HYDRO23357

• Permit No: C1981013
• IBM Index Class Name: Hydrology
• Doc Date: 3/10/1988
• From: WYOMING FUEL CO
• To: DOW CDOH MLRD
• Permit Index Doc Type: OTHER SURFACE WATER
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

III IIII111111111III
999
Wyoming Fuel Compamy
12055 W. Second Place • P.O. Box 15596 • Lakewood. Colorado 80215 • Telephone [phone]
Harsh 10, 1988
Bob Holder -
Colotado Division of Wildlife
207 Estrella Street
Trinidad, CO 81082
Gary Soldaao
Colorado Department of Health
720 N. Main Street, Suite 300
Pueblo, CO 81003-3027
Jim Stevens
Reclamation Specialist
Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division
1313 Sherman
Denver, CO 80203-2283
Gentlemen:
RE~~9~~~
SAAR 101988
NiIPdEQ ..Ai~•.=
RECL~}~R71(3N -J1~115iQN
We understand that on or about Saturday, March 5, 1988, Bob Holder of
the Colorado Division of Wildlife received an anonymous telephone call
regarding dead and dying brown trout in the Purgatoire River below the
discharge outlets from our Golden Eagle Mine. Wyoming Fuel is concerned
that the cause of death be rapidly determined, and that appropriate steps
be taken to preclude reoccurrence of the problem. 'Phe purpose of this
letter is to share with you what information we have at Chia time about [he
possible cause of this problem and outline what we are doing with respect
to the problem.
Our discharge permits place certain limltationa upon the level of
suspended solids which we can discharge into the Purgatoire River. In
order to keep [he level of suspended solids within permissible limits, we
initiated, several months ago, the use of coagulants or flocculanta in our
settling poads in order [o settle out the solids. More recently, we have
been utilizing a product called Nalco 8852 Coagul~ ~ ,~ ~ 1}
We have enclosed, for your information, a copy of the Material Safety
Data Sheet (MSDS) regarding the coagulant. The MSDS notes that [he product
is approved for use as a coagulation aid in the treatment of potable water,
and that it does not constitute a hazardous substance under the variety of
regulations listed on pages 5 and 6 of the MSDS. However, page 4 of the
MSDS notes that the product is toxic to fish, such as trout, and that it
should not be directly discharged into lakes, ponds, streams, waterways or
public water supplies. It is our understanding [hat the product may affect
the gill system of fish.