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• ~ III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ~ ~~ _M~_„z BEFORE THE hIiNED LAND RECLAt4ATION BOARD `~'~ ~'~ ~~« D< ~ ¢ /d~r STATE OF COLORADO ~-~~ Z k~ Permit No. M-88-112 aO e~~ -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------- - INTERIM ORDER CONCERNING DETOXIFICATION BATTLE MOUNTAIN RESOURCES, INC. 1. This matter concerns an enforcement action brought by the fined Land Reclamation Division ("the Division") against Battle Mountain Resour es, Inc. ("BMRI") pursuant to §34-32-124, C.R.S. (1984 & 1991 Suppl.) for failure to comply with the terms and conditions of its permit. Following a hearing, t e Mined Land Reclamation Board ("Board") issued an order dated May 28, 1992 ("the May Order") which among other things required BMRI to bring the cyanide levels i the tailings slurry and the ponds into compliance with the permit provisions by n later than June 24, 1992. 2. Pursuant to paragraph 18 of the May Order, the Board held ~ hearing on June 24, 1992 to consider detoxification efforts at the site and to aconsider the need for additional corrective actions. 3. Following the June 24, 1992 hearing, the Mined Land Reclamation Board ("Board") issued an additional corrective action order dated June 25, 1992 ("the June Order"), which among other things required BMRI to reduce the we~k acid dissociable (WAD> cyanide level in the tailings ponds to less than 50 ppm by Juty 3, 1992, and to maintain it below that level thereafter The order also required BMRI to implement the additional ground water monitoring proposed in its t chnical revision TR-008, and to use all reasonably practical steps to continu to lower the cyanide levels in the ponds to the lowest re=_sonably achievable level and to continue to use its best efforts at all times to achieve that goal. he order directed the Division to provide the Board w~_h a status report on th detoxification process at the July 22, 1992 Board meeting. The order also directed the Division to recommend a compliance schedule, including any necess ry corrective actions, for reducing the level of cyanide to 4.4 ppm total cyanide aid 3.8 ppm WAD cyanide. 4. As of July 3, 1992, BMRI had reduced the cyanide levels in he "active" (actively receiving tailings from the ore pr,cessing plant) lower tai ings pond to less than 50 parts per million ("ppm") weak acid dissociable "(WP.D") yanide as required by the June Order. In addition, BMR: has maintained the WAD .cyanide level below 50 ppm thereafter. As of July 9, 1992, the WAD cyanide level i the active lower tailings pond was determined to be 12 pom. Monitoring of the a five lower pond during the implementation of TR-007 has determined that the hydr gen peroxide treatment appears capable of reducing the WAD cyanide level to 15 ppm or less in an active pond. 5. BMRI has agreed to continue to implement TR-007 and to use ~he approved hydrogen peroxide method as an interim process to achieve additional eduction in the cyanide level in the tailings ponds. BMR: also proposes to imple ent the INCO