ~-
<br />Rnrionrtte.Page 2. Permit rb'v. C0.0rN3Gl8
<br />Ort Octoher l /, 1996. the !Valet Qttttliry Coritt•ol Division ("Division')issued a firralpennitfor t/re Cresson Project (CUPS
<br />Permit No. CO-0043648) xdrich +cas intended to address all potential paint sonrce discharges nj "mine drainage" that
<br />originated front irithiu the Cresson Project permit area at that time. Is !list permtil the Division deterrniired that tscharges at
<br />Outfa!!s OOIA, 001A, 003A. 004A, aruIOOSB, as describer! belox•, consisted of, at feast ir: par{ mine drainage as that term is
<br />defimer/btcoirjurictimtwith7heapplicatinnojefjlueiulimitationgrridelines(ELGsJat40CFRPurt440. Descripriorrsojthere
<br />outjnlts, as then ~<isted in theprevious permit, irre ns foitows_
<br />Outfiill OQIA .=The discharge to Arequu Gulch jroni_ the sertinrent pgnrl, located downstream of the VLF.
<br />Outfall 00'.4-T/te rlischrrrgefr'om the sedinreru pond tlydt crdlecterl nuto(f~jront the ntirre's crrrcher area. Flnu~ was to he
<br />treated inYhe sediment pond, mrd them released to die dirersiort channel which surraaulcrl flee leach faeility ruin which
<br />evcauually discharged irrlu,Arequn Gulch.
<br />Outjulf PU3A-The discharge jrnm the sediment porrd.wlric•!t cnllectedJlow fi•nnr the western brmrch ofSqumv Gulch. F(uw
<br />entering this pond included naroff%rorn the (rau•lud Odcrburderr Storage ,fees (rt.k•a. Squaw Gulch Overburden .Sroragc•
<br />.dreg! !lent ti'rrs !neater! at the hrudx•aters r J Squcni• Gnlclr.
<br />Ougall (I04d-Tlu' rllsthargefronr the sedinunt pard, xhic•h r`olkcterl Jloufrom the eastern brartc•h ofSquau• iiulcJr.:'krr
<br />enteriirg this poor! inchrded some nnrnjjfrnm the 1+•widad'Overhurderr Storage Area. bur wets cnmprisert nrnctly gl.Roov
<br />comingJroru the upper rear•Ires ofSyuax• Gulch, x•hic•Ir u•rrs muted raider rr utbre road that led m the Ironclad area. Runa(J'
<br />tenor dre nrimc road crlsu ente•r•erl this pond.
<br />Orrtfirll OOSB - to be ased frn• arm disc•hargrs f •om the VLf' that mire hair occurred either us a result of tJic aurual
<br />precipitatinr falliirg ai dre VLF erceedirrg the grantor evalrnrrrtiarr at tree VLF or as a result of rr single precipitation rti ear
<br />esceetling the 10 year; 14 hoar sto>'m irrtensity•. In aclilitinn, while uri specific m•crjlniv out(a1llrrrrl been rnnstna•terl, it wa..
<br />nscrinrrd that any needed discharge c•ordd be ac•ronmrndated rc lativelr quickly through the installatinrr oftenrliiirun' carduirs.
<br />and would errrrurally be r/irecterl into Arequa Gulc/r in die ricinin• nfOtufrr!!O(1lA. There(ne, Uutfrtll UO.iB was shower ut dre
<br />satrrc locruion rrc Orafall (lOIA.
<br />.The Cripple Creek R D'ictnrliolrl AlirrLrg Cnnquurv /CC& G) challenged the permit cfrrimirrg, anrong other things, dun there
<br />tens nit rlischrrrge a('cr pollutant Ji•om a point .courc•e to 5'tate u•nters fire x•lriclr a pernrir wets required anr1, eren ijs'uch a
<br />discharge did c:rist, the discharge did not corrsict ofmime drainage. Varioms portions oJdre permit iJere served; rr seatenu•ur
<br />agreement behveen the Uivic&rrr near CC&V wqs executed u•rth ngtrrrl ro Out/idlx (10?A. U03A, anr1004A; and an rrdjudicaron
<br />Ircrrring ore OutJir!! 0(11 A x•us held.
<br />dslri:r! ajthe scalenrenr agreement; dre Dii,isiorr agrceel to x•irluli•aw thc• icrnrs iwd cnnditionsfa• Outfir!/s 00?A, I/03A, and
<br />O04A jranr CUPS Yernit rW~. (`U-0043648 mul flee Dirisinn irariced. Jbr public corrur:enG a ncnv draft permit Jeer the
<br />discharges rrt Orrtfir/Js 0(11A, 0(I~A, mul 004.} (CDPS Urrrft Permit :Vo. CO.-0(145115) which wriuld bare required nc~•
<br />insfallatioa rmd nmiruerumce ojdete•ntioa basins dear, giren da•irsce. would hm•e effectively sari.cfreclthe regnirenrenrc nfdn•
<br />40 CFR Part 44(1 F.LGs. Comareitcs x'ere subnriltrrl an this rrew.drnft pernrir but the rtex• permit way ncn•er issued,
<br />Aftertlre ar judicatoiy.hearing on OutfirU OQIA, tlte:ldministratirorlmeJudge' (ALJjftlerl cur irrltiuldecisiar. which uplrcld the
<br />Divisiar's permit trrnrs rmd coot/itiun5' jnr then otufr:IL 77re initial deeisinn xas"hasr.•d. in part, ore portions of the
<br />Environnrerdnl ProtectiwiAgency's (F.P.41 September 19, /9?1, "Ftrrrrl Nruiau:f Dicc•harb=r F.limirurtinu S)'stern S7orm 14'arer
<br />9hrlti-Sector General Permit jnr hulrectrial Activities, " and on EP.4 dcroetopntent drictun'nts yrc pared ire 1975 goer 1978 at the
<br />time the 40 CFR Prirt 440 ELGs were dcw•eloped. " Lritial Decision, pp.'43-4d. Ou Aa~nect 7, 1998. suhsegtrent w the,filirrg of
<br />tfte ALJ :c iJritird decidnrr, EPA issuer! tts "Sladificniiriu ojdie National Polltrtmd Discharge ElinrhratinrY S}•.ctem (iVPUE57
<br />Sturm 3iicrer h/u/ri-Secror General Perndt jorludustria! Activities (;Lltdti-Sector General Perrrrill" G3 F•ed. Reg. 4?>34
<br />(August 7.1918) /",1lodifrcatiox Rufe ). In t/re rLlndification Rule, GPA sirpplenierued itr interpretatimr nftlre niirte drainage
<br />provisions cnntnined in the 1995 ,Yfulri-Sector General Permit. EPA deternixed that stnrir Jirnrs tenor areas such ac uxrsa•
<br />rxk piles arrd uvc'rburden surrage areas that are outside of flee "active mining area" were sot "mine drainage"subject to
<br />F.ZGs unless such tvaterJlnx•ed to a point source mrrl cnnrhincrl with other mine drainage. (Irl, p. 41538] FPAdcJines acrire
<br />irrinnrg area ar n place where work ar odrer activity relater! to the extraction, renrnral, or recovery ojnretal ore is hero
<br />carducterl c~rccpt, n•it/r respect to strrjace mines, any area njlarid on or which grading /tas been cnnrplcted to return the Truth
<br />to desired c'urrrour mtdreclrururtion work has begun..
<br />On the basis r f the rlfodific•ation Rule, as it applies ro dre Cresson Prnjecr, flee Division frndc that the dischargee rrt Orrtfer/ls
<br />0(11 A. 001A. OU3A. or UU4A arc rro longer mine drrrlriagc. ]n particrdar:
<br />Ar OutfrrR 00IA, (he potential sources Rlpollunuus are rl~eJnur-irrrh spring cullrctiorr .ccctern benuul+ flee .4requn Gulch
<br />Ovcrhurderr Storage Area, the ac•rire Arequa Grdch Overburden Sloruge Area (xhiclr iuchrdes the lo+~ er ti:}'er r~(relocatrd
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