2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 82. Minerals, Oil, and Gas › Chapter 4. Reclamation › Part 3. Metal Mine Reclamation › 82-4-379. Tailings operation, maintenance, and surveillance manual

82-4-379. Tailings operation, maintenance, and surveillance manual.
(1) A tailings operation, maintenance, and surveillance manual is required for a tailings storage facility.
(2) For a tailings storage facility that exists on or before October 1, 2015, the tailings operation, maintenance, and surveillance manual must be developed within 180 days of October 1, 2015. For a tailings storage facility proposed after October 1, 2015, the tailings operation, maintenance, and surveillance manual must be developed prior to issuance of the draft permit pursuant to 82-4-337.
(3) The operator or permit applicant shall develop the manual, which must contain:
(a) an identification of the roles and responsibilities of the agents of the operator of the tailings storage facility. The specific organizational role with ultimate responsibility for the tailings storage facility must be identified as the senior ranking agent of the operator at the site of the tailings storage facility.
(b) an identification of necessary maintenance and frequency of maintenance to safely operate the tailings storage facility;
(c) an identification of training needs and training plans for persons with responsibilities identified in the manual;
(d) an identification of operational aspects employed to facilitate, to the extent possible, a maintenance-free closure;
(e) an identification of all inspections and monitoring and the frequency of inspections and monitoring to ensure that the tailings storage facility is performing as intended;
(f) an identification of monitoring and data collection necessary to maintain and calibrate the tailings storage facility's water balance;
(g) a description of how issues identified by routine inspection or monitoring will be resolved and how the progress toward resolution is tracked;
(h) a listing of quantitative performance parameters for construction, operation, and closure. The quantitative performance parameters may be expressed as minimums or maximums for parameters such as embankment crest width, embankment slopes, beach width, operating pool volume, phreatic surface elevation in the embankment and foundation, pore pressures, or other parameters appropriate for the facility and location.
(i) an emergency preparedness and response plan based on the failure modes and effects analysis or other appropriate risk assessment;
(j) an identification of specific trigger levels or events when the department and the engineer of record are immediately notified. When possible, trigger levels must be sufficiently conservative to allow time for corrective actions to be implemented.
(k) any other information necessary to ensure that the tailings storage facility is operated and maintained, is performing, and can be closed as intended.
(4) The engineer of record shall certify by seal that:
(a) the tailings operation, maintenance, and surveillance manual is consistent with the facility's design;
(b) the inspections and monitoring described in the tailings operation, maintenance, and surveillance manual are reasonably sufficient to ensure the tailings storage facility will perform as intended and will reasonably be expected to detect deviations if they occur; and
(c) the emergency preparedness and response plan describes reasonable measures that can be taken to protect human health and the environment.
(5) The operator shall review the tailings operation, maintenance, and surveillance manual annually to ensure that the manual reflects current conditions. Any revision of the manual during operation or at closure must be certified by the seal of the engineer of record.
History: En. Sec. 8, Ch. 399, L. 2015.