ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

#R70-5:

MERCURY REGULATIONS

(As Adopted, March 31,

1971)

PREAMBLE

Mercury is

a

toxic substance which has only been recog-

nized

as

an

environmental

hazard

in

the

United

States since

March

of

1970.

Mercury

poisoning

can

cause

death

or

severe

damage

to the nervous system or to the kidneys.

It

is cumu-

lative

in the body

and

a portion

of ingested mercury

seeks

the

brain.

No

standard

srecifically

relating

to mercury presently

~

It

is

the

objective

of

the

Pollution

Control

Board

that

no

emissions

increase

the

background

level

or

tao

recei-

ving

waters,

The

proposed

standard

is

set

at

what

appears

to

be

the

background

level

of

mercury

in

Lake

Michigan

and

at

10

of

the

U.S.

Public

Health

Service

tentative

standard

for

mercury

in

drinking

water.

Special

provision

has

been

macic

for

certain

small

dis-

charges

to

the

sewers.

1.

Water

Quality_Standard.

Existing

Board

Regulations

specifying

water

quality

standards

for

all

the

waters

of

Illinois

(SWB—7

through

SWB—l5)

are

here-

by

amended

to

provide

that

the

concentration

of

nier—

cury

and/or

any

of

itc

compounds

shall

not

exceed

0.0005

mg/l

as

Hg.

at

any

time,

in

any

sector

of

any

stream

or

lake,

or

in

groundwater.

Mercury

is

hereby

designated

as

a

heavy

metal,

and

existing

standards

applicable

to

total

quantities

of

heavy

metals

shall

include

mercury

and

its

compounds.

2.

Effluent

Standard.

(a)

Except

as

provided

in

sub—

~r~5~s(b

and

(c)

of

this

raragraph,

no

efflu-

ent

to

the

waters

of

Illinois

Or

to

a

public

sewer

system

shall

include

1—425

---

mercury or

any

of its

compounds in excess of 0.0005

mg/I

as Hg.

at any time,

unless

it

can

be

shown that the Mercury

concentration of the

effluent is

no greater thn

that

of the water used

as a

source of supply.

Dilution of

effluents shall

not be

an acceptable

alternative to

treatment.

Where water is

added to a

stream of waste

water

and

cannot reasonably

be

physically

separated,

then

its

quantity shall be

measured and effluent

concentrations

recomputed to exclude

its

diluting effect.

(b)

Prior

to

.Tijne

1,

1974

the discharge of

mercury

shall

be eiempt

from the limitations of subparagraph

(a) of

this

paragraph If it meets

all the following

conditions:

Ci)

The total

plant discharge

totals

less

than

five pounds as hg

in

any year.

(ii)

The

discharge is

to

a

public

sewer served

by a

no less.than

25, 000 population equivalents;

(iii)

The

discharge

does

not alone,

or

in

conjunction

*ith other

sources,

cauac the cfflucnt from

the

sewage treatment

plant

to

exceed the

limitations of

subparagraph

(a) of

this

para-

graph;

and

(iv)

At least

95

of the

mercury that would be

discharged

in the absence of control is

removed from the

effluent

by

December 1,

1971.

Cv)

Prom

and after

June

1,

1974

the exemptions

provided

in this

subsection

terminate.

(c)

The

discharge of wastes

from

medicinal or

therapeutic use of mercury,

exclusive of laboratory

use,

shall

be

exempt from

the limitations

Qf

subparagraphs (a)

and

(b) of this paragraph if all the

following

conditions

are

met:

Ci)

The total

plant discharge is less

than one

half

pound

as Hg

in

any year;

1—421

---

(jJ)

rfhe

discharge

is

to

a

public

sewer

system;

and

(iii)

The

discharge

does

not,

alone

or

in

conlunction

with

other

sources,

cause

the

effluent

from

the

sewer

system

or

treatment

plant

to

exceed

the

limitations

of

subparagranh

(a)

of this

paragraph.

(d)

No

discharge

of

mercury

shall

be

permitted

which,

alone

or

in

combination

with

other

sources,

causes

a violation

of

the

water

quality

standard

in

paragraph

1

of this

regulation.

3.

Solid

Wastes,

All

sludge

and

residue containing

mercury

or

any

of

its

compounds

shall

bc

reclaimed

and

recycled

whenever

reasonably

feasible,

and

in

other

cases

shall

be

disposed

of

so

as

to

minimize

to the

greatest

feasible

extent

all

hazards

of

air

or

water

pollution

or

other

environmental

contamina-

tion.

4,

Reporlino.

Every

one son

within

this

St tao

who utilizes

m~reiirv or

nov

of

its

en mpountts

in

exee ss

of

15

pounds

per year as

Jig,

or

who

discharges

mercury

or

its

corn—

pouhds

into

waters

of

the

Slate

or

into

any

sewer

so stem,

shall

file

with

the

Environment

al:

Prote

caion

Agency,

on or

before

June

1,

1971,

andttnniitdll

thereafter,

a report

setting

forth

the

Itatu~’e

of the

enterprise;

a list,

by

type

and by

quantity,

of

mercury

products

and

mercury

derivatives

procuced,

use a

in,

and

incidental

to its

proces sos,

including

Lv —arodnets

and

waste

products;

the

estimated

concentrations

and

annual

total

number

of

pounds

of mercury

that

wiL

be

discharceJ

into

the

waters

of

the

State

or

to

any

sewer

system;

and

what

measures

are

taken

or

proposed

to be

taken

to

mince

or

to

eliminate

such

discharges.

5.

Testing.

All tesling

pursuant

tothe

reculations

herein

provided

shall

be

Lv

means

of

the

Tentative

liethed

for

Mercury

(Flanieless

Atom~c

Absorption

Procedure)

as

issued

by

the

Analytical

Qualit

Coat eel

Lahoc’ at ory

of

the

Federal

Water

Quality

Administration

en

September,

1970

or Lv

the

neutron activation method.

6.

Efk

va.

,

Ay~das

cacificailo

~v’ovicied

in

Sections

4

ana

ii

\

)

ang ci at A: ~s,

the

t

guire

as

of

these

regulations

shall

he

met

within

ten

days

after

filing

with the

Secretary

of

State,

1

—

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