1
    1
    BEFORE THE ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    2
    3 IN THE MATTER OF:
    4
    5 PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO )
    6 GROUNDWATER QUALITY
    ) R08-18
    7 STANDARDS
    ) (Rulemaking-Public Water
    8 (35 Ill. Adm. Code 620) ) Supplies.)
    9
    10
    11
    12
    13
    REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS had before the ILLINOIS
    14 POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD held on June 18, 2008, at 9:30
    15 o'clock a.m. at the 160 North LaSalle Street, Chicago,
    16 Illinois.
    17
    18
    19
    20
    21
    22
    23
    24

    2
    1 A P P E A R A N C E S:
    2 ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD:
    3 MR. RICHARD MCGILL, Hearing Officer
    4 MR. ANAD RAO, Senior Environmental Scientist
    5 MR. THOMAS JOHNSON, Member
    6 MR. NICOLAS MELAS, Member
    7
    8 ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    9 Assistant Counsel
    10 Division of Legal Counsel
    11 BY: MS. KIMBERLY A. GEVING
    12 MR. RICHARD COBB
    13 DR. THOMAS C. HORNSHAW
    14 1021 North Grand Avenue East
    15 P.O. Box 19276
    16 Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276
    17 (217) 782-5544
    18
    19 ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY GROUP
    20 GENERAL COUNSEL
    21 BY: MR. ALEC M. DAVIS
    22 215 East Adams Street
    23 Springfield, Illinois 62701
    24 (217) 522-5512

    3
    1
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: We'll go on the
    2
    record. I'd like to say good morning to
    3
    everyone, and welcome to you this Illinois
    4
    Pollution Control Board hearing. Today we're
    5
    in Chicago. It's the first hearing for this
    6
    rulemaking. The second one is scheduled for
    7
    July 16th, and that will be in Springfield.
    8
    My name is Richard McGill. I'm the hearing
    9
    officer in this rulemaking which is docketed
    10
    as RO8-18 and is captioned "In The Matter of
    11
    Proposed Amendments To Groundwater Quality
    12
    Standard 35IL.Adm.620. The Board's Part 620
    13
    Groundwater Quality Standard implement
    14
    provisions of both the Environmental
    15
    Protection Act and the Illinois Groundwater
    16
    Protection Act. On February 19, 2008 the
    17
    board received a rulemaking proposal from the
    18
    Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to
    19
    amend these standards. The Agency states
    20
    that the proposed amendments are intended to
    21
    keep the regulations current with science,
    22
    effect and technical advances. On March 20
    23
    the Board accepted the Agency's proposal for
    24
    hearing. On April 11, the Agency filed

    4
    1
    errata sheet number one reflecting amendments
    2
    to its proposal. And on May 29, the Agency
    3
    filed errata sheet number 2, and the
    4
    pre-filed testimony of Richard Cobb and
    5
    Dr. Thomas Hornshaw.
    6
    Also present today on behalf of the
    7
    Board are members Thomas Johnson, the lead
    8
    Board member for this rulemaking, Board
    9
    member Nicolas Melas and from the Board's
    10
    technical unit Anand Rao, and we're also
    11
    joined by the Board's legal intern Katie
    12
    Hindell.
    13
    Today's proceedings are governed by
    14
    the Board's procedural rules. All
    15
    information that is relevant and not
    16
    repetition or privileged will be admitted
    17
    into the record.
    18
    We will begin with the Agency's
    19
    testimony followed by questions that the
    20
    Board or members of the public may have for
    21
    the Agency's witnesses. After that anyone
    22
    else who did not pre-file testimony may
    23
    testify as time permits. Those who testify
    24
    will be sworn in and may be asked questions

    5
    1
    about their testimony. For those who wish to
    2
    testify but who did not pre-file, we have a
    3
    witness sign-up sheet located at the back of
    4
    the room. Toward the conclusion of today's
    5
    hearing we will take up the Board's request
    6
    that the Department of Commerce and Economic
    7
    Opportunity perform an economic impact study
    8
    or ECIS on the rulemaking proposal.
    9
    For our court reporter, I would ask
    10
    that everyone please speak up, not speak too
    11
    quickly or talk over one another so we insure
    12
    a clear transcript for the Board to consider.
    13
    Are there any questions about our procedures
    14
    for today?
    15
    Seeing none, I would ask the court
    16
    reporter to please swear in the Agency's
    17
    witnesses collectively.
    18
    (ALL WITNESSES SWORN)
    19
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: I would ask the
    20
    Agency's attorney Kimberly Geving to begin
    21
    the Agency's presentation.
    22
    MS. GEVING: Good morning. I have two
    23
    witnesses with me today that were just sworn
    24
    in, Rick Cobb and Tom Hornshaw, and they are

    6
    1
    going to be providing summary testimony as
    2
    pre-filed accepted into the record as if
    3
    read. If that's okay with the hearing
    4
    officer.
    5
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: And you have copies
    6
    for me?
    7
    MS. GEVING: I do.
    8
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: I've been handed the
    9
    pre-filed testimony of Richard Cobb and the
    10
    pre-filed testimony of Dr. Hornshaw. And I
    11
    can mark those as Exhibits 1 and 2.
    12
    MS. GEVING: Please.
    13
    (Documents marked as Hearing
    14
    Exhibit Nos. 1 and 2 for
    15
    identification.)
    16
    HE COURT: Is Mr. Cobb testifying
    17
    first?
    18
    MS. GEVING: He is.
    19
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Okay. For the
    20
    record, is there any objection to accepting
    21
    as a hearing exhibit and entering it into the
    22
    record as if read, the pre-filed testimony of
    23
    Richard Cobb? Seeing none, that motion is
    24
    granted. And I have marked as Hearing

    7
    1
    Exhibit 2 the pre-filed testimony of
    2
    Dr. Hornshaw. Is there any objection
    3
    entering this as a hearing exhibit and
    4
    entering pre-filed testimony into the record
    5
    as if read? Seeing none, that motion is also
    6
    granted. So those will be Hearing Exhibits 1
    7
    and 2. You want to take up the errata sheet
    8
    No. 2?
    9
    MS. GEVING: Sure. I was going to show
    10
    them copies of the exhibits to make sure they
    11
    were the true and accurate copies.
    12
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Sure.
    13
    MS. GEVING: Mr. Cobb, I'm going to
    14
    show you a document that's been marked as
    15
    Exhibit No. 1 for the record and if you could
    16
    identify that, please.
    17
    MR. COBB: Yes, this appears to be my
    18
    testimony pre-filed in this matter.
    19
    MS. GEVING: Is it a true and accurate
    20
    copy of what we filed before?
    21
    MR. COBB: Yes.
    22
    MS. GEVING: Dr. Hornshaw, Exhibit
    23
    No. 2 for the record, would you please
    24
    identify that?

    8
    1
    DR. HORNSHAW: This is a copy of my
    2
    pre-filed testimony.
    3
    MS. GEVING: Is it a true and accurate
    4
    copy of what we filed with the Board?
    5
    DR. HORNSHAW: Yes.
    6
    MS. GEVING: Thank you very much. I've
    7
    done a motion to accept that into the record.
    8
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: I'll just jump the
    9
    gun perhaps. I'll just repeat, is there any
    10
    objection to either of these pieces of
    11
    pre-filed testimony being admitted into the
    12
    record as if read and entered as hearing
    13
    exhibits? Seeing no objection, those motions
    14
    are granted.
    15
    MS. GEVING: And seeing as we have also
    16
    filed with the testimony errata sheet No. 2,
    17
    I would like to show that to my witnesses,
    18
    please.
    19
    If the both of you would please
    20
    identify Exhibit No. 3 for the record.
    21
    MR. COBB: Exhibit 3 is an errata sheet
    22
    that shows changes and some of the numerical
    23
    values for some of the proposed Class 1 and
    24
    Class 2 Groundwater Quality Standards. These

    9
    1
    numbers were also reflected in my pre-filed
    2
    testimony.
    3
    MS. GEVING: Is that a true and
    4
    accurate copy of what we filed in court?
    5
    MR. COBB: Yes.
    6
    MS. GEVING: Dr. Hornshaw, do you
    7
    agree?
    8
    DR. HORNSHAW: Yes.
    9
    MS. GEVING: At this time I'll ask that
    10
    the Board accepts Exhibit No. 3 into the
    11
    record.
    12
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Is there any
    13
    objection to that? Seeing none, that will be
    14
    admitted as Hearing Exhibit No. 3.
    15
    (Document marked as Hearing Exhibit
    16
    No. 3 for the record.)
    17
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Would you like to
    18
    proceed with the testimony?
    19
    MS. GEVING: Please.
    20
    Mr. Cobb, if you would provide a
    21
    summary of the testimony you filed?
    22
    MR. COBB: I'd be happy to do that.
    23
    I'm glad to be here today. This is the, I
    24
    think counting the original proposal, this is

    10
    1
    the fifth time that we've touched on the
    2
    Groundwater Quality Standards, of course
    3
    that's not including the original Groundwater
    4
    Standard adopted by the Board in 1971, but in
    5
    the adoption of the docket, Groundwater
    6
    Quality Standards, 35 Illinois Administrative
    7
    Code, Part 620, in the Docket R89-14B, the
    8
    Illinois Pollution Control Board noted that
    9
    it expected regular Agency updates of the
    10
    Groundwater Quality Standards. And in
    11
    particular where we've had public water
    12
    supply standards that have been upgraded
    13
    subject to arsenic.
    14
    In addition, in proposing these
    15
    standards there are a series of thresholds or
    16
    tests that had to be met out of the Illinois
    17
    Groundwater Protection Act, and one of the
    18
    key threshold tests is have contaminants been
    19
    detected and quantified in Illinois
    20
    groundwater. And for this particular
    21
    proposal we worked with our colleagues in the
    22
    Bureau of Land and specifically in the
    23
    landfill monitoring, RECRA monitoring and
    24
    federal clean up programs and discovered

    11
    1
    there was a substantial database of
    2
    contaminants that are being found in Illinois
    3
    groundwater and confirmed and quantified in
    4
    Illinois groundwater that did not have
    5
    groundwater quality standards. So that was
    6
    the main impetus for us coming with this
    7
    proposal to update these standards. Of
    8
    course along the way it became, you know,
    9
    well, we're going to go through this process.
    10
    We thought it prudent to update the
    11
    incorporation by reference since quite a bit
    12
    of time had passed since 1991 and a lot of
    13
    those changes hadn't been updated. We also
    14
    felt that it was important to, because of how
    15
    progressed the Well Head Protection Programs
    16
    are in Illinois since 1991 that we should
    17
    incorporate that hydrogeologic data as part
    18
    of the Board's compliance, Board's regulation
    19
    standard compliance point concepts and the
    20
    compliance determination section of the
    21
    regulations. And also there were a number of
    22
    new things in the 80's and 90's. The
    23
    practical quantification limit was sort of
    24
    the default limit that was used for many

    12
    1
    things were, standards were derived according
    2
    to the adopted health advisory procedure in
    3
    subpart F of 35 Illinois Administrative Code,
    4
    Part 620. Subsequently over the years it's
    5
    been common practice to accept the ten to the
    6
    minus six risk levels. So we tried to
    7
    incorporate that. And in addition we've also
    8
    incorporated the concept of water solubility
    9
    simply because we rely on contaminant
    10
    transport models to set a lot of the clean-up
    11
    objectives these days, and the governing
    12
    equations for those clean-up models do not
    13
    really handle two phased contaminants. And
    14
    so that's where the solubility comes in to be
    15
    a very important factor, and so we can
    16
    elaborate on that more or Dr. Hornshaw can
    17
    elaborate on that a little more.
    18
    So with that, that background, that
    19
    was our impetus for coming here. We felt it
    20
    was also important to re-emphasize that the
    21
    Board's standards are not just numerical
    22
    standards that you can pollute up to, but
    23
    section 12(A) of the act and the
    24
    nondegredation provision, for any

    13
    1
    contaminant, that there is a prohibition for
    2
    polluting up to those standards, and it seems
    3
    that a lot of people at times have forgotten
    4
    that history, that there's always been a
    5
    two-tiered system. You can't pollute up to
    6
    the standard. So we wanted to emphasize that
    7
    in the testimony. I'm open to any questions
    8
    you might have at this time.
    9
    MS. GEVING: Thank you, Mr. Cobb.
    10
    I think we'll let Dr. Tom Hornshaw
    11
    do his summary of testimony and then we'll
    12
    open it up to questions.
    13
    DR. HORNSHAW: Good morning. My
    14
    qualifications are that I have, as Rick Cobb
    15
    has, participated in all of these hearings
    16
    and updates over the years. I too
    17
    participated in the original 620 standard
    18
    development and I think most of the update.
    19
    I don't know if it was all of them, but I've
    20
    been around doing the groundwater standards
    21
    and objectives for quite a while.
    22
    In December of 2002, USEPA issued a
    23
    memo to all of the Superfund Project managers
    24
    a new hierarchy for selecting toxicity

    14
    1
    criteria to use in all the risk assessments
    2
    that EPA's project managers were supposed to
    3
    do. Prior to this, the December 2002 memo,
    4
    the superfund public health evaluation manual
    5
    specified only two sources for toxicity
    6
    criteria, EPA's Innovated Risk Information
    7
    System, or IRIS, and Health Effects
    8
    Assessment Summary tables or HEAST as the
    9
    only places to get --
    10
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: I'm sorry, just to
    11
    make sure the court reporter gets the
    12
    acronym, could you repeat that?
    13
    DR. HORNSHAW: Yes. The two acronyms I
    14
    used were IRIS, Innovated Risk Information
    15
    System and HEAST, Health Effects Assessment
    16
    Summary Tables. And they were the only two
    17
    sources that the EPA's project managers were
    18
    to use in conducting their risk assessments.
    19
    After this memo was issued, there
    20
    are now a different set of hierarchy for
    21
    developing all these different risk
    22
    assessment numbers. IRIS is still the first
    23
    choice. HEAST is now the last choice or
    24
    among the last choices. There's now, right

    15
    1
    after IRIS, a data source from, again, from
    2
    the USEPA called Peer Review Provisional
    3
    Toxicity Values or PPRTV's, which are issued
    4
    from the EPA's office. I'm going to skip it
    5
    because I can't remember the name --
    6
    MEMBER RAO: It is actually Provisional
    7
    Peer Reviewed Toxicity Values.
    8
    DR. HORNSHAW: Thank you. PPRTV.
    9
    That's the second choice for toxicity
    10
    information.
    11
    The third choice is actually a
    12
    group of three sources which HEAST is one of
    13
    the three, and probably the least recommended
    14
    because HEAST stop being updated in 1997. So
    15
    the information in the HEAST tables is now
    16
    somewhat out of date or in some cases way out
    17
    of date. The other two sources of
    18
    information in the third tier are the
    19
    toxicity data that's provided by the
    20
    California EPA, which is an on-line data set
    21
    or data source, and the Agency For Toxic
    22
    Substances Disease Registry's minimum risk
    23
    levels.
    24
    Because of these changes, my unit,

    16
    1
    the toxicity assessment unit, has been
    2
    updating all of the toxicity information that
    3
    we have to use for developing clean-up
    4
    objectives and toxicity values for air, soil,
    5
    water and bioda (SIC) exposures so that we
    6
    can maintain or try to keep up to date as
    7
    well as be in compliance with this memo from
    8
    the EPA.
    9
    I went through this kind of long
    10
    discussion to explain why we had to -- why
    11
    there's so many changes that we're proposing
    12
    to make in the 620 standards. We used this
    13
    new hierarchy to update the TACO, Tier
    14
    Approach to Corrective Action Objectives rule
    15
    for 25 chemicals. We've updated the clean-up
    16
    objectives based on the new hierarchy, and we
    17
    also developed the standard for 15 newly
    18
    detected chemicals that Mr. Cobb described
    19
    that came from the Bureau of Land programs so
    20
    that we could have updated values to propose
    21
    to the Board for new standards or updated
    22
    standards. Also as Mr. Cobb discussed, we
    23
    have decided that solubility needs to be an
    24
    upper limit on the clean or on the

    17
    1
    groundwater standards and clean up objectives
    2
    for the chemicals both in TACO and in 620 to
    3
    prevent against two phased systems in
    4
    groundwater. We also, among the toxins we
    5
    have discussed --
    6
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: I'm sorry, which
    7
    unit?
    8
    DR. HORNSHAW: The toxicity assessment
    9
    unit, my unit. We have discussed how to deal
    10
    with carcinogens. The original version of
    11
    620 for chemicals that don't already have a
    12
    existing maximum contaminant level and are
    13
    carcinogens, that the lowest detection limit
    14
    among USEPA analytical methods was to be the
    15
    standard for the clean-up objective. Since
    16
    that time the EPA has, USEPA, has given us
    17
    some guidance on using or the kinds of risk
    18
    in their self-screening guidance rule, their
    19
    screening value, is the One in a million
    20
    Cancer Risk Level, that has been incorporated
    21
    into TACO and now we're proposing to
    22
    incorporate it into the 620 standards. So
    23
    that for carcinogens that don't have MCLs, we
    24
    are now proposing that the risk levels, ten

    18
    1
    to the minus six risk level, will be the
    2
    standard unless that level is lower than the
    3
    detection limit in which case the detection
    4
    limit be will be the standard or the clean-up
    5
    objective.
    6
    In finishing up my testimony, I
    7
    provide reasons why Errata Sheet 2 is sent to
    8
    the Board to correct the initial filing long
    9
    ago apparently that didn't consider new
    10
    toxicity data, solubility, the One In A
    11
    Million Risk Level or our internal decision
    12
    to limit all future rule makings to two
    13
    significant figures. And that concludes the
    14
    summary of my presentation.
    15
    MS. GEVING: Mr. Hearing Officer, may I
    16
    ask one clarifying question of Dr. Hornshaw?
    17
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Yes.
    18
    MS. GEVING: Dr. Hornshaw, you
    19
    referenced updated values that we made to the
    20
    TACO rules. Is that something that has
    21
    already been proposed to the Board and
    22
    amended in final form?
    23
    DR. HORNSHAW: No, this would be the
    24
    one we are working on now.

    19
    1
    MS. GEVING: So it has not yet been
    2
    proposed to the Pollution Control Board?
    3
    DR. HORNSHAW: That's correct. What I
    4
    discussed does not pertain to current TACO.
    5
    It's what we will be proposing soon to
    6
    address vapor intrusion as well as updating
    7
    all the toxicity values.
    8
    MS. GEVING: Thank you, Dr. Hornshaw.
    9
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Thank you. I know we
    10
    have -- is there any further testimony from
    11
    the EPA?
    12
    MS. GEVING: We have concluded.
    13
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: I know we have
    14
    questions from one or more members of the
    15
    public, so before the Board proceeds with its
    16
    questions, we are going to open it up to the
    17
    audience. I would just ask if you do have a
    18
    question, you signal me and state your name,
    19
    your title and the organization you are
    20
    representing. Go ahead.
    21
    MR. DAVIS: My name is Alex Davis. I
    22
    am here as the general counsel of the
    23
    Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group, and
    24
    I have some questions I'd like to ask just of

    20
    1
    the witnesses and then whoever feels that
    2
    they are best suited to address my questions,
    3
    feel free to do so.
    4
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Thank you, go ahead.
    5
    MR. DAVIS: My first question, Section
    6
    8 of the Illinois Groundwater Protection Act,
    7
    in addition to setting forth the substantive
    8
    requirements for regulations promulgated,
    9
    also requires that the Department of Natural
    10
    Resources concurrently conduct the study of
    11
    the economic impact of the regulations. To
    12
    your knowledge is the DNR conducting such a
    13
    study concurrently with this rulemaking? And
    14
    if so, when can we expect it to be filed with
    15
    the Board?
    16
    MS. GEVING: I'm not testifying -- this
    17
    is Kim Geving -- but I believe that it is the
    18
    Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
    19
    that now conducts the economic impact
    20
    statements; is that correct? I'm not
    21
    familiar.
    22
    MR. COBB: I'll try to answer.
    23
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Go ahead.
    24
    MR. COBB: At the beginning of the

    21
    1
    hearing, Hearing Officer McGill made a
    2
    statement about, I don't know if it's part of
    3
    the Board's procedural rules or exactly why,
    4
    but now the economic study is directed
    5
    towards the Department of Commerce and
    6
    Economic Opportunity, DCEO. And I believe
    7
    that was made in your opening statement.
    8
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Yes, I am referring
    9
    to Section 27 of the Environmental Protection
    10
    Act and we will talk about that toward the
    11
    end of today. Again, I'm not testifying, but
    12
    I'm not sure exactly how Section 8 of the
    13
    Groundwater Protection Act reads.
    14
    Do you have a follow-up question or
    15
    does that answer your question?
    16
    MR. DAVIS: My follow-up question was
    17
    going to be on what basis is the economic
    18
    impact going to be analyzed. I think that
    19
    probably leads to that.
    20
    MR. COBB: It's also, if you,
    21
    Mr. Davis, if you go to page three and four
    22
    of the Agency's Statement of Reasons we also
    23
    provided the economic analysis that has been
    24
    used and adopted in previous Board opinions

    22
    1
    in many of the other dockets, and I think
    2
    that the reason for the change is that when
    3
    the Illinois Groundwater Protection Act
    4
    provisions predated the amendments to
    5
    Section 27 of the act, that when there used
    6
    to be a Department of Commerce and Community
    7
    Affairs, and then it was changed to the
    8
    Department of Commerce and Economic
    9
    Opportunity, and so I believe it's now the
    10
    current requirement of Section 27. I mean
    11
    it's almost a legal-type question. That
    12
    would be my nonlegal response.
    13
    MEMBER JOHNSON: I guess I'm confused.
    14
    Are you referring to the economic impact
    15
    study that the act directs us to conduct or
    16
    are you looking at the --
    17
    MR. DAVIS: The Groundwater Protection
    18
    Act.
    19
    MEMBER JOHNSON: -- economic reasonable
    20
    test that the Board has to consider before?
    21
    MR. DAVIS: I think they both factor in
    22
    obviously.
    23
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Let me just -- if you
    24
    are going to testify, I need to have you

    23
    1
    sworn in, and you are welcome do testify.
    2
    MR. DAVIS: I really rather not.
    3
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: If you'd rather not,
    4
    I guess we can take your statement as public
    5
    comment. It wouldn't have the weight of
    6
    sworn testimony, but I'd like to have -- I
    7
    don't want to discourage the exchange, but
    8
    you're here as an attorney, not as a witness
    9
    so it would simply be considered as a public
    10
    comment. Feel free to answer it, but I just
    11
    want you to know it will be considered
    12
    comment and not testimony.
    13
    MR. DAVIS: Well, my understanding of
    14
    Section 8 was that it would require an
    15
    economic impact study, and it specifically
    16
    exempts the 27-B requirement from the
    17
    Environmental Protection Act in Section 8 for
    18
    the groundwater Section 8. So my reading was
    19
    that that study was to be considered in place
    20
    of the standard DCEO study right or wrong.
    21
    MR. COBB: I have another response on
    22
    that. The original ECIS requirement in the
    23
    groundwater Protection Act was for the
    24
    full-blown regulation, including the

    24
    1
    classification system, the nondegradation
    2
    provisions, every section in the entire
    3
    regulation. DNR did the original ECIS on the
    4
    full-blown development of the regulation, and
    5
    there were conclusions on that. So now we're
    6
    just simply adding some additional
    7
    contaminants, which is, you know, maybe one
    8
    one-hundredth of the overall scope of what
    9
    was considered in the original ECIS, and so
    10
    the scope of the economic impact is, you
    11
    know, nowhere similar to what was originally
    12
    mandated there. And so that I think it is
    13
    why it -- we've always looked at it the way
    14
    it is, is that with the original full scope
    15
    adopted those standards to discuss the impact
    16
    and adding additional contaminants certainly
    17
    doesn't really change the overall impact.
    18
    These are not by default clean-up standards.
    19
    They are simply groundwater quality
    20
    standards. So for all the reasons stated in
    21
    the original Board opinion of R89149(b) and
    22
    all of the subsequent opinions since that
    23
    time, I think is the basis for why a
    24
    full-blown ECIS would certainly not be

    25
    1
    necessary.
    2
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Yes, you know, the
    3
    Board did submit a letter to the Department
    4
    of Commerce & Economic Opportunity for this
    5
    rulemaking. Whether that was done in an
    6
    abundance of caution or just sort of a
    7
    routine, I'm not sure. We would need to
    8
    review -- I know there are instances where
    9
    Section 27(b) where rule makings are exempt
    10
    from the 27(b) ECIS requirement. We would
    11
    need to look at, you know, whether the
    12
    provision in the groundwater Protection Act
    13
    applies and whether this is being promulgated
    14
    pursuant to that provision. We have a second
    15
    hearing in Springfield, so if we think we are
    16
    subject to the 27(b) ECIS we can take it up
    17
    at that point in time. And we are going to
    18
    have an opportunity to pre-file testimony for
    19
    the second hearing, and that would certainly
    20
    be an opportunity for IERG and the Agency to
    21
    state what the Agency's position is on what
    22
    sounds like really a legal issue.
    23
    MR. JOHNSON: Whether it be in an
    24
    abundance of caution as you say, we're going

    26
    1
    to go ahead and do the DCEO Economic Impact
    2
    hearing today.
    3
    MR. MCGILL: We can do it, and if
    4
    that's unnecessary, then we've lost 30
    5
    seconds of our lives. It's no big deal. But
    6
    if it does apply, then we will have met our
    7
    requirement or we can do it in Springfield.
    8
    But I'm ready to go today.
    9
    MR. DAVIS: Okay.
    10
    My second question is, is it the
    11
    Agency's intention to regulate all
    12
    groundwater in the state? As if it is to be
    13
    used for drinking water?
    14
    MR. COBB: No.
    15
    MR. DAVIS: Would you care to elaborate
    16
    just a little more?
    17
    MR. COBB: Sure. The groundwater
    18
    classification system in the Board's
    19
    groundwater quality standard regulations
    20
    dictate how groundwater is regulated, and we
    21
    didn't propose any changes to the
    22
    classification system. So the answer is no.
    23
    MR. DAVIS: My third question is, what
    24
    is the effect of incorporating 40 CFR,

    27
    1
    144.66, the maximum contaminant levels for
    2
    radionuclides that's incorporated in
    3
    620.125(c) of the proposed amendment and
    4
    where is it applicable?
    5
    MR. COBB: It's just an update of the
    6
    previous incorporation by reference that was
    7
    used simply for testing procedures, and where
    8
    it's applicable is 35IlAd.620.410(e) the
    9
    photon, the radioactivity and -- let me state
    10
    this correctly for the record here -- beta
    11
    particle and photon radio activity standard
    12
    which already exists, and this is simply the
    13
    testing procedure that has been updated since
    14
    1991. And that's where it applies.
    15
    MR. DAVIS: My fourth question. The
    16
    inorganic chemicals to be added or amended in
    17
    the Class 1 standard that would be under
    18
    section 620.410(a), arsenic, molybdenum,
    19
    perchlorate and vanadium.
    20
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Could you just repeat
    21
    those chemicals for the court reporter.
    22
    MR. DAVIS: The first was Arsenic,
    23
    A-R-S-E-N-I-C, molybdenum,
    24
    M-O-L-Y-B-D-E-N-U-M, the third perchlorate,

    28
    1
    P-E-R-C-H-L-O-R-A-T-E and the last vanadium,
    2
    V-A-N-A-D-I-U-M.
    3
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Thank you.
    4
    MR. DAVIS: -- which are metals, and
    5
    why are they classified as such?
    6
    MR. COBB: Arsenic, molybdenum and
    7
    vanadium are metals. Perchlorate is an
    8
    inorganic compound. In terms of why things
    9
    are metals versus why things are inorganic
    10
    compounds, it's primarily because of the
    11
    physical properties, you know; the metals are
    12
    shiny, strong, solid, good heat conductors,
    13
    good electrical conductors, dense and
    14
    mailable. Chemists segregated the metals
    15
    into the left-hand corner of the periodic
    16
    table of the elements. Inorganic compounds
    17
    are ions usually proposed and then composed
    18
    of. And the compounds already put the cation
    19
    and the anion the positively charged and the
    20
    negatively charged, for example, sodium
    21
    chloride and those. Chemists classified
    22
    metals and inorganic substances in that way.
    23
    Also inorganic substances or compounds are
    24
    really natural in origin from minerals in the

    29
    1
    earth's crust, as well as the metals. That's
    2
    all I have.
    3
    MEMBER JOHNSON: That's enough for the
    4
    Art majors.
    5
    MR. DAVIS: Going on. Page 14 of
    6
    Mr. Cobb's pre-filed testimony contains a
    7
    table describing the basis for the Class II
    8
    Inorganic Standard. Could you please explain
    9
    what is meant by Class I Standard, Irrigation
    10
    Criterion 10 for Molybdenum and describe how
    11
    the Class II standard was determined for this
    12
    constituent.
    13
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Are you referring to
    14
    the basis for Class II?
    15
    MR. DAVIS: That's right. There is a
    16
    table describing the basis for the Class II
    17
    inorganic standard in the pre-filed
    18
    testimony. The page numbering, I think, was
    19
    directly -- yes, page 14.
    20
    MEMBER RAO: Mr. Cobb, I'd like to add
    21
    in Mr. Davis' process that we also had a
    22
    question relating to the same standard, and
    23
    just state our question so you can answer it
    24
    together.

    30
    1
    On page 14, the groundwater
    2
    standard table lists the basis for the
    3
    proposed --
    4
    MR. COBB: Can you repeat the question?
    5
    I was still thinking about that question.
    6
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: They are related
    7
    questions.
    8
    MEMBER RAO: On page 14 the groundwater
    9
    standard table lists the basis for the
    10
    proposed Class II standards for molybdenum
    11
    and the same level as the Class I standard,
    12
    but it is also noted that the irrigation
    13
    standard is added in the table without any
    14
    units. Can you explain the rational for
    15
    proposing the Class II standard for
    16
    molybdenum at the same level as the Class I
    17
    standard instead of the irrigation criteria?
    18
    MS. GEVING: If we can pause for one
    19
    moment?
    20
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Off the record.
    21
    (Discussion off the record, after
    22
    which the following proceedings
    23
    were had:)
    24
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Let's go back on the

    31
    1
    record.
    2
    MR. COBB: We'd like to get back to you
    3
    on that one. It may be that we did something
    4
    incorrect there. I thought I had the answer,
    5
    but let us go back.
    6
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: For both of the
    7
    questions and the related question?
    8
    MR. COBB: It is the same I think.
    9
    THE COURT: Okay, thank you. Dave, in
    10
    the same table next to perchlorate, the basis
    11
    is described as 0X and it's done again for a
    12
    number of constituents on pages 16 and 17 on
    13
    those tables.
    14
    MR. COBB: Yes.
    15
    MR. DAVIS: Could you explain what is
    16
    intended to be meant by 0X?
    17
    MR. COBB: What is meant there -- and
    18
    maybe more correctly what I should have said
    19
    is 1X, but what that is referring to is the
    20
    treatability factor. And the Board's water
    21
    quality standards for many of the
    22
    contaminants that are listed for Class II are
    23
    derived based on the best available treatment
    24
    technology that's available for that

    32
    1
    contaminant, and we generally try to use an
    2
    80 percent value just because many of them
    3
    are actually 99, so you are even more
    4
    economically reasonable if you use the
    5
    instigation 80 percent. The reason that
    6
    perchlorate is 1X is because there is no best
    7
    available treatment technology, so we didn't
    8
    factor up the numbers for perchlorate.
    9
    And then the other chemicals,
    10
    although when you get into the organics, it's
    11
    similar, but there's a couple of other
    12
    procedures that we used that are actually
    13
    highlighted on page 16 of my testimony. It's
    14
    a similar concept, but we use a few
    15
    additional scientific criteria. Perchlorate,
    16
    since it's organic, we look for any best
    17
    treatment technologies, and there are not.
    18
    So there is no treatability factor so it
    19
    doesn't get the multiple that some of the
    20
    other contaminants get.
    21
    MS. GEVING: So, Mr. Cobb, is it your
    22
    desire to change all of your references in
    23
    your written testimony to 1X or is it correct
    24
    to leave it at 0X?

    33
    1
    MR. COBB: I think to be absolutely
    2
    technically correct, although I think
    3
    everybody knows what 0X means, if we really
    4
    wanted from a mathematical standpoint to be
    5
    correct, maybe it should be 1.
    6
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: 1X.
    7
    MR. COBB: Yes. Or I think commonly
    8
    everybody knows we're not multiplying the
    9
    number.
    10
    MR. DAVIS: Next I'd like to ask you
    11
    about the table on page 12, where on the top
    12
    of page 12 arsenic is noted as a carcinogen
    13
    with an asterisk, and there are a number of
    14
    places where arsenic is listed both in the
    15
    proposal and in the table on page 14 where it
    16
    is not, so I was hoping that could clear it
    17
    up.
    18
    MR. COBB: That's just an oversight.
    19
    It is a carcinogenic. So there should be an
    20
    asterisk added.
    21
    MR. DAVIS: So page 14 on that table
    22
    should be an asterisk?
    23
    MR. COBB: Yes.
    24
    MR. DAVIS: And then in the rulemaking

    34
    1
    proposal as well?
    2
    MR. COBB: Yes.
    3
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: So you are referring
    4
    to there should be an asterisk next to
    5
    arsenic?
    6
    MR. COBB: It is a carcinogenic.
    7
    MEMBER RAO: While we are on the same
    8
    subject, I have one more. On page 11,
    9
    Mr. Cobb, of your pre-filed testimony you
    10
    noted that the carcinogens are noted in the
    11
    standards by an asterisk. Could you identify
    12
    whether dibenzo(a,h)anthracene whether it
    13
    should be listed under section 624.10(b) with
    14
    an asterisk to indicate that it's a
    15
    carcinogenic?
    16
    MR. COBB: In the testimony it's
    17
    marked. It should also be similarly marked
    18
    in the proposal.
    19
    MR. RAO: That's what I wanted to
    20
    clarify.
    21
    MR. COBB: Right.
    22
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Mr. Davis, did you
    23
    have any more questions?
    24
    MR. DAVIS: Yes, just a couple more.

    35
    1
    We already talked about figures 1 and 2. For
    2
    the record, the attached paper entitled
    3
    "Arsenic and Illinois groundwater" refers to
    4
    figures 1 and 2 which are not included in the
    5
    pre-filed testimony. And my question is
    6
    could you provide the two figures?
    7
    MR. COBB: Yes.
    8
    MS. GEVING: We'll provide those at the
    9
    second hearing.
    10
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: And these are the
    11
    attachments you are referring to, the arsenic
    12
    study attached to Mr. Cobb's pre-filed
    13
    testimony?
    14
    MR. DAVIS: That's right.
    15
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Thank you.
    16
    MR. DAVIS: My next question is
    17
    multiple parts relating to page 9 of
    18
    Dr. Hornshaw's pre-filed testimony in which
    19
    he described the proposed 620.605(c) which
    20
    calls for setting the guidance level of a
    21
    chemical and the water solubility of that
    22
    chemical if the water solubility is less than
    23
    the calculated guidance level. And I would
    24
    like you to give me an example where this was

    36
    1
    utilized in setting the standards, what
    2
    numbers were used in reaching that, and why
    3
    it was that you determined it was appropriate
    4
    to use that, although I think you did get
    5
    into that somewhat in your summary.
    6
    DR. HORNSHAW: Yes, I think I covered
    7
    that fairly well in my summary. And as an
    8
    example, if you look at Section 620.410(a)
    9
    and (b) the chemical anthracene, we are
    10
    proposing a standard of .043 milligrams per
    11
    liter based on water solubility. If you use
    12
    the IRIS toxicity values as the basis for
    13
    calculating a health base value, the
    14
    concentration in groundwater would be 2.1
    15
    milligrams per liter for Class I groundwater,
    16
    and 10.5 milligrams per liter for Class II
    17
    groundwater. Both values way exceed the
    18
    solubility, so we're proposing to have
    19
    solubility be the basis for the standard for
    20
    that chemical. And there are several others
    21
    in the rule that are similar to that.
    22
    MR. DAVIS: So the standard is proposed
    23
    043?
    24
    DR. HORNSHAW: That's correct.

    37
    1
    MR. DAVIS: And the other numbers were
    2
    based on the health based result.
    3
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: I'm sorry, could
    4
    you -- you trailed off there at the end.
    5
    MR. DAVIS: I said the other numbers,
    6
    the 2.1 and the 10.5 were the result of the
    7
    health based calculations.
    8
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Dr. Hornshaw, that's
    9
    correct.
    10
    DR. HORNSHAW: That's correct.
    11
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: All right. Thank
    12
    you.
    13
    MR. DAVIS: And then a follow-up on
    14
    that, could you please explain the difference
    15
    between effective solubility and listed or
    16
    laboratory solubility and which is used in
    17
    their rulemaking.
    18
    DR. HORNSHAW: Yes. I'm a little
    19
    confused about why you are asking about
    20
    effective solubility because it's not
    21
    included in the testimony. It's not used in
    22
    the rule making, but I'll give a definition
    23
    that Mr. Cobb pulled off of the Mississippi
    24
    Department of Environmental Qualities

    38
    1
    Regulations, their definition for Effective
    2
    Solubility "Means the solubility of a
    3
    compound that will dissolve from a chemical
    4
    mixture, for example gasoline." The
    5
    effective solubility of a compound of a
    6
    chemical mixture is less than its aqueous
    7
    solubility.
    8
    MR. DAVIS: Okay. And then so the
    9
    aqueous solubility would be the listed or
    10
    laboratory solubility?
    11
    DR. HORNSHAW: That's correct.
    12
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Thank you. I'm
    13
    sorry, you had a follow-up?
    14
    MR. DAVIS: No, that was it for that
    15
    question.
    16
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: I had a related
    17
    question. Did you still have --
    18
    MR. DAVIS: I had one more, but go
    19
    ahead.
    20
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Yes, thanks. This is
    21
    for either of you. The Agency lists water
    22
    solubility for the basis of several Class 1
    23
    and Class II standards, please provide
    24
    citations of the publications from which the

    39
    1
    Agency derived the water solubility standard
    2
    to develop the standard that. Is that
    3
    something you could provide?
    4
    DR. HORNSHAW: I would have to do that
    5
    at the next hearing or maybe in a written
    6
    summary.
    7
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: A number of our
    8
    questions we don't expect an on-the-spot
    9
    answer.
    10
    DR. HORNSHAW: I can explain a little
    11
    bit though.
    12
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Sure, go ahead.
    13
    DR. HORNSHAW: USEPA also has a
    14
    hierarchy for physical chemical contents and
    15
    physical data sources. The preferred source
    16
    is the Superfund Chemical Data Matrix System,
    17
    which is an on-line database that anybody can
    18
    get to to pull down all kinds of physical
    19
    chemical contents, including solubility. My
    20
    guess is most of the values that we are
    21
    proposing come from this EPA database, but
    22
    there are some others and I would have to
    23
    check each individual chemical to make sure
    24
    which database the solubility value came

    40
    1
    from. And those have also been recently
    2
    updated, as well as the toxicity contents.
    3
    So we're changing a lot of things in both
    4
    this rule and 620 because of the changes in
    5
    the physical chemical constants and the
    6
    toxicity constants.
    7
    MS. GEVING: Dr. Hornshaw, you said
    8
    both this rule and 620. Did you mean both
    9
    this rule and the TACO rule?
    10
    THE WITNESS: And the TACO rules.
    11
    MS. GEVING: Which have not yet been
    12
    proposed to the rule?
    13
    MEMBER RAO: I think it will be helpful
    14
    for the Board to have the names of those
    15
    publications or sources since what we have in
    16
    our library had different values for
    17
    solubility. So I think we'd like to get that
    18
    into the record as to what the Agency used as
    19
    solubility for various chemicals.
    20
    MS. GEVING: Dr. Rao -- Mr. Rao, would
    21
    it satisfy you if we did a table that listed
    22
    the chemical and its source?
    23
    MR. RAO: Yes. And like Mr. McGill
    24
    said, as we go through our questions, you'll

    41
    1
    see that a lot of information can be put in a
    2
    table form.
    3
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Mr. Davis?
    4
    MR. DAVIS: My last question refers to
    5
    pages five and six of Dr. Hornshaw's
    6
    pre-filed testimony in which he describes the
    7
    addition of the groundwater objectives from
    8
    TACO. And I was hoping that you could just
    9
    elaborate these in further detail as to why
    10
    you thought it was necessary to include these
    11
    chemicals in the groundwater value.
    12
    MR. COBB: Mr. Davis, is it okay if I
    13
    address that?
    14
    MR. DAVIS: Yes, whoever wants to
    15
    address it.
    16
    MR. COBB: Essentially the Illinois
    17
    groundwater Protection Act mandates to us to
    18
    develop Groundwater Quality Standards for
    19
    contaminants that have been detected and
    20
    confirmed in Illinois groundwater. Further,
    21
    as in my summary testimony, summary of my
    22
    testimony provided earlier, the Board has
    23
    requested us in R8914(b) opinion to continue
    24
    to provide regular updates of the Groundwater

    42
    1
    Quality Standards. So for consistency
    2
    purposes and meeting the statutory
    3
    requirements, is one of the primary basis.
    4
    The additional secondary reason is the fact
    5
    that the Bureau of Land Permit Programs, and
    6
    the Federal Clean-Up Programs don't really
    7
    necessarily always use TACO or LUST. They
    8
    have their own. They use the Board's
    9
    groundwater quality standards. Leaking
    10
    underground storage tanks is what I meant by
    11
    the acronym LUST clean up programs. So we
    12
    were requested to develop these additional
    13
    standards for those contaminants that have
    14
    been detected to confirm by the Illinois
    15
    groundwater for those programs.
    16
    MR. DAVIS: Thank you very much.
    17
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Thank you. Are there
    18
    any other questions that any member of the
    19
    audience has for either Agency witness?
    20
    MR. DAVIS: Not at this time.
    21
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: We'll move on with
    22
    some questions the Board has for the Agency.
    23
    Why don't we go off the record for a moment.
    24
    (Discussion off the record.)

    43
    1
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: We'll go back on the
    2
    record and add to the Board's questions.
    3
    MR. RAO: Our questions initially are
    4
    directed to Mr. Cobb, but any one of you can
    5
    answer this.
    6
    At page 11 of your pre-filed
    7
    testimony you state that the proposed
    8
    standards are based on either USEPA MCL or
    9
    Board MCL, a reference dose, also known as
    10
    RfD, in USEPA's Integrated Risk Information
    11
    System (IRIS) USEPA Health Effects Assessment
    12
    Summary Table (HEAST), RfD, Provisional Peer
    13
    Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV), RfD, and
    14
    IRIS Slope Factor, (Sfo).
    15
    First question, "Please clarify
    16
    whether USEPA MCLs are the same as the Board
    17
    MCLs. If not, please explain any differences
    18
    between the two."
    19
    MR. COBB: Yes. For arsenic we have
    20
    the pass-through requirement into
    21
    35Il.Ad.611, and for arsenic, you've already
    22
    established -- the Board has already
    23
    established a drinking water standard for
    24
    arsenic, so yes.

    44
    1
    MR. RAO: "The proposed standards for
    2
    several inorganic and organic chemical
    3
    constituents are based on RfDs and Sfos
    4
    obtained from the various USEPA databases.
    5
    Please explain how the Agency used RfDs and
    6
    Sfos to derive the proposed standards for
    7
    various chemical constituents. Would the
    8
    Agency be able to update the tables on pages
    9
    12 and 13 of your testimony to include the
    10
    appropriate RfD values used to determine the
    11
    proposed standards? And also, would the
    12
    Agency be able to submit pertinent
    13
    documentation from the USEPA databases
    14
    concerning the RfDs and Sfos used to derive
    15
    the propose standards?"
    16
    It's a two-part question.
    17
    Basically what we are asking for is the
    18
    documentation and calculations that you did.
    19
    DR. HORNSHAW: All of the IRIS
    20
    reference dose information?
    21
    MR. RAO: Just the relevant, what was
    22
    the RfD used.
    23
    DR. HORNSHAW: Yes, we could do that.
    24
    MR. RAO: Because you have provided a

    45
    1
    table. I think it's in Mr. Cobb's testimony.
    2
    If you could add a couple more columns to it
    3
    and add information to the specific
    4
    information to each of those chemicals, that
    5
    would be helpful for the record.
    6
    DR. HORNSHAW: So I'm clear, do you
    7
    want the individual chemicals that are
    8
    changed here; you want the basis for the
    9
    change?
    10
    MR. RAO: Yes. You have the basis in
    11
    the table saying it's IRIS, RfD or TACO
    12
    groundwater objective, and what we want to
    13
    know is what is the number you used.
    14
    DR. HORNSHAW: Oh, the actual value?
    15
    MR. RAO: Yes. The basis is already
    16
    there.
    17
    DR. HORNSHAW: That's what was
    18
    confusing me because everything was IRIS,
    19
    it's carcinogenic.
    20
    MEMBER RAO: Yes, but we want the
    21
    supporting documentation.
    22
    DR. HORNSHAW: You want the actual
    23
    number?
    24
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: I'm sorry to

    46
    1
    interrupt, but you are starting to talk over
    2
    each other and finishing each other's
    3
    sentences.
    4
    Dr. Hornshaw, you are clear on what
    5
    Mr. Rao is asking for?
    6
    DR. HORNSHAW: You want just the
    7
    reference dose number itself, correct?
    8
    MEMBER RAO: Yes.
    9
    DR. HORNSHAW: You don't want the
    10
    entire citation from the IRIS database?
    11
    MEMBER RAO: Yes, I know, but I think
    12
    the relevant information from the IRIS
    13
    database.
    14
    DR. HORNSHAW: That's easy. Yes, we
    15
    can do that.
    16
    MEMBER RAO: Please clarify whether any
    17
    of the proposed Class I standards are based
    18
    on the RfDs from USEPA's HEAST database?
    19
    DR. HORNSHAW: Again, to be clear, are
    20
    you talking about the new and updated
    21
    chemicals or the entire list of the
    22
    chemicals?
    23
    MEMBER RAO: I'm looking at Mr. Cobb's
    24
    testimony on pages 12 and 13 on the table.

    47
    1
    On page 11, Mr. Cobb states that you relied
    2
    on HEAST's RfDs in coming up with some of
    3
    these standards. And when I look at the
    4
    table I didn't see HEAST mentioned anywhere
    5
    on those tables. So I just want to know
    6
    whether, first of all, you used information
    7
    from the HEAST database?
    8
    DR. HORNSHAW: The answer to that is
    9
    no.
    10
    MEMBER RAO: Okay.
    11
    DR. HORNSHAW: At this point HEAST is
    12
    just about the last choice for getting
    13
    toxicity constants. If none of the other
    14
    preferred sources have a constant, then we
    15
    will use HEAST because it's last updated in
    16
    1997. For this update we only -- internally
    17
    we decided we were only going to propose
    18
    standard that had a reference dose or cancer
    19
    slope factor in IRIS or the PPRTV table.
    20
    MEMBER RAO: Okay.
    21
    DR. HORNSHAW: We decided that even
    22
    before we started looking for tox constants.
    23
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: I'm sorry, for?
    24
    DR. HORNSHAW: Toxicity constants.

    48
    1
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Toxicity constants?
    2
    DR. HORNSHAW: The toxicity criteria
    3
    that we based calculations on. Before we
    4
    even started developing the new values
    5
    internally, we decided we were only going to
    6
    use the first two tiers of IEPA's tiered
    7
    system.
    8
    MEMBER RAO: Okay.
    9
    DR. HORNSHAW: And as it turned out,
    10
    all of the chemicals that we were proposing
    11
    for update had reference doses from IRIS so
    12
    you don't even see PPRTV as a source.
    13
    MEMBER RAO: So it's all right for us
    14
    to ignore the statement where it's said that
    15
    IEPA relied on the HEAST database?
    16
    MS. GEVING: Yes. If we could strike
    17
    that from the testimony officially from the
    18
    record.
    19
    DR. HORNSHAW: I apologize that's
    20
    probably something I should have elaborated
    21
    on in my testimony.
    22
    MEMBER RAO: Because when I was going
    23
    through that information I didn't find any
    24
    numbers from HEAST.

    49
    1
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: On page 11 of
    2
    Mr. Cobb's pre-filed testimony there is a
    3
    statement that some of the proposed standards
    4
    are based on MDLs used to derive Part 620,
    5
    Subpart F, Appendix A: Human Threshold
    6
    Toxicant Advisory Concentration for TACO
    7
    groundwater objectives under Part 742. Would
    8
    you please clarify whether all of the
    9
    proposed standards based on TACO groundwater
    10
    objectives are based on MDLs?
    11
    DR. HORNSHAW: Just for the record,
    12
    MDLs are method detection limits.
    13
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Would you like me to
    14
    repeat the question?
    15
    MR. COBB: Yes, could you do that?
    16
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: On page 11 of
    17
    Mr. Cobb's pre-filed testimony there is a
    18
    statement that some of the proposed standards
    19
    are based on MDLs used to derive the Part
    20
    620, Subpart F, Appendix A: Human Threshold
    21
    Toxicity Advisory Concentration for TACO
    22
    groundwater objectives. Please clarify
    23
    whether all of the proposed standards based
    24
    on TACO groundwater objectives are based on

    50
    1
    MDLs?
    2
    MS. GEVING: We'd prefer to answer at
    3
    the second hearing if that's okay. We have
    4
    to do a little research.
    5
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: The other question or
    6
    request is to explain how MDLs were used to
    7
    derive the proposed standards for which TACO
    8
    groundwater objectives are listed as the
    9
    basis for the standards; an explanation of
    10
    how MDLs were used to derive the proposed
    11
    standards for which you've indicated TACO
    12
    groundwater objectives are the basis.
    13
    MS. GEVING: We'll address that at the
    14
    second hearing too if that's okay.
    15
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: The next request is
    16
    that, we noted that the proposal lists the
    17
    acronyms for several chemical constituents in
    18
    section 620.410. That's 620.410. Please
    19
    provide the chemical names for alpha-BHC,
    20
    MCPP, HMX, and lastly RDX.
    21
    MR. COBB: We can do that.
    22
    MS. GEVING: Do you need to do that at
    23
    the second hearing?
    24
    MR. COBB: Yes.

    51
    1
    DR. HORNSHAW: HMX stands for high
    2
    mount explosive, but its technical name --
    3
    I'm not even go to try it. It's about this
    4
    long (indicating).
    5
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: I could answer, but
    6
    I'm not testifying.
    7
    Next question. On page 14 of
    8
    Mr. Cobb's pre-filed testimony there is a
    9
    statement that "The proposed Class II
    10
    standard for inorganic constituents are based
    11
    on irrigation and livestock watering from a
    12
    1972 report published by the National Academy
    13
    of Sciences entitled 'Water Quality
    14
    Criteria.'" Would the Agency be able to
    15
    submit a copy of the NAS report or at least
    16
    the relevant pages of the report?
    17
    MR. COBB: We can do that. I'm not
    18
    sure -- because that was an attachment as
    19
    part of our original testimony for R914(b) as
    20
    well, so I don't know if that's in the
    21
    Board's record, but we can certainly do that.
    22
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: It's probably in our
    23
    clerk's office or microfiche, but it would be
    24
    helpful to have it in R078-18.

    52
    1
    MR. COBB: Just to make sure you know
    2
    that was part of, that was the same pattern
    3
    used in the original set of standards and the
    4
    updates.
    5
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Thank you.
    6
    MR. GEVING: Mr. Hearing Officer, could
    7
    you provide me at the end of the hearing a
    8
    list of chemicals for which you want their
    9
    actual name?
    10
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Sure. I can repeat
    11
    it now or we can do it at the end of the day.
    12
    MS. GEVING: At the end of the day is
    13
    fine.
    14
    MEMBER RAO: For the benefit of the
    15
    court reporter, now we are on question 7.
    16
    On page 16 of your pre-filed
    17
    testimony you state that a five-fold
    18
    treatment factor was used to derive a Class
    19
    II standard for organic compounds with a Koc
    20
    value greater than that of ethylbenzene or
    21
    Henry's law constant greater than that of
    22
    methylene chloride. Please comment on
    23
    whether the same factors were considered in
    24
    deriving the TACO Class II groundwater

    53
    1
    objectives, which are also being proposed as
    2
    the Class II standards in the instant
    3
    proposal.
    4
    MR. COBB: I'll have to defer to Tom on
    5
    that.
    6
    DR. HORNSHAW: I'm pretty sure the
    7
    answer is, yes, other than when it would
    8
    result in a value that's higher than
    9
    solubility.
    10
    MEMBER RAO: Okay. And we are on
    11
    question 9 now.
    12
    All of the proposed Class II
    13
    standards, which are based on water
    14
    solubility, are set at the same level as the
    15
    Class I standards except for benzo(a)pyrene,
    16
    benzo(k)fluoranthene, and methoxychlor.
    17
    Please explain the Agency's intent for
    18
    setting these at levels different than Class
    19
    I standards.
    20
    DR. HORNSHAW: Could you repeat the
    21
    question or the chemicals generated?
    22
    MEMBER JOHNSON: The name of the
    23
    chemicals?
    24
    DR. HORNSHAW: You said benzo(a)pyrene,

    54
    1
    benzo(k)fluoranthene --
    2
    MEMBER RAO: Benzo(a)pyrene and
    3
    methoxychlor, the levels are not the same as
    4
    Class I. I want to know how the water
    5
    solubilities address separating these
    6
    standards.
    7
    DR. HORNSHAW: For benzo(a)pyrene, the
    8
    Class II value is limited at solubility.
    9
    MEMBER RAO: Then should we limit the
    10
    Class I also at water solubility?
    11
    DR. HORNSHAW: I believe the Class I
    12
    standard doesn't exceed the solubility or
    13
    equals the solubility. I can't remember for
    14
    sure -- I'm sorry, I take that back, the
    15
    Class I standard is a federal MCL, which we
    16
    don't change.
    17
    MEMBER RAO: I thought under the
    18
    hierarchy you were going to limit everything
    19
    to water solubility.
    20
    MR. COBB: With the exception of the
    21
    MCL.
    22
    MEMBER RAO: Is that right?
    23
    DR. HORNSHAW: Apparently. I may have
    24
    to look at that one. I know that's the case

    55
    1
    for methoxychlor because once you get point
    2
    .045 you are at the water solubility. If you
    3
    multiply the Class I standard by 5 you would
    4
    be at 0.2 which far exceeds the solubility.
    5
    And I believe that's the exact same thing for
    6
    benzo(k)fluoranthene. If you multiply Class
    7
    I by five it comes out to .00085, which
    8
    exceeds the solubility by a small margin. I
    9
    think I'm going to have come to back to you
    10
    on benzo(a)pyrene.
    11
    MEMBER RAO: Okay.
    12
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: The next question:
    13
    According to the table on page 16 of Mr.
    14
    Cobb's pre-filed testimony and Errata Sheet
    15
    No. 2, the proposed Class II standards for
    16
    benzo(a)pyrene is 0.001 milligrams per liter.
    17
    On page 17 of that pre-filed testimony there
    18
    is a statement that the existing Class II
    19
    standard should be amended to 0.00002
    20
    milligrams per liter based on its water
    21
    solubility. Please clarify which value
    22
    represents the limit based on water
    23
    solubility of benzo(a)pyrene, 0.0016
    24
    milligrams per liter or 0.0002 milligrams per

    56
    1
    liter.
    2
    DR. HORNSHAW: That's essentially the
    3
    same question that was asked, and we are
    4
    going to come back and check the solubility
    5
    to be sure.
    6
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Okay. Thank you.
    7
    MEMBER RAO: Now, moving on to question
    8
    11.
    9
    The proposed Class II standards for
    10
    explosive compounds at 620.420(c) are set at
    11
    the same levels proposed for Class I
    12
    groundwater. Please clarify whether Koc
    13
    values or the Henry's law constants for these
    14
    compounds are below threshold values
    15
    considered by the Agency for setting
    16
    standards based on treatability.
    17
    MR. COBB: This is similar to
    18
    perchlorate where we didn't -- for most of
    19
    the organic contaminants we looked at the Koc
    20
    and those factors, but in these factors we
    21
    just looked to see if there was a best
    22
    available treatment technology, which there
    23
    is none and that was the basis. So it's the
    24
    same as for the perchlorate.

    57
    1
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: On page 18 of Mr.
    2
    Cobb's pre-filed testimony, this is regarding
    3
    the proposed changes to Class IV groundwater
    4
    quality standards pertaining to explosive
    5
    contaminants, there is a statement that the
    6
    designation of a previously mined area is
    7
    being proposed because it moves the
    8
    compliance point from the pit of the mine to
    9
    the boundary of the permitted area in order
    10
    to establish off-site contamination. Could
    11
    you clarify whether the proposed changes are
    12
    intended to apply only to "previously mined
    13
    area" which is a defined term in Section
    14
    620.110, and that definition limits the area
    15
    to land disturbed or effected by coal mining
    16
    operations prior to February 1, 1983.
    17
    MR. COBB: Yes.
    18
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Thank you. Page two
    19
    of Dr. Hornshaw's pre-filed testimony there
    20
    is a reference to a USEPA memorandum dated
    21
    December 5, 2003 concerning Human Health
    22
    Toxicity Values in Superfund Risk
    23
    Assessments. Would the Agency be able to
    24
    submit a copy of the memo?

    58
    1
    DR. HORNSHAW: Oh, yes. I think that's
    2
    supposed to be 2002, but I'll check. It may
    3
    be a typo in there. But, yes, we can submit
    4
    a copy of that memo.
    5
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Thank you.
    6
    On page 3 of that pre-filed
    7
    testimony there is a note, one of the issues
    8
    concerning the new hierarchy of toxicity
    9
    values pertains to the retirement of
    10
    Provisional Peer Reviewed Toxicity Value by
    11
    USEPA. The first question is, can you
    12
    clarify whether retirement of a PPRTV for a
    13
    chemical means that USEPA has established a
    14
    permanent reference dose for the chemical or
    15
    just dropped the value from its database?
    16
    DR. HORNSHAW: They've dropped the
    17
    value from it's database. THE PPRTV people
    18
    send quarterly updates to everybody who
    19
    prescribes. The values that are retired,
    20
    their retirement is probably because they
    21
    have not progressed in the pipeline. The
    22
    PPRTV database is basically all the chemicals
    23
    that the EPA is looking for in addition to
    24
    the IRIS database and provided ahead of time.

    59
    1
    If the chemical is not going to move on to
    2
    the higher standards, they have to retire
    3
    those chemicals. The most recent update
    4
    didn't have any chemicals listed as retired,
    5
    so I'm not sure where they are going with
    6
    this at this point.
    7
    MEMBER RAO: Moving on to the next
    8
    question, 15. On page four of your pre-filed
    9
    testimony regarding -- this is for
    10
    Dr. Hornshaw again -- regarding subchronic
    11
    exposures, you state that the Agency used the
    12
    IRIS values with the Uncertainty Factor
    13
    removed for some of the chemical constituents
    14
    as the first tier when available. Could you
    15
    please identify the chemical constituents for
    16
    which this procedure was used to develop the
    17
    proposed standards.
    18
    DR. HORNSHAW: I only included this as
    19
    an example of some of the problems we were
    20
    having. This actually pertains to TACO
    21
    because we don't use subchronic values in the
    22
    620 rules. We only use the values.
    23
    MEMBER RAO: So this doesn't apply --
    24
    DR. HORNSHAW: It doesn't apply. I

    60
    1
    just included that as one of the examples
    2
    where we were having some internal
    3
    discussions on where to proceed.
    4
    MEMBER RAO: So all of the RfD values
    5
    that you used from IRIS are without any
    6
    modification?
    7
    DR. HORNSHAW: That's correct.
    8
    MEMBER RAO: On page 4 you state that
    9
    changes needed in TACO because of the new
    10
    hierarchy will be addressed when the next
    11
    revision to TACO rules are proposed to the
    12
    Board. Please clarify whether the TACO
    13
    groundwater objective for 1, 1-Dichloroethane
    14
    of 0.7 milligrams per liter, which is lower
    15
    than the proposed Class I standards of 1.4
    16
    milligrams per liter is one of the needed
    17
    revisions that we dealt with in the TACO
    18
    rulemaking?
    19
    DR. HORNSHAW: Could you tell me the
    20
    two concentrations again?
    21
    MEMBER RAO: Yes, the TACO groundwater
    22
    objective concentration for 1,
    23
    1-Dichloroethane 1.4 milligrams. So my
    24
    question is whether the TACO groundwater

    61
    1
    objective will be revised at a later date?
    2
    DR. HORNSHAW: I think it will, but I'm
    3
    going to have to come back to you on that
    4
    just to be sure.
    5
    MEMBER RAO: I'm moving on to the next
    6
    question. On page five you state that the
    7
    Toxicity Assessment Unit decided to include
    8
    in the proposed rulemaking any chemical from
    9
    the Bureau of Land's master list that had a
    10
    toxicity value in the IRIS database. Please
    11
    explain the rationale for limiting the
    12
    chemicals to only those with IRIS toxicity
    13
    values instead of considering the USEPA's
    14
    three-tier hierarchy.
    15
    DR. HORNSHAW: I've kind of answered
    16
    this already. We were going to use IRIS and
    17
    PPRTV because those are EPA supported
    18
    toxicity values. It turns out none of the
    19
    chemicals that we were proposing values from
    20
    the PPRTV database, all of them were IRIS
    21
    data that were used in calculating the
    22
    values. We decided internally not to use the
    23
    third-tier because these are all more or less
    24
    provisional values that are probably subject

    62
    1
    to change and modification so we limit it to
    2
    the two tiers. So we had solid toxicity data
    3
    for this rulemaking.
    4
    MEMBER RAO: Since you said that you
    5
    didn't use any of the PPRTV, RfD, would you
    6
    please clarify Mr. Cobb's testimony on page
    7
    12, where he has the table listing, the basis
    8
    for all the proposed Class I standards for
    9
    1-Dichloroethane that the basis is listed as
    10
    PPRTV.
    11
    DR. HORNSHAW: I may have to take back
    12
    all I just said.
    13
    MEMBER RAO: You may want to take a
    14
    look at this. It may be based on the RfD
    15
    too. I mean the groundwater objectives for
    16
    TACO.
    17
    DR. HORNSHAW: I'll check the entire
    18
    database that we have for 1-dichloroethane
    19
    and come back to you in written form or at
    20
    the next hearing.
    21
    MEMBER MELAS: Next hearing.
    22
    MEMBER RAO: On page 7 of your
    23
    testimony you state that additional
    24
    corrections are necessary for several

    63
    1
    reasons, including the revision of the
    2
    selection criteria for groundwater standards
    3
    for carcinogenic chemicals. You note that
    4
    the revised criteria require a comparison of
    5
    each carcinogenic constituent's health based
    6
    concentration (1 in million risk level) with
    7
    its corresponding analytical method detection
    8
    limit, the greater of which is compared with
    9
    the constituent's reported water solubility.
    10
    Could you please clarify whether analytical
    11
    detection limit represents the carcinogenic
    12
    statutes MDR or method detection limit or its
    13
    practical quantification limit.
    14
    DR. HORNSHAW: I misspoke in my
    15
    testimony. It should be lowest practical
    16
    quantitation limit, PQls, which I think is
    17
    already testified.
    18
    MEMBER RAO: That takes care of my next
    19
    question because I wanted to know if we
    20
    wanted to change the 620 to MDL?
    21
    DR. HORNSHAW: No.
    22
    MEMBER RAO: Okay, thank you very much.
    23
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Thank you. For the
    24
    record, does anyone else have any further

    64
    1
    questions for either Agency witness? Seeing
    2
    none, why don't we go off the record for a
    3
    moment.
    4
    (Discussion off record.)
    5
    CHAIRMAN MCGILL: Back on the record.
    6
    Just for the record, is there anyone else who
    7
    wishes to testify or pose a question today?
    8
    Seeing no response, I'll move on to a few
    9
    procedural items before we adjourn? Just
    10
    hang on for one moment. I want to make sure
    11
    nobody signed this sign-up sheet and wandered
    12
    off.
    13
    I'm going to run through the Section
    14
    27(b) economic impact study matter on the
    15
    record, and if it's applicable it will be
    16
    covered. If it turns out that it is not,
    17
    then no harm. The Board as I mentioned did
    18
    request an economic impact study. Section
    19
    27(b) of the Environmental Protection Act
    20
    requires the Board to request that the
    21
    Department of Commerce and Economic
    22
    Opportunity conduct an economic impact study
    23
    or ECIS on proposed rules before the Board
    24
    adopts the rules. DCEO may within 30 to 45

    65
    1
    days request to produce a study on the
    2
    economic impact of the proposed rules. The
    3
    Board must make the economic impact study or
    4
    DECEO's explanation for not conducting one
    5
    available to the public at least 20 days
    6
    before public hearing. On March 26, 2008,
    7
    the Board accepts DCEO's request to conduct
    8
    an ECIS on the Agency's rulemaking proposal.
    9
    DCEO has not responded to the Board's
    10
    request. Is there anyone who would like to
    11
    testify regarding this matter?
    12
    Seeing none, I'll mention that we
    13
    have a second hearing in this rulemaking
    14
    scheduled for July 16, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.
    15
    That hearing will be held at the Agency's
    16
    building 1000 East Converse in Springfield,
    17
    enter through the north entrance of the
    18
    building, and it will be in the TQM room.
    19
    Pre-filed testimony for the second hearing
    20
    must be filed with the clerk of the Board by
    21
    July 11th. The mailbox rule does not apply
    22
    to this filing. So the clerk must receive
    23
    the pre-filed testimony by July 11th. Of
    24
    course you can file electronically through

    66
    1
    our clerk's office on-line or pool. I will
    2
    issue a hearing officer order this week which
    3
    will mention the pre-filed testimony deadline
    4
    for our second hearing and also set forth the
    5
    questions proposed by the Board today to
    6
    assist the Agency in its preparation of
    7
    responses for the second hearing. Copies of
    8
    the transcript of today's hearing should be
    9
    available on the Board's website by June
    10
    30th. If anyone has any questions about the
    11
    procedural aspects of this rulemaking, you
    12
    can contact me, my phone number is
    13
    (312) 814-6983. My e-mail is
    14
    mcgillr@ipcb.state.il.us.
    15
    Are there any other matters that
    16
    need to be addressed at this time? Seeing
    17
    none, I would like to thank everyone for
    18
    participating today, and this hearing is
    19
    adjourned.
    20
    (Whereupon the hearing was
    21
    adjourned.)
    22 STATE OF ILLINOIS )
    23
    ) SS.
    24 COUNTY OF C O O K )

    67
    1
    2
    DENISE ANDRAS, being first duly sworn, on oath
    3 says that she is a Certified Shorthand Reporter doing
    4 business in the City of Chicago, County of Cook, and
    5 State of Illinois.
    6
    That she reported in shorthand the proceedings
    7 had at the foregoing hearing of the above-entitled
    8 cause.
    9
    And that the foregoing is a true and correct
    10 transcript of her shorthand notes so taken as aforesaid
    11 and contains all the proceedings had at the hearing.
    12
    13
    14
    ___________________________
    15
    DENISE ANDRAS, CSR
    CSR NO. 084-003437
    16
    17 SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO
    18 Before me this ____ day
    19 Of _______, A.D., 2008.
    20
    _______________________
    21
    Notary Public
    22
    23
    24

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