ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

April 24, 1975

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Complainant,

V.

)

PCB

74—326

HAAG

LABOHATORIES,

Respondent.

OPINION

AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by

Mr. Dumelie):

This enforcement actions involves a

complaint

filed by the

Attorney General on

behalf of the Environmental Protection

Agency on September 6, 1974. Haag Laboratories is

charged

with operating a treatment works without an operating permit

from the Agency in violation of Rule 903 (a) of the Pollution

Control Board Regulations,

Chapter 3 (Water Pollution Regula—

tions), and Sections 12 (a) and 12 (b) of the Environmental

Protection Act, A hearing was held on February 3, 1975,

wherein a stipulation

and proposal fo:r settlement were

entered into,

Such stipulation constitutes the entire

record in this case~

Haag owns and operates a chemical manufacturing facility

located in Dixmoor, Cook County, I:Liinois, engaged in the

manufacture of detergent intermediates

and a finished shampoo

product,

Its facility includes a neutralization

treatment

tank of 12,000 gallon capacity with automatic pH adjustment,

having connections for discharge into a municipal sewer

‘system tributary to the Metropolitan Sanitary District, of

Greater Chicago

-

Calumet Sewage Treatment Plant,

Wastewater

containing hydrochloric

acid

is discharged to the treatment

plant as a by-product of

the reaction of chiorosulfonic acid

and lauryl alcohol to produce lauryl sulfate.

Miscellaneous

plant wastes and the run-off from an underground tunnel are

collected

in

underground storage tanks and subsequently are

discharged to the treatment tank. The wastes discharged to

the treatment tanks are neutralized

with

aqueous sodium

hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide, forming aqueous salt solutions

which are discharged to the aforesaid sewer system at approximately

neutral pH.

16—435

---

—2—

Haag commenced operating the treatment works in August

of 1973 and continued the operation of such treatment works

up to the filing of the complaint on September 6, 1974. The

discharge to the municipal sewer system was at all times

approved by the Metropolitan Sanitary District, from which a

permit had been obtained. Haag was under the impression

that such approval and permit satisfied all requirements for

the treatment and discharge to the sewer system. Soon

after the filing of the complaint, Haag submitted a permit

application to the Agency on October 17, 1974. A permit was

issued on December 23, 1974. Haag admits having operating

the treatment works from August, 1973 to September 6, 1974

without an operating permit issued by the Agency. We find

that this stipulation is adequate to warrant finding Haag in

violation as alleged

in

the complaint.

By way of mitigation the stipulation further provides

that in another matter under investigation by the Agency,

not the subject of a complaint before the Board, involving a

water pollution problem of indeterminate origin, Haag is

cooperating in the clean up of a ditch or creek flowing

through its property at a cost in excess of $15,000.

Haag further stipulated that it agreed to pay, immediately

upon receipt of this

Order,

a

penalty of

$500

in

full settlement

of the causes of action alleged in the complaint and occurring

prior to the date of the stipulation. We accept the terms

of this settlement in full.

This Opinion constitutes the Board~s findings of fact

and conclusion of law.

ORDER

Haag Laboratories, Inc. is ordered to pay, upon receipt

of this

Order, the penalty of $500 for the violations of

Rule 903(a) and Sections 12(a) and 12(b) found herein.

Penalty payment by certified check or money order payable to

the State of Illinois shall be

made

to: Fiscal Services

Division, Environmental Protection Agency, 2200 Churchill

Road, Springfield, Illinois 62706.

I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control

Board, ~~terebycertify the above Opinion and OFder was adopted on

the

~4I”

day of April, 1975 by a vote of ~

oJ~~

ChristanL.

4~

Motfe

r~j~

k

~jClerk

Illinois Pol1utioi~/~”ontrolBoard