ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

January

30,

1973

CITY OF TUSCOLA

~72—303

V.

ENVIRONMENTAL

PROTECTION

AGENCY

THOMAS

A.

CENGEL,

ASST.

ATTORNEY

GENEPJ\L,

APPEARED

ON

BEHALF

OF

ENVIRONMENTAL

PROTECTION

AGENCY

ARMIN

C.

BAER

APPEARED

ON

BEHALF

OF

CITY

OF

TUSCOLA

OPINION

AND

ORDER

OF

THE

BOARD

~BY

SAMUEL

T.

LZth7TON,

JR.):

Petition

for

variance

was

filed

by

the

City

of

Tuscola

requesting

an

extension

until

June

of

1974

to

comDly

with

Rule

405

of

Chapter

3

(Water

Regulations)

providing

that

no

effluent

shall

exceed

400

fecal

coliforms

cer

100 mg/l after July

31,

1972.

The petition recites

that the City onerates

two

sewage treatment plants referred to as

the :~orthand South Plants,

respectively.

The North Plant provides

secondary treatment through utilization

of an Imhoff Tank,Trickling

Filter

and. final clarifier.

Sludge

is placed on drying

beds and

then

hauled

to

a

landfill.

It

is

contemplated

that

the

North

Plant

~:ii1

aeancloned and all

flow presently

treated

at

this

plant

will

be

cn~ned

to

the

South

Plant,

which

is

to

he

expanded.

The

South

Plant provides secondary treatment through utilization

of

a or:nar~ settling

tank,

two

aeration

tanks and

two final ciarifiers.

Sludge

retained

in an

aerated

holding

tank

is

processed

by

vacuum

filtration

and

then

hauled

to

a

landfill.

It

is

proposed

that

the

South

Plant

be

exoend~d

b~’ the

inclusion

of

an

additional

aeration

tank,

two

additional

final

settling

tanks

and

an

additional

sludge

holding

tank,

to

bring

tie

plant

s

ca~acity

un

to

the

level

reguired

when

the

North

Plant

is

abandoned

and

to

allow

for

future

community

growth.

~1ulti—media

filtration

will

be

added

to

provide

tertiary

treatment

of

the

elant’s

dr~

weather

flows.

Provisions

for

orimary

treatment

of

wet

weather

aynass

flows

and

a

first

flush

retention

basin

are

included.

Chlorination

of all

dry

and

wet

weather

effluents

will

he

orovided

at

all

times.

The

bond

referendum,

engineering

hid

lettine

and

constructeon

schedule

indicate

comeletion

of

the

South

Plant

o~’

~une

of

1974,

which

would

bring

the

Ce ty

‘s

operation

into

compleance

;.‘iorI

all

relevant

regulations.

Tenoorary

chlorination

facil

it:oe

wo

cost

aor;roxinately

S40

,000,

which

would

he

susnended

upon cone

noioe.

of

tie

new

facility.

T:fld~r

the

oroyosed

exoans

ion

of

toe

,

c

~ore~eti~r

~

~eu1d

hecome

~n ine~gra1

part

oc

toe

oo::~

euilbeng

exeanslee.

6

—

651

---

Effluent from~theplants presently flow into the Scattering

Forks and

Elayes Branch Drainage Ditches from which no municipality

obtains

its

water

supply.

The

Scattering Forks Drainage Ditch is

tributary

to

the

Embarrass

River

from

which

the

City

of

Charleston,

30

miles

downstream,

draws

its

water

supply.

The

petition

seeks

to

excuse

the

City

from

comeliance

with

the

dthinfection

time

limits

provided

in

Section

405

(Water

Pollution)

of

Chapter

3

pending

comple-

tion

of

the

South Plant expansion.

The Agency’s recommendation notes

high

focal

coliform

counts

at

the

points

of

discharge

from

both

the

Nort

and South

Plants,

which

diminish

substantially

600

yards

downstream

from

both

plants,

respectively.

Total

estimated cost of the improvement

project

would

be

$1,551,000,

of

which

$70,000

would be expended for

permanent

chlorination

facilities.

The

Agency

confirms the anticipated

cost

figures

for

installation

of

temporary chlorination facilities.

The

absence

of

an

interim

water

quality

management

plan

for

the

Wabash

River

Basin

precludes

the

City’s

eligibility

at

the

present

time

for

Federal

or

State

construction

grants.

The

Agency

recommends

that

the

variance

be

granted.

On

balance,

we

feel

that

the

hardship

on

the

City

in

being

required

to

install interim chlorination facilities

is disproportionate with the

burden on

the

community created

by

suspending the disinfection facil-

ities until the completion

of the South Plant expansion.

We will grant

the

variance for a period of one year and require the City to make

quarterly ronorts on the status of its construction program.

Any

additional variance will require

the

filing of a new petition 90

days

prior

to

the expiration of the present variance granted by our order

herein.

This

opinion

constitutes

the

findings

of

fact

and

conclusions

of

law

of

the

Board.

IT

IS

THE

ORDER

of

the

Pollution

Control

Board:

1.

The City

of Tuscola be granted

a

variance from the

provisions of Rule 405 of Chapter

3, Water Pollution,

until January

30,

1974, pending expansion of its South

Plant, subject to completion by June 30,

1974.

Quarterly reports on the progress of its expansion

program shall be made

to the Agency,

the first of which

shall be submitted no later than May

1,

1973.

—2--

6— 652

---

2.

Bond in the amount of $70,000 guaranteeing construction

of the chlorination facilities by June 30,

1974 shall be

posted in form satisfactory to the Agency, which bond

shall also provide for forfeiture

of $10,000 in the event

the

City of Tuscola

is not in compliance with Rule 405

by June 30,

1974.

This variance may be extended

beyond January 30, 1974 upon the filing of a petition and

adequate demonstration that the City

is pursuing its improve-

ment program as provided herein.

Bond shall be filed with

Fiscal Services Division,

Environmental Protection Agency,

2200 Churchill Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62706. within

30 days from the date hereof.

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

certify that the above Opinion and Order was adopted on the

~

day

of January, 1973,

by a vote of

.3

to

cS

.

—3—

6

—

653

---