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|Effluent Guidelines
						Cooling Water Intake
						  Structures 316(b)
						Discharge Standards
						  for Armed Forces
						  Vessels
						Analytical Methods | Effluent Guidelines
						Cooling Water Intake
						  Structures 316(b)
						Discharge Standards
						  for Armed Forces
						  Vessels
						Analytical Methods |                                          | Effluent Guidelines
			
      
      
       United States 
            Environmental Protection
            Agency
          Office of Water
            4303
          EPA-821-F-00-003
            March 2000Amendments to Effluent Limitations Guidelines and New Source 
        Performance Standards for the Coal Mining Point Source Category: Proposed 
        Rule
      Summary
      *EPA is proposing to amend the current regulations for the Coal Mining 
        Point Source Category (40 CFR part 434) by adding two new subcategories. 
        EPA proposes to establish a new subcategory that will address pre-existing 
        discharges at coal remining operations. EPA also proposes to establish 
        a second new subcategory that will address drainage from coal mining reclamation 
        areas in the arid and semiarid western United States. This proposal would 
        not otherwise change the existing regulations.*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 developed based 
      upon particular technologies, EPA does not require that dischargers use 
      these technologies. Since 1974, EPA has promulgated effluent limitations 
      guidelines and standards for 51 industrial categories. 
      Background of the Coal Remining Subcategory
      EPA is proposing 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 
      that originates from these abandoned mine lands are considered "pre-existing 
      discharges." 
      In addition to having severe environmental and safety problems, abandoned 
        mine lands can contain significant quantities 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.However, the current regulations at 40 CFR part 434 do not distinguish 
        between pre-existing discharges and new discharges from active mining 
        areas. Requiring the treatment of pre-existing discharges to meet existing 
        standards has been shown to be cost prohibitive, and thus, a disincentive 
        to remining activities. EPA is proposing the Coal Remining Subcategory 
        to address these regulatory disincentives and encourage remining activities 
        to 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 proposes 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 is publishing a guidance manual on remining 
      BMPs to be used by affected facilities and regulatory authorities. EPA is 
      also proposing that the operator ensure that the levels of iron, manganese, 
      and pH in pre-existing discharges are not made any worse from remining activities. 
      EPA is proposing a statistical procedure that is to be used for monitoring 
      pollutant loadings. 
      Costs and Benefits of the Coal Remining Subcategory
      EPA projects that the annual compliance cost for this new subcategory will 
      be $0.33 million to $0.76 million. 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 numerous non-water quality benefits that cannot be monetized. 
      Background of the Western Alkaline Coal Mining Subcategory
      EPA is proposing a new Western Alkaline Coal Mining Subcategory to encourage 
      the use of BMPs to control erosion and sediment from reclamation areas in 
      the arid and semiarid regions of the western United States. Although the 
      existing regulations establish effluent limitations for reclamation areas, 
      the current guidelines require all reclamation areas throughout the U.S., 
      regardless of climate, topography, or type of mine drainage (i.e., acid 
      or alkaline), to meet the same discharge limits. 
      EPA believes that there are unique environmental conditions in the arid 
        west which are much different than those in other coal mining areas. In 
        arid regions, the natural vegetative cover is sparse and rainfall is commonly 
        received during localized, high-intensity, short-duration storms. These 
        conditions contribute to flash-floods and turbulent flows that transport 
        large amounts of sediment. Controlling sediment in areas that naturally 
        contain large amounts of sediment can be difficult and can result in numerous 
        non-water quality impacts that harm the environment, including disturbing 
        the natural hydrologic balance, accelerating erosion, reducing groundwater 
        recharge, reducing water availability, and impacting large areas of land 
        for pond construction. To address these impacts, EPA is proposing a new 
        subcategory that requires coal mine operators to implement BMPs so that 
        post-mined lands are reclaimed to mimic natural conditions that were present 
        prior to mining activities.Requirements for the Western Alkaline Coal Mining Subcategory
      The proposed Western Alkaline Coal Mining Subcategory will cover alkaline 
      mine drainage from reclamation areas in the arid and semiarid west. This 
      subcategory will not affect existing limitations for active mine wastewater. 
      EPA proposes that a coal mining operator must design and implement BMPs 
      to maintain the average annual sediment yield equal to or below pre- mined, 
      undisturbed conditions. This would ensure that natural conditions are maintained, 
      and would not allow a coal mining operator to increase the discharge of 
      sediment over natural conditions. To achieve these results, EPA would require 
      that the operator develop a site-specific sediment control plan using established 
      watershed modeling techniques. 
      Costs and Benefits of the Western Alkaline Coal Mining Subcategory
      EPA estimates that this proposal will result in a net cost savings to all 
      affected surface mine operators, and will be at worst cost-neutral to affected 
      underground operators (although EPA believes that most will also incur cost 
      savings). EPA projects that the proposed subcategory will result in annualized 
      monetized benefits of $43,000 to $769,000. 
      Additional Information
      For additional information concerning this proposed rule, contact Mr. Ahmar 
      Siddiqui at (202) 566-1044 or [email protected] |  | United States 
            Environmental Protection
            Agency | Office of Water
            4303 | EPA-821-F-00-003
            March 2000 | 
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |  | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | 
|Effluent Guidelines
						Cooling Water Intake
						  Structures 316(b)
						Discharge Standards
						  for Armed Forces
						  Vessels
						Analytical Methods
|                                                                                                                                                                          
|United States 
            Environmental Protection
            Agency                                                                                                   | Office of Water
            4303                                                                                                                                          | EPA-821-F-00-003
            March 2000
|                                                                                                                                                                          

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