ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
February
15,
1979
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
Complainant,
v.
)
PCB 78—223
ENRECO,
INCORPORATED,
a Delaware
Corporation,
Respondent.
MR. BRIAN REYNOLDS, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, APPEARED ON
BEHALF OF THE COMPLAINANT.
MR. DONALD
R. LUCAS,
ATTORNEY AT LAW, APPEARED ON BEHALF OF
THE RESPONDENT.
OPINION
AND
ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by Dr. Satchell):
This matter comes before the Board upon a complaint filed
by the Environmental Protection Agency
(Agency) on August 17,
1978.
The complaint alleges that Respondent commenced construc-
tion of a coal recovery facility near Orient, Franklin County,
Illinois,
in Sections
10 and 15 of Township
7 South, Range
2
East,
3rd Principal Meridian in violation of Rule 951(a)
of the
Board’s Chapter
3:
Water Pollution Regulations,
Rule 201 of
the Board’s Chapter
4:
Mine Related Pollution and Section
12 (b)
of the Environmental Protection Act
(Act).
A hearing was
held in this matter in Chicago, Illinois on December
26,
1978.
At that time a stipulation and proposal for settlement was
presented for the Board’s approval.
No testimony was given.
The stipulated facts provide the following information.
On February
1,
1978 Enreco applied to the Agency for a permit
to open and operate
a mine or mine refuse area or coal recovery
operation using coal refuse from the inactive Orient
#1 mine
site in Franklin County.
On March
22,
1978, the application
was denied.
Enreco reapplied for the permit on April 14,
1978.
After several telephone communications the permit was issued
on June
14, 1978.
On June
1,
1978 two Agency field investigators visited the
facility to clear up some questions on the permit application.
At this time the inspectors observed construction in its early
stages.
At that time Respondent’s employees were warned of
32—555
—2—
potential violations.
On June
12,
1978 ongoing construction
was observed at the site and
a warning of potential violation
was given.
No processing of coal occurred at the Enreco facility
prior to August
9,
1978.
To the best knowledge of the parties
no other violations than those alleged in the complaint have
occurred since August
9,
1978.
Complainant would,
if necessary, present evidence that no
employee of the Agency ever indicated to Respondent that it
would receive its permit on any particular day.
On June
6,
1978, an Agency employee stated in a phone conversation with
Respondent’s consulting engineer that construction without
the appropriate permits would be in violation of the Regulations.
Respondent would,
if necessary, present evidence that in the
course of an April 14,
1978 phone conversation an employee of
the Agency’s water permit section stated that it would take
approximately two weeks to process the reapplication and issue
the permit.
No employee of the Agency ever asked Respondent
to stop work at the site.
The parties agree on the above facts;
however, they do not
agree on a penalty.
The Agency recommends a penalty of $1500
in light of the repeated notice given Respondent.
Respondent
believes that amount to be excessive considering the mitigating
factors.
Enreco admits violations of Rule 951(a)
of Chapter
3;
Rule 201 of Chapter
4; and Section 12(b)
of the Act.
Respondent
agreed to cease and desist from further violations.
The parties
agreed to submit the penalty issue to the Board.
The Board will accept the stipulated agreement under Pro-
cedural Rule 331 and considering Section 33(c)
of the Act.
The
Board finds Respondent in violation of Rule 951(a)
of Chapter
3,
Rule 201 of Chapter
4, and Section 12(b)
of the Act.
The Board
finds that a penalty is necessary to aid enforcement of the Act
considering the Agency’s repeated notices.
However, because of
the short duration of the violation,
Respondent’s ongoing efforts
to comply and no apparent environmental damage,
a penalty of $750
is sufficient.
This Opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact and
conclusions of law in this matter.
ORDER
It is the Order of the Pollution Control Board that:
1.
Enreco,
Inc.
is found to have violated Rule 951(a)
of the Chapter
3:
Water Pollution Regulations;
32—556
—3—
Rule 201 of Chapter
4:
Mine Related Pollution
and Section 12(b)
of the Environmental Protection
Act.
2.
Respondent shall
cease and desist further violations
of the Act.
3.
Respondent shall pay a penalty of $750 within thirty-
five days of this Order.
Payment shall be by certified
check or money order payable to:
State of Illinois
Fiscal Services Division
Environmental Protection Agency
2200 Churchill Road
Springfield, Illinois
62706
I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Baord, hereby certify the above Opinion and Order were
adopted on the
/5~
day of
?e4-~iJ.(t&LJ
,
1979 by a vote
of
3-p
.
/
ehi~ot~ui
~,.
Christan L. Moffett,”Cler
Illinois Pollution Control Board
32—557