ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

October 17, 1974

CITY OF CARTHAGE,

)

Petitioner,

)

vs.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,

)

PCB 74—272

Respondent.

)

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Seaman):

The City of Carthage (hereinafter Petitioner), filed j’ts Petition

for a Variance with the Environmental Protection Agency (heretnafter

Agency) on July 17, 1974.

Petitioner seeks a variance from Rule 203(h) of Chapter 3, Part

II of the Pollution Control Board t~aterPollution Rules and Regulations.

Petitioner seeks a variance to treat its water supply reservoir,

Carthage Lake, with a fish toxicant to remove the present fish. population

as part of a program in conjunction with the Illinois Department of

Conservation to restock the Lake with game fish.

Petitioner operates a public water supply serving the residents

of the City of Carthage. The public water supply presently meets the

requirements of the Environmental Protection Act and relevant rules and

regulations in force thereunder.

Carthage Lake has a surface area of approxi~iately 44 acres with a

capacity estimated by the Agency to be approximately 66 million gallons.

Petitioner seeks approval to make a single application of 100

gallons of a solution of two and one half percent liquid rotenone to the

entire reservoir. According to Agency calculations this would result in

a concentration of approximately 1.5 milligrams per liter of solution

or 0.06 milligrams per liter of rotenone.

The Agency has confirmed the Petitioner’s allegations that the

Department of Conservation of the State of Illinois has recommended the

treatment program set forth above and that the Department of Conservation

will be involved in proposed application of the rotenone solution.

Rotenone is generally applied with a petroleum base carrier which in-

creases its solubility with water. The carrier has been known to cause

minor taste and odor problems in public water supplies, which can be treated

in the same manner as possible taste and odor problems resulting from

the killed fish.

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An effective fish removal program can result in considerably

diminishing if not eliminating the problem of taste and odor from

killed fish and the Department of Conservation has indicated to the

Agency that a general requirement of their toxicant application

program is the removal of the fish killed.

Feeding activated carbon at the water treatment plant is an

effective remedy’ for taste and odor problems that might arise from the

fish kill or the. petroleum based carrier of the rotenone. Petitioner’s

water treatment plant is presently equipped with carbon feeding equipment.

Petitioner presently pre-chlorinates its water in its normal treatment

process. Chlorination of petroleum products can enhance taste and odor

problems and carbon tends to absorb chlorine. Since petitioner’s water

treatment plant has the capability of post-chlorinating its treated

supply, a use of this method of chlorination during a period of carbon

feeding could eliminate the possible problems created by pre—chiorination.

The Agency recommends that the Pollution Control Board grant

a variance to Petitioner subject to certain conditions. We concur.

This Opinion constitutes the findings of fact and conclusions of

law of the Board.

IT IS THE ORDER of the Pollution Control Board that:

1. The Petition for a Variance be granted subject to the following

conditions:

a. That the rotenone treatment of Carthage Lake be limited to

one application during the months of September through

December of 1974.

b. That the application of rotenone not exceed 100 gallons of

solution of two and one half percent liquid rotenone.

c. That the application of rotenone be applied by personnel

of the Illinois Department of Conservation.

d. That the Agency be notified at least twenty-four hours

prior to the time of application.

e. That the Petitioner effectively remove all fish killed by the

rotenone treatment from the water supply reservoir.

f. That no rotenone be applied to the reservoir within fifty

feet of the raw water intake pipe.

g. That petitioner institute carbon feeding at its water treatment

plant for a period of one week following the application of rotenone.

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h. That during the

time

of carbon feeding the Petitioner

discontinue pre-chlorination of its supply and institute

post-chlorination of the water distributed from the supply.

Prior to the institution of post—chlorination, petitioner

shall measure the level of chlorine immediately before

the point in its system where post—chlorination will be

instituted. After activitated carbon feeding is discontinued

Petitioner should both pre and post-chlorinate the supply

until the chlorine residual at the point in the system where

the previous measurement was made reaches the same level

as the sample taken prior to the institution of post—chlorination.

i. That Petitioner take a sample of its finished water three

days after the application of rotenone on its reservoir and

forward the sample to the Agency for analysis. The Petitioner

shall also forward additional samples of its finished water

as may be required by the Agency.

Mr. Dumelle dissents.

I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board,

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