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COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICHEALTHAND ENVIRONMENT, Water Quality Control Division Rationale -Page 2, Permit No. CO-0000132 III. RECEIVING STREAM An assessment of the stream standards, low flow data, and ambient stream data has been performed to determine the assimilative capacities for EZk Creekfor potential pollutants of concern for outfa11015. This information, which is contained in Appendix A to this rationale, also includes an antidegradatton review, where appropriate. The Division's Permits Unit has reviewed the assimilative capacities to determine the appropriate water quality-based effluent limitations as well as potential limits based on the antidegradation evaluation, where applicable. The limitations based on the assessment and other evaluations conducted as part of this rationale can be found in Tables VI-1 and VI-2 ojthis rationale. IV. FACILITYDESCRL?TION A. Industry Description I. Tvoe oflndustrv: The facility is an active underground coal mine. Coal is crushed and stockpiled until loaded onto rail cars. Production is approved for 6 million tons per year. Mining at the Sanborn Creek Mine has ceased and the portals have been sealed. Reclamah'on in the vicinity has begun, surface runoffponds will remain until reclamah'on has finished and/or the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology has authorized their removal. Mining continues at the Elk Creek Mine. 2. Sources to the Treatment Plant: Surface runofffrom the old Sanborn CreekMine and the newer Elk Creek Mine is treated in sedimentation ponds. Most is evaporated, discharges of surface runoff are rare. Mine waterfrom the Elk CreekMine is settled underground and pumped to the surface for discharge. Anew potable water treatmentplant (WTP) which will be constructed in mid-2004, will roua'nely discharge backwash water. 3. Chemicals Used: The permittee did not sped any chemicals for use in waters that maybe discharged other than sodium hypochlorite and Culligan F-86 chemical cationic polymide, which are used in the WTP. Prior to use of any applicable chemical, the permittee must submit a request for approval that includes the most current Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for that chemical. However, sodium hypochlorite is a commonly used chemical in WTP and WWTF treatment. It is safefor discharge providing total residual chlorine limitations are met. Until approved, use ofany other chemical in waters that may be discharged could result in a discharge ofpollutants not authorized under thepermit. Thus, the permittee needs to submit asite-specific MSDS for Culligan F-86 chemical cationic polymideforDivision review. Also see PartlLA.l. ofthepermit. B. Wastewater Treatment Description Surface runoff is settled in sedimentation ponds, mine water is settled in a series of underground sumps and/or sedimentation ponds. WTP backwash is settled in a sedimentation pond. Specific information can befound in Table II-1. Pond E at the Elk Creek Mine has recently been constructed to serve a new area of disturbance west of previously disturbed areas, outjall 017 has been added for discharges from this pond. The pond that previously served as mine watersedimentation for the Sanborn Creek Mine has been converted for use as a WTP backwash sedimentation pond outfa11018 is the discharge from this pond. Pursuant to the authority ofArticle 9, Title 25, Regulations for the Certification of Water Treatment Plant and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators, this facility will require a certified operator. Y. PERFORMANCE HISTORY A. Monitoring Data 1. Discharge Monitoring Reports: Mine water outfalls: Table V-1 summarizes the effluent data reported for outfa11011 on the quarterly Discharge Monitoring Reporu (DMRs) for the Oxbow Mining, LLCSanborn Creek Mine and Elk Creek Mine facility from October 2001 through September 30, 2003. Although outfa11011 has permanently ceased discharge, the quality of outfa11015 is expected to be similar. Outfal! 015 did not discharge during this period. Surface runoffoutfalls: Outfalls 007, 009, O10, 013, 014, and 016 did not discharge during the period reviewed Outfall 012 discharged only during the third calendar quarter of 2003, there were no limit exceedences. 2. State Sampling.' There are no recent state sampling resulls available for this facility. Lnsf Revised: 4/28/2004