ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL
BOARD
August
3,
1978
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
Complainant,
v.
)
PCB 78—75
CITY OF ST. FRANCISVILLE,
Respondent.
MR. REED W.
NEUMAN
APPEARED ON BEHALF OF THE AGENCY;
MR.
C. MICHAEL WITTERS APPEARED ON BEHALF OF RESPONDENT.
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by Mr. Dumelle):
The Environmental Protection Agency filed its complaint
on March 16,
1978 alleging that the City of St. Francisville has
operated its public water supply system without a certified
operator in violation of
§1 of the Public Water Supply Act,
I1l.Rev.Stat.
1975,
Oh.
111—1/2, par.
501.
The complaint also
alleges that the City has failed to submit monthly operating
reports to the Agency in violation of Rule 310 of the Board’s
Regulations, Chapter
6: Public Water Supplies, and in violation
of §19 of the Public Water Supply Act, par.
1019.
A hearing was held on June
6,
1978 at the St. Francisville
County Court House.
Two members of the public were present
along with various city officials.
The City admits the charges
and to receiving notice of these violations as early as February,
1974.
St. Francisville
is a small community
in Lawrence County
with a population of 1,000
people.
Its public water supply
system serves all but one family in the area
(R.l4).
The
City had been plagued for years with an inadequate water supply
system and built well number
7 into
a deeper aquifer
in response
to this need
(R.16).
This well was constructed by volunteer labor
due to the city’s
limited financial resources
(R.19)
In its defense,
the City claims that it has made reasonable
efforts to rectify various problems in its public water system,
and there are now only a few remaining unsolved problems.
Furthermore,
the City has tried repeatedly to obtain the
services of a certified operator.
It has sent three men to
take the certification test,
including the present operator,
31—193
—2—
with 14 years experience, but all to date have failed the test
(R.16).
The City has also considered hiring a certified operator
from outside the area,
but has been unable to obtain an operator
(R.31).
The operating reports have been completed each month
but have not been forwarded~tothe EPA for lack of a certified
operator’ s signature.
The Board appreciates the City’s good faith efforts and
problems in this matter, but these violations have continued for
over four years
(R.l8).
The City has had ample opportunity in
which to comply with the regulations of the Board and the Public
Water Supply Act.
The Board notes that the City has been notified
of these violations by letter from the Agency on at least two
occasions,
on February
7, 1974 and on December 22,
1976.
Under
the circumstances, the Board finds that a penalty of $100.00
is
warranted, and the Board orders the City to cease and desist such
violations within
120 days.
This Opinion constitutes the findings of fact and conclusions
of law of the Board in this matter.
ORDER
It is the Order of the Pollution Control Board that:
1.
The City of St. Francisville has violated §1 of the
Public Water Supply Act, and §19 of the Environmental
Protection Act, Ill.Rev.Stat.
1975,
Ch. 111—1/2,
par. 501 and 1019, respectively, and Rule 310 of the
Board’s Regulations, Chapter
6: Public Water Supplies.
2.
The City of St. Francisville shall cease and desist
all violations within 120 days of this order.
3.
The City of St. Francisville shall pay a penalty of
$100.00 within 45 days of the date of this Order.
Said penalty payment by certified check or money order
shall be made payable, to:
State of Illinois
Fiscal Services Division
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
2200 Churchill Road
Springfield, Illinois 62706
I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board, hereby certify the above Opinion and Order were
adopted on the
~~‘day
of
_______________,
1978 by a vote
of
___________
~
~.
)
.~hri~an
L. Moffett, C1erk~’
33~1~llinoisPollution Control Board