GENERAL32420

• Permit No: C1981013
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 6/28/1990
• Doc Name: Proposed Decision & Findings of Compliance for PR1
• Permit Index Doc Type: Findings
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

The proposed Ciruela Canyon refuse pile at the Golden Eagle Mine is less
than one-third the size of the refuse piles in the alluvial plain at
New Elk Mines. Seepage from these piles is anticipated to result in a
negligible increase in TDS values fora Middle Purgatoire Q7-10 low flow
such an increase in TDS is less than 15% of that occurring in the
Purgatoire River at Golden Eagle. Precipitation and infiltration values
should be similar for these adjacent mines. Consequently the
Ciruela Canyon refuse area has little potential to raise TDS or SAR
values in the Purgatoire River nearby.
Following mining, mine water would no longer be discharged to the river.
Only seepage from the coal refuse piles would potentially continue to
affect water quality in the stream-alluvial aquifer system. Continued
seepage from the New Elk and Golden Eagle piles would, however, not add
significantly to either TDS or SAR values of the Purgatoire River.
As required by Rule 2.07.6(2)(c), the Division has assessed the probable
cu milative impacts of all anticipated coal mining in the general area on
the hydrologic balance. These impacts cannot include those that result
from secondary or retreat mining under Wet Canyon, since adequate data
for such evaluation has not been supplied by the operator. As a result,
secondary or retreat mining under Wet Canyon cannot be approved at this
time. Excluding that aspect of the proposed operation, the Division
finds that the operations described in the application have been designed
to prevent damage to the hydrologic balance outside the proposed permit
area.
HYDROLOGIC MONITORING
The permittee is required under Rule 4.05.13.(1) and (2) to monitor the
effects of underground mining activities upon the quantity and quality of
ground water and surface water. This monitoring is required in order to
judge the compliance of the operator with the water quality provisions of
the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act. The water quality
provisions of the Act require that the operator shall in no case violate
Federal and State water quality statutes, regulations, standards, or
effluent limitations. As a matter of policy, the Division has adopted
the Department of Health's Receiving Stream Standards as one of the
standards by which impacts to the hydrologic balance from mining are
judged. Other standards are developed and used by the Division when
appropriate. Receiving stream standards have been established for the
Purgatoire River. The applicant mrst also demonstrate an ability to
comply with the NPDES effluent limitations.
Rule 4.05.13(1) and (2) do not apply strictly to point discharges as does
the NPDES permit issued by the Colorado Health Department. The rules in
4.05.13(1) require monitoring of nonpoint discharges and ground water.
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