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COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT -Water Quality Control Division <br />Rationale -Page 3 Permit No. COR-040000 <br />IV. STORMWATER DISCHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH MINING OPERATIONS <br />The stonnwater regulations require that stonnwater discharges associated with certain industrial activities be covered <br />under the permit progrtun. Mining operations are specifically included in the listed industrial activities. This general <br />pennit is intended ro cover stormwater discharges from most active and inactive metal mines. It is also intended to cover <br />stornwater discharges from [nines (e.g., coal [nines) which have individual CDPS pennits for discharge of process waters. <br />A. Types of Sites Covered <br />This permit is intended to authorize most new and existing discharges composed entirely of stonnwater from mining <br />operations that are within Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code ]0 -Metal Mining and Milling, at sites that <br />discharge stonnwater only. This category includes active and inactive mining and milling operations, and <br />remediation projects at such sites. <br />This pennit is intended to cover those portions of a metal mining or milling site that are not already subject to <br />effluent limitations under 40 CFR 440. Those previousty uncontrolled areas which discharge stonnwater that comes <br />in contact with overburden, raw material, intermediate products, byproducts, finished products or waste products <br />may be covered by this pennit. Division policy number WQP-17 describes the difference 6enveen stonnwater and <br />process water at a mine sire. <br />This pennit [nay also be used to cover existing discharges composed entirely of stormwater from any other metal or <br />coal mining operations that are currently covered by an individual CDPS permits for discharge of process water. At <br />the time of reissuance or amendment of the individual CDPS permit, terms and limitation frmn both pennits may be <br />combined into a new individual permit. Table 1 presents the categories of the mining industry and their CDPS <br />stonnwater pennit coverage. <br />The Division intends to continue its practice to cover only one area with each permit cenification. As long as the <br />operations or inactive [nines are contiguous, one permit cenification is sufficient. However, if a mine-waste <br />remediation plan calls far removal of material and disposal at a location away from the mine-waste site, separate <br />permit coverage must be obtained for the disposal site. <br />B. Mine-Waste Remediation Projects <br />This permit is intended to authorize most stonnwater discharges Elam mine-waste remediation projects. This pennit <br />contains additional SWMP requirements for remediation projects. These are detailed at Pan I.C of the permit, and <br />summarized at VI.8.2 below. The Division foresees three general cases where pernittees will use these provisions: <br />Inactive mine sires where the pennittee begins a remediation project in order to terminate coverage under an <br />existing. In this case, the penniaee wit[ amend their SWMP io address the remediation concerns as outlined in <br />Pan I.C.S of the permit, and proceed with remediation. cenification under this pennit would be terminated <br />when the termination criteria and other conditions listed at Pan !.F of the permit are met. <br />2. Inactive [nine sites where no previous stonnwater pennit coverage exists, and the owner or a third parry (with <br />penrsission of the owner) plans to remediate the site. In this case, the SWMP would be prepared, including the <br />items in Pan 1. C.5 of the pennit, and the owner or third parry would submit the cotnplered permit application. <br />After the permit certification is issued, stormwater discharges from the remediation project would be <br />authorized. Certification under this permit would be terminated when the termination criteria and other <br />conditions listed at Pan I.F of the pennit are met. <br />