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| Effluent Guidelines  United States             Environmental Protection            Agency Office of Water            4303EPA 821-F-01-010            July 2001Notice of Data Availability for the Coal Mining Effluent         Limitations Guidelines
***Summary***

*On April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19440), EPA published proposed amendments         to effluent limitations guidelines and standards for the coal mining point         source category (40 CFR part 434). EPA proposed to add two new subparts         to the existing regulations, the Coal Remining Subcategory (Subpart G)         and the Western Alkaline Coal Mining Subcategory (Subpart H).*

In the proposal, EPA specifically solicited comment on 18 issues, in         addition to a general comment solicitation on all aspects of the proposed         regulation. EPA received comments from various stakeholders, including         state, tribal and federal regulatory authorities and environmental, and         industry groups.

In response to request for general comments, EPA received comments and         data on aspects of the Coal Remining Subcategory that EPA did not specifically         solicit. Due to comments received, EPA is considering changes to certain         aspects of the proposed Coal Remining Subcategory. In a Notice of Data         Availability, EPA is making these data and comments available for public         review and comment.

**Effluent Limitations Guidelines**

Effluent limitations guidelines are national regulations that establish         restrictions on the discharge of pollutants to surface waters or to publicly         owned treatment works by specific categories of industries. The requirements         are developed by EPA based on the application of process or treatment         technologies to control pollutant discharges. Although the guidelines         are based upon particular technologies, EPA does not require that dischargers         use these technologies. Since 1974, EPA has promulgated effluent limitations         guidelines and standards for over 50 industrial categories.

**Background of the Coal Remining Subcategory**

EPA proposed a new Coal Remining Subcategory to reduce severe and extensive         damage resulting from abandoned mine lands. Acid mine drainage from abandoned         coal mines is the number one water quality problem in the Appalachian         States. It is estimated that there are over 1.1 million acres of abandoned         coal mine lands, over 9,000 miles of streams polluted by acid mine drainage,         and many miles of dangerous embankments, highwalls, and surface impoundments.         Prior to 1977, reclamation of mine lands was not a federal requirement.         Many coal mines were left in an abandoned state and continue to degrade         the environment and pose health and safety risks. The acid mine drainage         from these abandoned mine lands are considered "pre-existing discharges."

In addition to having severe environmental and safety problems, abandoned         mine lands can contain large amounts of coal. Modern surface mining techniques         now provide mining operators with more economical means of "remining"         to extract remaining coal reserves. During remining operations, many of         the problems associated with abandoned mine lands are mitigated because         the operator becomes responsible for reclaiming the abandoned land. Remining         has the multiple benefits of improving water quality, removing hazardous         conditions, and utilizing remaining coal as a resource instead of mining         virgin land.

The current regulations at 40 CFR part 434 do not distinguish between         pre-existing discharges and new discharges from active mining areas. Because         treatment of pre-existing discharges to meet existing standards is so         expensive, requiring such treatment is a disincentive to remining activities.         EPA is proposing the Coal Remining Subcategory to address these regulatory         disincentives and encourage remining activities that will reduce acid         mine drainage and improve water quality.

**Requirements for the Coal Remining Subcategory**

The proposed Coal Remining Subcategory will cover pre-existing discharges         only. EPA proposed that a coal remining operator must develop a site specific         pollution abatement plan designed to reduce the pollution load from pre-existing         discharges. The plan must incorporate the design and implementation of         Best Management Practices (BMPs). EPA published a guidance manual on remining         BMPs to be used by affected facilities and regulatory authorities. EPA         also proposed that the operator must ensure that the levels of iron, manganese,         and pH in pre-existing discharges are not made any worse from remining         activities. However, EPA received comment on the proposal that EPA should         also consider including sediment controls as BMPs so solids loadings are         not increased over background conditions. Because EPA did not discuss         this option in the proposal, EPA is publishing a notice to solicit public         comment on establishing alternative effluent limits for solids.

**Costs and Benefits of the Coal Remining Subcategory**

EPA projects that the compliance cost for this new subcategory will range         from $0.33 million to $0.76 million a year. EPA projects total monetized         annual benefits of $0.70 to $1.2 million. Additionally, EPA expects that         this regulation will significantly increase the rate at which abandoned         mine lands are reclaimed, resulting in many non-water quality benefits         that cannot be monetized.

**Additional Information**

For additional information concerning this proposed rule, contact Mr.         Ahmar Siddiqui at (202) 566-1044 or [email protected]. You may view         the Federal Register notice and supporting development documents that         describe this rule on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/guide/coal/.

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