ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    February 16, 1978
    CITY OF CRYSTAL LAKE,
    Petitioner,
    v.
    )
    POE 77—332
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
    AGENCY,
    Respondent.
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
    (by Mr. Dumelle):
    This case comes before the Board as a Petition for a Variance
    from the drinking water standard for barium,
    Petitioner claims
    that it would suffer hardship
    if it was required
    to comply with
    the 1.0 mg/i standard because compliance would be expensive and
    unnecessary to protect public health.
    The Agency filed a
    Recommendation which stated that although the costs associated
    with compliance were not excessive,
    there wasn’t enough data on
    health hazards from ingesting barium to
    justify the necessary
    expense.
    On November 22,
    1974 the Board adopted comprehensive Regu-
    lations on the quality of drinking water from public water supplies
    in Illinois.
    A standard of 1.0 mg/i as a twelve month running
    average was adopted as the maximum concentration for barium.
    This
    figure was selected after an analysis of evidence on health
    effects and economic and technical
    feasibility.
    January
    1,
    1978
    was~chosen as the date for compliance with this standard.
    Within
    one month of the compliance deadline, Petitioner requested relief
    without any stated intention of ever achieving the standard.
    in
    the meantime on June 24,
    1977 the USEPA issued Regulations which
    require immediate compliance with the same 1.0 mg/i standard for
    barium in drinking water.
    The Board presently lacks the authority
    to grant relief from this Federal standard.
    29—241
    Petitioner has referred to a study on the relationship be-
    tween cardiovascular morbidity and barium levels in drinking water.
    Since this study has not been completed, Petitioner feels
    it should
    not have to pay any attention to promulgated and effective Board
    and Federal Regulations.
    This attitude is puzzling particularly
    since the required treatment costs of 8.4 cents per 1000 gallons
    has not been shown to be excessive,
    Petitioner points out that if
    the barium requirement is met9
    it will encounter additional
    problems from corrosion of its delivery system, and its finished
    water will be softer and therefore more harmful to pipes and possi-
    bly to health.
    While these arguments are interesting,
    they are not
    relevant in a variance proceeding which presumes ultimate compli-
    ance or a showing of disastrous economic effects.
    We therefore
    deny the variance.
    It
    is the Order of the Pollution Control Board that Peti-
    tioner~srequest for a Variance from the drinking water standard
    for barium be denied.
    I,
    Christan L.
    Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
    Board, ~ereby cer~iy~the above Opinion and Order were adopted on
    thejL~day
    of~,
    1978 by
    a vote of~
    Christan
    L. Moff
    Clerk
    Illinois Po1luti6~~ontrolBoard
    29
    *
    242

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