ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
March 31,
1994
IN THE MATTER OF:
)
)
PETITION OF RHONE-POULENC BASIC
)
CHEMICALS
COMPANY
and
THORN
CREEK
)
AS 94-7
BASIN
SANITARY
DISTRICT
)
(Adjusted Standard)
FOR
AN ADJUSTED STANDARD
FROM
)
35
ILL.
ADM. CODE 302.201 and
)
304.105
)
ORDER OF THE BOARD (by R.C. Flemal):
On February 18,
1994, Rhone-Poulenc Basic Chemicals Company
(Rhone-Poulenc)
and the Thorn Creek Basin Sanitary District
(District)
filed a petition for adjusted standard.
Rhone-Poulenc
and the District seek an adjusted standard regarding Rhone-
Poulenc’s discharge to the District from its proposed facility
located in Chicago Heights, and the District’s discharge to Thorn
Creek.
The discharges concern total dissolved solids and
sulfates.
Section 28.1 of the Environmental Protection Act 415 ILCS
5/28.1
(1992)
(Act) authorizes the Board to dismiss the instant
petition at any time if it determines that the petition is
duplicative or frivolous, or that the petitioner is not pursuing
disposition of the petition in a timely manner.
In addition,
Board regulations at 35 Iii.
Adrn.
Code 106.902(a)
authorize
dismissal if the petition is deficient with respect to the
requirements of 35 Ill.
Ac3jn.
Code Sections 106.705,
106.706,
106.710 and 106.712.
Section 28.1 also requires the Board to conduct a public
hearing if the Board,
in its discretion,
determines a hearing
would be advisable or if the Board receives a request for hearing
from any person within 21 days of publication of public notice of
the filing of the petition.
The Board received proof of the
notice publication on March 11,
1994.
An action before the Board is duplicative if the matter is
identical or substantially similar to one brought in another
forum (Brandle
V.
RoiDi~, PCB 85—68,
64 PCB 263
(1985)).
An action
before the Board is frivolous if it fails to state a cause of
action upon which relief can be granted by the Board
(Citizens
for a Better Environment v
Reynolds Metals Co., PCB 73-173,
8
PCB 46
(1973)).
A petition is deficient with respect to 35 Ill.
Adni. Code Sections 106.705, 106.706,
106.710 and 106.712
if it
omits any required information or lacks any required supporting
affidavits or proofs as specified in those sections.
There is no evidence before the Board to indicate this
matter is identical or substantially similar to any matter
2
brought in another forum, nor is there any evidence that the
Board cannot grant the relief requested.
At this time,
therefore, the Board finds that, pursuant to 35 Ill. Adm. Code
103.124(a),
the petition is neither duplicative nor frivolous.
Since this action has just been filed, there is also no evidence
before the Board that petitioner is not pursuing timely
disposition of the petition.
Additionally, at this time there is
no evidence before the Board that the petition is deficient with
respect to 35 Ill.
Adm. Code Sections 106.705,
106.706, 106.710
and 106.712.
Finally, the petitioners have waived their rights to a
hearing in this matter.
Section 281 of the Act allows for any
person within twenty-one
(21) days of the publication of the
notice of the petition for an adjusted standard to request that a
hearing be held.
The notice was published on February 20, 1994.
The Board has not received a request for a hearing in this
matter, neither does the Board believe that a hearing would be
advisable at this time; therefore none will be held.
The
Agency’s response to the petition is due to be filed on March 21,
1994,
30 days after the filing of the petition (35 Ill.
Adin. Code
714)
This is a type of case for which the Act prescribes no
deadline for decision, although as noted the Act requires the
petitioner to timely pursue disposition of the petition.
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
~‘/-‘~‘~
day of
_________________________________________
1994, by a vote of
_________________
,
Clerk
ution Control Board