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RATIONALE <br />FOURTH RENEWAL <br />CDPS GENERAL PERMIT NO COG-0850000 - COAL MINING FACILITIES <br />ANNUAL FEE $780, CATEGORY 07 SUBCATEGORY 05 (EFFECTIVE JULY], 2007) <br />L INTRODUCTION <br />' This is the fourth renewal of the general permit for coal mining discharges (COG-0850000) to surface waters. Changes have <br />been made to allow for more coverage of coal mining facilities under this general permit. <br />' H. GENERAL PERMIT SCOPE <br />A. Applicability <br />' The previous general included only discharges from acid or ferruginous type mine drainage, while this permit is designed to <br />cover Alkaline Mine Drainage, Acid or Ferruginous Mine Drainage, Coal Preparation Plants and Associated Areas, Post <br />Mining Areas, discharges from Western Alkaline Coal Mining areas, and discharges of surface water runoff or other non- <br />coal mining water. <br />Tyne of Coal Mining Facilities - This general permit (COG-085000) authorizes the discharge of wastewater from coal <br />' mining operations from the following categories of coal mines, as defined in 40 CFR Part 434: <br />1) Acid or Ferruginous Mine Drainage - meaning mine drainage which, before any treatment, either has a pH, of less <br />than 6.0 or a total iron concentration equal to or greater than 10 mg/l. <br />' 2) Alkaline Mine Drainage -meaning mine drainage which, before any treatment, has a pH equal to or greater than 6.0 <br />and total iron concentration of less than 10 mg/l. <br />' 3) Coal Preparation Plant and Coal Preparation Plant Associated Areas -meaning a facility where coal is subjected to <br />cleaning, concentrating, or other processing or preparation in order to separate coal from its impurities and then is <br />loaded for transit to a consuming facility, and coal preparation plant yards, immediate access roads, coal refuse piles <br />' and coal storage piles and facilities. <br />4) Post Mining Areas - meaning a reclamation area or the underground workings of an underground coal mine after <br />' the extraction, removal, or recovery of coal from its natural deposit has ceased and prior to bond release. <br />5) Western Alkaline Coal Mining - meaning a surface or underground coal mining operation located in the interior <br />western United States, west of the 100th meridian west longitude, in an and or semiarid environment with an average <br />' annual precipitation of 26.0 inches or less. <br />Note that this generalPermit does not cover the dischargesf"om coal remining oPerations defined as a coal mining <br />' operation at a site on which coal mining operations have previously been conducted, and where the site has been abandoned <br />or the performance bond has been forfeited. <br />Groundwater - Under Section 25-8-202(7) of the Colorado Water Quality Control Act, discharges to groundwater can not be <br />' authorized under the Division's jurisdiction, and a certification to discharge can not be issued In these instances, an applicant <br />will need to contact the appropriate state agency which for a discharge to groundwater may be the Division of Reclamation <br />Mining and Safety, or the Environmental Protection Agency under the Underground Injection Control program. In some cases, <br />' where the discharge to groundwater is in the alluvial material, and the groundwater discharge is considered to impact the <br />surface waters, a facility may be authorized under this general permit. <br />Stormwater - When stormwater mixes with process water, the process water limitations (Part LB of the permit) apply to the <br />' discharge of that mixed water. The stormwater section (Part L C of the permit) is intended to cover those portions of a coal <br />mining operation that are not already subject to effluent limitations. <br />Domestic Wastewater - Note that this general permit does not cover the discharge of domestic type wastewater. If this type <br />' of coverage is needed, the permittee may apply for a combined industrial and domestic individual permit, or may apply <br />separately for a domestic general permit (if applicable). <br />' Need for an Individual Permit - Dischargers that do not fit under this characterization, that possess highly toxic chemicals <br />in elevated concentrations, that elect to have an individualpermit, or wish to have mixing zone or site-specific <br />antidegradation considerations, should apply for coverage under an individual permit.