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COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT <br />Water Quality Control Division <br />WQCD-PE-B2 <br />Cherry Creek Drive South <br />Denver, Colorado 80222-1530 <br />RATIONALE <br />STORMWATER DISCHARGES ASSOCIATED W/TH <br />METAL MINING OPERATIONS AND MINE-WASTE REMEDL9TION <br />GENERAL PERMIT !N COLORADO <br />COLORADO DISCHARGE PERMIT NUMBER COR-040000 <br />L INTRODUCTION <br />The permit is far the regulation of stormwater runoff associated with metal mining operations and mine-waste <br />remediation projects. The term "metal" is used to distinguish this permit from the general permit for coal mining with <br />surface discharge only, and the general stormwater permit for sand and gravel mining and processing (and other <br />nonmetallic minerals). Other terms are defined in the permit. This Rationale will briefly explain the background of the <br />stormwater program, activities which are covered under this permit, how to apply for coverage under this permit, and <br />the requirements of this permit. <br />I/. CHANGES IN RENEWAL PERM/T <br />The following major changes have been made to this permit during renewal: <br />A. Mine-Waste Remediation: Stormwater Management Plan ("SWMP") requirements have been added that specifically <br />address stormwater concerns for operations that undertake mine-waste remediation and seek eventual permit <br />certification termination, These are described below at Section lV.B and V/. B. <br />B. Termination of Permit Coveraee: Provisions have been added to describe the criteria and process for termination <br />of permit coverage. These are described below at Section VI.H. <br />C. SWMP Format Chanees: The SWMP contems and requirements have been amended to eliminate redundancies. <br />SWMPs that were prepared in accordance with previous requirements are not required to be amended to conform <br />to the new SWMP format. The format of the SWMP has changed, but the essence of [he requirements remains the <br />same. <br />D. Duplication: Redundancies between the permit and Rationale have been reduced. <br />E. Allowable Non-Stormwater Discharnes: Several additions have been made to the list of non-stormwater discharges <br />which are allowed under this permit. These are described below at Section V/.A. <br />F. Other chanees: Minor changes and clarifications have been made throughout the permit and Rationale. In <br />genera[, they do nor affect the substance of the requiremens. <br />III. BACKGROUND <br />The federal Clean Water Act requires that industrial stormwarer discharges be regulated under the National Pollutant <br />Discharge Elimination System ("NPDES") program. (Note: the Colorado Program is referred to as the Colorado <br />Discharge Permit System, or CDPS, instead oJNPDES.). <br />Zhe Water Qualiry Control Division ("the Division") hat stormwater regulations (S CCR 1002-2, 6.1.0) in place. These <br />regulations specifically include mining operations where stormwater has come into contact with any overburden, raw <br />mnrerial, intermediate products, byproducts, finished products or waste products, as industrial facilities which must <br />obtain srormwarer discharge permits. <br />