ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    December 16, 1976
    MENDON COMMUNITY UNIT
    SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 4
    (Greenfield Elementary School)
    Petitioner,
    v.
    )
    PCB 76—231
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
    Respondent,
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Dumelle):
    This case comes before the Board on a Petition for Variance
    filed on September14, 1976 by the Mendon Community School District
    No. 4 for the Greenfield Elementary School located approximately
    two miles north of Ursa, Adams County, Illinois. The District
    requests variance from the BOD5 and suspended solids standards in
    Water Pollution Regulation 404(f) until such time as it is able to
    connect the School’s sewage effluent onto a sewage treatment plant
    to be constructed by the Village of Ursa. Ursa presently is in
    the Step I phase of grant application for such facilities and
    it is anticipated that only Step II funds will be available with
    the present appropriated funds. It thus appears uncertain as to
    whether the plant would be completed by December 31, 1977, which
    is the District’s proposed compliance date. On November 12, 1976,
    the Agency submitted its Recommendation to the Board.
    No hearing was held in this matter.
    The Petition states that the two principal alternatives for
    the correct:ion of the prob ems assoc~
    ~i
    1
    (‘(1
    Wi
    th t h’ ~choo1
    ‘s present
    package activaLed sludge plant are to either hook onto the prospective
    Ursa plant or to construct a ~aqoon type wastewater treatment
    facility to serve the school. The School generates approximately
    4,000 gallons per day of domestic sewage. The Petitioner states
    that it is highly desirable that the package plant be removed both
    because of its age (15 years) and repeated subjection to mechanical
    breakdown. The best solution it feels to this situation would be
    the construction of a force main and lift station to allow a hook—on
    to a larger sewage treatment plant. The District, in Exhibit “E”
    to its Petition estimates the cost to be $66,000 compared to $101,000
    24
    —
    437
    for the construction of a lagoon system. However, the Board has no
    assurance that the proposed Ursa plant will be completed anywhere near
    the projected December 31, 1977 date. Design work is yet to be funded
    and completed and additional funding is necessary for the construction.
    It is thus necessary to insure that the District make every reasonable
    improvement in its present system. Exhibit “G” is a letter from the
    Agency, dated July 1, 1976, suggesting a short-term program for improving
    the School’s effluent. In paragraph 11 of its Petition, the District
    states that it has “substantially” complied with that program.
    Even so, the Agency has seen fit to ask in its Recommendation that
    further interim requirements be considered and/or imposed by July 31,
    1977.
    According to the Agency’s Recommendation, the discharge is only
    1—3 gpm. Bear Creek, which eventually receives this flow, has an
    average annual flow of 90,000 qpm. Thus the discharge appears to
    be de minimus but no information is given as to any odors, etc.
    emanating from the unnamed tributary.
    On November 30, 1976 the District filed a Response to the
    Agency Recommendation. It stated that the cost of adding reliable
    aeration equipment, an intermittent sand filter and disinfection
    equipment would be $25,600. The District also pointed out that it
    is now operating on a deficit basis and has been required to curtail
    needed educational programs and other servic
    It has a tax
    referendum scheduled in December 1976 to pro”iide needed funds.
    On December 9, 1976 the Petitioner f)J~dan Additional Response
    with the Board and stated that the Deç~rc~er4, 1976 tax increase proposa~
    had been defeated.
    The Board is required to ~‘étermine whether an arbitrary and
    unreasonable hardship will ex/st if the variance is not granted.
    On balance we feel that a v~Ørianceis justified. The District has
    shown good faith in complyi/ng with earlier Acency requests to up-
    grade its treatment faci1i,~y. The discharge is extremely small in
    volume and the Agency its,élf terms its effect upon Bear Creek to
    be “quite minimal”.
    Lastly, the financial plight of the District
    has been shown. If funds/are available in early 1977 then there is
    a bare possihii ty
    that/the
    Ursa proji~rtmay be completrcl by
    E)r~rrnh’r I,
    1’)77.
    I~sir~dI av~r5 I ~
    1 lutinal
    !~ri
    of
    sini
    I I wasle
    I teat
    rflt’flt
    ~I anl s
    WItt?~’t~
    t’V.’r c~iidi LiOns
    make this pu~~ibit.’
    This Opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact and
    conclusions of law.
    4~
    —438
    —3—
    ORDER
    The Petitioner, Mendon Community Unit
    School District No. 4
    is granted variance from Rule 404 (f) of the Water Pollution Regula-
    tions until December 31, 1977 as regards the (Theenfield Elementary
    School sewage treatment plant.
    The School District shall adequately maintain and operate
    the subject treatment plant to minimize breakdowns and poor effluent
    quality.
    IT IS SO ORDERED.
    I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
    Board, hereby certify the above Opinion and Qrder were adopted on the
    L94”
    day of December, 1976 by a vote of $~Q
    Christan L. Moffe
    lerk
    Illinois Pollution ntrol Board
    24—439

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