# UTAH COPPER DIVISION OF KENNECOTT
> **Judicial** · FY1984 · — · Final Order With Penalty
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `47724`
- **Case Number:** 08-1984-0013
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order With Penalty
- **Penalty assessed:** $10K
- **Cost recovery:** —
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- KENNECOTT CORPORATION (complaint) (settlement)
## Summary

NATURE OF THE CASE                                         THE KENNECOTT UTAH COPPER DIVISION (HEREINAFTER KENNECOTT IS A SUBSIDIARY OF KENNECOTT CORPORATION, WHICH IS AN        OPERATING COMPANY OF STANDARD OIL OF OHIO (SOHIO).           KENNECOTT OPERATES AN OPEN PIT COPPER MINE AND LEACHING      OPERATION IN SALT LAKE COUNTY, JUST WEST OF SALT LAKE CITY,  UTAH.  THE MINE PRODUCES APPROXIMATELY 100,000 TONS PER DAY  OF COPPER ORE.                                                  THIS FACILITY USES SURFACE RUNOFF AND MINE DEWATERING WAT ERS FOR ITS LEACHING PROCESSES.  THOSE WATERS WHICH COME     INTO CONTACT WITH THE DISTURBED ORE BODY BECOME ACIDIC AND   MINERALIZED DUE TO THE NATURAL OXIDATION AND DISSOLUTION OF  MINERALS CONTAINED IN THE ORE BODY.  HISTORICALLY,  THESE    WATERS HAVE BEEN RECYCLED AND DISPOSED OF WITHIN THIS FACIL- ITY WITHOUT A DISCHARGE TO SURFACE WATERS.                      RECORD PRECIPITATION DURING SEPTEMBER 1982, AND HEAVY     SNOWFALL DURING THE WINTER OF 1982 - 83, RESULTED IN RUN-    OFF THAT PUSHED THIS FACILITY TO THE LIMITS OF ITS           HYDROLOGICAL CAPACITY TO PREVENT A DISCHARGE.  DURING THIS   PERIOD, HOWEVER, KENNECOTT DID NOT APPLY FOR AND NPDES PER   MIT. HEAVY PRECIPITATION OCCURRED AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER 1983.   AGAIN KENNECOTT HAD TO TAKE EMERGENCY MEASURES TO CONTAIN    THE RUNOFF.  THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER RECORD SNOWFALL IN THE WINTER OF 1983-84.  DURING THIS PERIOD, KENNECOTT OFFICI ALS RECOGNIZED THAT THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE 

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