Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 200-299 - Environmental Protection Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
Chapter NR 270 - Ore mining and dressing
Section NR 270.103 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT)

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code § NR 270.103

Current through August 26, 2024

Except as provided in ss. NR 270.0015, 270.002 and 270.003 and 40 CFR 125.30- 125.32, any existing point source subject to this subcategory shall achieve the following effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT):

(1) The concentration of pollutants discharged in mine drainage from mines that produce copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, or molybdenum bearing ores or any combination of these ores from open-pit or underground operations other than placer deposits may not exceed:

Effluent characteristic	[BAT] Effluent limitations
Effluent characteristic	Maximum for any 1 day	Average of daily values for 30 consecutive days
Milligrams per liter
Cu	0.3	0.15
Zn	1.5	0.75
Pb	0.6	0.3
Hg	0.002	0.001
Cd	0.1	0.05

(2) The concentration of pollutants discharged from mills that use the froth flotation process alone, or in conjunction with other processes, for the beneficiation of copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, or molybdenum ores or any combination of these ores may not exceed:

Effluent characteristic	[BAT] Effluent limitations
Effluent characteristic	Maximum for any 1 day	Average of daily values for 30 consecutive days
Milligrams per liter
Cu	0.3	0.15
Zn	1.0	0.5
Pb	0.6	0.3
Hg	0.002	0.001
Cd	0.1	0.05

(3)

(a) Except as provided in this subsection, there may not be discharge of process wastewater to navigable waters from mine areas and mill processes and areas that use dump, heap, in-situ leach or vat-leach processes to extract copper from ores or ore waste materials.

(b) In the event that the annual precipitation falling on the treatment facility and the drainage area contributing surface runoff to the treatment facility exceeds the annual evaporation, a volume of water equal to the difference between annual precipitation falling on the treatment facility and the drainage area contributing surface runoff to the treatment facility and annual evaporation may be discharged subject to the limitations set forth in sub. (1).

(4)

(a) Except as provided in this subsection, there may not be discharge of process wastewater to navigable waters from mills that use the cyanidation process to extract gold or silver.

The concentration of pollutants discharged in mine drainage or discharged from mines and mills beneficiating gold or silver ores by gravity separation methods including mining of placer deposits, dredge mining and hydraulic mining operations will be proposed and promulgated at a later date.

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