Virginia Administrative Code › Title 9 - ENVIRONMENT › Agency 25 - STATE WATER CONTROL BOARD › Chapter 151 - VIRGINIA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (VPDES) GENERAL PERMIT REGULATION FOR DISCHARGES OF STORMWATER ASSOCIATED WITH INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY › Part IV - Sector Specific Permit Requirements › Section 9VAC25-151-150 - Sector G - Metal mining (ore mining and dressing)

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
A. Discharges
				  covered under this section. The requirements listed under this section apply to
				  stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity from active,
				  temporarily inactive, and inactive metal mining and ore dressing facilities
				  including mines abandoned on federal lands, as classified under SIC Major Group
				  10. Coverage is required for facilities that discharge stormwater that has come
				  into contact with, or is contaminated by, any overburden, raw material,
				  intermediate product, finished product, byproduct, or waste product located on
				  the site of the operation. SIC Major Group 10 includes establishments primarily
				  engaged in mining of ores, developing mines, or exploring for metallic minerals
				  (ores) and also includes ore dressing and beneficiating operations, whether
				  performed at colocated, dedicated mills or at separate mills, (e.g., custom
				  mills). For the purposes of this section, the term "metal mining" includes any
				  of the separate activities listed in this subsection. Covered discharges
				  include:
1. All stormwater discharges from
				  inactive facilities;
2. Stormwater
				  discharges from the following areas of active and temporarily inactive metal
				  mining facilities: waste rock and overburden piles if composed entirely of
				  stormwater and not combining with mine drainage; topsoil piles; off-site haul
				  and access roads; on-site haul and access roads constructed of waste rock and
				  overburden if composed entirely of stormwater and not combining with mine
				  drainage; on-site haul and access roads not constructed of waste rock,
				  overburden, or spent ore except if mine drainage is used for dust control;
				  runoff from tailings dams and dikes when not constructed of waste rock or
				  tailings and no process fluids are present; runoff from tailings dams or dikes
				  when constructed of waste rock or tailings and no process fluids are present if
				  composed entirely of stormwater and not combining with mine drainage;
				  concentration building if no contact with material piles; mill site if no
				  contact with material piles; office or administrative building and housing if
				  mixed with stormwater from industrial area; chemical storage area; docking
				  facility if no excessive contact with waste product that would otherwise
				  constitute mine drainage; explosive storage; fuel storage; vehicle and
				  equipment maintenance area and building; parking areas (if necessary); power
				  plant; truck wash areas if no excessive contact with waste product that would
				  otherwise constitute mine drainage; unreclaimed, disturbed areas outside of
				  active mining area; reclaimed areas released from reclamation bonds before
				  December 17, 1990; and partially or inadequately reclaimed areas or areas not
				  released from reclamation bonds;
3.
				  Stormwater discharges from exploration and development of metal mining and ore
				  dressing facilities; and
4.
				  Stormwater discharges from facilities at mining sites undergoing
				  reclamation.