ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

March 15, 1973

)

EAST SIDE LEVEE AND SANITARY DISTRICT

)

a municipal corporation

)

)

)

v.

)

PCB 72-497

)

)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

)

)

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Dumelle)

This is a petition requesting a variance from Rules 404(b) (1),

921(d) and 1002 of the Water Regulations. No hearing was held.

The District owns and operates two sewage treatment plants con-

sisting of primary treatment only. They are located in St. Clair and

Madison Counties on the east side of the Mississippi River. The

Lansdowne Plant is located in the northern part of East St. Louis

and discharges directly into the Mississippi River. The Cahokia Plant

is located south of East St. Louis and discharges into the Cahokia

chute of the Mississippi and is above the river level except during

periods of high water.

The Lansdowne plant services an area between East St. Louis and

Granite City which includes seven municipalities whose population

is around 45,000. About half the load is industrial waste. The

Cahokia plant serves around 21,000 people with no industrial waste.

The District’s consulting engineers have completed the final plans,

drawings and specifications for the construction and operation of

a secondary treatment plant at Cahokia. Those plans have been filed

with the Agency. The final plans for the Lansdowne plant are expected

to be completed around April 1, 1973.

The I)istrict is a participant in the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan

Area Planning Commission (SIMAPC) which is charged with development of

the area’s official water quality management plan. There are alterna-

tive plans for regionalization of the area in which the District is

located. From investigation of those plans it appears that a delay

in construction of the required facilities will occur. A $50,000

study is currently being conducted to determine the feasibility of

treating combined wastes from East St. Louis, Sauget, Lansdowne and

Cahokia. Preliminary results of

the

study have indicated that those

7

—

307

---

combined wastes do appear to be biologically treatable. Under the

regional plan each of the primary treatment plants would be retained

with their effluents being transported to the regional secondary

plant.

As an alternative to a regional secondary system the proposed parti-

cipants would build their own secondary plants. The results of the

SIMAPC study will determine which alternative to take. As to the

relative costs involved, it is estimated that the capital cost of a

regional plant would be $21 million as compared with $29 million total

for separate plants. It is also estimated that over the life of

the regional plant’s operation and maintenance, savings of around

$30 million could be expected over what it would cost to operate

and maintain separate plants.

As we did earlier in the cases of East St. Louis (72-393, October 3,

1972) and Sauget (72-396, 72-407, February 14, 1973) we will grant

this variance from Rule 404(b)(i) for one year. We do expect,

however, that immediately upon learning the results of the SIMAPC

feasibility study the petitioner will take all steps necessary to

follow through on whichever alternative is chosen. The Agency

recommends that we grant a variance from Rules 921(d) and 1002

so that the petitioner can receive permits for the project prior

to approval of their Project Completion Schedule. We find that

under the circumstances it would also be appropriate to grant those

variances.

This opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact and conclusions

of law.

ORDER

A variance of one year, expiring March 15, 1974, is granted to

the petitioner from Rule 404(b)(i) subject to the following conditions:

1. Treatability studies of the wastes in a combined secondary

treatment plant shall be completed and reported to the Agency

no later than May 1, 1973 by the petitioner.

2. The petitioner shall report monthly to the Board and Agency

beginning April 15, 1973 of progress toward establishing a

legally founded regional body with authority to construct and

operate a regional secondary treatment plant. Such regional

body shall be in existence by September 1, 1973,

7 — 308

---

-3-

3. Application for extension of this variance shall be made

at least 90 days previous to the expiration date.

4. Project Completion Schedules for necessary facilities shall

be filed no later than December 31, 1973.

Petitioner is also granted variances from Rules 921(d) and

1002 of the Water Regulations.

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

hereby certify the above Opinion and Order were adopted on the

~

day of March, 1973 by a vote of

~/-o

.

~ffristan L. Moffett,

rv~4JSb

~1,3~rk

Illinois Pollution Co~(frol Board

7

— 309

---