ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    July 12, 1973
    )
    )
    VILLAGE OF CATLIN
    )
    )
    and
    )
    )
    McDOWELL BROS.
    CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
    )
    )
    )
    PCB 73-110
    v.
    )
    )
    )
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    )
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
    (by Mr. Dumelle)
    Petition for variance
    to construct
    a 64-bed sheltered care home
    was filed with the Board on March
    12, 1973 by the Village
    of Catlin
    (pop.
    2300).
    The Village was put under
    a sewer extension and sewer
    connection ban by the Agency on November 25, 1970 because
    the’ sewage
    plant was
    100
    overloaded.
    Two objections were received to the variance.
    The Agency’s
    recommendation filed April
    25, 1973
    is for denial.
    Public hearing was
    held on May
    30,
    1973.
    The proposed shelter care home
    is for ambulatory persons;
    would
    employ 15-25 staff;
    and have construction cost
    of about
    $350,000
    (R.8).
    Construction would take
    13 months and an additional 6-12
    months
    to fill the home
    (R.
    10).
    Additional
    flow would be 6,000 gpd.
    A letter of February 26, 1973 from the Illinois Department of
    Public Health puts
    the need for the Catlin-Danville
    area for sheltered
    beds
    at
    215.
    Testimony by Mayor Clyde
    J.
    Barkman described
    a pending $640,000
    loan ‘from the Farmers Home Administration to construct a new sewage
    treatment plant with necessary sewer lines
    (R.
    34).
    The village
    also
    has
    an Illinois priority rating of 83 for Federal grant
    funds.
    On
    February 16,
    1973 the village purchased the land for the new sewage
    treatment plant.
    A representative
    of the Farmers Home Administration
    testified that the Letter of Intent had been signed by the village on
    May
    7,
    1973 and that the loan would be forthcoming shortly
    (R.
    46).
    The consulting engineer for
    the
    village described the new sewage
    plant
    as being designed for a population equivalent
    of 4000 with the
    capability
    of
    being
    doubled in
    size
    (R.
    59-60).
    He verified the
    -2-
    capacity of the present plant
    as being
    about
    1000 P.E.
    and stated
    that
    a 10,000 gpd package plant for the shelter home would cost
    from $21,000 to $24,000
    (R.
    65).
    The period until operation of the
    new village treatment plant would be 17-19 months
    (R.
    67)
    The Board has received a
    letter dated June 11, 1973 from peti-
    tioner’s attorney stating that the Farmers Home Administration loan
    has been finally cleared.
    Thus
    the 17-19 months until the new plant
    is built are now running.
    On balance, weighing the unrefuted need
    for the shelter care home and the employment and tax revenues
    it
    will bring
    ($7,600 per year,
    R.
    52)
    against six months
    or
    less of
    increased degradation to Butler Creek we grant
    the variance.
    However,
    we point out that the petitioner did not adequately study the effects
    of the additional discharge upon the Creek
    (R.
    68).
    The Agency’s
    recommendation speaks of “sludge deposits and sewage mold”
    in Butler
    Creek due to raw sewage being bypassed at the plant.
    Fecal coliform
    counts recorded are far about the 400/100 ml standard and
    in one
    case was 1,400,000.
    This indicates
    a severe health hazard in Butler
    Creek and
    the public should be so warned by suitable village posting.
    This opinion constitutes the Board’s findings
    of fact and
    conclusions of law.
    ORDER
    1.
    Variance
    is granted to the petitioners to connect
    a 64-bed
    shelter care home to the Catlin sewer system.
    2.
    Butler Creek downstream of the sewage treatment plant
    to
    its
    junction with Salt Fork River shall be posted by the Village
    within 60 days with not less than three signs
    stating “Danger,
    Polluted Stream”.
    The signs shall be maintained in
    a readable
    state until the new sewage plant
    is operating in a manner
    satisfactory to the Agency.
    3.
    The shelter care home shall not have
    its laundry done on-site
    nor shall
    it discharge its garbage
    into the sewer system until
    the Agency has certified to
    it the satisfactory operation of
    the new sewage plant.
    IT IS SO ORDERED.
    I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
    Board, hereby certify the above Opinion and Order were adopted on the
    /.~t~’1
    day of July,
    1973 by a vote of
    ~-~-C
    ~
    ~
    ~
    -
    Christan L. Moffett, Clerk
    Illinois Pollution Control Board
    8
    —
    a~u

    Back to top