§406.206. Retention and Control of Exposed Waters

The Agency must consider the following to determine whether the operator's practices retain and control waters exposed to disturbed materials:

 

a)         Erosion Controls:  grading, sloping, and revegetating of disturbed soil surfaces to reduce and detain runoff.

 

b)         Sedimentation Controls:  routing and segregating or combining wastewater and mine runoff water to minimize any effect on the receiving stream's quality.

 

c)         Reuse of Discharges:  reusing water with high concentrations of total dissolved solids, whenever possible, including:

 

1)         Recirculation ponds to recycle water to the preparation plant.

 

2)         Recirculation ponds to provide water for underground dust control.

 

3)         Holding ponds to provide irrigation waters to reclaimed land or adjacent crop land tolerating higher concentrations of total dissolved solids.

 

d)         Minimum Exposure of Waters to Disturbed Materials:

 

1)         Applying water management practices, either continuously or at frequent intervals, to minimize water contact with disturbed materials.

 

2)         Preventing water accumulation in active pits, benches, terraces, roads, processing areas, surface depressions, and underground mine workings and cavities where contaminants will be dissolved.

 

3)         Promptly removing water to diversions and appropriate impoundments to minimize additional loadings of total dissolved solids.

 

(Source:  Amended at 43 Ill. Reg. 11620, effective September 25, 2019)