ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    October 16,
    1992
    CITIZENS UTILITIES COMPANY
    OF ILLINOIS,
    )
    Petitioner,
    )
    v.
    )
    PCB 85—140
    )
    (Permit Appeal)
    ILLINOIS
    ENVIRONMENTAL
    )
    PROTECTION
    AGENCY,
    )
    )
    Respondent.
    DANIEL
    J.
    KUCERA,
    CHAPMAN
    AND
    CUTLER,
    APPEARED
    ON
    BEHALF
    OF
    PETITIONER;
    LISA
    E. MORENO, ILLINOIS
    ENVIRONMENTAL
    PROTECTION AGENCY, APPEARED
    ON BEHALF OF RESPONDENT.
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
    (by M. Nardulli):
    This matter comes before the Board upon a remand directive of
    the Illinois Appellate Court,
    Third Judicial District.
    (Citizens
    Utilities Company of Illinois v. Pollution Control Board (3d Dist.
    1990),
    193 Ill. App.
    3d 93,
    549 N.E.2d 920.)
    On January
    5,
    1989,
    prior
    to remand,
    the Board
    upheld the Agency’s
    imposition of
    a
    condition in Citizens Utilities Company of
    Illinois’
    (Citizens)
    NPDES permit for its West Suburban Treatment Plant No.
    2 located in
    Bolingbrook, Will County,
    Illinois.
    On March 9,
    1989, the Board
    denied Citizens’ request for reconsideration noting,
    inter
    alia,
    that it could not consider evidence in a permit appeal which was
    not considered by the Agency
    in rendering its permit decision.
    Citizens’ appealed and the Illinois Appellate Court reversed the
    Board’s holding regarding the scope of review in a permit appeal
    and remanded the case back to the Board for a decision based on the
    new evidence.
    Upon remand, on October 4,
    1990,
    a hearing was held
    in
    Joliet,
    Illinois.
    Neither
    Citizens
    nor
    the
    Illinois
    Environmental Protection Agency (Agency) presented any witnesses.
    Rather,
    the
    parties
    presented
    a
    joint
    stipulation
    with
    seven
    exhibits from the record in In the Matter of: Amendments to 35
    Ill.
    Adm.
    Code Section
    304.30)..
    ExceDtion
    for Ammonia Nitrogen Water
    Quality Violation,
    R88—22.
    BACKGROUND
    The Board will not reiterate all the facts
    of this case as
    those facts are set out in the Board’s
    1989 opinion.
    (Citizens
    Utilities Co.
    v. IEPA (January 5, 1989), PCB 85-140.)
    We note that
    the instant appeal concerns the Agency’s imposition of a condition
    in Citizens’ NPDES permit limiting the amount of ammonia-nitrogen
    in Citizens’ effluent from Plant No.
    2 which discharges into the
    0136-0339

    2
    East Branch of the DuPage River.
    The issue before the Board on
    remand is the
    same as that presented to the Board
    in January of
    1989; whether Citizens has met its burden of establishing that no
    violations
    of the Environmental Protection Act
    (Act)
    and Board
    regulations
    would
    occur
    if
    Citizens’
    NPDES
    permit
    were
    issued
    without the challenged condition.
    (Joliet Sand
    & Gravel v. IEPA
    fist
    ~Dist.~1985j
    ,-163~
    Il1;~App.
    ~
    The
    distinction
    between the instant case and that presented to the
    Board in 1989
    is that, upon the directive of the appellate court,
    the Board has before it evidence which was not considered in its
    prior decision.
    Citizens alleges that this new evidence, coupled
    with the prior record, supports reversal of the Agency’s imposition
    of an effluent limitation for ammonia—nitrogen of 15 mg/l for the
    months
    of April through October and 4.0 mg/i for the months
    of
    November
    through March,
    when downstream daily maximum
    ammonia—
    nitrogen
    concentration
    in
    the. stream
    does
    not meet
    the
    water
    quality standard
    set
    forth
    in
    35
    Iii.
    Adm.
    Code 302.212.
    The
    Agency maintains that a consideration of this new evidence and the
    record prior to remand establishes that Citizens has not shown that
    compliance with the water quality standard can be achieved without
    imposition of the ammonia—nitrogen effluent limitation.
    STATUTORY AND REGULATORY PRAXE
    WORK
    Section 2(b) of the Act sets forth the general purpose of the
    Act which is to establish a unified, state—wide program to restore,
    protect and enhance the quality of the environment.
    (Ill. Rev.
    Stat.
    1989,
    ch.
    111 1/2,
    par. 1002(b).)
    Section 11(b)
    of the Act provides that it is the purpose of Title III of the Act
    governing water pollution to
    “restore,
    maintain and enhance the
    purity
    of
    the waters
    of
    this
    State
    ...
    and
    to assure
    that no
    contaminants
    are
    discharged
    into
    the waters
    of
    the
    State
    without being given the degree of treatment or control necessary to
    prevent pollution
    ...
    .“
    (Ill. Rev.
    Stat. 1989,
    ch. 111 1/2, par.
    1011(b).)
    The Act
    also sets
    forth
    specific provisions governing the
    NPDES program.
    Section 39(b) of the Act (Ill. Rev. Stat.
    1989,
    ch.
    111 1/2,
    par. 1039(b)) provides as follows:
    The Agency may issue NPDES permits exclusively
    under
    this
    Subsection
    for
    the
    discharge of
    contaminants from point sources into navigable
    waters
    ...
    All
    NPDES
    permits
    shall contain those terms
    and conditions,
    including but not limited to
    schedules of compliance, which may be required
    to accomplish the purposes and provisions of
    this Act.
    01 36-03I~O

    3
    The Agency may include, among such conditions,
    effluent
    limitations
    and other
    requirements
    established under this Act, Board regulations,
    the Federal
    Water
    Pollution Control Act
    and regulations pursuant thereto
    Section
    12(a)
    of
    the
    Act
    prohibits
    th~ discharge
    of
    any
    contaminants into the environment that cause or tend to cause water
    pollution,
    either alone or in combination with any other sources,
    or that violate any regulations or standards adopted by the Board.
    (Ill.
    Rev.
    Stat.
    1989,
    ch.
    111
    1/2,
    par.
    1012(a).)
    Similarly,
    Section 304.105 of the Board’s water pollution regulations provides
    that “no effluent shall,
    alone
    or in combination with any other
    sources,
    cause
    a
    violation
    of
    any
    applicable
    water
    quality
    standard.”
    (35
    Ill.
    Adm.
    Code
    304.105.)
    The
    water
    quality
    standard for aimnonia nitrogen
    is
    set forth at
    35
    Ill.
    Adm. Code
    302.212 and establishes the following:
    a)
    Ammonia
    nitrogen
    (as
    N:
    St”et
    number
    00610)
    shall in no case excr
    15 mg/i.
    b)
    If ammonia nitrogen is less Lhan 15 mg/i
    and greater than or
    equal
    to 1.5 mg/i,
    then un-ionized ammonia
    (as N)
    shall not
    exceed 0.04 mg/i.
    Additionally,
    in recognition of the fact that ammonia nitrogen is
    temperature and pH dependent,
    subsection
    (e) of 302.212 sets forth
    the maximum ammonia nitrogen concentrations allowable for certain
    combinations
    of
    pH
    and
    temperature.
    (35
    Ill.
    Adm.
    Code
    302.212(e).)
    At the time the Board
    reached
    its
    first
    decision
    in this
    matter
    on
    January
    5,
    1989,
    the
    following
    “winter
    exemption
    regulation” was in effect1:
    b)
    Section 304.105 shall not apply to Section 302.212
    for
    This “winter exemption regulation” terminated on July 1,
    1991.
    (See, 35 Ill. Adm. Code 304.301, amended in R88—22
    at 13
    Ill. Reg.
    8880,
    eff. May 26, 1989.)
    However, the
    Board will review the Agency’s permit decision in light
    of the regulations in effect at the time the application
    was filed.
    This position is consistent with the Board’s
    duty in
    a
    permit appeal to review the Agency’s permit
    decision and to assess whether the Agency correctly found
    that the condition
    is necessary to achieve compliance
    with the Act and regulations.
    On August 22,
    1985,
    the
    date the Agency issued Citizens’ NPDES permit with the
    contested condition, the 4.0 winter effluent limitation
    was in effect.
    OI36~03~L

    4
    any source during the months
    of November through
    March; except that
    during the months of November
    through
    March
    no
    source
    ...
    shall
    discharge
    an
    effluent
    containing
    a
    concentration
    of
    ammonia-
    nitrogen greater than 4.0
    mg/i
    if the discharge,
    alone
    or
    in
    combination
    with
    other
    discharges,
    causes
    or
    contributes
    to
    a
    violation
    of
    that
    portion of Section 312.212.
    (35 Ill.
    Adin. Code 304.301(b).)
    DISCUSSION
    Citizens’
    first contention is that the Agency does not have
    authority to
    impose the contested condition because the Board’s
    regulations do not require the disputed condition.
    According to
    Citizens,
    Board
    affirmance
    of
    the
    disputed
    condition
    would
    constitute
    an
    improper
    delegation
    of
    the
    Board’s
    rulemaking
    authority to the Agency.
    The Board notes this argument was raised
    in the previous proceeding in this case and was addressed by the
    Board.
    In its prior opinion, the Board noted that Citizens argued
    “that the effluent limitation of 1.5 mg/i for April through October
    is not contained in the Board’s regulations.
    While this statement
    is
    true,
    it
    is not conclusive proof that
    the condition
    is not
    necessary
    ...
    •“
    (PCB 85—140 at 3
    (January
    5,
    1989).)
    The Board
    stated
    that
    the
    condition
    would
    be
    upheld
    unless
    Citizens
    demonstrated that it was unnecessary to ensure compliance with the
    water quality standards.
    (u.)
    Because Citizens has expanded upon
    this argument
    in
    its
    instant brief
    (Cit.
    Brief
    at
    11—12;
    Reply
    Brief at
    2, 4-7), the Board will take this opportunity to address
    this contention in more detail.
    The
    Agency
    relies
    upon
    the
    above—quoted
    statutory
    and
    regulatory language and asserts that the seasonal exemption for
    ammonia nitrogen water quality standards “explicitly establishes
    the wintertime
    ammonia nitrogen effluent standard which
    is the
    source
    of
    the
    ammonia
    nitrogen—related
    condition contested
    by
    Citizens.”
    (Agency Brief at 8
    (emphasis added))
    At the time the Agency rendered its decision on Citizens’
    permit application, the Board’s regulations provided for an ammonia
    nitrogen effluent limit of 4.0 mg/i during the months of November
    through March (“winter exemption”) when the discharge, alone or in
    combination
    with
    another
    source,
    causes
    or
    contributes
    to
    a
    violation of the ammonia-nitrogen water quality standard.
    (35 Ill.
    Adm. Code 304.301.)
    The Board agrees with the Agency that this
    regulation authorizes the Agency to impose the “winter” effluent
    limitation
    as
    a
    condition
    in
    Citizens’
    NPDES
    permit.
    The
    imposition of such a condition in
    a permit where the Board has a
    formally adopted effluent standard does not constitute an improper
    delegation of the Board’s rulemaking authority to the Agency.
    0136-03142

    5
    The
    Board will now address
    Citizens’
    argument
    of
    improper
    delegation
    as
    it
    relates
    to the
    “summertime
    limitation”.
    The
    Agency admits that the Board’s regulations do not set a specific
    “summertime” effluent limitation for ammonia nitrogen.
    However,
    the Agency asserts that Section 304.105, which provides that “no
    effluent shall, alone or in combination with other sources, cause
    a-v4.-olation -of
    -
    any -appiicable--water-qua-iity-stamiard”~am1-Section
    302.2122 setting forth the general ammonia nitrogen water quality
    standard, establish the Agency’s authority for imposing an effluent
    limit which reflects the water quality standard.
    Section 39(a) of the Act mandates that the Agency shall issue
    permits upon proof
    by the applicant that the facility will not
    cause
    a violation of the Act or
    Board regulations.
    (Iii.
    Rev.
    Stat. 1989, ch.
    111 1/2, par. 1039(a).)
    The Board has established
    a temperature and pH dependent water quality standard for ammonia
    nitrogen.
    (35 Iii. Adm. Code 312.212.)
    If the Board were to hold
    that the absence of an ammonia nitrogen effluent standard precludes
    the Agency from imposing such a limitation in an NPDES permit, the
    Agency would not be able to fulfill
    its duty of issuing permits
    only upon proof
    of compliance with the water quality
    standard.
    Therefore,
    the absence
    of an ammonia nitrogen effluent standard
    does not,
    in and of
    itself,
    lead the Board to conclude that the
    Agency has acted beyond its authority.
    We now reach the main issue of whether Citizens has met its
    burden of proving that the contested condition is not necessary to
    establish
    compliance
    with
    the
    Act
    and
    regulations
    (j.~.,
    the
    ammonia nitrogen water quality standard).
    As it did in the prior
    proceeding before remand, Citizens again raises the argument that
    a
    comparison
    of
    the
    “costs
    resulting
    from
    the
    condition
    far
    outweigh its benefits” and,
    therefore, imposition of the condition
    is
    unreasonable.3
    (Cit.
    Brief
    at
    8,
    13—16,
    26—27)
    Citizens
    erroneously
    asserts
    that
    the
    Board
    may
    reverse
    the
    Agency’s
    imposition of a permit condition upon a finding that the condition
    is
    “unreasonable”.
    Citizens relies upon Illinois
    Environmental
    Protection Agency v. Pollution Control Board (1st Dist.
    1983), 118
    Iii.
    App.
    3d
    772,
    780,
    455
    N.E.2d
    188,
    which
    states
    that the
    applicant “must prove
    that the conditibns are not necessary to
    accomplish
    the
    purpose
    of
    the Act
    and therefore
    were
    imposed
    unreasonably.”
    The appellate court is merely reiterating that the
    2
    The Agency apparently cites Section 302.202 incorrectly
    when it intended to cite Section 302.212.
    Citizens’ “cost—benefit argument” assumes that affirmance
    of the imposed condition necessitates the construction of
    a nitrification facility.
    (Cit. Brief at 226—27; Ex. C;
    App.D at 2.)
    As the Board noted in its January opinion,
    the contested condition does mandate the installation of
    such a facility.
    (Board Opinion at 6.)
    0136-03143

    6
    standard the Board applies in reviewing an Agency permit decision
    is whether the permit
    condition is
    necessary to accomplish the
    purposes of the Act and regulations.
    If the Board determines that
    the condition is not necessary to achieve compliance with the Act
    and regulations, it may be said that the condition is unreasonable.
    However, the Board does not conduct a separate inquiry into whether
    the
    ööñdition
    iS
    nrèasonãbl
    ~Therefôre,
    the ~B~ard
    again
    rejects
    any
    arguments
    raised
    by
    Citizen’s
    regarding
    “costs
    and
    benefits”
    and
    “undue
    hardship”
    resulting
    from
    the
    condition
    as
    being irrelevant
    in this permit appeal where the sole inquiry is
    whether the condition is necessary to accomplish the purpose of the
    Act and regulations.
    By its very terms, the condition limiting Citizens’ effluent
    applies only when the downstream daily maximum ammonia nitrogen
    concentration does not meet the water quality standard of 35 Ill.
    Adm.
    Code
    302.2i2.~
    Consequently,
    exceedence
    of
    the
    effluent
    limits
    without
    a
    corresponding violation
    of
    the water
    quality
    standard does not constitute a permit violation.
    Citizens could
    exceed
    the
    contested effluent limitations
    and
    if there
    was no
    violation
    of
    Section
    302.212,
    no
    enforcement
    action
    could
    be
    brought for violating the terms of the NPDES permit.5
    Conversely,
    if Citizens exceeds the effluent limitations and there is also a
    downstream water quality violation, an enforcement action could be
    brought for both violation of the general water quality standard
    and the permit condition.
    Because a Board-adopted effluent standard establishes the 4.0
    “winter” limitation, the Board will analyze the 4.0 and 15 permit
    conditions separately.
    Initially, the Board addresses whether the
    4.0 “winter” ammonia-nitrogen effluent limitation is necessary to
    achieve compliance with the Act and regulations.
    Citizens contends
    that the condition is not necessary to establish compliance with
    the Act and regulations because its effluent, discharged in excess
    of the
    imposed
    limit,
    will not cause
    a violation of the water
    quality standard because all upstream dischargers now nitrify.
    The Agency based this condition on an existing regulation in
    The transcripts of R88-22 introduced by the parties here
    indicate that USEPA no longer accepts NPDES permits with
    effluent limits subject to the provision that they only
    apply when the water quality standard is being violated.
    (Ex. R—3 at 105—07.)
    This
    is inconsistent with the principle of regulating
    water
    quality
    with
    more
    certainty
    and
    simplifying
    enforcement by focusing on the effluent attributable to
    a
    specific discharger
    rather
    than
    the stream quality
    itself.
    (See
    generally,
    In
    the Matter
    of:
    Effluent
    Criteria
    (January
    6,
    1972),
    R70—8
    .)
    0136-031414

    7
    effect at the time it issued Citizens’ NPDES permit.
    (35 Ill. Adm.
    Code 304.301(b).)
    Section 304.105(b),
    in effect at the time the
    permit application was filed, specifically provided for an effluent
    limit of 4.0 mg/i during the months of November through March if
    the
    discharge,
    alone
    or
    in
    combination with other
    discharges,
    causes or contributes toaviolation of the wate q~a1i~ystandard
    in Section 312.212.
    Citizens’ relies on data establishing that all
    upstream
    dischargers
    now
    nitrify
    and
    contends
    that
    the
    4.0
    condition
    is
    unnecessary.
    (Stip.
    par.
    1.)
    However,
    the
    4.0
    effluent limit imposed by the Agency in Citizen’s permit imposes no
    greater
    obligation
    than
    that
    which
    exists
    by
    virtue
    of
    the
    regulation
    itself.
    The
    permit
    condition
    establishing
    the
    4.0
    “winter”
    limitation
    is
    worded
    virtually
    identically
    to
    the
    regulation
    establishing
    this
    as
    a temporary effluent
    standard.
    Both the permit condition and the effluent regulation require
    a
    violation of the water quality standard for the 4.0 effluent limit
    to become effective.
    While the Agency was not required to write
    this limitation
    into Citizens’
    permit to have the 4.0
    effluent
    standard apply to Citizens, doing so is certainly consistent with
    its authority under the Act and Board regulations.
    (Ill.
    Rev.
    Stat.
    1989,
    ch.
    111 1/2, par. 1039(b).)
    Citizens
    is, in essence,
    attempting
    to have this
    effluent
    standard
    declared
    invalid
    as
    applied to Citizens.
    The Board will not review
    a regulation’s
    validity
    in
    a
    permit
    appeal
    where
    the
    Board’s adoption
    of the
    regulation could have challenged by judicial review.
    (Ill.
    Rev.
    Stat.
    1989,
    ch. 111 1/2, par.
    1029.)
    The Board concludes that the
    4.0
    “winter” ammonia—nitrogen effluent condition
    is necessary to
    accomplish the purposes of the Act and regulations.
    (35 Ill. Adm.
    Code 304.301(b).)6
    We now address whether the 1.5 “summer” effluent limitation is
    necessary to achieve compliance with the Act and regulations.
    In
    the
    original
    proceeding,
    Citizens
    relied
    upon
    a
    study
    of
    the
    disputed condition prepared by William P.
    Brink,
    P.E.
    (“Brink’s
    Study”)
    in support
    of
    its
    position
    that the
    condition
    is
    not
    necessary.
    (Ex.
    C;
    Cit.
    Brief App.
    D)
    Applying a mass balance
    methodology
    for ammonia nitrogen, the Brink’s
    Study developed a
    relationship between upstream,
    downstream,
    and effluent ammonia
    nitrogen concentrations.
    (~.
    at
    4.)
    “The downstream ammonia—
    nitrogen
    concentration
    ...
    is
    dependent
    upon
    the
    upstream
    concentration, the effluent concentration for Plant No.
    2 and the
    dilution ratio of upstream flow to plant effluent flow (R=Qu/Qe).”
    (u.)
    The Brink’s Study concluded that the downstream ammonia-
    6
    The Board notes that the proper avenue for seeking relief
    from a Board regulation is through a petition for site-
    specific relief
    (Ill. Rev.
    Stat. 1989,
    ch. 111 1/2, par.
    1027;
    35 Ill.
    Adm.
    Code 102.140), an adjusted standard
    (Ill.
    Rev.
    Stat.
    1989,
    ch.
    111 1/2, par.
    1028.1), or a
    variance (Ill. Rev.
    Stat.
    1989,
    ch.
    111 1/2,
    par.
    1035;
    35
    Ill.
    Adin.
    Code 104.120).
    0136-03k5

    8
    nitrogen concentration will always be less than that allowed by the
    water quality standard whenever the upstream concentration is 1.0
    mg/i or less.
    (~.
    at 5.)
    The Agency responded that the Brink’s
    Study
    failed
    to address the possible worst—case scenario of all
    upstream plants
    discharging effluent of 4.0 mg/i as allowed by
    their permits.
    The Board,
    in its January
    5,
    1989 opinion, agreed
    with
    -the—Agency -and—concluded
    -that- Citizens failed to~refuteth±s
    worst—case
    scenario or establish that the water quality standard
    could be met without adhering to the condition.
    Citizens contends that, due to the appellate court’s remand of
    this
    matter
    for
    the
    introduction
    of
    new
    evidence
    and
    the
    corresponding passage of time, the evidence submitted upon remand
    establishes
    that
    the
    Brink’s
    Study
    is
    correct
    and
    that
    the
    downstream ammonia—nitrogen concentration will always be less than
    1.5
    mg/i,
    regardless
    of
    the
    season,
    whenever
    the
    upstream
    concentration is 1.0 mg/i or less.
    (Cit.
    Brief at 14—15.)
    As of
    July
    1,
    1988,
    all
    six wastewater treatment
    plants
    upstream
    of
    Citizens’ Plant No.
    2 have completed installation of nitrification
    facilities.
    (Stip. par. 1.)
    From January 1, 1987 through June 30,
    1990,
    Plant
    No.
    2’s
    effluent
    exceeded
    the
    contested
    permit
    condition
    and
    corresponding
    water
    quality
    standard
    on
    three
    occasions.
    (~.
    at par.
    2; Exh. R-1.)
    Having concluded above that
    the Agency’s imposition of the 4.0 effluent limit is proper, the
    Board is concerned at this point only with the propriety of the 1.5
    “summer”
    limitation.
    Hence,
    the Board will look only to those
    excursions from the 1.5 limitation and corresponding water quality
    violations.
    On May 12,
    1988, when the upstream concentration was 1.1 mg/i
    and Citizens’ un-ionized ammonia nitrogen effluent was 2.9 mg/i,
    the downstream ammonia nitrogen concentration was 1.7 mg/i and the
    un—ionized ammonia nitrogen concentration7 was 0.1239 mg/i rather
    than the allowable 0.04 mg/i.
    (Exh. R—1; Agency Brief at 12.)
    On
    April
    18,
    1989,
    Citizens’ effluent was 14.7 mg/i,
    the downstream
    ammonia nitrogen concentration was
    1.55 mg/i and the un—ionized
    concentration
    was
    0.0610
    rather than the
    allowable
    0.04
    mg/i.
    (j~)
    Citizens notes that one of these excursions occurred prior
    to July
    1,
    1988,
    the date upstream plants began nitrifying,
    and
    another occurred when one-half of Plant No.
    2 was out of operation
    for a new aeration system.
    (Stip.
    pars.
    1,
    2;
    Ex.
    R—1.)
    As noted above, the arguments in this case focus more heavily
    on
    the
    4.0
    “winter”
    exemption
    than on
    the
    1.5
    effluent
    limit
    applicable for the remaining months.
    While there
    is no specific
    Section 302.212(b) provides that if ammonia nitrogen is
    less than 15 mg/i and greater than or equal to 1.5 mg/i,
    un—ionized ammonia shall not exceed 0.04 mg/i.
    Section
    302.212(d) sets forth the method of computing un-ionized
    ammonia.
    0136-03146

    9
    explanation of how the Agency arrived at the
    1.5 mg/i effluent
    limit,
    in its prior brief the Agency stated that because Section
    304.301(b) does not apply for the months of April through October,
    the stricter effluent standard of 1.5 mg/i is imposed.
    The Agency
    also relies
    on Section 304.105 which provides that “no effluent
    shall,
    alone
    or
    in
    combination
    with
    other
    sources,
    cause
    a
    viólátlànof
    ány~Iica~bIé
    ~àtè± qU~LttyStaWda~dA~eyBr’ief
    at
    9.)
    An
    examination
    of the water
    quality
    standard provides
    further
    possible
    explanation.
    In
    Section
    312.212(e),
    the
    ammonia-
    nitrogen water quality standard is given as a function of pH and
    temperature.
    The data submitted by Citizens
    (Cit.
    Brief 11/7/90
    App.E)
    indicates
    that
    the
    pH
    is
    above
    8.0.
    Under
    these
    pH
    conditions,
    the water
    quality
    standard
    is
    1.5 mg/i unless
    the
    temperature is lower than 15C (59F).
    The months of April through
    October
    generally
    exceed
    this
    temperature.
    Therefore,
    the
    appropriate water
    quality standard is 1.5.
    Given the testimony
    that, during periods of low flows, the waterway into which Citizens
    discharges
    can
    consist
    almost
    entirely
    of
    sewage
    effluent
    discharge,
    it appears that the Agency has imposed the
    1.5 mg/i
    water quality standard as an effluent limit.
    It
    appears that the evidence submitted
    in the stipulation
    establishes
    that
    Citizens
    exceedence
    of
    the
    contested
    permit
    conditions
    has
    caused
    a
    corresponding water
    quality
    violation.
    Although the May
    12,
    1988 violation occurred before all upstream
    dischargers were nitrifying,
    Citizens concedes that the April 18,
    1989
    violation
    occurred
    when
    part
    of
    the
    plant
    was
    out
    of
    operation.
    The water quality standards are to be complied with at
    all times and while one exceedence may not result in an enforcement
    action,
    the evidence
    indicates
    that the
    1.5
    effluent
    limit
    is
    necessary for compliance with the Act and regulations.
    In reaching
    this conclusion,
    the Board emphasizes that,
    by the very terms of
    the contested condition,
    the effluent limits only apply when the
    downstream ammonia—nitrogen concentration does not meet the water
    quality standard.
    Therefore,
    Citizens’ argument that,
    because all
    upstream dischargers now nitrify, its effluent need not be limited
    in
    order to achieve compliance with the water quality standard
    downstream is somewhat inconsistent with the fact that the effluent
    limits imposed apply only when there is a downstream water quality
    violation.
    ORDER
    For the foregoing reasons, the Board concludes that,
    in light
    of evidence submitted after remand, the Agency’s imposition of a
    4.0 mg/i “winter”
    ammonia-nitrogen effluent limit and
    1.5 mg/i
    effluent limit for the remaining months when the water quality
    The Illinois State Water Survey estimates that 25-30
    of
    the occurrences
    of
    low flow can be expected to occur
    during January and February.
    (Tr.
    12/4/87 at 80-81.)
    0 136-03147

    10
    standard
    downstream is exceeded is necessary to achieve compliance
    with
    the
    Act
    and
    regulations.
    This
    constitutes
    the
    Board’s
    findings
    of
    fact
    and
    conclusions
    of law in this matter.
    IT IS SO ORDERED.
    Section 41
    of
    the Environmental Protection Act
    (Ill.
    Rev.
    Stat.
    1991,
    ch.
    111
    1/2,
    par.
    1041)
    provides for the appeal
    of
    final Board orders within 35 days.
    The Rules of the Supreme Court
    of Illinois establish filing requirements.
    (But see also,
    35 Iii.
    Adm.
    Code 101.246, Motions for Reconsideration,
    and Casteneda
    V.
    Illinois
    Human Rights
    Commission
    (1989),
    132
    Iii.
    2d
    304,
    547
    N.E.2d 437.)
    I, Dorothy M.
    Gunn,
    Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
    Board
    hereby certt~~.hat-the above order was adopted on the
    _____
    day of
    ________________,
    1992 by a vote of
    7—
    ~‘
    Dorothy M. ,9~unn, Clerk
    Illinois ~v1lution Control Board
    0136-03148

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