§ 440.141 Specialized definitions and provisions.

For the purpose of this subpart M, the general definitions, abbreviations, methods of analysis, and general provisions set forth in 40 CFR part 401 shall apply except as superseded by those below. The general provisions and definitions set forth in 40 CFR part 440, subpart L, shall not apply to this subpart.

(a) Specialized definitions. The following specialized definitions apply to this subpart only.

(1) “Beneficiation area” means the area of land used to stockpile ore immediately before the beneficiation process, the area of land used for the beneficiation process, the area of land used to stockpile the tailings immediately after the beneficiation process, and the area of land from the stockpiled tailings to the treatment system (e.g., holding pond or settling pond, and the area of the treatment system).

(2) “Beneficiation process” means the dressing or processing of gold bearing ores for the purpose of—

(i) Regulating the size of, or recovering, the ore or product,

(ii) Removing unwanted constituents from the ore, and

(iii) Improving the quality, purity, or assay grade of a desired product.

(3) “Drainage water” means incidental surface waters from diverse sources such as rainfall, snow melt or permafrost melt.

(4) “Dredge” means a self-contained combination of an elevating excavator (e.g., bucket line dredge), the beneficiation or gold-concentrating plant, and a tailings disposal plant, all mounted on a floating barge.