ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

October 17, 1980

VILLAGE OF SAUGET,

)

Petitioner,

v.

)

PCB 80—67

ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY,

Respondent.

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD

(by J.D. Dumelle):

On June 12,

1980, the Village of Sauget (Sauget)

filed

an Amendment of Extension of Variance, requesting variance

from the nickel and lead effluent limitations of Rule 408(a)

of Chapter 3:

Water Pollution Regulations.

On August 13,

1980, the Environmental Protection Agency (Agency)

filed a

recommendation to grant variance subject to certain conditions.

No hearing was held.

Sauget,

located on the Mississippi River in St.

Clair

County,

Illinois, owns and, under contract, causes to be

operated a waste treatment plant which discharges into the

Mississippi River.

Sauget is also the principal municipality of the American

Bottoms Regional Treatment Authority (ABRTA),

which is involved

in the construction and operation of a proposed regional

biological treatment plant that will serve Sauget,

East St.

Louis,

Cahokia, Alorton, and Centerville.

The ABRTA was

awarded a Step

2 grant on July 18,

1978.

The Agency estimates

that after the design work is completed, the plant will not

become operational

for an additional 24—30 months.

On June 22,

1979, the Board granted variance to Sauget

until May

1,

1980,

for lead and nickel requirements

(PCB

79—~8J.

The limitations set were as follows:

Monthly Average

Daily Maximum

Lead

(total)

0.38 mg/l

0.78 mg/i

Nickel

(total)

1.77 mg/i

2.68 mg/i

Sauget seeks to have this variance extended until June 30,

1980

(sic) or until the Board rules on the proposed regulation

change in R76—21, whichever is sooner.

If this proposed change

is made,

Sauget would be required to meet the following effluent

limitations:

---

—2—

24-Hour

Individual

Monthly Average

Composite Sample

Grab

Sample

Lead

(total)

0.2 mg/l

0.4 mg/l

1.0 mg/i

Nickel

(total) 10 mg/l

2,0 mg/i

5.0 mg/l

Sauget has indicated that it could meet those standards.

Under thePCB 79—80 Order,

Sauget was also granted a

variance from the oils,

fats, and greases limitations of

Rule 408(a)

until June 30,

1983,

since Sauget could not be

expected to meet those standards with its present plant.

In addition, Sauget was to continue its program to reduce

effluent concentrations of lead and nickel to attempt to

attain compliance with its present facilities,

In an attempt

to do so, Sauget has

1.

Sampled influents from individual

industrial dischargers

to determine if there has been an increase in lead

and nickel discharges;

2.

Adjusted the pH in the treatment facility to attempt

to achieve higher metal removal efficiencies; and

3.

Tested seven different polymers and/or flocculants

to attempt to increase the removal of suspended

material.

These efforts have improved the effluent quality to some

extent, but not enough to reach present standards.

Sauget does

not believe, and the Agency does not disagree, that there

is any other method to further reduce nickel concentrations

using its present facility.

Since Sauget is in the process of completing a new

treatment plant under the construction grants program, its

immediate compliance with lead and nickel effluent limitations

of Rule 408(a) would impose an arbitrary and unreasonable

hardship.

The

Agency recommends that variance be granted for

a

period of 30 months

(or until April

17,

1983).

However,

since the variance for oils,

fats, and greases granted in

PCB 79—80 extends until June 30,

1983, and since Sauget

apparently intended to request variance until that date,

and since the new treatment facility should be operational

at about that time, variance will be granted until June 30,

1983.

This Opinion constitutes the findings of fact and conclusions

of law of the Board in this matter.

ORDER

The Village of Sauget is granted a variance from Rule

408(a)

of Chapter

3:

Water Pollution, as

it

applies to lead

---

—3—

and nickel until June 30,

1983, or until the American Bottoms

Regional Treatment Plant is operational, whichever is sooner,

subject to the following conditions:

1.

During the term of this variance Petitioner’s effluent

shall not exceed the following limitations:

Monthly

Average

Daily Maximum

Lead (total)

0.38 mg/i

0.78 mg/l

Nickel

(total)

1.77 mg/i

2.68 mg/i

2.

Petitioner shall continue its progress as outlined

in paragraphs 12 and 13 of Exhibit A of Petitioner’s

Extension of Variance Petition to reduce effluent

concentrations of lead and nickel and shall

submit

quarterly progress reports to the Agency.

3~.

Within 45 days of the date of this Order,

Petitioner

shall execute a Certificate of Acceptance and

agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions

of this variance.

The Certificate shall be forwarded

to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency,

Division of Water Pollution Control, Variance Unit,

2200 Churchill Road,

Springfield, Illinois,

62706

and shall read as follows:

CERTIFICATION

The Village of Sauget, having read and fully understanding

the October 17,

1980,

Order of the Illinois Pollution Control

Board in PCB 80—67 hereby accepts said Order and agrees to

be bound by all terms and conditions thereof.

Signed

Title

Date

IT IS SO ORDERED.

I, Christan

L.

Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution

Control Board, hereby certify that th~a1~oveOpinion and Order

was adopted on the /7~

day of (5~r-e3-t-t~

,

1980 by

a

vote of

4-ô

Christan L.

Mof e

,

Cferk

Illinois Pollution

ontrol Board