TURNER ELKHOWN MINING COMPANY OWNS THE LEFT BEAVER COAL COMPANY, A COAL PREPARATION PLANT IN LIGON, KENTUCKY. THIS FACILITY IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE CALORA PLANT. ON 9/23/77, A NPDES PERMIT (#KY0022896) WAS ISSUED. DIS- CHARGE MONITORING REPORTS SUBMITTED TO EPA HAVE SHOWN LEFT BEAVER TO HAVE FEW VIOLATIONS OF ITS PERMIT EFFLUENT LIMIT- ATIONS. HOWEVER, IN RESPONSE TO A NOTICE OF PROPOSED PERMIT REISSUANCE, EPA RECEIVED NUMEROUS CITIZEN COMPLAINTS ALLEG- ING DISCHARGES OF BLACKWATER FROM THECALORA PLANT. INVESTIGATIONS BY EPA REVEALED A HISTORY OF PERIODIC UN- PERMITTED DISCHARGES FROM THE SLURRY HANDLING SYSTEM NOT CONTEMPLATED IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS. IN ADDITION, AND EPA INSPECTION CONDUCTED ON 12/15/83 REVEALED A LARGE COAL STORAGE AREA, AS WELL AS OTHER SMALLER PROCESS AREAS, WHERE CONTAMINATED RUNOFF COULD DISCHARGE, UNTREATED, TO THE AD- JACENT CREEK.