ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
August
7, 1975
GALESBtJRG
SANITARY
DISTRICT,
Petitioner,
v.
)
PCB 75—148
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
)
Respondent.
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by Mr.
Duinelle):
Petitioner requested a variance until May 1,
1980 from
the ammonia nitrogen standard found in Rule 203(f)
of the
Water Pollution Regulations on April
4,
1975.
On May
12,
1975 in response to a Board Order, Petitioner amended its
variance petition.
The requested variance
is for an extension
of
a previously granted variance
(Galesburg v.
EPA, PCB 73-
86,
8 PCB 279
(Jure
14,
1973)
as extended Galesburg
v.
EPA,
PCB 74-98,
12 PCB 485
(June
6,
1974)).
The Environmental
Protection Agency
(Agency) recommended that the variance be
granted until June 30, 1976.
No hearing was held.
Petitioner owns and operates the sewer system and two
treatment plants serving the City of Galesburg.
The majority
of sewer system is ccmprised of separate storm and sanitary
sewers although combined sewers serve certain areas.
The
main treatment plant which is the subject of this variance
petition provides secondary treatment by means of trickling
filters.
Chlorin~itedeffluent is discharged to Cedar Fork
Creek,
an intermittent stream, tributary to the Henderson
River,
tributary to the Mississippi River.
The Agency alleges that Cedar Fork Creek has been
degraded because of sewage bypassing at
42 overflow manholes
in the Railroad Creek intercepter and central collector
system.
Sludge deposLts and septic odors are reported in
Cedar Fork Creek.
18_ 314
These bypass~Sare attributed to excessive inflow,
infiltration,
and overflows from the combined sewers.
Although Petitioner has expended $3,000,000
to separate
storm drainage anâ $7,000,000 on the treatment plant since
1970, excessive flews remain in the sanitary sewer system.
A sewer systems analysis has been performed to identify
infiltration and inflow problem areas.
Following this
a
feasibility determination will be carried out on reducing
the inflow and treating the combined flows.
Because CedE~rFork Creek upstream from Petitioner’s
treatment plant discharge has
a 7-day 10-year low flow of
zero, Petitioner must. comply with the water quality standard
for ammonia which is 1.5 mg/l
(Rule 203(f)).
Effluent
ammonia levels average 3.7 mg/l with a range of 0.7 mg/l to
9.4 mg/l.
Waste water
flows fluctuate greatly because of
the problems outlined, above.
The Agency statE~sthat Petitioner may require a
“full-
scale second stage activated sludge nitrification facility”.
Petitioner has undertaken a pilot study research program.
This program will study nitrogen removal at higher ammonia
concentrations thin now entering Petitioner’s treatment
plant.
These higher levels will result once Petitioner has
completed the upgrading of its sewer system which
is scheduled
for September 1,
1991.
Petitioner was issued an NPDES permit on December 30,
1974 by the United State Environmental Protection Agency.
This permit required Petitioner to comply with the ammonia
standards of Rule 203(f) on January
1,
1975,
unless a further
variance from Rule 203(f) was obtained.
In the previous variance we thought that the NPDES
program would be transferred to Illinois by the end of 1974
so that the Agency could issue Petitioner a permit beyond
the existing deadlines. The transfer of the NPDES program
has not taken place.
We conditioned any future variance
upon the submittal of a tenative schedule of construction
and the results of
a pilot study
(Galesburg
12 PCB 485,487).
Petitioner has obtained an NPDES permit from the
U.S. EPA and has subnutted the results of the pilot study
and
a tentative sche~1u1eof construction.
In addition,
Petitioner has made substantial attempts to abate the water
pollution problems resulting from overflows and its effluent.
Therefore,
we find that Petitioner should be granted a
variance from Rule 203(f)
as
it pertains to
ammonia.
However, we feel that a five year variance is too
18—
315
long.
We recognize the problems
faced by Petitioner in
complying with coiistruct±ongrant requirements, and feel
that all those c~rnnectedwith the problem should try to
expedite their roles
in abating this problem.
According to
Petitioner’s schedule of construction the U.S. EPA
and the Agency have been reviewing Petitioner’s Infiltration/Inflow
Analysis Report and Facilities Plan since October of 1974
and February 14,
1975, respectively, with approval anticipated
by August
1,
1975. This has caused a six month delay in the
completion of Petitioner’s Sewer System Inflow Evaluation
Study and Report.
We find that a variance should be granted
from January
1,
1975 until January
1,
1977.
This opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact
and conclusions of law.
ORDER
The Galesburg Sanitary District
is granted a variance
from Rule 203(f)
of the Water Pollution Regulations as it
pertains to ammonia nitrogen from January
1,
1975 until
January
1,
1977 subject to the following:
1)
That Petitioner continue to exercise diligence
in carrying out its program as
submitted
in the amended
variance petition.
2)
That the Petitioner continue to submit quarterly
reports to Manager, Variance Section, Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency,
2200 Churchill Road,
Springfield, Illinois
62706, detailing progress and conclusions
in its pilot plant
research and in all other steps toward completion.
3)
Within 28 days after the date of the Board
Order herein the Petitioner shall execute and forward to the
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Manager, Variance
Section, at the above
address and to the Pollution Control
Board a Standard C3rtification of Acceptance and agreement
to be bound to all terms and conditions of the variance.
The form of said certification shall be as follows:
CERTIFICATION
I
(We),
___________________
having read and fully
understanding the Order of the Illinois Pollution Control Board
in PCB
75-148 hereby accept said Order and agree
to be bound by
all of the terms
and. conditions thereof.
Signed
Title____
Date
____
18— 316
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I, Christan L.
Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board, her~bycertify the above Opinion and Order were
adopted on the
_________
day of August,
1975 by a vote of
.~‘
to
p
CLJ~7~,77
Christan L.
Moffett./ ~
Illinois Pollution C6~±olBoard
18 —317