2010-04-26_HYDROLOGY - C1980005 (2)

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i ENECA ca, co,» pEny Seneca Coal Company April 22, 2010 Colorado Department of Health ? -1D WQCD-PE-B2 AP? 2 ZM 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South ern, Denver, CO 80246-1530 @??inin9 RE: Quarterly Discharge Monitoring Report for Permit CO-0000221 Dear Sir or Madam: Pursuant to the quarterly reporting requirements contained in Colorado Discharge Permit CO-0000221 for the Seneca Mine Complex, enclosed find the first quarter 2010 discharge monitoring reports for Points 002 to 006 and 008 to 017. In this quarter, no discharges were observed at Points 005, 009, 011, 013 and 014. vehicle access to Points 004, 005, 008, 009, 010, 015, 016 and 017 was closed starting in November due to snow. Monthly visits (at all sites except 015) were performed by snowmobile or snowshoe. For Point 015, deep and light snow on this long, narrow road prevented safe access, even with a snowmobile, for the entire quarter. Winter time monitoring exemptions exists for all these sites (CPDS permit, Part I, page 24). One excursion of effluent limits occurred this quarter. On February 2, a total recoverable iron value of 1,010 ug/l was observed at Point 008. The standard listed on the DMR is 1,000 ug/l. However, the total iron value from the same sample was only 910 ug/1. Also, in Regulation 31 (Basic Standards for Surface Water) Footnote 4 to Table III, it states: "Both acute and chronic numbers adopted as stream standards are levels not to be exceeded more than once every three years on the average." Furthermore, on page 75, third paragraph (31.22 SBP - 1987 Revisions) it states: "Footnote 5 to Table III states that standards based on these table values are not to be exceeded more than once every three years on the average. This provision is adopted based on evidence that aquatic life can recover from impacts if not exposed to exceedances more frequently than once every three years." Seneca Coal Company • P.O. Box 670 • Hayden, Colorado 81639 Telephone (970) 276-5217 a FAX (970) 276-5222