ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
February 11, 1976
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
)
Complainant,
v.
)
PCB 75—357
JOHN W. HELMS,
)
Respondent.
Ms. Mary C. Schlott, Assistant Attorney General, Attorney for
Complainant
Mr. John W. Helms, Pro Se
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Young):
This case arises out of a Complaint filed by the Environ-
mental Protection Agency (Agency) on September 11, 1975, alleging
that Respondent Helms has operated from July 27, 1974 until the
date of the filing of the Complaint a solid waste management
site in Lee County without an operating permit issued by the
Agency in violation of Rule 202(b) (1) of the Board’s Solid Waste
Regulations (Regulations) and in violation of Section 21(b) and
Section 21(e) of the Environmental Protection Act (Act). Hearing
was held on December 3, 1975, in Ashton, Illinois, at which time
a Stipulation and Proposal for Settlement (Stipulation) was
entered into by the parties.
Respondent Helms purchased said parcel of land, a former
quarry, with the intention of filling said quarry so that it
could be built upon later. The requirement for an operating
permit was noted by the Agency in a series of ten letters sent
to Respondent beginning August 20, 1973 through February 5, 1975.
In a letter dated April 6, 1974, Respondent stated that he was
attempting to limit materials dumped in the quarry to demolition
debris with low pollutant properties. By return mail, the Agency
sent Respondent a permit application to Develop and/or Operate a
Solid Waste Management Site for Heterogeneous Construction and
Demolition Wastes. The application was never filed with the
Agency.
Respondent admits he has never applied for nor received any
permits from the Agency for the operation of his refuse disposal
site. Respondent further admits that the exhibits are a true and
accurate representation of conditions at the site.
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The Stipulation provides that Respondent shall pay $100.00
as a penalty for the violations found to exist by the Board.
It also provides that Respondent shall cease and desist from
operating a refuse disposal site unless and until he has obtained
either the requisite permit or has been granted a variance by
the Board.
On the basis of the above facts and the Stipulation, which
constitutes the entire record in this case, we find that Respondent
Helms did violate Rule 202 (b) (1) of the Regulations and Section
21(e) of the Act from July 27, 1974 until September 11, 1975, in
the operation of his refuse disposal site. We further find that
the stipulated settlement of $100.00 constitutes a reasonable
penalty for these violations.
That portion of the Complaint alleging violation of Section
21(b) must be dismissed. Section 21(b) reads:
(No person shall) Cause or allow the open
dumping of any other refuse in violation
of regulations adopted ~ the Board.
Emphasis addedj
Thus, an indispensable element of a charge alleging violation of
Section 21(b) is the element setting forth the specific regulation
allegedly violated. This regulation must relate to the manner or
method in which the disposal site is operated. Since no regulatory
violations were alleged in the charge excepting the permit violation,
the Complaint is therefore defective as it concerns the alleged
Section 21(b) violation. As was held in E & E Hauling, PCB 74-473,
16 PCB 215 (1975), a Section 21(b) open dumping charge is not
properly based on an operating permit violation.
This Opinion constitutes the findings of fact and conclusions
of law of the Board in this matter.
ORDER
IT IS THE ORDER OF THE BOARD that:
1. Respondent Helms is found to have operated his refuse
disposal site in violation of Rule 202(b) (1) of the Board’s Solid
Waste Regulations and Section 21(e) of the Environmental Protection
Act and shall pay a penalty of $100.00 for such violations. Penalty
payment by certified check or money order payable to the State of
Illinois shall be made within 35 days of this Order to: Fiscal
Services Division, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, 2200
Churchill Road, Springfield, Illinois, 62706.
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—3—
2. Respondent Helms shall cease and desist from operating
the refuse disposal site unless and until he has first obtained
the requisite permit from the Agency or has been granted a
variance from the Board.
3. The portion of the Complaint alleging violation of
Section 21(b) of the Act is dismissed.
I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board, hereby certify the a ove Opinion and Order were
adopted on the
JL~’
day of
,
1976
by a vote of
~
Christan L. Moffet Clerk
Illinois Pollution ontrol Board
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