_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 ‎(143)‎

• Permit No: C1981017
• IBM Index Class Name: GENERAL DOCUMENTS
• Doc Name: Bid Documents ‎(IMP)‎
• Permit Index Doc Type: General Correspondence
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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NOV C-84-085
Mid-continent Resources, Inc.
I. FINDING OF VIOLATION
On May 21 , 1984, Jim Herron, of the Mined Land Reclamation Division,
observed numerous problems with respect to protection of the hydrologic
balance in the vicinity of the Mid-Continent Resources prep plant
operation. Notice of Violation (NOV) C-84-085, was issued which cited
13 separate instances of failure to minimize disturbance to the
prevailing hydrologic balance. The citations included examples of
failure to maintain sediment ponds and drainage ditches, failure to
pass drainage from disturbed areas through the approved sediment
control system, and failure to properly control oil and grease spills.
Three of the 13 problems cited were deemed inappropriate following a
presentation by the operator of information relating to hydrologic
conditions at the mine site immediately prior to and during the
inspection of May 21 . This information was compiled by the firm of
Wright Water Engineers. While this report has not been analyzed in
detail by staff hydrologists, several conclusions contained within the
report were accepted for the purposes of this settlement.
In general , it is accepted that Coal Basin experienced extremely heavy
snowfall accumulations during the winter months of 1984. Also,
basin-specific climatic data was presented which indicated that this
heavy snowpack melted almost entirely in the two weeks preceding and
the week during the inspection. Based upon the LOG Pearson method of
runoff analysis, which was performed specifically for Coal Basin, it
appears that, one week prior to the inspection, the peak flows from
runoff exceeded the amount expected from a 10-year 24-hour storm event
for three consecutive days.
Finally, it was concluded from the Wright Water Engineers report that
antecedent soil moisture conditions in Coal Basin were extremely high
during the time of the inspection.
Two of the citations in the NOV related to observations that, at some
time in the recent past, water had bypassed ditches or culverts. The
specific citations are presented below:
A culvert over Bear Creek transfers water between Ponds 2 and 3 of
the four in series at Discharge Point 001 . It was observed that at
some time the water exiting this culvert entered the adjacent
undistb rbed drainage ditch and bypassed Ponds 3 and 4. The
operator redefined the ditch between the culvert outlet and Pond 3
to minimize reoccurrence.