ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL
BOARD
July
6,
1978
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
)
PROTECTION AGENCY,
)
)
Complainant,
)
v.
)
PCB 77—64
)
LIONEL FAHNESTOCK and FAHNESTOCK
)
WELL SYSTEM,
INC.,
)
)
Respondents.
MR. WILLIAM J. BARZANO,
JR., ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, APPEARED
ON BEHALF OF THE COMPLAINANT.
MR. LIONEL FAHNESTOCI
APPEARED PRO SE ON
BEHALF
OF THE
RESPONDENTS.
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by Mr. Werner):
This matter comes before the Board on the February 25,
1977
Complaint brought by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
alleging that Lionel Fahnestock and the Fahnestock Well System,
Inc.
owned a public water supply system which was operated with no
certified water supply operator and no chlorination or fluoridation
of water in violation of Section
1 of an Act to Regulate the
Operating of a Public Water Supply,
Ill.
Rev.
Stat.
1975,
ch.
111—1/2, par.
501,
and Rule 305 and Rule 306 of Chapter
6:
Public
Water Supply Regulations.
A hearing was held on April
5,
1978.
The Fahnestock Well System,
Inc. includes one 113 foot-deep
drilled drift well which discharges into a relatively small,
362
gallon pressure tank.
From the pressure tank, water passes into
the mains, pipes and other structures which constitute the distri-
bution system.
(R.
8,
R.
16, Comp. Exh. 4).
The distribution
system supplies water for drinking and general domestic use to
17
homes
in the Fahnestock Court Subdivision in Peoria County,
Illinois.
(R.
9).
The system has been in operation approximately
23 years.
(R.
9).
At the hearing, Mr. Lionel J. Fahnestock testified that he
was disabled on July 29,
1975 and had a total gross income of
about $1,500.00
in 1976.
(R.
11,
R.
13).
Mr. Fahnestock, who was
31—3
—2—
called as an adverse witness by the Agency, admitted that the
Fahnestock Well System had no certified public water supply oper-
ator, did
not
chlorinate its water before it entered the distri-
bution system, and did not add any fluoride to its water to
maintain a fluoride/ion concentration reported as F of 0.9 to
1.2 mg/i in its distribution system.
(R.
9,
R. 10).
Mr. Richard A. Gerard,
an Agency employee, then testified
that he inspected the Fahnestock Well System in Peoria,
Illinois
on January
7,
1975.
(R.
15,
R.
16).
Mr. Gerard stated that he
observed no certified operator on that date or on any of his sub-
sequent inspections.
(R. 17).
He also testified that he observed
that no facilities were provided to chlorinate or fluoridate the
water.
Mr. Gerard expressed the opinion that
a feasible means
existed to comply with the requirements of chlorinating this
particular water supply.
(R.
18).
He indicated that,
for this
size water supply,
a chlorine solution tank and a small chemical
feed pump
(to feed the chlorine solution into the water supply)
could be installed to operate in conjunction with the well pump.
(R.
18,
R.
19).
Mr. Gerard also indicated that a
“simple set-up”
to fluoridate the water could also be installed.
(R.
19).
This
would consist of a solution tank and small chemical feed pump
(to feed the fluoride solution to the water supply)
which could be
installed to operate in conjunction with the well pump.
(R.
19).
He said that it would cost approximately $2,000.00 to install both
the fluoridation and chlorination facilities.
(R.
20).
Mr.
Gerard
stated that chlorination is necessary to disinfect the water and
safeguard the public health.
He also testified that on March 21,
1978 he collected a water sample which was sent to the Agency’s
Champaign laboratory for fluoride analysis.
(R.
20,
R.
21).
The next witness was Lou Allyn Frost, an Agency employee.
She testified that the Agency records indicated that no public
water supply operator certification had been issued to either Mr.
Lionel J. Fahnestock or Fahnestock Well System,
Inc.
(R.
26).
Mr. Frank John Schmidt,
an Agency employee and laboratory
manager, then described the standard routine that the laboratory
follows when a water sample is
first brought in, and identified
the Complainant’s Exhibits
4 and
5
(i.e.,
the mineral analysis
reports pertaining to fluoride and chloride concentrations in
water samples).
(R.
29—34).
He also indicated that fluoride may
be a naturally occurring~substancein water.
(R.
35).
Mr. Lionel
J. Fahnestock, who appeared pro se,
then testified
that he was representing himself because he had been disabled for
3 years, had little money coming in, and didn’t have the money
to
hire
a lawyer.
(R.
37)
.
Mr. Fahnestock said he “felt that it was
31—4
—3—
kind of fruitless” since he realized that he was “guilty of this
offense.”
CR.
37).
Mr. Fahnestock stated that he “tried v~rious
ways of rectifying this situation” where he “wouldn’t have to go
into this field of chlorination and chlorine.”
(R.
38).
He
obtained a survey of the subdivision from the Peoria Water Company
in late 1977.
(R.
38,
R.
39).
According to Mr. Fahnestock, the
Peoria Water Company said that they could supply the subdivision
with Peoria water “at a cost of $36,999.00 for 17 homes” which
“really wouldn’t be feasible to the individuals; this would be
from between $2,400.00 and $2,500.00 per house.”
CR.
39).
This
cost did “not include the main hook-up which would run from
$400.00 to $500.00.”
CR.
39).
Mr. Fahnestock stated that he
“talked to the individuals and this is a subdivision of low income
houses and they just couldn’t afford it.”
CR.
39).
Mr. Fahnestock also testified that he had retained an engineer,
Mr. Richard L. Bettler,
to rectify the situation by installing a
larger water tank and a chlorination and fluoridation water treat-
ment system.
(R.
39,
R.
42, Resp.
Exh.
4).
Mr. Fahnestock also
indicated that he plans to hire Mr. Ronald C. Hoyle as his certi-
fied public water supply operator.
CR. 40).
In evaluating this enforcement action,
the Board has taken
into consideration all the facts and circumstances in light of the
specific criteria delineated in Section 33(c)
of the Act.
Incinerator,
Inc. v. Illinois Pollution Control Board,
59 Ill.
2d
290,
319 N.E.
2d 794
(1974).
The Respondent’s good faith efforts
to comply with the Board’s Public Water Supply Regulations,
and
his personal situation and precarious financial condition have
also been duly noted.
On the basis of the record, the Board finds that Mr. Lionel
Fahnestock and the Fahnestock Well System,
Inc. operated its
public water supply without having
u-i
its employ a properly certi-
fied operator from January
7, 1975 until February 25,
1977 in
violation of Section
1 of an Act to Regulate the Operating of a
Public Water Supply
(Ill. Rev.
Stat.,
1975,
Ch. 111—1/2,
par.
501).
Moreover,
the Respondents failed to properly chlorinate the water
supply from December 21,
1975 until February 25,
1977 in violation
of Rule 305 of Chapter
6:
Public Water Supply Regulations.
The
Respondents also failed to maintain a fluoride ion concentration
reported as F of 0.9 to 1.2 mg/i in its distribution system from
January 7,
1975 until February 25,
1977 in violation of Rule 306
of Chapter
6:
Public Water Supply Regulations.
Consequently,
a
penalty of $100.00 is assessed in accordance with Section
1 of an
Act to Regulate the Operating of a Public Water Supply.
—4—
This Opinion and Order constitute the Board’s findings of
fact and conclusions of law in this matter.
ORDER
It is the Order of the Illinois Pollution Control Board that:
1.
Mr. Lionel Fahnestock and Fahnestock Well System,
Inc.
have violated Rule 305 and Rule 306 of Chapter
6:
Public Water
Supply Regulations and Section 1 of an Act to Regulate the Oper-
ating of a Public Water Supply
(Iii. Rev. Stat.,
1975,
Ch.
111-1/2,
par.
501)
from January
7,
1975 until February 25,
1977.
2.
Within 90 days of the date of thisOrder,
Mr. Lionel
Fahnestock and Fahnestock Well System,
Inc. shall pay a penalty
of $100.00
,
payment to be made by certified check or money order
to:
State of Illinois
Fiscal Services Division
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
2200 Churchill Road
Springfield, Illinois
62706
3.
Mr. Lionel Fahnestock and Fahnestock Well System,
Inc.,
shall forthwith take all appropriate measures to immediately
chlorinate and fluoridate its public water supply system and to
obtain a properly certified public water supply operator no later
than 90 days from the date of this Order.
The Respondents shall
promptly take all necessary steps to obtain the requisite Agency
approval for these measures.
I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board, hereby certify the ab ye Opinion and Order were
adopted on the
~
day of
________________,
1978 by a
vote of
~/-o
Christan L. Moff
Clerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board