ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    July 10, 1980
    MOBIL OIL CORPORATION,
    Petitioner,
    v.
    )
    PCB 80—54
    ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
    )
    PROTECTION AGENCY,
    Respondent.
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by I. Goodman):
    On April 15, 1980 the Petitioner, Mobil Oil Corporation,
    filed a Revised Petition for Variance from Rule 406 of Chapter 3:
    Water Pollution (hereinafter, Chapter 3). The Petitioner has
    waived hearing in this matter. The Illinois Environmental
    Protection Agency (Agency) recommends that Petitioner be granted
    a variance subject to specified conditions.
    Petitioner owns and operates a conventional petroleum fuel
    refinery in Channahon Township, Will County, Illinois. The
    facility utilizes water from the Des Plaines River for boiler
    feed, cooling tower makeup, and as once—through, noncontact
    cooling water. Process water from the refinery is subjected to
    pretreatment and final treatment before being discharged into the
    Des Plaines River.
    The Board has granted Petitioner a variance from Rule 406 of
    Chapter 3 on two prior occasions. The most recent variance was
    granted on June 8, 1978 until July 1, 1980 (PCB 78—97). Since
    that Order issued, Petitioner has initiated two projects studying
    control of ammonia nitrogen effluent levels, a temperature
    control program, and a pilot nitrification plant.
    Petitioner, for the purpose of improving biological
    nitrification efficiency, upgraded its existing 40-pound steam
    system to a 150—pound steam system in order to increase and
    maintain higher aeration basin temperatures during cold weather.
    Even with this improved temperature control biological
    nitrification could not be re—established or maintained;
    therefore, ammonia nitrogen reduction had not been improved. The
    operational costs of maintaining the elevated temperatures during
    1979 exceeded $200,000.
    In August of 1979, Petitioner installed a 10-gpm, two—stage
    pilot plant to evaluate ammonia reduction through biological
    nitrification. Performance of this plant
    has
    been discouraging.
    Ammonia
    nitrogen reduction has been intermittent and
    has not
    proven
    to be a significant
    improvement
    over the single stage
    refinery waste treatment plant. Nitrification has been achieved
    for varying lengths
    but
    not on a continuous basis.
    Mobil has stated in its variance petition that it needs
    two
    years to determine whether the two-stage pilot plant can be
    effectively utilized to reduce ammonia nitrogen effluent to
    comply with Rule 406. The Agency has recommended
    that
    a variance
    be granted for a period of one year with interim limitations of
    25 mg/i (monthly
    average) and 40 mg/i (daily maximum). In
    response to the Agency’ s recommendation, Mobil stated that it
    still requires a two—year variance
    and
    that interim limits of 35
    mg/l (monthly average)
    and
    60 mg/i (daily
    maximum)
    for ammonia
    nitrogen are more realistic.
    Considering
    the
    past good faith efforts by Mobil
    and
    its
    continuing search for a
    method
    of compliance,
    the
    Board is
    willing to grant the variance for a period of
    two
    years to ensure
    that
    sufficient data are collected to determine the feasibility of
    biological nitrification as a means
    to
    reduce ammonia nitrogen.
    The
    Board, however, believes that interim standards of 25 mg/l
    (monthly average) and 40 mg/i (daily
    maximum)
    are achievable
    based
    on the information provided by the Petitioner. Excursions
    due
    to unforseeable mal functions, unseasonable weather, and
    emergency situations
    are
    faced by all permittees and must be
    addressed if and when
    they occur.
    This Opinion constitutes the findings of fact and
    conclusions of law in this matter.
    ORDER
    It is the Order of the Illinois Pollution Control Board that
    Mobil Oil Corporation be granted a variance from Rule 406 of
    Chapter 3: Water Pollution until July 1, 1982, subJect to the
    following conditions:
    a) Petitioner’ s ammonia nitrogen
    effluent discharge shall not
    exceed a monthly average concentration of 25 mg/i
    and
    a daily
    maximum
    concentration of 40 mg/i during the period of this
    variance.
    b) Petitioner shall continue efforts to develop a program
    which
    will result in
    compliance with Rule 406 of said
    Chapter 3.
    c) Petitioner
    shall continue to submit bi—monthly reports
    to
    the
    Illinois Environmental Protection
    Agency
    outlining
    Petitioner’s efforts to achieve compliance
    with
    Rule 406 of
    said chapter 3.
    d) Petitioner shall, by
    May 1,
    1982, provide said Agency
    —3—
    with a written technical proposal and time schedule for
    compliance with Rule 406 of Chapter 3.
    e) Within 45 days after the date of this Order, Petitioner
    shall execute and forward to the Illinois Environmental
    Protection Agency, Division of Water Pollution Control,
    Compliance Assurance Unit, 2200 Churchill Road, Springfield,
    Illinois 62706, a Certification of acceptance and agreement to
    be bound to all terms and conditions of the variance. This
    45-day period shall be held in abeyance for any period during
    which this matter is appealed. The certification shall be as
    follows:
    C ERTIF IC ATI ON
    Mobil Oil Corporation hereby accepts and agrees to be bound by
    all terms and conditions of the order of the Pollution Control
    Board in PCB 80-54 dated ________________________
    Petitioner
    By
    ,
    Authorized Agent
    Title
    Date
    I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
    Control Board, hereby ~~tify that he bove Opinion and Order
    wer,~adoptedon the
    J~
    day of
    _______________,
    1980 by a vote
    Christan L. Moff~tIJ, Clerk
    Illinois Pollutiorf-’Control Board

    Back to top