(A) General. Pollution prevention measure shall be employed at the mine operation including the following (depending on specific operations, which may be made condition of permit approval):
(1) Confinement of equipment/vehicle maintenance activities indoors to the greatest extent feasible;
(2) Confinement of outdoor fueling activities to designated areas to the greatest extent possible that are covered, away from high traffic areas, outside of drainage pathways and on impervious surfaces;
(3) Regularly cleaning of areas used for equipment/vehicle maintenance and fueling using dry clean-up methods rather than wet (e.g., sweeping, squeegee and dust pan);
(4) Use of drip pans under all vehicles and equipment awaiting maintenance. Empty and clean drip pans and containers rather than leaving them full;
(5) Proper disposal of liquid waste (including wash water), which shall not be poured into floor drains, sinks, outdoor storm drain inlets or other storm drain or sewer connections; and
(6) Avoidance of topping off fuel tanks.
(B) Surface water.
(1) The extraction pit/mine operation shall not be allowed to interfere with surface water drainage beyond the boundaries of the operations property.
(2) The work done shall not adversely affect the quality of surface or subsurface water resources in a negative manner. Surface water originating outside and passing through the mining site shall, at its point of departure from the site, be of equal or better quality than the water at the point where it enters the site.
(3) The mining operation shall utilize best management practices specific to pollution prevention so that storm water runoff does not come into contact with any activities or materials of concern such as petroleum products, fueling areas and the like.
(4) Engineered structures may be required for new or expanding mines or suggested for any mine per the Minnesota Storm Water Manual and the Industrial Storm Water BMP Guidebook.
(C) Ground water protection.
(1) Mining activity shall not be allowed if it reduces the use in terms of quality or quantity of any neighboring domestic well.
(2) Prior to the establishment of new mines or the modification of an existing mine (per § 158.003 of this chapter), the mine operator shall offer property owners with a domestic well within one-half mile of the mining site an inspection of their well and associated equipment and structures; evaluation of hydrologic conditions and sampling of the well water for quality analysis to determine baseline data. The neighboring property owner shall be given 30 days to respond to the offer and to allow on-site work after receiving the offer. The mine operator shall further offer these neighboring private well owners annual sampling and water quality analysis. This work shall be performed by an independent, credentialed third party at the expense of the operator. Samples shall be analyzed by a certified laboratory. Analysis shall include all chemicals and fuels used at the mine site that may impact ground water. In the event that monitoring shows that mining or reclamation activities have caused state or federal ground water quality standards to be exceeded, this information shall be provided to the MPCA and the operator shall seek to mitigate these effects by altering site operations and shall supply the well owner with bottled water for drinking until testing indicates levels are to pre-mining amounts. The reduction of quality of neighboring domestic wells shall be one reason for revocation of the mining permit. The city may require the permit holder to take corrective action in the event it is shown that the contamination was caused by the operation.
(3) The import, storage or disposal of any solid waste, recyclable materials or refuse generated outside the mine site is not allowed.
(D) Ground water use. Permits for well construction from the county and for water appropriation from the state’s DNR shall be required and copies of these shall be provided to the city. The use of ground water for any mining activity shall not be allowed if it:
(1) Reduces water availability in existing domestic wells;
(2) Reduces water availability in municipal production wells; and
(3) Degrades calcareous fens, wetlands, ponds, lakes, streams, springs, seeps and watercourses and/or other fish and wildlife habitat.
(Prior Code, § 345.06)