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~ ~ 464 West Sumac Court Louisvi0e, Colorado 60027-2227 May 21, 1996 Savage and Savage practice/ solutions for environ~nla! problems Land Res[oretion and Reclamation Services ~II ~I~~I~~II~~I~ II~ 999 303 666-7372 tclephonc 3 03 665 11808 facsimJe Ms. Kathleen L. Sullivan, Industrial Enforcement Engineer R~r.~~vFD Colorado Department of Public Health And Environment MAY 2 2 1996 Water Quality Control Division 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South Division of Minerals d Ooo~oyy Denver, Colorado 80222-1530 Re: CDPS Permit No. COG-850012, Sun Coal Company, Meadows No. 1 Mine, Routt County, Colorado Dear Ms. Sullivan: Sun Coal Company has asked me to investigate and report to you on the cause and proposed remedies for the elevated pH reading observed at outfall number OOIA during the first quarter 1996 reporting period (your correspondence of May 8, 1996 to Sun Coal Company). The reported reading was 9.1 pH units, which exceeded the permit condition of 9.0 pH units. Based on our telephone conversation of May 13, 1996, and your suggestions, I reviewed the sampling procedures and discussed the sampling with the lead inspector with the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (who is very familiar with the site), and the individual conducting the water sampling at the former mine site. To provide some background, the site is a former coal mining operation. The location of outfall number OOIA is the discharge pipe of a sedimentation pond which controls surface water runoff from a portion of the former facilities area of the mine. With the exception of a shop building, a concrete bin, well houses and a gravelled access road left at the landowners request, the facilities area has been reclaimed. Surface water entering the sedimentation pond comes from surface runoff from the reclaimed area and a small amount of inflow from a natural spring in the area. This area was recently released from reclamation liability by the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology, who found the reclamation acceptable and in compliance with the requirements of the approved permit. Based on a conversation with the water sampler, the sample which yielded the high pH reading was taken from above the outfall location (i.e., within the sedimentation pond). The sample was taken from water which had seeped to the top of the ice covering the pond. Therefore, this sample was not indicative of the character of discharge water. This may account for the elevated reading of pH. A review of DMR's for this outfall location from prior years has not shown elevated pH levels, even when the mine was in operation.