ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

August

7, 1975

GALESBtJRG

SANITARY

DISTRICT,

Petitioner,

v.

)

PCB 75—148

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,

)

Respondent.

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD

(by Mr.

Duinelle):

Petitioner requested a variance until May 1,

1980 from

the ammonia nitrogen standard found in Rule 203(f)

of the

Water Pollution Regulations on April

4,

1975.

On May

12,

1975 in response to a Board Order, Petitioner amended its

variance petition.

The requested variance

is for an extension

of

a previously granted variance

(Galesburg v.

EPA, PCB 73-

86,

8 PCB 279

(Jure

14,

1973)

as extended Galesburg

v.

EPA,

PCB 74-98,

12 PCB 485

(June

6,

1974)).

The Environmental

Protection Agency

(Agency) recommended that the variance be

granted until June 30, 1976.

No hearing was held.

Petitioner owns and operates the sewer system and two

treatment plants serving the City of Galesburg.

The majority

of sewer system is ccmprised of separate storm and sanitary

sewers although combined sewers serve certain areas.

The

main treatment plant which is the subject of this variance

petition provides secondary treatment by means of trickling

filters.

Chlorin~itedeffluent is discharged to Cedar Fork

Creek,

an intermittent stream, tributary to the Henderson

River,

tributary to the Mississippi River.

The Agency alleges that Cedar Fork Creek has been

degraded because of sewage bypassing at

42 overflow manholes

in the Railroad Creek intercepter and central collector

system.

Sludge deposLts and septic odors are reported in

Cedar Fork Creek.

18_ 314

---

These bypass~Sare attributed to excessive inflow,

infiltration,

and overflows from the combined sewers.

Although Petitioner has expended $3,000,000

to separate

storm drainage anâ $7,000,000 on the treatment plant since

1970, excessive flews remain in the sanitary sewer system.

A sewer systems analysis has been performed to identify

infiltration and inflow problem areas.

Following this

a

feasibility determination will be carried out on reducing

the inflow and treating the combined flows.

Because CedE~rFork Creek upstream from Petitioner’s

treatment plant discharge has

a 7-day 10-year low flow of

zero, Petitioner must. comply with the water quality standard

for ammonia which is 1.5 mg/l

(Rule 203(f)).

Effluent

ammonia levels average 3.7 mg/l with a range of 0.7 mg/l to

9.4 mg/l.

Waste water

flows fluctuate greatly because of

the problems outlined, above.

The Agency statE~sthat Petitioner may require a

“full-

scale second stage activated sludge nitrification facility”.

Petitioner has undertaken a pilot study research program.

This program will study nitrogen removal at higher ammonia

concentrations thin now entering Petitioner’s treatment

plant.

These higher levels will result once Petitioner has

completed the upgrading of its sewer system which

is scheduled

for September 1,

1991.

Petitioner was issued an NPDES permit on December 30,

1974 by the United State Environmental Protection Agency.

This permit required Petitioner to comply with the ammonia

standards of Rule 203(f) on January

1,

1975,

unless a further

variance from Rule 203(f) was obtained.

In the previous variance we thought that the NPDES

program would be transferred to Illinois by the end of 1974

so that the Agency could issue Petitioner a permit beyond

the existing deadlines. The transfer of the NPDES program

has not taken place.

We conditioned any future variance

upon the submittal of a tenative schedule of construction

and the results of

a pilot study

(Galesburg

12 PCB 485,487).

Petitioner has obtained an NPDES permit from the

U.S. EPA and has subnutted the results of the pilot study

and

a tentative sche~1u1eof construction.

In addition,

Petitioner has made substantial attempts to abate the water

pollution problems resulting from overflows and its effluent.

Therefore,

we find that Petitioner should be granted a

variance from Rule 203(f)

as

it pertains to

ammonia.

However, we feel that a five year variance is too

18—

315

---

long.

We recognize the problems

faced by Petitioner in

complying with coiistruct±ongrant requirements, and feel

that all those c~rnnectedwith the problem should try to

expedite their roles

in abating this problem.

According to

Petitioner’s schedule of construction the U.S. EPA

and the Agency have been reviewing Petitioner’s Infiltration/Inflow

Analysis Report and Facilities Plan since October of 1974

and February 14,

1975, respectively, with approval anticipated

by August

1,

1975. This has caused a six month delay in the

completion of Petitioner’s Sewer System Inflow Evaluation

Study and Report.

We find that a variance should be granted

from January

1,

1975 until January

1,

1977.

This opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact

and conclusions of law.

ORDER

The Galesburg Sanitary District

is granted a variance

from Rule 203(f)

of the Water Pollution Regulations as it

pertains to ammonia nitrogen from January

1,

1975 until

January

1,

1977 subject to the following:

1)

That Petitioner continue to exercise diligence

in carrying out its program as

submitted

in the amended

variance petition.

2)

That the Petitioner continue to submit quarterly

reports to Manager, Variance Section, Illinois Environmental

Protection Agency,

2200 Churchill Road,

Springfield, Illinois

62706, detailing progress and conclusions

in its pilot plant

research and in all other steps toward completion.

3)

Within 28 days after the date of the Board

Order herein the Petitioner shall execute and forward to the

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Manager, Variance

Section, at the above

address and to the Pollution Control

Board a Standard C3rtification of Acceptance and agreement

to be bound to all terms and conditions of the variance.

The form of said certification shall be as follows:

CERTIFICATION

I

(We),

___________________

having read and fully

understanding the Order of the Illinois Pollution Control Board

in PCB

75-148 hereby accept said Order and agree

to be bound by

all of the terms

and. conditions thereof.

Signed

Title____

Date

____

18— 316

---

IT IS SO ORDERED.

I, Christan L.

Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution

Control Board, her~bycertify the above Opinion and Order were

adopted on the

_________

day of August,

1975 by a vote of

.~‘

to

p

CLJ~7~,77

Christan L.

Moffett./ ~

Illinois Pollution C6~±olBoard