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~:~- • III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII • <br /> STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Depanmenl n( Natural Resources <br /> <br />131 3 Sherman SL, Room 215 ~ <br />Denver, Cobrado 80203 ~~~~ <br />Phone: 1303) 866-3567 <br />FA%:1303)83?-8106 <br /> DEPARTMENT OF <br /> NATURAL <br /> RESOURCES <br />DATE: May 31, 1996 RCuoVR OOmer <br /> <br />TO: File No. M-77-342 ~a mes 5. Lochhea ri <br />Eiec ulive Dveaor <br />///JJJ <br />// M¢hael B Long <br />~ <br />FROM: Allen Sorenson / Div is ion DireUOr <br />RE: Regulatory Aspects of Proposed water Treatment Plant in the <br />IIrad Valley <br />Climax Molybdenum Company currently operates two separate water treatment <br />facilities in the upper reaches of the West Clear Creek drainage basin. <br />One facility treats mine water pumped from the Henderson Mine, which is <br />active and is permitted by the Mined Land Reclamation Board under Permit <br />No. M-77-342. The other water treatment facility is located at the <br />inactive and pre-Mined Land Reclamation Act Urad Mine. Climax Molybdenum <br />Company will be constructing a single, consolidated water treatment <br />facility in the Urad Valley that will more efficiently treat water from <br />both the Henderson and Urad mine sites. The regulatory aspects of the <br />consolidated water treatment facility under the Hard Rock/Metal Mining <br />Rules and Regulations (Rules) of the Mined Land Reclamation Board are <br />summarized here. <br />The term "Affected Land", as defined in the Rules, includes evaporation <br />or settling ponds; this would include water treatment ponds. The term <br />"Affected Land" also includes areas in which facilities used in mining <br />operations are located; this would include water treatment facilities. <br />The term "Extractive Metallurgical Processing", as defined in the Rules, <br />includes waste water treatment for metals removal. <br />The term "Facility", such as a water treatment facility, is defined in the <br />Rules as being the combined mining "Activities". The Rules define <br />"Activities" to include processing operations, which would include <br />"Extractive Metallurgical Processing" operations, which would include <br />water treatment. <br />Based on the above cited definitions from the Rules, it is clear that <br />water treatment plants associated with mining operations need to be <br />included within the "Affected Land" outlined in a reclamation permit. <br />However, the consolidated water treatment plant proposed to be constructed <br />in the Urad Valley is a unique case because the consolidated treatment <br />plant will be accepting water for treatment from both the permitted <br />Henderson Mine, and from the pre-law Urad Mine. The term "Mining <br />