ENFORCE35064

• Permit No: C1981019
• IBM Index Class Name: Enforcement
• Doc Date: 4/18/1996
• Doc Name: MEMO COMMENTS REGARDING NOV C-96-006
• From: DMG
• To: FILE NOV C-96-006 COLOWYO COAL MINE C-81-019
• Violation No.: CV1996006
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
999
STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department of Natural Resources
131 3 Sherman 51., Room 215
Denver. Colorado 80203
Phone: (3071 86h-7567
FAX: [phone]'-8106
DATE: April 18, 1996
TO: NOV File C-96-006
Colowyo Coal Mine (C-81-019)
FROM: Erica Crosby
RE: Comments regarding NOV C-96-006
~I~~~
DEPARTMENT OF
NATURAL
RESOURCES
Rny Romer
Governor
lames S Lochhead
Executive Director
btichael B. Long
Division Director
A partial inspection was conducted at the Colowyo Coal Mine on March 19 and 20, 1996.
As a result of this inspection, NOV C-96-006 was issued on March 26, 1996 for;
Failure to design, construct and maintain East Taylor Creek Pond to provide
adequate capacity to contain or treat the runoff or inflow entering the pond as a
result of a 10-year, 24-hour precipitation event and the inflow from water pumped
from the West Pit into the East Taylor Creek Pond. Failure to submit supporting
calculations, documents, and drawings used to establish the requirements of 4.05.6(3)
in the permit application.
During the inspection, the West Pit area was inspected. At the bottom of the West Pit there
were two very large pools of water. Adjacent to one of the pools was a pumping hose that
lead down to East Taylor Creek Pond. The Division spoke with Sam Hale of Colowyo that
worked in the pit. According to Sam, Colowyo began pumping pit water into East Taylor
Creek Pond roughly 2 1/2 weeks prior to the date of the inspection (around March 1, 1996).
Colowyo was pumping the pit every other day with a 6" hose. The water in the pit was in
contact with the coal seam currently being mined. The water was very dark in color,
analysis of the water depict high TSS and high Iron.
On March 21, 1996, Kimberely Wolf with Colowyo called the Division to discuss the East
Taylor Creek Pond. According to Kimberely, on March 5, 1996 the East Taylor Creek Pond
was discharging over the primary spillway. There is no evidence suggesting a 10-year, 24-
hourstorm event. The dewatering gate was opened, and no sample was collected. The gate
was closed the next day due to possible water quality problems. The first water sample was
collected by Colowyo on March 18, 1996.