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COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF IB:',1LTN <br />.Water Quality Control Division <br />WQCD-PE-B2 <br />Cherry Creek DriNe South <br />Denver, Colorado 80222-1530 <br />RATIONALE <br />S717RMWATER DISCHARGES ASSOCIATED WITTI <br />METAL MIN/NG OPERATIONS <br />GENERAL PERMIT IN COLORADO <br />COLORADO DISCHARGE PERMIT NUMBER COR-040000 <br /> CONTENTS PAGE <br />L INTRODUCTION 1 <br />/I. BACKGROUND 1 <br />IH. S71~RMWATER DISCHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH <br /> MIN/NG OPERATIONS 3 <br />/V. COVERAGE UNDER THIS PERMIT S <br />V. CRITERIA FOR REQUIRING AN IND/VLDUAL PERMIT S <br />V/. APPLICATION AND CERTTFIC.1770N S <br />• 'VII. STYIRMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 6 <br />V///. TERMS A11m CONDITIONS OF PERMIT 8 <br />IK PUBLIC NOTTCE CHANGES Il <br />1. INTRODUCTION <br />The pnmU is for the regultuion of stormwruer runoff associated with metal mining operations. The tern+ 'metal' is used <br />to distinguish this permit from the general pemmit for coal mining with surface disdaarge only, and the gennal <br />stormwater permit jot sand mul grm~el mining mtd prooersing (and other nonmaaUic minerals). The tmn 'mining <br />opnationr' includes the work or othn activity related to the evraction, removal or rerovery of metal ore. It includes <br />actise mtd Jnactisv: operations. 'Stormwatn'v prcripitarion-induotd surface runoff. 'Stormwater associated with <br />mining opnations,' ngulmed by this permit, is surface runoff which has rome into romact with any omburden, raw <br />material, imtrmtdiate products, byproducts, finished produar or waste products located at the mining operation. This <br />Rationale will explain tht bacFground of the stormwatn program, activities which are rovned under this pmnit, how to <br />apply for rosrrage under this permit, and the requirements of this permit. <br />1!. BACKGROUND <br />As required under the Clean Watn Act amndments oj1987, the Environnuntal Protection Agency (EPA) hat <br />established a framework for regulating municipal and industrial stormwatn discharges. This framework is undo the <br />National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. On Nosrmber 16, 1990, the EPA published final <br />regulations that establish application requirements for sromrwatn pmniu. The regulations (40 CFR 122.26) require <br />specfic types ojindustrial fadUtlet whidt dircltmge storrnwatn asoocated with industrial activity (indusrraJ <br />stormwatn), to obtain an NPDES permit. The ngulationr sperifirolly include mining opnations whne stormwater has <br />rome iota romact with airy oMabwdm, raw material, intantediate products, byproducts, finished products or waste <br />products, as industria! facilities which mast obtain stornrwatn discharge permits. <br />Othn regulations, sped, firnUy 40 CFR subdutpter N (mining operations an aovned in sections 434, 436 and 440J, were <br />detrlaped to ronrrol the quality of discharges from mills and mine drainage. Mine drainage is warn drained, pumped, <br />