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f ' III IIIIIIIIIIIII III 999 INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: FOmEL CREEK b1IN LE, C-S?-056 FROM: JANET BBJNS SUBJECT: FISH CREEK O P[LL3/30/99 DATE: 03/30/99 CC: DAN HERNANDEZ, DAVE BERRY I had called Twentymile Coal Company today at 10:1 ~ am to discuss permitting considerations with RN-03. While speaking with the secretary, she put Joe Shoemaker of Twentymile Coal Company on the line. Joe informed me that Twentymile Coal Company had another break in the mine water discharge line between the Fish Creek borehole and the treatment ponds. Joe stated that no water made it to Fish Creek. The spilled mine water settled into the low azeas between the west side of the pond and the NPDES point, and north of the access road. Joe estimated that the ponded area was approx. 30 ft. long x 15 ft. wide x 0.5 ft. deep. (225 cu.ft. = 1683 gallons) This area was quite saturated. Mine is in snowmelt with patchy snow still present on the ground. Joe stated that he did collect a water sample in the impounded water and sent it to the lab. Field parameters were: Temp.= 14° C, pH = 9.3, EC = 7800 umhos/cm, Fe = 0.3 mg/1 visual test kit. Spill water had chemical treatment but not pond retention. The discharge level at the flume at NPDES pt. OO l = 0.3 on the staff guage. Joe believed the break to be due to a build up of chemical in the line and back pressure on the pipe. Joe had checked the pump and discharge at x:00 pm 3/29/99 with no problems noted. He checked the site at 7:15 am 3/30/99 and found the leak. The pump was tamed off at 7:15 am. Joe called the Division at 1:40 pm to provide an update on the spill. All the impounded water had permeated into the soil in the "impounded" area. He stated the Twentymile Coal Company believes the breakage problems to be due to in line blockages that act to accumulate the focculant and Sodium Hydroxide. The in line meter appears to be causing the chemical to form a blockage within the waterline. Twentymile Coal Company would like to put the meter at the inflow point where the mine water is pumped into the pond prior to addition of chemical. I told Joe that seemed appropriate to me. Water Flow could be measured at point of inflow to ponds with this new meter and then at the outflow, NPDES point, when discharging. Twentymile Coal Company would also like to install the waterline temporarily on the surface. l discussed with Joe potential for freezing and containment of potential spill from a sttrface line. He thought they could continue to use the existing SAE's to contain potential spills. I explained the problem ~._.,.errr~ `s / tir^ ~.