Minor
Industrial
No
Bio-monitoring
Permit
No.: MT-0030457
Modified:
July 3, 2000
Modified July 5, 2001
ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
AUTHORIZATION
TO DISCHARGE UNDER THE
MONTANA POLLUTANT
DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (MPDES)
In compliance with Mont. Code Annot.
Section 75-5-101 et seq. and ARM
Title 17, Chapter 30, Subchapters 5, 6, 7, and 13.
Fidelity
Exploration & Production Company
1625
Broadway, Suite 1800
Denver,
CO 80202
is authorized to
discharge from coal bed methane dewatering wells near Decker, Montana in Big
Horn County,
to receiving waters
named Tongue River,
in accordance with
discharge point(s), effluent limitations, monitoring requirements and other
conditions set forth herein.
Authorization for discharge is limited to those outfalls specifically
listed in the permit. Specified load
allocations support and serve to define total maximum daily loads for the
receiving waters affected.
This permit shall
become effective on the date of issuance.
This permit and the
authorization to discharge shall expire at midnight, March 31, 2002.
FOR
THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Thomas
D. Reid
Supervisor,
MPDES Permits
Permitting
& Compliance Division
Dated this 5th day of July 2001
Page 2 of 19
Permit
No.: MT-0030457
Modified July 5, 2001
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
I. Effluent
Limitations and Monitoring Requirements
A. Definitions
B. Description
of Discharge Points
C. Specific Effluent Limitations
D. Self-Monitoring
Requirements
II. Monitoring
Recording and Reporting Requirements
A. Representative
Sampling
B. Monitoring
Procedures
C. Penalties
for Tampering
D. Reporting
of Monitoring Results
E. Compliance
Schedules
F. Additional
Monitoring by the Permittee
G. Records
Contents
H. Retention
of Records
I. Twenty-four
Hour Notice of Noncompliance Reporting
J. Other
Noncompliance Reporting
K. Inspection
and Entry
III. Compliance
Responsibilities
A. Duty
to Comply
B. Penalties
for Violations of Permit Conditions
C. Need
to Halt or Reduce Activity not a Defense
D. Duty
to Mitigate
E. Proper
Operation and Maintenance
F. Removed
Substances
G. Bypass
of Treatment Facilities
H. Upset
Conditions
I. Toxic
Pollutants
J. Changes in Discharge of Toxic Substances
IV. General
Requirements
A. Planned
Changes
B. Anticipated
Noncompliance
C. Permit
Actions
D. Duty
to Reapply
E. Duty
to Provide Information
F. Other
Information
G. Signatory
Requirements
H. Penalties
for Falsification of Reports
I. Availability
of Reports
J. Oil
and Hazardous Substance Liability
K. Property
or Water Rights
L. Severability
M. Transfers
N. Fees
O. Reopener Provisions
I. EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING
REQUIREMENTS
A. Definitions.
1. The "30-day (and monthly) average," other than for fecal coliform
bacteria, is the arithmetic average of all samples collected during a
consecutive 30-day period or calendar month, whichever is applicable. Geometric means shall be calculated for
fecal coliform bacteria. The calendar
month shall be used for purposes of reporting self-monitoring data on discharge
monitoring report forms.
2. The "7-day (and weekly) average," other than for fecal coliform
bacteria, is the arithmetic mean of all samples collected during a consecutive
7-day period or calendar week, whichever is applicable. Geometric means shall be calculated for
fecal coliform bacteria. The 7-day averages are applicable only to those
effluent characteristics for which there are 7-day average effluent limitations. The calendar week which begins on Sunday and
ends on Saturday, shall be used for purposes of reporting self-monitoring data
on discharge monitoring report forms.
Weekly averages shall be calculated for all calendar weeks in the month
that have at least 4 days. For example,
if a calendar week overlaps two months, the weekly average is calculated only
in the month that contains four or more days of that week.
3. The "Annual Average Load" is the arithmetic mean of all 30-day or
monthly average loads reported during the calendar year for a monitored
parameter.
4. The "Arithmetic Mean" or "Arithmetic
Average" for any set of related values means the summation of the
individual values divided by the number of individual values.
5. "BOD5" is the five-day measure of pollutant
parameter biochemical oxygen demand.
6. "Bypass" means the intentional diversion of waste streams from
any portion of a treatment facility.
7. “CBM” means coal bed methane.
8. A "Daily Maximum Limit" specifies the maximum allowable discharge
of a pollutant during a calendar day.
Expressed as units of mass, the daily discharge is cumulative mass
discharged over the course of the day.
Expressed as a concentration, it is the arithmetic average of all
measurements taken that day.
9. "Department" means the Montana Department of Environmental
Quality (MDEQ).
10. "EPA" means the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
11. A "grab" sample, for monitoring requirements, is defined as a
single "dip and take" sample collected at a representative point in
the discharge stream.
12. An "instantaneous" measurement, for monitoring requirements, is
defined as a single reading, observation, or measurement.
13. "Load limits" are mass-based discharge limits expressed in
units such as lb/day.
14. A "mixing zone" is a limited area of a surface water body or
aquifer where initial dilution of a discharge takes place and where water
quality changes may occur. Also
recognized as an area where certain water quality standards may be exceeded.
15. "Nondegradation" means the prevention of a significant change
in water quality that lowers the quality of high-quality water for one or more
parameters. Also, the prohibition of
any increase in discharge that exceeds the limits established under or
determined from a permit or approval issued by the Department prior to April
29, 1993.
16. "Severe property damage" means substantial physical damage to
property, damage to the treatment facilities which causes them to become inoperable,
or substantial and permanent loss of natural resources which can reasonably be
expected to occur in the absence of a bypass.
Severe property damage does not mean economic loss caused by delays in
production.
17. "Sewage Sludge" is any solid, semi-solid or liquid residue that
contains materials removed from domestic sewage during treatment. Sewage sludge includes, but is not limited
to, primary and secondary solids and sewage sludge products.
18. The term "TMDL" means the total maximum daily load limitation of a
parameter, representing the estimated assimilative capacity for a water body
before other designated uses are adversely affected. Mathematically, it is the sum of wasteload allocations for point
sources, load allocations for non‑point and natural background sources,
and a margin of safety.
19. "Upset" means an exceptional incident in which there is
unintentional and temporary noncompliance with technology-based permit effluent
limitations because of factors beyond the reasonable control of the
permittee. An upset does not include
noncompliance to the extent caused by operational error, improperly designed
treatment facilities, inadequate treatment facilities, lack of preventive
maintenance, or careless or improper operation.
B. Description
of Discharge Points
The
authorization to discharge provided under this permit is limited to those
outfalls specifically designated below as discharge locations. Discharges at any location not authorized
under an MPDES permit is a violation of the Montana Water Quality Act and could
subject the person(s) responsible for such discharge to penalties under the
Act. Knowingly discharging from an
unauthorized location or failing to report an unauthorized discharge within a
reasonable time from first learning of an unauthorized discharge could subject
such person to criminal penalties as provided under Section 75-5-632 of the
Montana Water Quality Act.
Outfall
Serial Number Description of Discharge Point
001 At the outfall on
the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately 44° 59' 52" N
latitude, 106° 52' 45" W longitude. The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
002 At the outfall on the east bank of the Tongue River, located approximately 44° 59' 53" N latitude, 106° 52' 30½" W longitude. The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
003 At the outfall on
the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately 44° 59' 54½" N
latitude, 106° 52' 29½" W longitude. The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
004 At the outfall on the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately 45° 0' 15" N latitude, 106° 52' 31½" W longitude. The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
005 At the outfall on the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately 45° 0' 1½" N latitude, 106° 52' 7" W longitude. The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
006 At the outfall on the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately 45° 0' 7½" N latitude, 106° 51' 19" W longitude. The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
007 At the outfall on the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately 45° 0' 14" N latitude, 106° 51' 9" W longitude. The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
008 At the outfall on the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately 44° 0' 60" N latitude, 106° 0' 53" W longitude (24-3190A). The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
009 At the outfall on the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately 44° 0' 60" N latitude, 106° 0' 53" W longitude (24-3190B). The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
010 At the outfall on the south bank of the Tongue River, located approximately 45° 0' 0" N latitude, 106° 0' 52" W longitude (43-3190). The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
011 At the
outfall on the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately 45° 0' 0" N latitude, 106° 0' 52" W longitude
(33-3190D). The mixing zone is nearly
instantaneous.
011 At the outfall on
the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately N 44.99678 latitude, W
106.84700 longitude and identified also as 14-3390 by permittee. The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
012 At
the outfall on the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately N
4.99736 latitude, W 106.82264 longitude and identified also as 14-3490 by
permittee. The mixing zone is nearly
instantaneous.
013 At the outfall on the west bank of the Tongue River, located approximately N 45.002729 latitude, W 106.830496 longitude and identified also as 43-3390 by permittee. The mixing zone is nearly instantaneous.
The Department may authorize additional outfalls, after notification in writing from the permittee and subject to the specific effluent limitations of paragraph C of this Part.
C. Specific
Effluent Limitations
1. Wastewater Effluent Limitations
Effective
immediately and lasting through the term of the permit, the quality of effluent
discharged by the facility shall, as a minimum, meet the limitations as set
forth below:
a. The total flow for
all outfalls authorized in this permit shall not exceed 1,600 gallons per minute (gpm) for a 30 day
average;
b. The Total Suspended
Solids (TSS) shall not exceed 30 mg/l for a 30 day average;
c. There shall be no
acute toxicity in the effluent discharged by the facility and no chronic
toxicity in the Tongue River caused by the discharges;
d. There shall be no
discharge of floating solids or visible foam in other than trace amounts;
e. There shall be no
discharge which causes visible oil sheen in the receiving stream.
2. Other Discharge Limitations - Addition of New
Outfall Locations
The
Department may authorize additional discharge points subject to the following
conditions:
a. The permittee must
notify the Department in writing at least 7 days prior to construction of a new
outfall. This notification must include
the approximate location and source(s) of the proposed outfall;
b. The total project
effluent flow from all outfalls shall not exceed that specified in Part I.C.1.a
of this permit;
c. The new outfall
must be sampled within 5 days after commencing discharge to the receiving water
and again within 30 days for all parameters listed in Table 1 of this permit.
D. Self-Monitoring
Requirements
1. Wastewater
Discharge Monitoring
a. As a minimum, upon the effective date
of this permit, the following constituents shall be monitored at the frequency
and with the type of measurement indicated; samples or measurements shall be
representative of the volume and nature of the monitored discharge. If no discharge occurs during the entire
monitoring period, it shall be stated on the Discharge Monitoring Report Form
(EPA No. 3320-1) that no discharge or overflow occurred.
|
TABLE 1 EFFLUENT MONITORING REQUIREMENTS |
||
|
Parameter |
Frequency |
Type (1) |
|
Effluent Flow Rate, gpm |
Weekly |
Instantaneous |
|
Total Dissolved Solids, mg/L |
Monthly(2) |
Grab |
|
Specific Conductance, mmhos/cm |
Monthly(2) |
Grab |
|
Sodium Adsorption Ration (SAR) |
Monthly(2) |
Grab |
|
Total Suspended Solids, mg/L |
Monthly(2) |
Grab |
|
Iron, total recoverable, mg/L |
Monthly(2) |
Grab |
|
Aluminum, dissolved, mg/L |
Monthly(2) |
Grab |
|
Ammonia, Nitrogen, mg/L |
Monthly(2) |
|