2013-03-06_HYDROLOGY - M1983141

• Permit No: M1983141
• IBM Index Class Name: HYDROLOGY
• Doc Date: 3/6/2013
• Doc Name: UNPERMITTED POINT SOURCE DISCHARGE
• From: DRMS
• To: CDPHE
• Email Name: MAC
• Email Name: AJW
• Email Name: TAK
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
March 6, 2013
Ms. Erin Scott
Water Quality Control Division
Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246
STATE OF COLORADO
RE: Cash and Who Do Mines; DRMS File No. M- 1983 -141; Unpermitted Point Source
Discharge
Dear Ms. Scott,
This letter is being sent to summarize our telephone conversation on February 20, 2013
regarding the unpermitted point source discharge which is occurring at the Cash and Who Do
Mines in Boulder County.
Office of
Mined Land Reclamation
COLORADO
D I V I S I O N O F
RECLAMATION
MINING
— &—
SAFETY
John W. Hickenlooper
Governor
Mike King
Executive Director
Loretta E. Pineda
Director
On August 24, 2011, the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) conducted an
inspection of the Cash and Who Do Mines and found that the 3` Level Adit was discharging
water to the ground surface. DRMS issued a possible violation pursuant to C.R.S. 34-32 -
116(7)(g) for failure to minimize disturbance to the prevailing hydrologic balance of the affected
land and of the surrounding area and to the quality and quantity of water in surface and
groundwater systems and a possible violation of Hard Rock Rule 3.1.6(1)(b) for failure to
comply with applicable federal and Colorado water quality laws and regulations, including
statewide water quality standards and site - specific classifications and standards adopted by the
Water Quality Control Commission. On October 12, 2011, the Mined Land Reclamation Board
upheld the above referenced violations and ordered the Permittee to obtain a discharge permit
from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment — Water Quality Control
Division (WQCD).
On January 28, 2013, DRMS received a copy of the discharge permit application which was
submitted to the WQCD. As we discussed, water from the mine pool is discharging from the 3
Level Adit at a rate of between 5 — 10 gpm. As the water flows from the adit, it enters into a
shallow excavation on top of a waste rock pile. As noted in several of DRMS's inspection
reports, the water appears to infiltrate into the waste rock pile. DRMS has not observed the water
expressing at the toe of the waste rock pile nor has the water been observed directly entering
waters of the state. However, neither DRMS nor the WQCD have conducted a survey of the
drainage basin below the Cash and Who Do Mines to determine if the water is expressing to the
surface at a lower elevation.
Office of
Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines