N.M. Admin. Code § 20.6.7.29

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 23, December 10, 2024

Section 20.6.7.29 - GENERAL MONITORING REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL COPPER MINE FACILITIES

A.Monitoring reports - schedule of submittal. A permittee shall submit monitoring reports to the department on a semi-annual schedule that shall contain all quarterly monitoring data and information collected pursuant to the copper mine rule. Semi-annual monitoring reports shall be submitted according to the following schedule:

(1) January 1 through June 30 (first and second quarter sample periods) - report due by August 31; and

(2) July 1 through December 31 (third and fourth quarter sample periods) - report due by February 28.

B.Monitoring reports - general requirements. A permittee shall submit monitoring reports to the department that include a summary providing of all activities related to discharges at the copper mine facility during the preceding six months including, but not limited to the following:

(1) operational activities;

(2) minor spills and corrective actions not reportable under Section 20.6.2.1203 NMAC;

(3) major spills and corrective actions reportable under Section 20.6.2.1203 NMAC;

(4) maintenance and repairs of discharge systems or units;

(5) a synopsis of completed studies relevant to the copper mine facility or unit;

(6) monitoring well installation and abandonment;

(7) construction or demolition of structures;

(8) general locations and volumes of leach ore placement;

(9) general locations and volumes of waste rock placement; and

(10) a summary of seep and spring flows, if applicable.

C.Monitoring Reports - analytical requirements. A permittee shall submit monitoring reports to the department that include the following analytical information.

(1) A single table shall be provided semi-annually in a paper and electronic spreadsheet format approved by the department. The table shall include water quality data with those parameters analyzed and water levels measured shown in columns. Single sampling events for each monitoring site shall be shown in rows with the site name in the far left column, the sampling date in the second column, the water level in the third column, followed by individual analytes in the following columns. Tabulated electrical conductivity shall include the measured field values and corrected values to 25 degrees Celsius. Values exceeding standards shall be bolded. Any constituent not analyzed for a particular site shall be shown as "NA", any site not sampled shall be shown as "NS" with an associated reason, and any site not measured for water levels shall be shown as "NM" with an associated reason.

(2) Semi-annual monitoring reports shall include water quality trends, laboratory CQA/CQC, trends in hydrographs, and potentiometric surface maps. At a minimum, graphs with the previous five years of indicator parameter data shall be presented for TDS, sulfate, and water levels. pH may substituted for water levels at reservoirs or springs.

D.Sampling and analysis methods. A permittee shall sample and analyze water pursuant to Subsection B of 20.6.2.3107 NMAC.

E.Process water, leach solutions, tailings and liner solution collection system volume measurement and reporting. A permittee shall measure the volume of process water, leach solutions applied, and tailings discharges and solution collection system fluids collected using flow meters pursuant to Paragraph (5) of Subsection C of 20.6.7.16 NMAC. Meter readings shall be recorded at intervals no less than once per week. The average daily discharge volume for each recording interval shall be calculated by dividing the difference between the meter readings by the number of days between meter readings. The permittee shall provide the meter readings including the date, time and units of each measurement, and calculations for the average daily volumes discharged and collected in gallons per day, in the semi-annual monitoring reports submitted to the department.

F.Flow meter accuracy. Flow meters shall be monitored for accuracy by comparing flow meter readings with prior readings and noting any significant variations in readings that are not consistent with changes in operating conditions. If a flow meter shows inconsistent readings or otherwise appears to be non-operational, the permittee shall make a record of the inconsistent readings and shall repair or replace a flow meter that does not appear to be operating properly with a flow meter calibrated according to the flow metering plan pursuant to Paragraph (5) of Subsection C of 20.6.7.17 NMAC. The permittee shall submit the results of any inconsistent meter readings and the repair or replacement of any flow meter(s) to the department annually in the monitoring report due by February 1, including information on the location and meter identification nomenclature specified in Paragraph (1) of Subsection E of 20.6.7.18 NMAC.

G.Meteorological data. A permittee shall annually submit to the department meteorological data collected at sites throughout the copper mine facility during each calendar year according to the approved meteorological data plan submitted pursuant to Subsection W of 20.6.7.11 NMAC. The data shall be submitted to the department in the monitoring report due on February 28 of each year.

H.Interceptor system monitoring and evaluation. A permittee operating an interceptor well system for a tailing impoundment or a waste rock stockpile shall provide an annual monitoring and evaluation report of the interceptor system. The report shall be submitted to the department in the monitoring report due by February 28 of each year and shall include the following information obtained from within and surrounding the interceptor system as applicable:

(1) monthly measurements of the volume of impacted ground water pumped by individual wells, interceptor trenches, or other interceptor system components and the total volume pumped within the monitoring period;

(2) the operational status of interceptor system components;

(3) water level measurements of monitoring and interceptor wells or other system components as applicable;

(4) semi-annual ground water elevation contour maps pursuant to the requirements of Subsection L of 20.6.7.28 NMAC;

(5) semi-annual iso-concentration maps of contaminants of concern; and

(6) an annual performance evaluation assessment of the interceptor well system that contains information on:

(a) the performance of individual interceptor wells and/or other interceptor system components over time;

(b) accumulated drawdown maps showing the historical change in water level;

(c) time series hydrographs and graphs of water quality trends for contaminants of concern covering at a minimum data from the past five year time period;

(d) water quality distribution within the system over time;

(e) cross-sectional diagrams depicting the geologic, water level elevation and water quality in vertical profile;

(f) an analysis of the data, maps, graphs and diagrams contained in the assessment; and

(g) recommendations for changes to optimize performance of the system.

N.M. Admin. Code § 20.6.7.29

20.6.7.29 NMAC - N, 12/1/13