ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
June 30, 1983
TEXACO U.S.A., a division
)
of TEXACO, INC.,
)
Petitioner,
PCB 83-80
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
)
PROTECTION AGENCY,
)
)
Respondent.
OPINION AND
ORDER
OF THE BOARD (by W,J. Nega):
This provisional variance request comes before the Board upon
the June 30, 1983 Recommendation of the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency (Agency). The Agency recommends that the Board
grant Texaco U.S.A (Texaco) a provisional variance from~35 Ill. Adm.
Code 304.120(b) for a period of 20 days to
be
retroactive
beginning on June 27, 1983 to allow the discharge of wastewater
from its Lawrenceville, Illinois refinery should it become necessary
during maintenance dredging of its primary and final settling
basins.
Texaco’s Lawrenceville refinery, which is rated at a capacity
of 91,000 barrels per day, produces gasoline, liquified petroleum
gas, fuel oils, sulfur, asphalt products, and middle distillates.
Texaco operates an aerated lagoon facility for treatment
of
its
refining process water and storm water,. (See: Exhibit A).
To control in-plant waste, Texaco utilizes sour water str~pping,
neutralization of acid and caustic waste, and reuses it~waste
oil. Process wastewaters and domestic sewage discharges are treated
in the Petitioner’s wastewater treatment system which has an
average design flow of 3.6 million gallons per day. This treatment
system includes API separators, a primary settling basin, equalization
and aeration basins, and final settling basins. Additionally,
Texaco has an off-test storage basin with an 18 million gallon
capacity and a
storm
water basin with a 12 million gallon
capacity to provide storage for effluent which does not meet NPDES
Permit limitations or wastewater resulting from in-plant spills
or other similar occurrences. Final effluent may be routed to
either the storage basin or the storm water basin and then returned
to the wastewater treatment plant for ultimate discharge into the
Embarrass River.
52.493
—2—
To prevent deterioration of its effluent, the Petitioner plans
to spend approximately $100,000.00 to perform maintenance dredging
of sludge material from its primary settling basin (which has
a surface area of 66,500 square feet and is 10 feet deep) and
its south final settling basin (which has a surface area of 33,700
square feet and is 10 feet deep.) Texaco’s north final settling
basin is not currently being used. During its dredging operations,
Texaco plans to divert all wastewater, after receiving treatment
in the aeration basin, to a low area contained by dikes (i.e.,
a “flare area~), This wastewater will be discharged to the off—test
storage basin and/or storm water basin after settling is provided
in the flare area, The off-test basins will provide the requisite
10 to 12 day storage capacity until the water can be returned ~o the
wastewater treatment plant for complete treatment,
According to Texaco~sestimates, the dredging operations will
be completed in approximately 10 to 12 days, However, if heavy
rainfall occurs during this time period or if wet weather is
encountered, it i~possible that the storage capacity of the off-
test storage and storm water basins may he exceeded before
dredging is completed. In such a situation, a wastewater
discharge containing suspended solids in excess of Texaco’s
NPDES Permit limit of 25 mg/I could occur. Additionally, the
Petitioner anticipates suspended solids excursions for a short
period of time after dredging operations have been completed
and the wastewater treatment facility placed back into complete
service. Accordingly, Texaco has requested a provisional
variance for a period of 20 days.
The Agency has noted that the discharge of wastewater with
suspended solids in excess of the limits set forth in Texaco’s
NPDES Permit for, at most, 20 days would not cause any significant
adverse environmental impact to the Embarrass River. Moreover, the
Agency has stated that “Texaco appears to have taken every reasonable
step to reduce the likelihood of discharginq whi:Le dredgir~g
and by completing the dredging operations future excursions of
NPDES permit limitations can be reduced or eliminated.” (Rec. 3).
The Agency has concluded that compliance on a short—term
basis with the total suspended solids limitation of 35 Ill. Adm.
Code 304.120(b) would impose an arbitrary or unreasonable hardship.
It, therefore, recommends that the Board grant Texaco a variance from
Section 304,120(b) for a period of 20 days to be retroactive
beginning on June 27, 1983, subject to certain conditions.
Pursuant to Section 35(b) of the Illinois Environmental
Protection Act, the Board hereby grants the provisional variance
as recommended.
52-494
ORDER
Texaco U.S.A. is hereby granted a provisional variance
from the total suspended solids limitation of 35 Ill. Adm. Code
304.120(b) for a period of 20 days to be retroactive beginning
on June 27, 1983, subject to the following conditions:
1) Texaco shall report any discharge during dredging to
Robert E. Broms, Manager, Compliance Assurance Section,
Division of Water Pollution Control (2i7/782—9720)~
2) Texaco shall sample any discharge during dredging
pursuant to its NPDES Permit and submit the results by
July 25, 1983, to Robert E. Broms;
3) Texaco shall sample and report its effluent after dredging
pursuant to its NPDES Permit, No. 1L004219;
4) Texaco shall properly dispose of the dredged sludge;
5) Texaco shall return all water in its off—test/storm
water basin to the wastewater treatment plant for complete
treatment.
6) Within 10 days of the date of the Board’s Order,
Texaco shall execute a Certificate of Acceptance and
Agreement which shall be sent to: Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency, Division of Water Pollution Control,
Compliance Assurance Section, 2200 Churchill Road,
Springfield, Illinois 62706. This certification shall
have the following form:
CERTI FICATION
I,
(We)_______________________
____
__________
having read the Order of the Illinois Pollution Control Board in
PCB 83—80 dated June 30, 1983, understand and accept said Order,
realizing that such acceptance renders all terms and conditions
thereto binding and enforceable,
Petitioner
By: Authorized Agent
Title
Date
52-495
—4—
IT IS SO
ORDERED.
Chairman Dumelle and Board Member J. Anderson concurred.
I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk
of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board,
hereby certify that the above Opinion and Order
was adopted on the _________________day of ~
1983 by a vote of
_________________.
~hristan L. Moff*~iQClerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board
52-496