ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
March 17, 1994
IN THE MATTER OF:
)
Amendments to 35
Ill. Adm.
Code 302.302,
302.208, 302.212
)
R94—1
302.213,
302.407, 304.122 and
)
(Rulemaking)
304.301
(Ammonia Nitrogen, Lead
)
and Mercury)
)
ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by C.
A. Manning,
R.
C.
Flemal,
E.
Dunham)
On February 24,
1994, the Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency
(Agency) filed a regulatory proposal as part of its
mandatory review of the applicable water quality standards of the
State of Illinois pursuant to 33 U.S.C.
SS
1251—1387
(1987).’
The Agency filed the proposal pursuant to Section 27 of the
Environmental Protection Act
(Act)
and the Board’s procedural
rules at 35 Ill. Adm. Code
§S
102.120 and 102.121.
(415 ILCS
5/27
(1992))
The Agency
is proposing to amend
35 Ill. Adm. Code
SS
302.302,
302.208, 302.212,
302.407, 304.122 and 304.301 to
update the ammonia nitrogen, mercury and lead general water
quality standards, secondary contact and indigenous aquatic life
standards and other applicable regulations.
In addition, the
Agency is proposing to add
a new section 35 Ill. Adm. Code
302.213 entitled “Effluent Modified Waters.”
The Agency also
filed a motion to waive the requirements of
35 Ill. Adm. Code
§102.120 of filing the original and nine copies of the regulatory
proposal.
The Agency requests that it be allowed to file with
the Board the original, three
(3) complete copies,
and six
(6)
partial copies of the regulatory proposal.
Section 28.2 of the Act and the Board’s procedural rules at
35 Ill. Adm. Code S 102.121(e)
require the Agency,
if it believes
a regulatory proposal is federally required, to certify to that
fact.
As the Agency states a “required rule”
is a rule that is
needed to fulfill the requirements of the Federal Clean Water
Act.
(415 ILCS 5/28.2
(1992))
The Agency certifies that the
proposed rules amending the water quality standards for ammonia
nitrogen,
lead and mercury are federally required.
The Agency
also goes on to say that the rules proposed in this rulemaking to
implement the ammonia nitrogen stal?dard through the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES)
Permit Program are
not federally required.
The Agency had requested a confirmation
letter from the USEPA verifying that the proposed rules amending
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act commonly know as the Clean
Water Act
(CWA)
SS
101-607 requires the Agency to periodically, but
at least
every three years, review the water quality standards applicable
in that
State.
The Agency refers to this
as the “Triennial Review.”
2
the water quality standards for ammonia nitrogen, lead and
mercury are federally required pursuant to the Clean Water Act,
as amended but did not receive the letter prior to filing the
proposal.
The Board is required by Section 28.2 of the Act to accept
or reject the Agency’s certification that the proposal is
federally required within forty-five
(45) days of the filing of
the proposal.
Based on the Agency’s certification that this
rulemaking is only in part federally required and, for purposes
of simplicity in moving on the rulemaking as a whole proceeding,
the Board will reject proceeding on this proposal as being
federally required.
Nonetheless, the Board will make every
effort to proceed to first notice of the proposed rulemaking in
six
(6) months as would be required pursuant to Section 282
of
the Act.2
The Agency’s motion to waive the filing requirement is
granted and the regulatory proposal is found to be sufficient
pursuant to the Act and the Board’s procedural rules.
The
hearing officer assigned to this matter, Charles M. Feinen,
is
directed to set this matter for hearing at the earliest time in
accordance with the above dates and 35 Ill.
Adin.
Code 102.162 and
the hearing shall proceed expeditiously.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I, Dorothy M. Gunn,
Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, hereby certify that the above order was adopted on the
/
7~
day of
7Th
~-‘-~---~
,
1994,
by a vote of
~
-
~
~,
~
Dorothy M(jcunn, Clerk
Illinois 1~ollutionControl Board
2
The differences between rulemakings pursuant to Section 28.2 of the
Act and general rulemaking pursuant to Section 27 and 28 of the Act
is that
the Board must proceed to first notice within six
(6) months from the date the
Board determines whether an economic impact study
is necessary.
Since,
effective July
1,
1992,
the economic impact Btudies have been repealed by P.A.
87—860 and are no longer required, the difference
in whether we proceed under
Section 27 and 28
or 28.2
of the Act
is minimal.