Document D9ZVdxR98GObq9OkzVjpoKpQ
Region 6 - Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Division
INSPECTION REPORT
Inspection Date(s): Media Program: Regulatory Program(s)
07/12/2024 Water NPDES
Company Name: Facility Name: Facility Physical Location:
(city, state, zip code) Mailing address:
(city, state, zip code) County/Parish: Facility Phone Number Facility Contact:
Peabody Natural Resources Company
El Segundo Mine
north of Milan, off NM State Road 509
Grants, New Mexico
Post Office Box 757
Grants, New Mexico 87020
McKinley
(505) 285-3076
Chad Gaines
Tech Services Supervisor
cgaines@peabodyenergy.com
FRS Number: Identification/Permit Number: Media Identifier Number: NAICS: SIC:
110062656148 NM0030996 NA 212111 1221
Personnel participating in inspection:
Myron Newman
Peabody Natural Resources
David Esparza
EPA/R6-ECDWM
Technician II Environmental Engineer
EPA Lead Inspector Signature/Date
DAVID ESPARZA Date: 2024.09.18 10:29:14 -06'00' Digitally signed by DAVID ESPARZA
David Esparza
Date
Supervisor Signature/Date
ROBERTO BERNIER Date: 2024.09.18 12:07:44 -05'00' Digitally signed by ROBERTO BERNIER
Roberto Bernier
Date
6ENFORM-019-R8.2 (02/12/2020)
1
Section I - INTRODUCTION
Peabody Coal/ El Segundo Mine Permit No. NM0030996
Inspection Date 07/12/2024
PURPOSE OF THE INSPECTION
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 inspector David Esparza, PE, arrived at the Peabody Natural Resources Company- El Segundo Mine (El Segundo) at approximately 10:55 AM on July 12, 2024, for an unannounced inspection. I presented my credentials to Mr. Myron Newman, Technician II, Peabody Natural Resources and informed him this was an EPA inspection to determine the facility's compliance under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. It should also be noted El Segundo maintains a discharge permit (DP-1679) issued by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Groundwater Quality Bureau (GWQB) that allows a discharge up to 5K GPD to an on-site evaporative lagoon. The generation of this report is based on information supplied by El Segundo representatives, observations made by the EPA inspector, and records and reports maintained by the permittee (El Segundo), and the EPA. Before leaving the facility on July 12, 2024, an exit briefing was held with Mr. Newman, to explain areas of concern or clarify questions noted at the time of the inspection.
FACILITY DESCRIPTION
The Peabody Natural Resources Company, El Segundo Mine, operated by Peabody Energy Western Coal Company, located north of Milan, New Mexico in McKinley County. El Segundo Mine facility is a minor industrial discharger. El Segundo is a surface coal mine that produces approximately 8 million tons of subbituminous coal annually; the production began in 2008. There are two immediate receiving waters for the outfalls stated below. Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary flows into the Chaco River, a tributary of the San Juan River (about 100 miles northwest of El Segundo Mine), a tributary of the Colorado River and Inditos Draw, a tributary of Vought Draw, which flows into Arroyo Chico, then to the Rio Puerco (about 60 miles southeast the mine area), a tributary of the Rio Grande River. The outfalls are sediment ponds designed for at least a 10-year, 24-hour precipitation event and one sewage evaporation pond (018). The sewage evaporation pond (lagoon) is not intended to discharge to surface water; however, authorization to discharge is provided in the even discharge occurs because of a storm event.
The facility water originates from private wells, thence is transferred via pipeline for use at the preparation plant and shops, dust suppression along mine roads, and storage for drinking and sanitary uses. All the water collected in the storage tank is used for drinking and sanitary uses. Sewage is transferred to an onsite lagoon. Water originating from other sources, such as storm water runoff (NPDES permit NMR053370: Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) revised December 28, 2023), is collected in sediment ponds where it evaporates or infiltrates. Some of the water collected in sediment ponds may also be used for dust suppression purposes or discharge to the receiving streams.
El Segundo produced approximately 3.4 million tons in 2023 and 0.86 million tons of coal through July 2024, respectively. El Segundo utilizes typical heavy equipment associated with a surface mine, i.e. dozers, excavators, and haul trucks to uncover the coal seams. The mined coal is trucked to an onsite loading facility and transported offsite via the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
The El Segundo Outfalls
Peabody Coal/ El Segundo Mine Permit No. NM0030996
Inspection Date 07/12/2024
ID NUMBER
SP2W1 SP1W2 SP2W5 SP2W4 SSP3W1
SSP2W3
SSP1W6
SSP2W2
SSP1W7
SSP1W4
SSP1W5 MSP35W8 MSP35W2 MSP35W3 MSP34W1 MSP34W2 SEWAGE LAGOON MSP20W1 MSP21W1 MSP27W1 MSP28W1 MSP28W2 MSP28W3 MSP28W4 MSP29W1 MSP29W2
SP2W6 SP3W2 SP3W3 SP35W3 MSP1W1 MSP20W3
OUTFALL NUMBER
001 002 003 004 S005
S006
S007
S009
S010
S011
S012 013 014 015 016 017
018
S020 S021 S023 024 025 026 S027 S028 029 030 031 032 033 S034 035*
LATITUDE
3539'02.01923" 3538'28.45977" 3539'01.37393" 3538'59.06337"
LONGITUDE
10751'22.65110" 10750'19.10977" 10751'57.32451" 10751'54.08060"
RECEIVING WATER
Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary**
S3538'46.44242" S10752'22.49655" Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary**
S3538'57.60885" S10752'12.02655" Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary**
S3538'25.87145" S10750'46.92975" Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary**
S3538'29.57514" S10751'21.92387" Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary**
S3538'33.08565" S10751'17.77311" Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary**
S3538'50.26755" S3538'50.72868" 3539'48.68750" 3539'47.57080" 3539'57.04340" 3540'00.32390" 3540'00.17890"
3538'57.74399"
S3541'45.82480" S3541'44.47820" S3540'18.57850" 3540'06.05300" 3540'03.86650" 3540'09.57010" S3540'42.20920" S3540'35.99950" 3540'42.22980" 3539'10.58499" 3538'55.10346" 3538'56.94357" 3539'26.54430" S3539'07.24747" 3541'29.15439"
S10751'13.36075" S10751'18.55134" 10752'08.31680" 10752'26.50500" 10752'22.27300" 10753'00.29690" 10753'09.11700"
10751'30.10777"
S10755'03.02510" S10754'36.72330" S10752'44.86460" 10753'45.05580" 10754'20.22530" 10754'33.61880" S10754'24.02900" S10754'50.05840" 10754'46.87210" 10751'57.09588" 10752'46.87900" 10752'44.64213" 10752'13.87367" S10751'11.35081" 10755'01.87730"
Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary**
Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary**
Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary**
ID NUMBER
MSP21W2 MSP29W3 MSP34W3 MSP35W5 MSP35W7 MSP36W1 MSP5E4 MSP5E3 MSP4E1 MSP4E2 MSP4E3 MSP3E2 MSP3E1 MSP34E1 MSP6E1 MSP5E2 MSP32E1
MSP5E1
OUTFALL NUMBER
036* S037 038 039 S040 041 042 043 044 045 046 047 S048 S049 S050 S051 S052 053
LATITUDE
LONGITUDE
Peabody Coal/ El Segundo Mine Permit No. NM0030996
Inspection Date 07/12/2024
RECEIVING WATER
3541'17.59690" S3540'32.13921" 3540'03.64965" 3539'23.68616" S3539'50.22472" 3539'10.99588" 3538'47.34196" 3538'50.05730" 3538'46.26628" 3538'34.99914" 3538'33.02111" 3538'31.53214" S3538'36.52615" S3539'15.44785" S3538'42.16980" S3538'51.60090" S3539'19.90000" 3538'59.72000"
10754'08.37765" S10755'01.73089" 10753'31.87811" 10751'44.32688" S10752'13.00073" 10751'28.33571" 10748'29.41530" 10748'05.85054" 10747'48.70650" 10747'33.48255" 10747'22.36140" 10746'57.71286" S10746'35.88041" S10746'37.72115" S10749'15.41620" S10748'57.47920" S10748'34.14000" 10748'48.22000"
Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary** Inditios Draw*** Inditios Draw*** Inditios Draw*** Inditios Draw*** Inditios Draw*** Inditios Draw*** Inditios Draw*** Inditios Draw*** Inditios Draw*** Inditios Draw*** Inditios Draw*** Inditios Draw***
MSP31E1
S054
S3539'11.21000" S10749'31.65000" Inditios Draw***
MSP33E2
S055
S3539'29.62000" S10747'25.12000" Inditios Draw***
MSP25W1
056****
3540'12.48000" 10751'19.2900" Kim-me-ni-oli Valley Tributary**
Outfalls with a strikethrough are removed in this permit. These ponds have either been mined through or were not built.
* To be built during this permit term.
** The Kim-me-ni-oli valley tributary flows into the Chaco Ricer, which flows to the San Juan River, approximately 100 miles
northwest of the El Segundo permit area, which is a tributary of the Colorado River.
*** Inditos Draw is a tributary of Vought Draw, which flows into Arroyo Chico which flows into the Rio Puerco approximately
60 miles southeast of the El Segundo permit area, which is a tributary of the Rio Grande.
**** New outfall 056 to be added in this permit
Section II - OBSERVATIONS
I observed the following and/or the following information was provided, stated on July 12, 2024, or through follow-up correspondence.
The El Segundo on-site representative stated there have been no discharges from the site or from impoundments.
A copy of the 2023 Annual Pond Certification (dated January 12, 2024) per NPDES Permit NM0030996 was provided.
A complete copy of the revised Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) (permit NMR053370) was provided.
Peabody Coal/ El Segundo Mine Permit No. NM0030996
Inspection Date 07/12/2024 A spreadsheet denoting tons of coal produced for calendar years 2019 through July 2024 was
provided.
Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) for NPDES permits NM0030996 and NMR053370 were provided.
A Reclamation Plan, inclusive of exhibits, figures, plates, tables, and the appurtenant subparts was provided.
The Technical Services Supervisor provided the following information, "The mines sediment ponds are designed to retain at minimum a 10-year, 24-hour precipitation event. Several of the ponds have also been built in-series (two or more sediment ponds receiving same drainage area) which allows them to retain water from very large precipitation events without discharging to receiving streams". It was further stated the ponds were intentionally designed to contain all runoff water for mine use (dust control) and to eliminate discharges. Due to the limited water availability, the mine does not utilize a wash plant. The coal is crushed then transported to a conveyor system that moves the coal to one of three stacking tubes connected to the loadout.
The current NPDES permit expires on June 30, 2025.
Section III - AREAS OF CONCERN
I observed no areas of concern at the time of the inspection.
EPA Region 6 inspectors David Esparza conducted a closing conference at Peabody Coal/ El Segundo Mine at 1:15 PM on July 12, 2024, for the inspection.
Section IV - FOLLOW UP
The following information was received by EPA on August 9, 2024, after exiting the Facility on July 12, 2024:
A current copy of the current Facility Site Plan- with applicable labelling, denoting buildings, excavations (pits), lagoons/ponds and perimeter boundaries.
An electronic copy of the facility "Pond Inspection" reports. An electronic copy of the El Segundo Reclamation Plan- with any applicable Confidential Business
Information (CBI) identified as we discussed. An electronic copy of the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP- NMR-053370), inclusive
of inspection reports. Electronic copies of the applicable Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) with respect to the
facility NPDES permits for the previous 6-months.
Section V - LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1 - Photo Log - 3 photos taken 7/10/2024. Appendix 2 - El Segundo Facilities Map
Peabody Coal/ El Segundo Mine Permit No. NM0030996
Inspection Date 07/12/2024
Appendix 1 Photograph Log
Peabody Coal/ El Segundo Mine Permit No. NM0030996
Inspection Date 07/12/2024
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Photograph Log
Photo No. 1
Location: Peabody Natural Resources Company- El Segundo Mine
City: San Mateo
County/Parish: McKinley
State: New Mexico
View of entrance sign at the Peabody-El Segundo Mine. (IMG_0084). Photographed by D. Esparza
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Photograph Log
Photo No. 2
Location: Peabody Natural Resources Company- El Segundo Mine
City: San Mateo
County/Parish: McKinley
State: New Mexico
View of "diamond plate" steel grating covering the wastewater treatment headworks. (IMG_0081). Photographed by D. Esparza
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Photograph Log
Photo No. 3
Location: Peabody Natural Resources Company- El Segundo Mine
City: San Mateo
County/Parish: McKinley
State: New Mexico
View of the existing sewage evaporative lagoon (pond) (listed as #018 on the El Segundo Outfall). Note: The integrity of the lagoon liner/fabric did not indicate visual signs of degradation or undermining by vagrant vegetation or vermin. (IMG_0080). Photographed by D. Esparza
Appendix 2
Peabody Coal/ El Segundo Mine Permit No. NM0030996
Inspection Date 07/12/2024
Peabody-El Segundo Facilities Map