2005-12-02_PERMIT FILE - C1981019

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COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT -Water Quality Cantro! Division Rationale -Page 3 Permit No. COR-040000 IV. STORMWATER DISCHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH MINING OPERATIONS The stormwater regulations require that stormwater discharges associated with certain industrial activities be covered under the permit program. Mining operations are specifically included in the listed industrial activities. This general permit is intended to cover srormwater discharges from most active and inactive meta! mines. It is also intended to cover stormwater discharges from mines (e.g., coal mines) which have Individual COPS permits for discharge of process waters. A. Tvoes of Sites Covered This permit is intended to authorize most new and existing discharges composed entirely of stormwtuer from mining operations that are within Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code 10 -Metal Mining and Milling, at sites that discharge stormwarer only. This category includes arrive and inactive mining and milling operations, and remediation projects at such sites. This permit is intended to cover those portions of a metal mining or milling sirc that are not already subject to effluent limitations under 40 CFR 440. Those previously uncorurolled areas which discharge stormwater that comes in contact with overburden, raw material, intermcdiate products, byproducts, finished products or waste products may be covered by this permit. Division policy number WQP-I7 describes the difference between stormwater and process water at a mine site. This permit may also be used to cover existing ducharges composed entirely of srormwarer from any other metal or coal mining operations that are currently covered by an individual CDPS permits for discharge of process water. At the rime of reissuance or amendmem of the individua! CDPS permit, terms and limitation from both permits may be combined imo a new individual permit. Table I presems the categories of the mining irt~ustry and their CDPS • Stormwater permit coverage. The Division intends to continue its practice to cover only one area with eacie permit certification. As long as nc~ operations or inactive mines are contiguous, one permit certification is sufficient. However, if a mine-waste remediation plan calls for removal of material and disposal at a location away from the mine-waste sire, separate permit coverage must be obtained for the disposal sirc. - B. Mine-Waste Remediation Proiecrs This permit is intended to authorize most stormwater discharges from mine-waste remediation projects. There are numerous inactive mine sites located throughout the State that may undergo remediation operations to reduce impacts to water quality, to relicvc the obligation jar permit coverage, or to return land to a different land use. These types of sites and their stormwater discharges were not specifica!!y addressed in the preceding version of this permit. Ibis permit has been revised to address the special considerations of thesc types of operations. This permit now contains additional SWMP requirements for remediation projects. lhese are detailed at Pan I.C of the permit, and summarized at VI.B.2 below. The Division foresees three genera[ cases where permittees will use these provisions: Inactive mine situ where the permittee begins a remediation project in order to terminate coverage under an existing. Irt this case, the permittee will amend their SWMP to address the remediation concerns as outlined in Pan I.C.S of the permit, and proceed with remediation. Certification under this permit would be terminated when the termination criteria and other conditions listed at Part I.F of the permit are met. 2. Inactive mine sites where no previous stormwarcr permit coverage exists, and the owner or a third parry (with permission of the owner) plans to remediate the site. In this case, the SWMP would be prepared, including the items in Pan I. C.5 of the permit, and the owner or third party would submit the completed permit . application. After the permit certification is issued, stormwarer discharges from the remediation project would be authorized. Certification under this pcrmit would be terminated when the termination criteria and ocher conditions fisted at Pan I.F of the permit are met.