ENFORCE37680

• Permit No: C1981025
• IBM Index Class Name: Enforcement
• Doc Date: 6/27/1989
• Doc Name: TDN X089-02-370-002-TV2 NORTH THOMPSON CREEK MINE C-81-025
• From: MLRD
• To: OSM RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT
• Violation No.: TD1989020370002TV2
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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STATE OF COLORADO
Roy Romer, Governor
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DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES h ~ .~~\\
MINED LAND RECLAMATION DIVISION ~ ~ ~`
FRED R. BANTA, Dlreetor
June 27, 1989
Mr. Robert Haaen, Director
Albuquerque Field Office
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
625 Silver Avenue, SW, Suite 310
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102
RE: TDN X-89-02-370-002-TY2, North Thompson Creek Mine (C-81-025)
Dear Mr. Haaen:
This letter will serve as the Division's response to the above-mentioned
Ten-Day Notice, issued on June 15, 1989 and received by this office on
June 19, 1989.
Asa result of the ,ioint inspection on June 6, 1989, the Division issued
NOV C-89-016 for failure to provide storage for runoff in Pond 9. This was as
a result of inappropriate use of the pond, and an associated ditch, as part of
the #1 (dine water treatment svstem. Abatement of the violation consisted of
return to the approved svstem, and was accomplished promptly by the operator,
With regard to alleged violation No. 1 contained in the TDN (terms and
conditions of the permit, failure to properly construct a diversion), a
careful search of the permit application yielded information more recent than
the map referred to in the OSM inspectors report (dated January 27, 1989)
describing the ditch in question. Drawing D-4-16, titled "Final Reclamation,
East End of Mine Site", and dated Julv 7, 1987, show the ditch as a "Final
Reclamation" ditch. Ditch D-8 referred to in the report is no longer in
existence, though for a short distance its position roughly corresponds to
that of the ditch on D-4-16. Runoff calculations performed by the Division
show that a triangular ditch 1.5 feet deep and having a 5-foot too width
(apprgximately matching the field conditions) will handle the 2-year rainfall
event of 1.1 inches, as required by Rule 4.05.3 of the Colorado Regulations.
The overtopping of the ditch mentioned in the OSM inspector's report was
caused by pumping of water from the treatment pond svstem into the ditch, for
which a violation has been issued. Therefore, the Division believes no
violation exists since the operator has constructed the ditch as approved in
the permit,
Regarding alleged violation No. 2 contained in the TDN (terms and conditions
of the permit, failure to properly backfill the mine portals), a pair of small
(roughly 2 feet by 2 feet) holes have appeared at the No. 3 Mine backfill
area. As stated in the OSM inspector's report, there was no evidence of
seepage below the feature.
215 Centennial Building, 1313 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203-2273 Tel. [phone]