1996-12-12_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - M1977493

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V 999 © CLIMAX MOLYBDENUM COMPANY COLOFiADO OPERATIONS Gimax Mine A Division of Cyprus Climax Metals Co Hwy.91 Gimax,Colorado 80249 77 `7 /�,/i1�j i� (719)486-215 Fax:(719)486-2251 gP_c,E9VED December 11, 1996 ukL; 12 1996 Certified Mail No. P 291 415 947 / Mr. Allen Sorenson Division of Minerals and Geology 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, CO 80203-1530 Dear Mr. Sorenson: Pursuant to Mineral Rules and Regulations, Rule 8.1(b), and Climax Mine CPDS Permit No. CO-0000248, Part II A.3. b), this letter serves as a five day written report of an A,urset condition reported to your office at 10:45 A.M. on Saturday December 7, 1996. The upset occurred between the hours of 6:00 and 7:48 P.M. on Friday December 6, 1996. At approximately 7:30 P.M. on Friday, December 6, the security and water management crew at the Climax Mine were notified by a snowplow operator from the Colorado Department of Transportation (DOT) that water was flowing onto Highway 91 in the vicinity of the Climax Storke Level facilities in the Arkansas River basin. Regular checks of the area at 4:30 and 6:00 P.M. noted no abnormal circumstances associated with 5- Shaft Pump Station and the Storke Waste Water Pump Station that transfer waters to the Climax water treatment system. The security crew, investigating the Colorado DOT report, discovered that the water line conveying underground water from the 5-Shaft Pump Station had ruptured and that water was flowing between snow berms on the Storke Access Road to Highway 91 where it remained within the confines of the plowed road surface. Night temperatures were below freezing and the water froze on the highvvay surface. The pumps at 5-Shaft Pump Station and all flow from the ruptured pipeline were turned off at 7:48 P.M. where, at the time, flows registered 425 gpm. Assuming that the rupture occurred at 6:01 P.M., and accounting for the water residing in the pumpback line, the maximum worst case volume of water involved in this upset was 562,840 gallons. Further, of this amount, 75% of the total volume either froze onto surfaces within the Climax water treatment area or has been captured by removal and relocation of frozen water since the incident occurred. Upon investigation of the incident, Climax personnel can find no location or evidence of a live water connection to the Arkansas River. Despite efforts to pick up and relocate impacted snow and frozen water to the Climax water treatment system, the volume reporting to Highway 91 that will not be captured is calculated to be 140,710 gallons or 0.43 acre-feet. This water will not be captured because Colorado DOT plowed approx-