ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
November 15, 1989
IBP, INC.,
Petitioner,
v.
)
PCB 88-98
)
(Permit Appea:L)
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
)
PROTECTION AGENCY,
Respondent.
ORDER OF THE BOARD (by B. Forcade):
This matter comes before the Board upon a motion to
reconsider filed by the petitioner, IBP Inc. (“IBP”), on October
18, 1989. IBP recuests that the Board reconsider its September
13, 1989 Order in this matter which denied IBP’s permit appeal.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (“Agency”) filed a
response to IBP’s motion for reconsideration on November 1, 1989.
In support of its motion for reconsideration, IEP states
that “the record before the Board as submitted by the Agency
adequately establishes that the conditions in the permit issued
by the Agency are not necessary to accomplish the purposes of the
Illinois Environmental Protection Act (“Act”) and therefore were
imposed unreasonably.” However, in addition, IBP makes several
arguments relating to the need for higher permit limitations
because of certain design and operational aspects of its
treatment plant. These latter arguments are inappropriate for a
determination of whether certain total residual chlorine and
ammonia nitrogen limitations are necessary in ISP’s permit to
discharge.
In regard to the permit condition establishing the residual
chlorine concentration limit, ISP asserts that the Agency strayed
from their usual waste load allocation determination process by
placing the burden on ISP to “prove that which the existing
regulations and Agency procedures presumed.” Therefore, ISP
argues, that such a “departure from normal procedures is
unreasonable and clearly not necessary to accomplish the purpose
of the pollution control regulations.”
In regard to the permit condition for an ammonia nitrogen
load limit, ISP argues that “again the Agency ignored its normal
waste load allocation procedures in favor of more restrictive
levels unless an IEP
conducted mixing
zone study ~a
submitted.” IBP asserts that the Agency’s action is “clearly
unreasonable and unnecessary for protection of water quality and
exposes ISP to considerable exposure due to the likelihood of
non—compliance with this permit condition.”
11)5—193
—2—
The Agency responds to IBP’s motion for reconsideration by
requesting that the Board deny IBP’s motion. In arguing that
ISP’s motion for reconsideration should be denied, the Agency
states inter alia that ISP has raised no new evidence and no new
issues in its motion, and that ISP has not made its burden of
proof in demonstrating “a preponderance of the evidence that the
limits set by the Agency are more stringent than is necessary to
assure compliance.”
The Board agrees with the Agency that ISP has not raised any
new evidence or new issues in its motion. Nor has IBP asserted
that the Board erred in its decision of September 13, 1989 or
overlooked facts in the record. IBP has failed to demonstrate
that its permit application as submitted to the Agency
establishes that the facility will not cause a violation of the
Act, absent the contested conditions. ISP’s motion for
reconsideration is hereby denied.
while not required for today’s disposition, the Board makes
several observations. First, 35 Ill. Adm. Code 302.102 states
that the size of the mixing zones shall be determined based on
six criteria, but in no event shall it exceed 25 of the flow of
the stream. All of ISP’s calculations presume, without
justification, the full 25 of stream flow as a mixing zone; any
presumptions, therefore, would appear to be on ISP’s part.
Further, the Board must note that ISP did not contest this same
residual chlorine level when it was in the prior permit, and ISP
appears to have been generally in compliance with it stating only
that it was having “some difficulty” at compliance (Rec.,
000060). Finally, ISP’s assertion that they have demonstrated,
“the resulting residual chlorine level in the stream did not
result in instream toxicity” (Motion for Reconsideration, p.2) is
without support. ISP condLoted no stream sampling, no bioassays,
and provided no information whatsoever on the toxicological
properties of residual chlorine. Nor has ISP provided
calculations to show that absent the contested conditions, ISP’s
discharge would not violate the ammonia nitrogen water quality
standards.
The Board notes that ISP is free to file a new application
with the Agency and demonstrate that such conditions are not
necessary.
Section 41 of the Environmental Protection Act, Ill. Rev.
Stat. 1985, ch. 1114, par. 1041, provides for appeal of final
Orders of the Board within 35 days. The Rules of the Supreme
Court of Illinois establish filing requirements.
IT
IS SO ORDERED
11)5-11)4
—3—
I, Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, hereby certify th the above Order was adopted on
the /5tZ day of _______________________, 1989, by a vote
of 7-
O.
Dorothy M. ,~unn, Clerk
Illinois Po’~lutionControl Board
11)5~i~)5