SystemThinkers: Compliance and Enforcement News Release (Region 10)

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Compliance and Enforcement News Release (Region 10)

DeLamar Mine in Southwest Idaho fined $35,000 for alleged stormwater violations

Contact Info: Eva DeMaria, Compliance Officer, 206-553-1970, demaria.eva@epa.gov
Hanady Kader, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-0454, kader.hanady@epa.gov

(Seattle—Apr.1, 2010) The Kinross DeLamar Mining Company will pay a $35,000 fine for its failure to implement adequate stormwater controls at its DeLamar Mine, according to an order issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

EPA inspectors observed a muddy discharge of water into Cabin Gulch from a clay borrow pit during an inspection in 2009. The water from Cabin Gulch eventually flows into the Owyhee River. The company failed to stabilize exposed areas of the borrow pit to protect against stormwater runoff at the Southwest Idaho mine. This was a violation of the EPA Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit. The company immediately fixed the problem after the EPA inspection.

The Multi-Sector General Permit requires numerous industries, including mining companies, to develop and implement a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan to minimize and eliminate stormwater runoff that may be contaminated by industrial pollutants.

“Large mining operations need to be proactive when it comes to minimizing the impact of stormwater discharges to nearby waterways,” said James Werntz, Director of EPA’s Idaho office. “We will enforce federal regulations to keep Idaho’s waters safe from pollution.”

The DeLamar Mine is an inactive open pit gold mine. The 2,014-acre site is currently undergoing reclamation. The Reno, Nev.-based company has taken measures to correct the problems identified by EPA inspectors.

For more information about Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permits, visit http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/msgp.

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