ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
April 3, 1980
TLI,INO~S ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY,
Complainant,
v.
)
PCB 78—295
CITY OF EAST ST. LOUIS, an
Illinois municipal corporation,
Respondent.
MR. BRIAN E, REYNOLDS, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, APPEARED ON
BEHALF OF THE COMPLAINANT.
MR. DAVID K. HARRIS, ATTORNEY AT LAW, APPEARED ON
BEHALF OF
THE
RESPONDENT.
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Werner):
This matter comes before
the Board
on the December 4, 1978
Complaint brought by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
(“Agency”). On January 8, 1979, the Respondent filed a motion
which requested that the Board transfer this case to a different
Hearing Officer. On February 1, 1979, the Board denied this motion.
On February 8, 1979, the Agency filed its Motion for Leave to Amend
Complaint Instanter and an Amended Complaint. The Board granted
the Agency’s motion on February 15, 1979.
The 4—count Amended Complaint alleged that, from July 11, 1975
until February 8, 1979, the Respondent operated its solid waste
management site (“site”) in such a manner as to: (1) violate the
conditions of its Operating Permit (i.e., the trenching method was
not used and general refuse, rather than only sludge, was accepted
at the site); (2) improperly spread and compact refuse; (3) have
insufficient equipment available; and (4) place inadequate daily
and intermediate cover on the site, thereby violating Rules 302,
303, 304, 305(a) and 305(b) of Chapter 7: Solid Waste Regulations
(“Chapter 7”) and Section 21(b) of the Illinois Environmental
Protection Act (“Act”). A hearing was held on February 13, 1980.
The parties filed a Stipulation and Proposal for Settlement on
February 19, 1980.
The City of East St. Louis (“City”) owns and operates a
sanitary landfill consisting of 8.2 acres in St. Clair County,
Illinois. On September 16, 1974, the City submitted an Operating
—2—
Permit application which stated that the City would be handling
sludge from its sewage treatment plant only and would be using the
trenching method of disposal at the site. Accordingly, on July 10,
1975, the Respondent received an Operating Permit from the Agency.
However, it is stipulated that the Respondent ‘failed to ever
use the trenching method of disposal at the site and Agency
inspections indicated that general refuse was accepted for disposal
at the site on May 24, 1976 and March 6, 1978. (Stip. 3).
Additionally, Agency inspections have revealed that, on various
specified dates, the City failed to: (1) properly spread and
compact refuse; (2) have sufficient equipment available; and
(3) apply adequate daily or intermediate cover. (Stip. 3—4).
On six occasions between July 22, 1975 and November 6, 1978,
the Agency notified the City of these violations by sending letters
calling the situation to the attention of the City. (Stip. 4—5),
~t the hearing, the attorney for the Respondent stated that all of
the alleged violations took place during the tenure of a prior City
administration. (R. 6). It is stipulated that the City is
currently accepting only sludge from its sewage treatment plant
for disposal at the site and is attempting to operate the site in
full compliance with its Operating Permit and the Board’s Solid
Waste Regulations. (Stip. 5).
The proposed settlement agreement provides that the Respondent
admits the allegations charged in the Complaint and agrees ‘to:
(I) cease and desist from further violations; (2) by July 1, 1980,
provide the Agency with a proposal containing the City’s plan to
dispose of sludge from its sewage treatment plant when the current
disposal site is closed; (.3) until January 1, 1981, operate the
site in compliance with its Operating Permit, Chapter 7, and the
Act; (4) by January 1, 1981, apply final cover and close the site
in compliance with Rule 318 of the Board’s Solid Waste Regulations,
and (5) pay a stipulated penalty of $1,000.00
.
(Stip. 6—7).
In evaluating this enforcement action and the proposed settle-
ment agreement, 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. The Board finds the
stipulated agreement acceptable under Procedural Rule 331 and
Section 33(c) of the Act. The Board finds that the Respondent,
the City of East St. Louis, has operated its sanitary landfill in
violation of Rules 302, 303, 304, 305(a) and 305(b) of Chapter 7:
Solid Waste Regulations and Section 21(b) of the Act. The
stipulated penalty of $1,000.00 is assessed against the City.
This Opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact and
conclusions of law in this matter,
—3—
ORDER
It is the Order of the Illinois Pollution Control Board that:
1. The Respondent, the City of East St. Louis, has violated
Rules 302, 303, 304, 305(a), and 305(b) of Chapter 7: Solid Waste
Regulations and Section 21(b) of the Illinois Environmental
Protection Act.
2. Within 45 days of the date of this Order, the Respondent
shall, by certified check or money order payable to the State of
Illinois, pay the stipulated penalty of $1,000.00 which is to be
sent to:
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Fiscal Services Division
2200 Churchill Road
Springfield, Illinois 62706
3. The Respondent shall comply with all the terms and
conditions of the Stipulation and Proposal for Settlement filed
February 19, 1980, which is incorporated by reference as if fully
set forth herein.
Chairman Dumelle concurs.
I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, her ~y certify that, the above Opinion and Order were adopted
on the
3
day of
1~7.4.4L
,
1980 by a vote of
$‘._o
~tanL~offb~
Illinois Pollution trol Board