JAMES L. REGAN OWNS AND OPERATES PLACER MINING CLAIMS NEAR CENTRAL, ALASKA. (A PLACER MINE RECOVERS GOLD FROM NEAR- SURFACE PLACER DEPOSITS BY PROCESSING THE GOLD-BEARING MATERIAL THROUGH SLUICE BOXES WITH WATER.) THE FACILITY SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED BY THIS REFERRAL IS IDENTIFIED BY MR. JAMES L. REGAN, OWNER, IN HIS STATE OF ALASKA 1983 PLACER MINING APPLICATION, LAND USE AND WATER USE PERMITS AND MINING LICENSE NO. 20908. THE ALASKA DEPT OF ENVIRON. CONSERVATION ('ADEC') HAS CON- DUCTED FOUR INSPECTIONS OF REGAN'S FACILITY. ON 6/24/81 REGAN DISCHARGED EFFLUENTS FROM HIS SLUICE BOXES DIRECTLY INTO CROOKED CREEK---HE HAD NO SETTLING PONDS ON THE ENTIRE CLAIM. ON 5/26 AND 8/4, 1982, AN ADEC INSPECTOR AGAIN NOTED THE LACK OF ANY PONDS ON THE REGAN CLAIM. MR. REGAN HAD INSTALLED A SETTLING POND BY ADEC'S 8/17/82 INSPECTION; HOW- EVER REGAN'S OPERATION WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE POND WAS NOT BEING USED DURING THE INSPECTION. ON 8/3/83, EPA INSPECTED THE REGAN OPERATION. AT THAT TIME, TWO SLUICES DISCHARGED INTO FOUR SETTLING PONDS WHICH THEN EMPTIED INTO CROOKED CREEK. AN ANALYSIS OF THE DIS- CHARGE ENTERING CROOKED CREEK SHOWED THAT THE SETTLEABLE SOLIDS STANDARD WAS BEING VIOLATED. EPA CONDUCTED A SECOND UNANNOUNCED INSPECTION ON 8/28/83 AND OBSERVED SERIOUS VIO- LATIONS OF THE CWA. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 82 MINING SE