ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
December 13, 1979
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
Complainant,
)
v.
)
PCB 78—237
LENNON WALL PAPER COMPANY, a Delaware
corporation, qualified to do business
)
in Illinois,
Respondent.
Ms. Nancy Bennett, Assistant Attorney General, appeared for
the Complainant;
Mr. Thomas Feehan; Thomas, Wallace, Feehan & Baron Ltd.,
appeared for the’Respondent.
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Dumelle):
This matter comes before the Board upon a Complaint
filed by the Environmental Protection Agency on August 30,
1978, against the Lennon Wall Paper Company. The Complaint
alleged that Respondent discharged contaminants to waters of
the State without an NPDES permit in violation of Rule 901
of Chapter 3: Water Pollution Regulations and Sections
12(a), 12(b) and 12(f) of the Environmental Protection Act.
A hearing was held on January 23, 1979 during which the
Agency entered Exhibits Nos. 1 through 4 into the record as
evidence of violations alleged in the Complaint. During a
subsequent hearing, on July 9, 1979, the parties indicated
that a settlement had been finalized and submitted a Stipulation
and Proposal for Settlement for approval by this Board. No
members of the public were present at either hearing.
Lennon Wall Paper Company owns and operates a manufacturing
facility in Joliet, Illinois which is engaged in printing
and application of adhesives to wallpaper. The wallpaper
manufacturing facility generates approximately 10,000 gallons
of wastewater per day from clean—up operations which is
discharged and accumulated in two storage lagoons on Respondent’s
property. Periodically, the wastewater is removed to tank
—2—
trucks for ultimate disposal in a landfill. However, the
Stipulation indicates that highly contaminated water containing
• high levels of BOD~,copper, iron, managanese, phenols and
total dissolved soTids have escaped from the lagoons overflowing
into the waters of the State. The parties to this settlement
stipulate that the discharge from Respondent’s lagoons
occurred without an NPDES permit.
As a result of negotiations, Lennon agreed to construct
a waste pretreatment facility to allow for settling and
coagulation of contaminants before it is discharged to a
City of Joliet sanitary sewer. The Respondent contemplates
construction of duplicate storage tanks each to receive
approximately 1,200 gallons of raw wastewater on alternate
days, two reaction tanks to allow for coagulation and an
effluent mixing tank for pH adjustment. The Respondent
anticipates completion of the pretreatment facility by
December 30, 1979.
In this settlement, the parties stipulate and agree
that Lennon shall paya total penalty of $3,000.00 for the
violations stipulated to in the settlement.
The settlement agreement is conditioned upon acceptance
by the City of Joliet of the cyanide, phenol, ammonia and
mercury levels discharged from the proposed pretreatment
facility. In the event that the City of 3oliet refuses to
accept the effluent from the Lennon pretreatment facility,
Respondent shall cease and desist from further violations of
the Act and Board regulations.
The Board notes that the Settlement Agreement requires
Respondent to obtain all Agency permits for the construction
of any pretreatment facility. Respondent has complied with
this requirement; the Agency having issued a construction
permit for the facility on September 7, 1979.
In view of the Stipulation and Proposal for Settlement
and the exhibits entered into the record, the Board finds
that Respondent Lennon Wall Paper Company in violation of
Rule 901 of Chapter #3: and Sections 12(a), 12(b) and 12(f)
of the Act, for discharging highly contaminated wastewater
to the waters of the State.
The Board has considered the application of the requirements
of Section 33(c) of the Act to the facts and circumstances
and finds that the Stipulation is acceptable under Procedural
Rule 331. Respondent Lennon Wall Paper Company shall adhere
to all provisions and terms of the settlement. The Board
further finds that the $3,000.00 penalty is adequate to
aid in the enforcement of the Act.
This Opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact
and conclusions of law in this matter.
—3--
ORDER
1. Respondent, Lennon Wall Paper Company, is found to
have violated Rule 901 of Chapter 3: Water Pollution
Regulations and Sections 12(a), 12(b) and 12(f) of
the Environmental Protection Act on numerous
occasions by discharging contaminated wastewater
to the waters of the State without an NPDES permit.
2. Respondent, Lennon Wall Paper Company, shall
adhere to all provisions and terms of the Settlement
Agreement which is incorporated by reference as if
fully set forth herein.
3. Respondent, Lennon Wall Paper Company, shall pay a
penalty of $3,000.00 within 35 days of this Order.
Payment shall be certified check or money order
payable to:
State of Illinois
Fiscal Services Division
Environmental Protection
Agency
2200 Churchill Road
Springfield, Illinois 62706
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board, hereby certify the above Opi ion and Order
were adopted on the
______________
day of 4JJt.A#w.4~t
l979byavoteof
~
ük&~9m~4i~
Christan L. Moffe’t~jJClerk
Illinois Pollution ~ontrol Board