DEQs fact sheet about
Water Quality Permits for Metal Mining
Activities describes all water quality permits required
for metal mining/prospecting and ore processing operations that discharge
wastewater to the land and state waters. This fact sheet also provides
contact information for related mining authorities because DEQ
requires permittees to comply with requirements of local, state, and
federal agencies in Oregon.
In the following sections, DEQ has additional information and
hyperlinks to Internet web pages of water quality permits and applications
required for metal mining in Oregon.
Permitting procedures and fees for DEQs water quality permits are
listed in Oregon
Administrative Rule (OAR) 340-045. Fees for the suction dredges are in
ORS 468B.052
The reissued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
700-PM general permit applies to small suction dredges
and in-water nonmotorized mining equipment (i.e., hand sluice, rocker box)
that recover precious metals or minerals from stream-bottom sediments.
Only suction dredge operators must register for this reissued permit
and submit an application and fee. (Note: If you paid the fee for 2010
under the expired permit, you do not need to submit a fee with the
application).
The NPDES 700-PM permit is valid statewide. However, the location of
the main mineral claim or area to be mined is required for the NPDES
700-PM permit application and monitoring record. Township, range, and
section for the main mining location can be found on USGS and BLM maps and
DEQ's Internet tools which include an example with instructions.
Operators of in-water nonmotorized mining equipment (like hand
sluice box and rocker box) do not need to apply for coverage or pay the
fee, but operators must follow applicable parts of the reissued 700-PM
permit, including not using equipment where fish eggs are present.
DEQ references supplemental documents for conditions to protect water
quality and beneficial uses in the NPDES 700-PM permit. Persons assigned
to the NPDES 700-PM permit must not operate a suction dredge more than 16
horsepower or with an inside diameter intake nozzle greater than four
inches in essential salmon habitat (ESH). Suction dredging is
allowed only during the in-water work schedule (Timing of In-Water Work to Protect Fish and Wildlife
Resources) as set by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,
unless DFW has given expressed written authorization. Suction dredging is
not allowed in state scenic waterways. No wastewater discharges are allowed
where the visible turbidity plume impacts the intake of a drinking water source from any placer mining operation.
Measures must be taken to prevent the spreading of invasive species.
With the exceptions given in Special Condition 19 of Schedule C in the
NPDES 700-PM permit, suction dredging is prohibited on any stream segment
that is listed as water quality limited for sediment, turbidity, or toxics
on the list published by Department of Environmental Quality pursuant to
OAR 340-041-0046. DEQ provides a table of the 303(d)
Listed Streams and TMDL-Approved Streams for suction dredging.
Mining must not cause any measureable increase in turbidity in the
Diamond Peak, Kalmiopsis, Eagle Cap, Gearheart Mountain, Mount Hood, Mount
Jefferson, Mount Washington, Mountain Lakes, Oregon Islands, Strawberry
Mountain, Three Arch Rocks, and Three Sisters Wilderness areas.
Measureable increase in turbidity is measured as visible turbidity.
Operators of dredges who are ineligible for coverage under this NPDES
700-PM permit may apply for an individual NPDES Permit (see next
section).
You may also need a general authorization or removal-fill permit from
the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) in addition to DEQ's NPDES
700-PM permit. DSL's Recreational & Small-scale Placer Mining web page
has both permitting and Essential Salmon Habitat and Scenic Waterways
information.
NPDES 700-PM General Permit (Reissued July 30, 2010):
Reference Materials for 700-PM Application and General
Permit:
- Location Tools to Find Township, Range and Section
(with example using Bureau of Land Management's GeoCommunicator Map)
PDF
- Essential Salmonid Habitat Maps, Oregon Department
of State Lands Website
- Oregon
State Scenic Waterways (locations and map) PDF,
State of Oregon Website
- Oregon Guidelines for Timing of
In-Water Work to Protect Fish and Wildlife Resources, PDF, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Information
Available on Drinking Water Intake
Locations
- Aquatic
Nuisance Species: A Boater's Primer - information on invasive species identification,
inspection, and cleaning procedures, and contact information PDF,
Oregon State Marine Board
- Water Quality Limited Streams, 303(d)
listed Streams and TMDL Approved Streams
- 700-PM
Monitoring Record Form PDF
DEQ requires an individual NPDES permit for metal mining activities
with wastewater discharges to Oregon waters that do not
qualify for a NPDES 700-PM permit. An individual NPDES permit is required
for high bank machines or other metal mining activities
which are located on the bank or upland and discharge to a stream or
groundwater. Large suction dredges (powered or siphon/gravity) or mining
activities using chemical agents (e.g., cyanide, flocculants) require an
individual NPDES permit to discharge to state waters.
This individual permit only applies to a specific operation and
location or mining claim.
New individual NPDES permit application forms and fees:
- OAR
340-075-0075 Permit Fee Schedule - Table 70A for application fee
($9,445 to $46,936) and Type B11-B12 of Table 70B for annual fees
($1,536-$16,412) due with application submittal);This permit copy is
provided for reference purposes only. An application must be submitted
to the Oregon DEQ for coverage under WPCF 600 General Permit. Applicants
will receive a signed copy of the permit after processing the
application.
- ORS 468B.052 ($300) for suction dredges with an inside hose diameter
of greater than 6 inches, but not more than 8 inches.
- Land Use
Compatibility Statement (LUCS) signed by the local land use
authority;
- EPA
Form 1 (fillable PDF); and
- EPA Form 2D
(fillable PDF) for new industrial process wastewater or any mixture of
process wastewater, non process wastewater and/or stormwater.
Existing individual NPDES permit renewal forms and fees:
- OAR
340-075-0075 Permit Fee Schedule (no fees at time of renewal except
$2,997-$11,791 fee for major modification at permit renewal-see Table
70A);
- DEQ
NPDES-R (PDF); and
- EPA Form 2C
(fillable PDF) for existing industrial process wastewater or any mixture
of process wastewater and/or stormwater.
DEQs general Water Pollution Control Facilities (WPCF) 600 permit
covers sources of small-scale mining operations and non-chemical
ore-processing methods with disposal of wastewater by evaporation and/or
seepage (operations must be off-stream above ordinary high water level,
and discharge to Oregon waters is prohibited).
WPCF 600 Application Form and Permit:
- WPCF 600 Application Form (fillable PDF)
- WPCF 600 Permit (PDF) - This permit copy is provided
for reference purposes only. An Application must be submitted to the
Oregon DEQ for coverage under WPCF 600 General Permit. Applicants will
receive a signed copy of the permit after processing the application.
DEQ requires an individual WPCF permit for wastewater management if an
owner or operator proposes a metal mining activity that processes more
than 10,000 cubic yards of ore per year with no discharge to Oregon
waters.
This individual permit only applies to a specific operation and
location or mining claim.
New individual WPCF permit application forms and fees:
- OAR
340-075-0075 Permit Fee Schedule - Table 70A for application fee
($9,445-$46,936) and Type B11-B12 of Table 70B for annual fees
($1,353-$15,232) due with application submittal);
- LUCS
signed by the local land use authority; and
- DEQ WPCF-N (fillable PDF) for new industrial
wastewater management with no discharge to state waters.
Existing WPCF permit renewal form and fee:
The metal mining activity owner or operator may need to also register
for coverage under additional general stormwater discharge permits.
For off-stream activities, miners often utilize all local water
resources including stormwater to fill off-stream ponds (engineered
impoundments, excavated pits, or natural land depressions) to operate the
high bank machine, trommel, or powered sluice box. Stormwater may be
diverted away from mining activities to prevent contact or minimize the
volume of contaminated stormwater to manage. Stormwater contacting any
mining activity must be managed on site (seepage and evaporation) or an
industrial stormwater discharge permit is required.
Program topics and current news is provided on the NPDES
Stormwater Discharge Permits web page.
Industrial Stormwater General NPDES 1200-Z Permit: DEQ requires an
application for the general NPDES 1200-Z permit for potential industrial
stormwater discharges to Oregon waters from Standard Industrial
Classification Code 10 (SIC
10) metal mining operations if the stormwater will contact mining
materials and/or waste (such as overburden, raw material, intermediate
product or waste products). DEQ requires a stormwater pollution prevention
and control plan with applications for general NPDES 1200-Z permit
coverage.
For information, forms, and the general permit for industrial
stormwater discharges, please visit DEQ's NPDES
Stormwater Discharge Permits Industrial Activities web page.
Construction Stormwater General NPDES 1200-C Permit: DEQ requires a
general NPDES 1200-C permit application for potential stormwater
discharges from construction activities that will disturb one or more
acres with potential stormwater runoff to Oregon waters or conveyance
systems (such as a catch basin, storm drain, ditch, pipe, culvert, etc.)
leading to state surface waters. Construction activities include clearing,
grading, excavation and stockpiling. DEQ also requires an erosion and
sediment control plan with the general NPDES 1200-C permit application.
For information, forms, and the general permit for construction
stormwater discharges, please visit DEQ's NPDES
Stormwater Discharge Permits Construction Activities web page.
[Small Suction Dredges/General NPDES] [Other Prospecting/Mining Discharges] [Small Off-Stream Mining] [Large
Off-Stream Mining] [Stormwater
Permitting]
