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iii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiu <br />999 <br />Mountain Coal Company <br />West Elk Mine <br />Post Office Box 591 <br />Somerset, Colorado 81434 <br />Telephone 303929.5015 <br />Fax 303 9295595 <br />May 27, 1994 <br />Ms. Christine E. Johnston <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Office of Mined Land Reclamation <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />RECF~UE /\ <br />JAN <br />31994 <br />elV;~% <br />...On c7 h,^rrrNrar~ a ~tcroPY <br />Re: West Elk Mine, Permit No. C-80-007, Discharge from Fresh Water Pond <br />Dear Christine: <br />To prepare sediment pond MB-3 for the construction of the discharge structure and for lining, the <br />pond must be drained and allowed to dry. Other than inflows from precipitation events, which <br />can't be controlled, other inflows consist primarily of wash down water from the silos and water <br />leaking from the buried fresh water line from pond FW-1 at the valve for the overhead (truck <br />loading) hydrant located near the base of the hydrant. The silos must be washed down when <br />necessary as required by law, but the water accumulations from the leak can be diverted. <br />Mr. Don Holmer of the Department of Health, Water Quality Control Division was contacted to <br />determine if MCC's NPDES permit would allow pond FW-1 to be discharged directly to the river <br />from this location. As I'd mentioned to you on the telephone earlier today, Mr. Holmer said that <br />the Division did not have a problem with MCC doing so, as long as the discharge meets the <br />required discharge criteria for pond FW-I(per MCC's NPDES permit) and the water is not mixed <br />with any other discharge (storm water, etc.) or contaminants (coal, sediment, etc.). Should MCC <br />divert this fresh water back to the river to aid in the drying of pond MB-3, the flows from the leak <br />will be collected in a covered and bermed sump, a sample taken and the flows recorded to comply <br />with the recommendations of the Department of Health. <br />Please contact me should you have questions. <br />Sincerely, <br />~~~~~~~- <br />Kathleen G. Welt, <br />Environmental Supervisor <br />