ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    July
    31, 1975
    REV. ARTHUR STEVENSON,
    Petitioner,
    vs.
    )
    PCB 75—121
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
    Re~pondent.
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
    (by Mr. Henss):
    Rev. Arthur Stevenson seeks variance from a sewer ban
    imposed by the Po1.iution Control Board
    in League of Women
    Voters vs. North Shcre Sanitary District, PCB 70-7,
    12,
    13
    and 14
    (as modified by North Shore Sanitary District vs. EPA,
    PCB 71-343).
    Relief
    is sought in order
    to connect a single
    family dwelling to the North Shore Sanitary District’s North
    Chicago sewage
    treatrcent plant.
    Petitioner states that he has owned property at 1443
    Elizabeth Avenue *n North Chicago,
    Illinois
    for a number of
    years.
    He has not been able to obtain a building permit for
    this site because cf the sewer ban.
    He is planning on re-
    tiring in the near future and would like to build
    a single
    family dwelling on his property.
    At present, Rev~ Stevenson and his wife reside in aLrented
    apartment in Waukega~i, Illinois.
    Petitioner alleges that he
    will
    riot be able
    to ~tford
    to pay high rent after his retire-
    ment.
    In addition, Petitioner alleges that his current
    residence is inadequate for the following reasons:
    1.
    The apartment is located
    in a neighborhood which
    is run—down ~nd has a high crime rate;
    2.
    The apartment
    is not adequate in size for
    Petitioner’s 1eUuireme~nts;
    3.
    Electrical wiring in the apartment
    is deficient
    and the apartmei~tis so poorly insulated that Petitioner
    is required to utilize his kitchen range for heating
    purposes during the winter months;
    18— 262

    —2—
    4.
    The apartment is located next door to an auto
    body shop which constantly emits
    fumes offensive to
    his lungs, eyes and nose making it impossible for him
    to open windows or utilize his porch.
    The proposed sewer connection would be tributary to the
    North Chicago sewage treatment plant.
    The North Chicago plant
    is
    a secondary treatment facility having a design average flow
    of 3.35 MGD and a maximum flow rate of 7.5 MGD.
    Effluent from
    the North Chicago plant presently discharges into Lake Michigan.
    Effluent from the North Chicago plant does not currently comply
    with the effluent standards of the Water Pollution Control
    Regulations.
    Plans have been made to divert this waste water,
    after primary treatment,
    to the new Gurnee sewage treatment
    plant.
    In a letter dated April
    7,
    1975 John P.
    Kottcamp, Jr.,
    an engineer with the North Shore Sanitary District advised the
    Board that
    “the North Shore Sanitary District sewage treatment
    plant, North Chicago~will be pumping effluent to the new North
    Shore Sanitary Dist’ict sewage treatment plant, Gurnee by
    October 15,
    1975.
    lit
    that time,
    all effluent from the North
    Chicago treatment plant will be pumped to the Gurnee plant and
    will no longer be discharged into Lake Michigan”.
    The Agency believes that the grant of this variance would
    result in little,
    if any, harm to the environment since in all
    probability the Gurnee sewage treatment plant will be on line
    before Rev. Stevenson’s home is completed and ready to be
    occupied.
    The Agency recommends the grant of this variance.
    It
    is the finding of the Pollution Control Board that Rev.
    Stevenson has met tEe statutory requirement for grant of variance.
    Variance will be oranted in order that construction of the single
    family dwelling may begin immediately.
    The variance will
    provide, however,
    that Petitioner may not connect to the sewer
    line until the Gurnee sewage treatment plant is on line.
    ORDER
    It
    is the Order of the Pollution Control Board that Rev.
    Arthur Stevenson is granted variance from the sewer ban imposed
    in League of Women Voters vs. North Shore Sanitary District,
    PCB
    7fl-7,
    12,
    13 and
    14,
    as modified by North Shore Sanitary
    District vs.
    EPA, PCB 71-343,
    for the purpose of connecting a
    single family dwelling at 1443 Elizabeth Avenue, North Chicago,
    Illinois.
    Variance is granted on condition that Rev. Arthur
    Stevenson delay actual connection and use of his sewer facility
    until the Sanitary District has commenced pumping effluent from
    the Notth Chicago treatment plant to the Gurnee plant.
    I,
    Christan
    L.
    Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
    18— 263

    —3—
    Board,
    hereby certify the a ove Opinion and Order was adopted
    the
    3~4~
    day of
    _____________,
    1975 by a vote of
    Christan L. Moffett,
    k
    Illinois Pollution C
    ci Board
    18
    264

    Back to top