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I. General Comments Continued The second problem was discovered when inspecting Sediment Pond No. 006. There was evidence that there had been a recent discharge from the pond through the emergency spillway. There was a dark stain of what may have been floc material and/or rock and coal fines about six inches above the level of the bottom of the spillway. The spillway was also damp, and the lower end of the spillway channel, where it intercepted the old Purgatoire River channel, had recently been eroded to a depth of approximately one foot. Any flow leaving the emergency spillway of Pond 006 would go from that point, in the old channel, back into the existing river channel near where the diverted channel returned to the original river bed. After observing the evidence of a recent discharge from Pond 006 it was learned from personnel at the mine that during the previous evening a new second shift had begun working at the cleaning plant. Apparently a valve had inadvertently been left open allowing plant make-up water to flow into the thickener tank until it overflowed and began to spill into Pond 006. This continued until the pond filled and began to spill over at the emergency spillway. Mr. Snow indicated that he didnt' know at what time the pond had filled, but that at about 4:00 a. m. a security guard noticed the flow from the tank and that the valve was then closed. Enforcement action was taken after observing these problems by writting a cessation order to immediately cease discharge of material from the thickener tank through Sediment Pond No. 006 resulting in discharge from Pond No. 006; and to stop pumping water from the raw coal pile sump onto the coal pad which resulted in this water entering the Purgatoire River diversion without adequate sediment control. Required abatement measures were to: 1. Cease practices which cause all discharge from the thickener. 2. Reestablished proper surface drainage control on and around the raw coal pile area. The open valve which caused the pond overflow had already been shut off prior to this inspection and the pond level had dropped about 4 to 6 inches below the spillway by 2 p.m. on April 5, 1985. At 4 p.m. on that day the operator had completed the construction of a ditch - berm system which properly controlled the sump and coal pile drainage and which would direct this drainage into Sediment Pond No. 006. Therefore at that time a termination notice was issued for the cessation order.