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lonia Baptist Churc\ bled a Petition for Variance
n July 1, 1974 WhiC1i requested relief from an Agency imposed
sewer ban On July 1, 1974 the Board entered a “more information
order requiring Petit oner ~o rile an Amended Petition. On July 9,
a 974 the ~gercyfilei a teccninendation to gre-it the permit and a
tecommendation that tFe filing of an Amended Variance Petition
was not ne-essary. Because the Agency’s Recommendation supplied
Vie necessary infor aton in order to evaluate Petitioner’s
reouoqted variarce tbe Board ias decided to aroceed without the
requested Mended Variance Petition
Pct..tioner seeks relief from an Agency imposed sewer
ban
n itockford, Winnebago County llinois. Petitioner seeks relief
in order to construct 350 feet uf trunk line sewer extension in
crder to provide a sewer connection for a partially constructed
chtrch building Located at 1720 ‘lorgan Street. The new church is
‘eing constructed to replace an older church located on the same
site which was destroyed by fire. The Agency rates that the
congregation’s pastor has stated that 95 of the 150 church members
live in the immediate neighborhood of the church, and that the
church building will be used solely for Sunday services.
The Agency imposed a sewer ban on the Rockford sewers on
February 6, 1974 because of hydraulic overloading. In addition,
since September 1972, the Rockford Sanitary District has refused
to certify permit applications in accordance with Rule 912(a)
of the Water Pollution Regulations because of the District’s
concern that proposed sewer extensions would be tributary to
surcharged interceptors.
The Agency recommends that Petitioner’s variance request
be granted because the church facility would only contribute
between 300 and 500 gallons of sanitary waste on Sundays. The
Agency states that this amount of waste would not significantly
13—539
increase the waste load on the Rockfora overloaded sewers
b any messurable degree In addition, the Agency states
because 9Sf of the church congregation resides in the immediate neign-
borhooc, that the churches sewer would not constitute a significant
increase to loads aireacy served by the sewers in question.
Tt is is because on Sunday mornings there would merely be s
snif~i~r location or the source of the wastewater addea to tne
sewers in question.
The Board has decided to grant the requested variance
which wil allow the church to connect to the Rockford sewer
system because or the negligible increased load to overloaded
sewers whIch were the subiect of the Agency sewer ban, In
addition, the Board relies upon the fact that Pet~taonerbegan
construction of the church prior to the impositior of the sewer
oa~ Petitioner has previously sought to adapt the old septic
systert ~hicb had served the former church before it was destroyed
by fire However the Winnebago County Health Bepartment would
not permit the use of this old. septic system or its modification
Petitrorer has investigated the cost of a new septic system which
is reported to be between $3,000 and $3,500, Because of the
small magnitude o~the environmental effect of Petitioner~s
requested relief versus the expense to the Macedonia Baptist
Church, the Board finds that Petitioner~s variance request
should be granted,
The Agency recommends a grant of Petitioner~s requested
variance subject to the condition that ~no additional connection~
be made to the 350 foot sewer extension until overloaded conditions
are relieved downstreajnu The Board fines from the facts presented
in this case that such a condition is not warranted Such a
condition if it were imposed by the Board would be tantamount
to a Board imposed sewer ban under Section 33(c1 of the Environ-
mental Protectior Act, The facts presented in this proceeding
do not warrant the public notice and hearing required by Section
33 of the Act,
This Opinion constitutes the Board s nindings of facts ad
and conclusions of a~,
ORDEP
The Pollution Control Board nereby grants the Macedon~a
Baptist Church of Rockford, Illinois a variance from the Agency
imposed sewer bar, in order to construct and connect a sewer system
to serve the Macedonia Baptist Churcri,
IT IS SO ORDEREr’
I, Christan L, Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board
hereby certify the above Opinion and Order were acopted on the ~day
of September, 1974 by a vote of
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