DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY UTAH DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY PUBLIC NOTICE OF INTENT TO MODIFY A UPDES PERMIT- SUFCO MINE
Notice Type(s)
Notice
Event Start Date & Time
April 21, 2026 03:40 PM
Event End Date & Time
May 21, 2026 05:00 PM
Description/Agenda
April 21, 2026
DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY
UTAH DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
PUBLIC NOTICE OF INTENT TO MODIFY A UPDES PERMIT
PURPOSE OF PUBLIC NOTICE
The purpose of this public notice is to declare the Director of the Division of Water Quality's intention to modify a Utah Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (UPDES) Permit under the authority of the Utah Water Quality Act, Utah Code ยง 19-5-106(2)(g). The draft Permit and the Fact Sheet (collectively, the draft Permit documents) are available for review and comment.
PERMIT INFORMATION
PERMITTEE NAME: Canyon Fuel Company, LLC - SUFCO Mine
FACILITY NAME: SUFCO Mine
MAILING ADDRESS: 597 South S.R. 24
Salina, Utah 84654
TELEPHONE NUMBER: (435)-289-4489
FACILITY LOCATION: East of Salina, Utah off Interstate Highway I-70 Exit #73
UPDES PERMIT NO.: UT0022918
PERMITTED OUTFALLS: 001, 002, 003
OUTFALL LOCATION: 001: latitude 38 54' 54' North and longitude 111 24' 54' West
002: latitude 38 54' 32' North and longitude 111 24' 57' West
003: latitude 38 57' 26' North and longitude 111 23' 06' West
RECEIVING WATER: North Fork of Quitchupah Creek
BACKGROUND
The Canyon Fuel Company, LLC - SUFCO Mine (Mine) is an active underground coal mine facility with Standard Industrial Classification Code 1222 for bituminous underground coal mining operations, and is located in Convulsion Canyon between Salina and Emery, Utah. The Mine has three discharge points known as Outfalls 001, 002, and 003. Outfall 003 discharges mine water on a continuous basis from a mine breakout point into the North Fork of Quitchupah Creek. The water discharged from Outfall 003 drops down through a culvert pipe with final impact on bedrock before entering the North Fork of Quitchupah Creek. Over the past few years, the discharge flow from Outfall 003 has increased from 3.3 million gallons per day (MGD) up to 6.7 MGD as a monthly average and with a maximum effluent flow of 7.6 MGD as reported. Outfall 002, which collects runoff from the entire active mining area of the surface facilities, is from a second (lower) sedimentation pond in a series of two sedimentation ponds. Discharges from Outfall 002 occur regularly and are to the South Fork of the North Fork of Quitchupah Creek, also known as East Spring Canyon Drainage. Outfall 001 is associated with previous mine dewatering operations and has not discharged in many years and is not anticipated to discharge in the foreseeable future. The Mine anticipates the increased dewatering flows via Outfall 003 to continue and has therefore requested a modification to their UPDES Permit (Permit) to increase the effluent flow limit for that Outfall only. No other Permit modifications are being requested by the Mine at this time. Please refer to the draft Permit documents for more information.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Pursuant to Utah Admin. Code R317-8-6(6.6), any interested person may submit written comments on the draft permit documents and may request a public hearing if no hearing has already been scheduled. A request for a public hearing shall be in writing and shall state the nature of the issues proposed to be raised in the hearing. All comments will be considered in making the final decision and shall be answered as provided in Utah Admin. Code R317-8-6(6.12).
Commenters have an affirmative obligation to raise all reasonably ascertainable issues and submit all reasonably available arguments and factual grounds supporting their position, including all supporting material. Supporting material must be included in full and may not be incorporated by reference, unless the material is already part of the administrative record.
Public comments are invited any time prior to the deadline of the close of business on May 21, 2026. Written public comments can be submitted to: Jeff Studenka, UPDES Individual Permits Section, Utah Division of Water Quality, PO Box 144870, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4870 or by email at: jstudenka@utah.gov.
After considering public comments, the Director of the Division of Water Quality will issue a final Permit decision. The draft Permit documents are available for public review under 'Public Participation' at www.waterquality.utah.gov/. Additionally, If internet access is not available, a copy may be obtained by calling Jeff Studenka at 385-602-7303.
DWQ-2026-001793
Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations (including auxiliary communicative aids and services) during this meeting should notify Emily Canton at 801-536-4342.