2009-06-12_REPORT - C1982056 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Requirement Requirement citation Require- ment complied with ? (yes / no) Comment The mine discharges surface runoff and pumped mine water to the following stream segments in Region 12 of the Yampa River basin: Segment 13c, Trout Creek above Fish Creek Segment 13b, Foidel Creek Segment 13a, Trout Creek below Fish Creek CWQCC lists numeric standards for these segments in its regulation Regulation 133. Long-term historical monitoring data from the stream segments indicate the iron numeric standard is frequently exceeded and the lead and manganese standards are occasionally exceeded. Premining data indicate these exceedances usually are unrelated to areas covered by active mine permits. Snowmelt from historically deep snowpack in 2008 is the suspected cause of relatively high flow rates in Foidel Creek at Site 008, located immediately upstream from the Foidel Creek Mine. Foidel Creek at Site 008 is fed by surface runoff and coal spoil leachate springs on the historical Eckman Park/Energy Fuels coal mining area. Samples from Site E. Instream CWQCC Regulation 008 had historically high iron and sulfate concentrations in March, April, June, and Numeric 133 yes September of 2008. The suspected sources of these high concentrations are large volumes Standards of snowmelt that would have infiltrated spoil backfill in the Eckman Park/Energy Fuels area, and then would have flowed as surface runoff to the channel of Foidel Creek (via Pond A, upslope from the Foidel Creek Mine). Spoil leachate from Eckman Park, carried in the channel of Foidel Creek to Trout Creek, is a suspected major source of the high iron and sulfate concentrations observed in Trout Creek at Site 1005 in March, April, June, and September of 2008. CWQCC Regulation No. 133 indicates Trout Creek Site 1005 is subject to a 10 mg/l total recoverable iron standard and a contingent 250 mg/l sulfate standard. (Applicability of the sulfate standard is contingent on actual or potential domestic water use in the stream segment.) The iron and sulfate instream standards were exceeded at Site 1005 on Trout Creek in March, April, June. The sulfate standard was also exceeded in September. The Foidel Creek Mine may have contributed to the iron exceedance in March by pumping underground mine water into Fish Creek from the Fish Creek Borehole, and may have contributed to the sulfate exceedance in September by pumping underground mine water into Foidel Creek from Panel 10 Right. As explained in preceding item D, these pumped discharges were reported to CWQCD in CDPS discharge monitoring reports. Page 3