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Final, 8-13-08

TECHNICAL SUPPORT DOCUMENT FOR THE

SITE-SPECIFIC BORON STANDARD FOR THE

SPRINGFIELD METRO SANITARY DISTRICT SPRING CREEK PLANT

SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS

Prepared for:

CITY OF SPRINGFIELD OFFICE OF PUBLIC UTILITIES

Springfield, Illinois

Prepared by:

HANSON PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INC.

1525 South Sixth Street

Springfield, Illinois 62703

August 2008

Copyright

©

2008 by Hanson Professional Services Inc. All rights reserved. This document is intended solely for the use of the

individual or the entity to which it is addressed. The information contained in this document shall not be duplicated, stored

electronically, or distributed, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of Hanson Professional Services Inc., 1525 S.

Sixth St., Springfield, IL 62703, (217) 788-2450, www.hanson-inc.com

. Unauthorized reproduction or transmission of any part of this

document is a violation of federal law.

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TECHNICAL SUPPORT DOCUMENT FOR

Section

Page

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................. i

1.0

PURPOSE AND SCOPE..................................................................................... 1-1

1.1

Purpose..................................................................................................... 1-1

1.2

Scope........................................................................................................ 1-2

2.0

FACILITY INFORMATION .............................................................................. 2-1

2.1

CWLP Plant Description.......................................................................... 2-1

2.2

CWLP Plant Operation ............................................................................ 2-3

2.3

CWLP Existing Outfall and Discharge Description ................................ 2-9

2.4

Proposed CWLP Discharge to SMSD ................................................... 2-12

2.5

Spring Creek Wastewater Plant Description.......................................... 2-12

2.6

Spring Creek Wastewater Plant Operation ............................................ 2-15

2.7

Anticipated Spring Creek Plant Discharge ............................................ 2-19

3.0

RESOURCES OF THE SANGAMON RIVER .................................................. 3-1

3.1

Sangamon River Basin............................................................................. 3-1

3.1.1 Geology and Physiography .......................................................... 3-1

3.1.2 Sangamon River........................................................................... 3-2

3.2

Sangamon River Environmental Quality ................................................. 3-6

3.2.1 Water Uses ................................................................................... 3-6

3.2.2 Water Quality............................................................................... 3-9

3.2.3 Primary Productivity, Plankton, and Aquatic ........................... 3-11

Macroinvertebrates

3.2.4 Fisheries ..................................................................................... 3-13

3.2.5 Threatened and Endangered Species and Natural Areas ........... 3-22

4.0

ISSUE OF CONCERN ........................................................................................ 4-1

4.1

Proposed Site-Specific Standard for Boron ............................................. 4-1

4.2

Boron Concentrations in Receiving Waters............................................. 4-2

4.2.1 Historic Boron Levels .................................................................. 4-2

4.2.2 Predicted Boron Levels................................................................ 4-9

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Section

Page

5.0

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF BORON .................................................... 5-1

5.1

Distribution and Uses of Boron ............................................................... 5-1

5.2

Toxicological Effects of Boron................................................................ 5-2

5.2.1 Effects in Humans........................................................................ 5-2

5.2.2 Effects in Other Mammals and Birds........................................... 5-3

5.2.3 Effects in Fish and Amphibians................................................... 5-4

5.2.4 Effects in Invertebrates ................................................................ 5-6

5.2.5 Effects in Plants ........................................................................... 5-9

5.2.6 Effects in Aquatic Organisms .................................................... 5-12

5.3

Environmental Effects of Current Boron Levels ................................... 5-13

5.4

Predicted Effects of the Proposed Site-Specific Boron Standard .......... 5-15

6.0

EVALUATION OF WATER TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES ...................... 6-1

6.1

Alternate Coal Source .............................................................................. 6-1

6.2

Dry Ash Systems...................................................................................... 6-3

6.2.1 Dry Fly Ash.................................................................................. 6-3

6.2.2 Dry Bottom Ash........................................................................... 6-5

6.3

Treatment Alternatives............................................................................. 6-6

6.3.1 Brine Concentrator followed by Spray Dryer.............................. 6-6

6.3.2 Reverse Osmosis followed by Crystallizer and Spray Dryer....... 6-7

6.3.3 Electrocoagulation ....................................................................... 6-9

6.3.4 Comparison of Treatment Alternatives...................................... 6-10

6.3.5 Boron Pilot Project..................................................................... 6-12

6.4

Pretreatment of Water Proposed for Transfer to SMSD........................ 6-13

7.0

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................. 7-1

8.0

REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 8-1

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Table

Title

Page

2-1

CWLP Monthly Coal Usage 2002-2007.................................................. 2-4

2-2

CWLP Monthly Seed Corn Fired 2003-2007 .......................................... 2-5

2-3

CWLP Monthly Oil Usage 2002-2007 .................................................... 2-6

2-4

CWLP Monthly Gross Generation 2002-2007 ........................................ 2-7

2-5

CWLP Monthly Gross Thermal Efficiency 2002-2007........................... 2-8

2-6

Spring Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Flows 2004-2007............... 2-16

2-7

NPDES Permit No. IL0021989.............................................................. 2-17

2-8

Spring Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Average Discharge ............ 2-20

Parameters

3-1

NPDES Permitted Discharges to the Sangamon River from the ............ 3-7

Confluence of the South Fork of the Sangamon River to the

Illinois River

3-2

Illinois Guidelines for Using Biological Information for Assessing .... 3-12

Aquatic Life Use in Streams

3-3

Macroinvertebrate Species Collected from the Sangamon River .......... 3-14

3-4

Fish Species Collected from the Sangamon River 1996 and 2003 ........ 3-18

3-5

IBI Comparison in the Sangamon River for 1981-82, 1996, and .......... 3-20

2003, with Revised IBI Comparisons between 1996 and 2003

4-1

Sangamon River Boron Concentrations Upstream and Downstream of . 4-8

the SMSD Spring Creek Plant Discharge September and October 2007

5-1

Referenced Effects of Boron on Freshwater Aquatic Life Applicable.....5-7

Applicable To the Sangamon River and the Illinois River

6-1

Tonnage and Source of Coal Used by Illinois Utilities in 2005 .............. 6-4

6-2

Cost of Treatment Alternatives for the Removal of Boron.................... 6-11

Figure

Title

Page

1-1

Area of Study ........................................................................................... 1-3

2-1

CWLP Complex Water Flow Schematic ............................................... 2-10

2-2

Springfield Metro Sanitary District Treatment Plant ............................ 2-14

3-1

Major River Basins of Illinois.................................................................. 3-3

3-2

Sangamon River Watershed..................................................................... 3-4

3-3

NPDES Permit Discharges ...................................................................... 3-8

3-4

Illinois EPA Stream Segments............................................................... 3-10

4-1

Illinois EPA Boron Data – Station E-26 .................................................. 4-3

4-2

Illinois EPA Boron Data – Station E-24 .................................................. 4-4

4-3

Illinois EPA Boron Data – Station E-25 .................................................. 4-5

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(Continued)

APPENDIX A

– Spring Creek Plant NPDES Permit

APPENDIX B

– CWLP NPDES Permit

APPENDIX C

– IDNR Correspondence

APPENDIX D

– Boron Water Quality Data for the Sangamon River – 1999-2004

APPENDIX E

– Boron Analytical Results – September 2007 and October 2007

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The City of Springfield, City Water Light and Power (CWLP) and the Springfield

Metro Sanitary District (SMSD) are requesting a site-specific water quality standard for

boron in the Sangamon River and the Illinois River as a result of proposed discharge

from the Springfield Metro Sanitary District (SMSD) Spring Creek Plant. Operation of

the air pollution control systems at the CWLP power plant causes elevated concentrations of

boron in a plant effluent stream that is proposed to be transferred to the SMSD Spring Creek

Wastewater Plant. The CWLP power plant is a critical power supply for Springfield and

surrounding communities; the site-specific boron water quality standard is necessary to

allow CWLP to continue to operate the power plant in compliance with its existing

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and State and Federal

air pollution regulations.

The NPDES Permit No. IL0021989 issued on June 24, 2004 for the SMSD Spring

Creek Plant does not require monitoring of boron in discharges from Outfall 007 to the

Sangamon River. However, the Illinois General Use water quality standard for boron is

1.0 mg/L set forth in 35 Illinois Administrative Code (IAC) 302.208(g). CWLP and

SMSD intend to file a petition to the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) to request a

site-specific water quality standard for boron, which would include an area of dispersion

with boron concentrations ranging between 4.5 and 11.0 mg/L from SMSD Spring Creek

Plant 007 STP Outfall to 182 yards downstream in the Sangamon River; 4.5 mg/L in the

Sangamon River from 182 yards downstream of SMSD Outfall 007 to the confluence of

the Sangamon River with Salt Creek, a distance of 39.0 river miles; 1.6 mg/L in the

Sangamon River from the confluence of the Sangamon River with Salt Creek to the

confluence of the Sangamon River with the Illinois River, a distance of 36.1 river miles;

and 1.3 mg/L in the Illinois River from the confluence of the Illinois River with the

Sangamon River to 100 yards downstream of the confluence of the Illinois River with the

Sangamon River. This site-specific standard is based on a 7Q10 low-flow of 54.8 cfs

having a boron concentration of 2.0 mg/L in the Sangamon River upstream of Spring

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Creek and an SMSD Spring Creek Plant effluent flow of 17.5 cfs having a boron

concentration of 11.0 mg/L based on the 7-day low flow from the plant. For the most

part, the increase in the Sangamon River flow at Spring Creek is due to the discharge

from the SMSD Spring Creek Plant.

This technical support document considers existing water quality data and

biological studies that were obtained from several agencies including the Illinois

Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA), the Illinois Department of Natural

Resources (IDNR) and the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). Stream flow

information from the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) was used to predict boron levels

in the Sangamon River. The discussion of possible toxicological effects of boron is

based on existing published literature and from studies and technical documents produced

for City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) of Springfield and for Central Illinois Light

Company (CILCO) of Peoria in support of petitions for adjusted water quality standards

for boron and a variance to an adjusted water quality standard for boron.

Four technical alternatives for complying with the Illinois General Use water

quality standard for boron were evaluated. One alternate operating procedure was

considered; three water treatment processes for the removal of boron were investigated.

Conversion to a dry ash system has been studied by CWLP; however the particular waste

stream that is the subject of this technical support document is generated by the air

pollution control system and would not be eliminated by modifying the power plant ash

handling system. It is notable that there are currently no known commercial processes

being utilized to remove boron concentrations of this magnitude. Because treatment to

remove the boron has been demonstrated to be infeasible, CWLP proposes to pretreat the

boron-laden waste stream with conventional treatment processes for solids removal and

then transfer the wastewater to the SMSD Spring Creek Plant. Boron tends to associate

with small particulate matter; therefore the pretreatment process is designed to remove

particulates from the waste stream.

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iii

It is not anticipated that the SMSD plant treatment process will substantially

reduce the total boron in the waste stream, estimated to have an average flow rate of 187

gpm and a boron concentration of 450 mg/L. Reduction of the boron concentration in the

wastewater stream anticipated for discharge by SMSD, in comparison to the

concentration in CWLP’s discharge, will not make its removal by SMSD any more

feasible or economically reasonable than the removal alternatives studied by CWLP.

It was concluded that no technically feasible and economically reasonable

alternative was available to CWLP or SMSD to meet the Illinois General Use water

quality standard for boron. In contrast, lesser costs are associated with seeking a site-

specific water quality standard for boron.

The site-specific boron water quality standard is justified because the Sangamon

River is not used, nor is it expected to be used, for several purposes intended to be

protected by the General Use water quality standard such as agricultural use, stock

watering, or public and food processing water supply. In addition, the present General

Use water quality standard for boron is unnecessarily stringent for the current use of the

Sangamon River and the protection of aquatic life and wildlife, and no adverse impacts

are expected from the proposed site-specific water quality standard for boron.

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PURPOSE AND SCOPE

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1-1

1.1

Purpose

CWLP and the SMSD are requesting a site-specific water quality standard for

boron in the Sangamon River and the Illinois River as a result of proposed discharge

from the Springfield Metro Sanitary District (SMSD) Spring Creek Plant. The CWLP

power plant in Springfield operates selective catalytic reduction (SCR) air pollution

control systems for nitrous oxide removal and flue gas desulfurization systems (FGDS)

for sulfur dioxide removal as required by its air operating permit. Apparently, SCR

operations result in increased leaching of boron and/or increased boron solubility in the

FGDS effluent water generated during gypsum dewatering. Operation of the air pollution

control systems causes elevated concentrations of boron in the plant effluent stream that is

proposed to be transferred to the SMSD Spring Creek Wastewater Plant. The CWLP power

plant is a critical power supply for Springfield and surrounding communities; the site-

specific boron water quality standard is necessary to allow CWLP to continue to operate

the power plant in compliance with its existing NPDES permit and State and Federal air

pollution regulations.

It is not anticipated that the SMSD Spring Creek plant treatment process will

substantially reduce the total boron in the waste stream, estimated to have an average

flow rate of 187 gpm and a boron concentration of 450 mg/L. However, the boron

concentration discharged from the Spring Creek Plant will be equal to or less than 11.0

mg/L. Reduction of the boron concentration in the wastewater stream anticipated for

discharge by SMSD, in comparison to the concentration in CWLP’s discharge, will not

make its removal by SMSD any more feasible or economically reasonable than the

removal alternatives studied by CWLP.

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1-2

Hanson Professional Services Inc. (Hanson) has conducted an evaluation of

potential ecological and water quality impacts of boron discharged into the Sangamon

River and prepared this Technical Support Document to support approval of the site-

specific boron water quality standard intended to accommodate the proposed effluent

from the SMSD Spring Creek Plant.

1.2

Scope

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit No.

IL0021989 issued on June 24, 2004 for the SMSD Spring Creek Plant does not require

monitoring of boron in discharges from Outfall 007 to the Sangamon River. However,

the Illinois General Use water quality standard for boron is 1.0 mg/L set forth in 35

Illinois Administrative Code (IAC) 302.208(g). CWLP and SMSD intend to file a

petition to the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) to request a site-specific water

quality standard for boron, which would include an area of dispersion with boron

concentrations ranging between 4.5 and 11.0 mg/L from SMSD Spring Creek Plant 007

STP Outfall to 182 yards downstream in the Sangamon River; 4.5 mg/L in the Sangamon

River from 182 yards downstream of SMSD Outfall 007 to the confluence of the

Sangamon River with Salt Creek, a distance of 39.0 river miles; 1.6 mg/L in the

Sangamon River from the confluence of the Sangamon River with Salt Creek to the

confluence of the Sangamon River with the Illinois River, a distance of 36.1 river miles;

and 1.3 mg/L in the Illinois River from the confluence of the Illinois River with the

Sangamon River to 100 yards downstream of the confluence of the Illinois River with the

Sangamon River. This site-specific standard is based on a 7Q10 low-flow of 54.8 cfs

having a boron concentration of 2.0 mg/L in the Sangamon River upstream of Spring

Creek and an SMSD Spring Creek Plant effluent flow of 17.5 cfs having a boron

concentration of 11.0 mg/L based on the 7-day low flow from the plant. For the most

part, the increase in the Sangamon River flow at Spring Creek is due to discharge from

the SMSD Spring Creek Plant. The study area is shown in Figure 1-1.

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Hanson Professional Services Inc.

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1-4

This report addresses issues required for the petition, including: a description of

the power plant operations that are the subject of the petition; a description of the

wastewater treatment plant operations that are the subject of the petition; the qualitative

and quantitative nature of the discharges from the power plant to the wastewater

treatment plant in relation to their boron content; the qualitative and quantitative nature of

the discharges from the wastewater treatment plant in relation to their boron content; a

description of the area affected by the discharges; and a comparison of the environmental

impacts of complying with the existing boron standard and of complying with the

proposed site-specific boron water quality standard in relation to the aquatic ecology,

hydrology, and water uses of the receiving stream. This report also includes an analysis

of the compliance alternatives and their relative costs for implementation and operation to

reduce boron concentrations in the effluent stream as well as a description of the

proposed pretreatment system.

To address the petition requirements and to assess the impacts of the boron in the

proposed SMSD discharge, Hanson reviewed existing water quality data and biological

studies that were obtained from several agencies including the Illinois Environmental

Protection Agency (Illinois EPA), the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)

and the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). Stream flow information from the

Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) was used to predict boron levels in the Sangamon

River. The discussion of possible toxicological effects of boron is based on existing

published literature and from studies and technical documents produced for CWLP of

Springfield and for Central Illinois Light Company of Peoria in support of petitions for

adjusted water quality standards for boron and a variance to an adjusted water quality

standard for boron.

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FACILITY INFORMATION

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2-1

2.1

CWLP Plant Description

City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) owns and operates the V. Y. Dallman

Power Station and the Lakeside Power Station at 3100 Stevenson Drive, Springfield,

Sangamon County, Illinois. CWLP also operates a potable water treatment plant (filter

plant) at this site. These plants generate electricity for the residents and businesses in

Springfield and provide potable water to Springfield and surrounding communities.

Approximately 186 people are employed at the power generating stations and an

additional 19 people are employed at the water treatment plant. The facilities are staffed

24 hours per day, seven days per week.

The Dallman Power Station has an electric generating capacity of 352 megawatts

and is comprised of three coal-fired units: Units 31, 32, and 33. The Dallman units were

placed into service in 1968, 1972, and 1978, respectively. Units 31 and 32 are identical,

each having 80 megawatts of generating capacity. The cyclone boilers in Units 31 and 32

operate at 1,250 psig and 950ºF. Unit 33 includes a tangentially-fired boiler and has a

generating capacity of 192 megawatts. Unit 33 operates at 2,400 psig and 1,000ºF.

Each of the three Dallman units is equipped with a flue gas desulfurization system

(FGDS) that removes an average of 95 percent of the sulfur dioxide from the unit’s flue

gases and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) air pollution control system for nitrous

oxide removal. The SCRs are currently operated from May 1 through September 30.

The SCRs will begin year round operation in 2009. The SCRs associated with units 31

and 32 remove about 89 percent of the nitrous oxides from the flue gases; the SCR

associated with Unit 33 removes about 80 percent of the nitrous oxides from the flue gas.

The Lakeside Power Station began operation in 1935. Originally, there were

eight boilers and seven turbine generators at the Lakeside plant. Only two boilers and

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two turbine generators are still in operation. Boilers 7 and 8 are identical 33-megawatt

cyclone coal-fired units. Boiler 7-Turbine 6 went into operation in 1959 and Boiler 8-

Turbine 7 began operation in 1964. Both units operate at 850 psig and 900ºF. The

Lakeside Power Station is slated to be retired in the near future.

Coal consumption at the CWLP facility is in excess of one million tons per year.

The ash handling practices at CWLP are typical for a coal-fired power plant. Bottom ash

and fly ash from all existing units are sluiced to ash ponds. The raw lake water used for

sluicing is obtained from the once-through cooling water systems for the generator

condensers. Three separate ash transport systems serve Dallman Units 31 and 32,

Dallman Unit 33, and Lakeside.

A new electric generating unit referred to as Dallman Unit 4 is currently under

construction. The Dallman Unit 4 will include a coal-fired boiler with a rated capacity of

about 2,440 million Btu/hour and a steam turbine-generator with a nominal capacity of

250 megawatts. The new boiler will be equipped with low-NO

x

combustion technology

and the following air pollution control systems: selective catalytic reduction, a fabric

filter, wet flue gas desulfurization, and a wet electrostatic precipitator. Bottom and fly

ash from Dallman Unit 4 will be transported via dry ash handling systems as opposed to

the sluice systems used at Dallman Units 31 and 32, Dallman Unit 33, and Lakeside.

The water treatment plant has a capacity of 48 million gallons per day (MGD). A

conventional lime-softening/filtration/disinfection process is employed to produce

potable water. Five clarifiers and 12 filters in the treatment process remove sediment and

particulate matter from the raw lake water. Thickened sludge from the clarifiers and

backwash water from the filters is discharged to the ash ponds located north of Spaulding

Dam. The volume of sludge and backwash water discharged to the ash pond system

varies and is dependent upon production volume and raw water characteristics. During

periods of warm weather, powdered activated carbon (PAC) is added to the incoming

lake water for control of various pesticides and herbicides. The PAC also assists with

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taste and odor control. The majority of the PAC is removed in the clarifiers and disposed

in the ash ponds.

2.2

CWLP Plant Operation

Total coal usage at the CWLP complex averages 1.1 million tons per year. Table

2-1 details monthly coal usage from 2002 through 2007. The coal is delivered by truck

from the International Coal Group Viper Mine near Elkhart, Illinois. Seed corn past the

expiration date for planting is also burned at the CWLP facility. The monthly seed corn

fired between 2003 and 2007 is shown in Table 2-2. Fuel oil is burned during boiler

startup and during low-load operation. The monthly fuel oil usage for 2002 through 2007

is summarized in Table 2-3. The monthly gross generation in megawatt hours for 2002

through 2007 is presented in Table 2-4. The monthly gross thermal efficiency for this

period is detailed in Table 2-5.

Cooling water at the CWLP complex is supplied by Lake Springfield. The lake is

also the primary source of potable water for the City of Springfield and surrounding

communities. Lake Springfield is a 4,224-acre reservoir constructed in 1934 by

impoundment of Sugar Creek with Spaulding Dam. The two major streams flowing into

the lake are Sugar Creek and Lick Creek, which drain into the upper end of the lake.

Makeup of water lost by evaporation and other consumptive uses comes from the 265

square mile watershed. The watershed area is primarily a level to gently-sloping plain

that is incised in the lower portions by the valleys of Sugar Creek and Lick Creek.

Raw water is withdrawn from Lake Springfield for cooling via four cooling water

pumps for Dallman Units 31 and 32, two cooling water pumps for Dallman Unit 33, and

two cooling water pumps for the Lakeside Station. These units utilize a once-through

cooling water system, and thus there is no consumptive loss of the lake water for

condenser cooling. Sluice water pumps draw water from the circulating cooling water

system for the ash transport system and the FGDS. Cooling water for the ash hoppers

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2-4

CITY WATER, LIGHT AND POWER

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

January

94,866

90,771

114,169

119,746

115,679

103,912

February

78,733

89,426

106,839

97,188

103,368

115,417

March

67,325

80,817

90,970

102,075

67,553

106,017

April

76,325

66,958

77,042

69,361

65,752

62,796

May

72,265

81,580

97,478

100,534

73,677

98,991

June

110,183

83,529

94,567

110,420

105,296

109,777

July

126,323

119,039

107,286

117,390

107,946

105,956

August

121,674

120,803

98,249

114,034

114,090

111,873

September

103,000

89,139

96,670

110,323

100,401

October

78,877

75,741

75,790

81,164

78,376

November

78,967

85,773

87,606

110,263

85,879

December

89,704

100,582

104,573

127,857

103,747

Total

1,098,242

1,084,158

1,151,239

1,260,355 1,121,764

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CITY WATER, LIGHT AND POWER

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

January

0

1,619

376

1,359

2,808

February

367

1,129

248

2,187

2,350

March

92

1,633

259

2,417

873

April

188

1,555

1,484

1,506

856

May

434

1,283

585

1,083

0

June

128

1,708

721

305

860

July

1,078

1,470

1,470

885

252

August

1,643

1,721

1,573

1,581

1,251

September

0

1,099

644

0

October

440

305

997

1,931

November

636

373

2,331

1,820

December

1,171

578

1,352

0

Total

6,176

14,473

12,040

15,074

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CITY WATER, LIGHT AND POWER

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

January

10,424

107,790

16,628

9,474

12,622

25,313

February

15,261

56,279

16,001

9,121

25,703

17,846

March

36,251

116,401

13,327

18,760

17,049

24,568

April

61,586

40,752

24,801

34,637

7,227

33,912

May

47,053

34,413

14,075

17,824

66,632

19,765

June

23,526

51,644

156,016

40,005

28,243

18,780

July

20,528

71,237

21,424

288,986

72,727

15,309

August

25,591

114,348

13,261

12,685

11,462

38,684

September

19,670

44,190

6,694

26,050

12,549

October

20,287

37,190

29,886

110,954

46,430

November

6,553

19,884

11,465

27,119

4,240

December

18,882

12,565

20,856

18,495

33,434

Total

305,612

706,693

344,434

614,110

338,318

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CITY WATER, LIGHT AND POWER

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

January

190,682

185,468

229,724

242,159

235,588

210,480

February

157,371

182,561

213,339

198,165

210,588

231,853

March

128,007

158,853

182,017

208,851

132,097

211,048

April

158,203

128,044

152,437

141,525

124,999

121,011

May

152,375

164,989

203,832

209,137

143,775

203,572

June

224,235

175,753

199,838

227,651

214,444

221,682

July

258,319

245,122

222,244

248,769

224,846

212,911

August

245,841

249,655

205,110

232,510

226,314

219,247

September

209,937

185,355

201,207

223,803

205,451

October

163,899

154,026

156,304

167,107

162,345

November

162,985

175,524

180,804

225,444

176,045

December

184,275

206,036

214,441

254,602

208,168

Total

2,236,129

2,211,386

2,361,297

2,579,723

2,264,660

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2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

January

32.62

33.16

32.40

32.76

32.78

32.34

February

32.15

32.97

32.26

32.92

32.57

32.22

March

30.77

31.71

31.93

32.78

30.94

32.26

April

32.56

31.02

31.67

31.34

30.28

31.01

May

34.05

32.83

33.40

33.38

30.89

33.36

June

33.09

34.00

33.45

32.68

32.91

32.19

July

32.73

32.65

33.32

32.11

32.21

32.66

August

32.33

32.79

33.59

31.77

31.14

31.41

September

32.94

33.71

33.39

32.33

33.41

October

33.71

32.84

33.39

32.93

32.88

November

33.59

33.18

33.48

32.68

32.79

December

33.40

33.07

33.23

32.27

32.16

Annual

32.83

32.83

32.96

32.50

32.08

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and the water seals between the boilers and the ash hoppers is also taken from the

circulating cooling water system.

The majority of the consumptive use of lake water for the facility is ash sluicing water,

which accounts for about 3.9 million gallons of lake water usage per day.

The ash

transport systems discharge to two settling ponds (ash ponds). The ash ponds also

receive wastewater treatment plant sludge, leachate collected from the scrubber sludge

landfill, lime sludge from the filter plant, and miscellaneous water streams from the

Dallman Power Station including the FGDS effluent water. The supernatant from these

two ash ponds flows into a clarification pond. Combining wastewater from the various

sources provides for settling and neutralization in the Clarification Pond. The ash sluice

waters are typically acidic with suspended solids; the filter plant wastes are normally

alkaline with excess lime availability; and the wastewater plant sludge contains polymer

and coagulants for flocculation. The discharge from the Clarification Pond normally

flows into Sugar Creek through CWLP’s NPDES Outfall 004.

2.3

CWLP Existing Outfall and Discharge Description

CWLP's NPDES permit IL0024767, issued December 5, 2001, regulates discharges

from 16 outfalls at the CWLP facility. Outfall numbers 001 through 011 apply to process

discharges at the facility and are shown in Figure 2-1. Outfall numbers 012 through 016

apply to storm water runoff from the industrial site. Outfalls 003, 004, and 016 discharge

into Sugar Creek; all of the other outfalls discharge into Lake Springfield. Discharge from

Outfall 003 consists mainly of potable water and raw water collected from various

equipment drains, floor drains, and roof drains at the Lakeside Power Station. The drainage

is routed from the power plant through an underground pipe that outfalls into the Sugar

Creek channel near the east side of the spillway at Spaulding Dam. Discharge from Outfall

003 has been identified as containing high concentration of boron, the result of contact with

accumulations of ash in the discharge area. Effluent from the Ash Clarification Pond

discharges into Sugar Creek through Outfall 004. This discharge also contains a high

concentration of boron.

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FOR THE SITE-SPECIFIC BORON STANDARD

FOR THE SMSD SPRING CREEK PLANT

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

HANSON NO. 07E0039

FIGURE 2-1

TECHNICAL SUPPORT DOCUMENT

2-10

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The former NPDES permit IL0024767, issued September 29, 1993, required CWLP

to limit and monitor the concentrations of boron in Outfall 003 and Outfall 004 discharges to

Sugar Creek. The permit limit for boron was 1.0 mg/L, with compliance to be achieved by

December 14, 1994. In response to the issuance of this permit, CWLP commissioned a

study to evaluate the ecological and water quality impacts of boron levels discharged into

Sugar Creek and associated sections of the Sangamon River and the South Fork of the

Sangamon River (

Technical Support Document for Petition for Adjusted Boron Standards

for Sugar Creek and the Sangamon River

, Hanson Engineers Incorporated, March 1994).

Ultimately, CWLP petitioned the Illinois Pollution Control Board and was granted an

adjusted standard for boron. The following adjusted standard for boron is now applicable:

11.0 mg/L from CWLP's Outfall 003 at Spaulding Dam on Sugar Creek to its confluence

with SMSD’s Sugar Creek Plant Outfall 008; 5.5 mg/L from SMSD's Outfall 008 to its

confluence with the South Fork of the Sangamon River; and 2.0 mg/L from the confluence

of Sugar Creek and the South Fork of the Sangamon River to 100 yards downstream of the

confluence of the Sangamon River with Spring Creek, a total distance of approximately 20

river miles.

Historically, CWLP has been able to operate while meeting the adjusted boron

standard in Sugar Creek. During normal plant operation, boron concentrations at Outfall

004 have been within the adjusted standard despite high boron concentrations in the FGDS

effluent water stream generated during gypsum dewatering (FGDS blowdown). This FGDS

blowdown, combined with seal water from the FGDS pumps, is mixed with the Water

Treatment Plant sludge and transferred to the ash pond system. However since selective

catalytic reduction (SCR) air pollution control systems for nitrous oxide removal were

added to the three Dallman Units in 2003, CWLP has had difficulty complying with the

adjusted standard for boron in Sugar Creek when the SCRs have been in operation. The

SCRs operate during the ozone season, from May 1 through September 30. Apparently,

trace ammonia concentrations from SCR operation results in increased leaching of boron

and/or increased boron solubility in the Dallman ash pond, increasing boron levels to the

clarification pond. The increased boron levels from the Dallman ash pond are below the

adjusted standard, but when the boron content of the FGDS blowdown is added to the

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clarification pond, the boron concentration at Outfall 004 exceeds the adjusted standard in

Sugar Creek. Although trace ammonia concentrations are also found in the gas stream to

the FGDS, the effect on the boron concentration in the FGDS blowdown can not be

quantified because operational variables within the FGDS process result in a wide range of

boron levels in the FGDS blowdown. It is notable that conversion to a dry fly ash system

will not eliminate this high boron FGDS effluent water stream since it is generated by the air

pollution control equipment and is not associated with the fly ash disposal system.

2.4

Proposed CWLP Discharge to SMSD

CWLP proposes that, in lieu of discharging the FGDS effluent water to the ash

pond system, the wastewater be collected, pretreated, and pumped to the SMSD Spring

Creek Plant for treatment. This waste stream is estimated to have an average flow rate of

187 gallons per minute (gpm) or about 270,000 gallons per day (gpd) and a boron

concentration of 450 mg/L. This estimated average flow includes FGDS effluent water

from the Dallman Units 31 and 32, Dallman Unit 33, and Dallman Unit 4. Specifically,

CWLP proposes constructing two 250,000 gallon holding tanks and a ClariCone™ solids

contact clarifier with a 240 gpm capacity to pretreat the waste stream prior to pumping

the water to the Spring Creek Plant for treatment. The ClariCone™ is designed to allow

mixing, flocculation, and sedimentation to take place within a completely hydraulically

driven vessel. The conically shaped concentrator maximizes the FGDS blowdown

discharge concentration and allows plant personnel to visually monitor FGDS blowdown

discharge.

The pretreatment is not expected to significantly reduce the boron

concentration, but will significantly reduce solids sent to the Spring Creek Plant. The

ClariCone™ will recycle solids back to the FGD process.

2.5

Spring Creek Wastewater Plant Description

The Springfield Metro Sanitary District owns and operates the Spring Creek and

Sugar Creek wastewater treatment plants. The Sugar Creek plant was put into service in

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1973 and treats wastewater and storm water from the southeast and eastern sections of

Springfield and adjacent service areas. The Spring Creek plant was constructed in 1928

with major improvements in the 1930s. It handles wastewater and storm water flows

from the southwest, west and northern parts of Springfield and surrounding service areas.

The last major improvements to increase the capacity of the Spring Creek plant were

constructed in 1973.

The population served by the Spring Creek WWTP from 2000 U.S. Census data

was 90,300 and has increased just over one percent per year on average for the previous

ten years. It is an activated sludge treatment plant that provides from treatment and

removal of biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia

and bacteria. The treatment plant consists of the following main unit processes as shown

in Figure 2-2.

1. Screening for large solids removal,

2. Grit removal for removing heavier sand and grit particles

3. Primary clarifiers remove solids and biological matter

4. Aeration tanks are the main biological treatment process

5. Secondary clarifiers remove the remaining fine solids particles and activated

sludge is returned from these clarifiers to the aeration tanks

6. Disinfection is performed on a seasonal basis from May through October

7. Anaerobic sludge digestion is used to stabilize primary and secondary waste

sludge which is then stored and biosolids are land applied when weather

permits

8. Excess flow clarifiers provide primary treatment during high flow storm

events

The Spring Creek WWTP discharges its effluent into the Sangamon River at the

confluence of Spring Creek and the river. The discharge from the treatment plant flows

into a 72-inch diameter concrete pipe and is conveyed approximately 5,990 ft before

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discharging into the river. The 72-inch outfall sewer was constructed in 1973. The 7-day

10-year low flow in the Sangamon River upstream of the Spring Creek discharge is 54.8

cubic feet per second (cfs) or 35.4 MGD. The Spring Creek WWTP has a seasonal

disinfection exemption that only requires disinfection for the months of May through

October.

2.6

Spring Creek Wastewater Plant Operation

The Spring Creek wastewater plant operates 24 hours per day, seven days per

week. The plant is staffed by 7 full-time operators from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. There is a

separate maintenance crew on site 8 hours per day, 5 days per week.

The Spring Creek plant has an average design capacity of 20 MGD. The average

and maximum flows for 2004 through 2006 are detailed in Table 2-6.

Monthly flows in these three years have ranged from 11.8 MGD to a peak flow

over 50 MGD. The design maximum flow of the plant is currently 50 MGD, which is

greater than the 2005 peak of 49 MGD, but 49 MGD puts the plant at 98 percent of its

rated maximum capacity.

On average the plant discharge is less than the 7-day 10-year low flow of the

receiving stream, the Sangamon River which is 54.8 cfs or 35.4 MGD. A Spring Creek

plant 7-day low flow of 11.31 MGD will be used for the calculation of the boron

concentration under the proposed scenario. This flow rate is based on the 7-day low flow

presented on the 2002 ISWS map. However, daily effluent flows as low as 9.29 MGD

were observed in September 2007.

The requirements for complete treatment of flows to the Spring Creek WWTP as

required by NPDES Permit No. IL0021989 are detailed in Table 2-7. SMSD anticipates

there will be changes in the current NPDES permit after it expires July 31, 2009. At that

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Year

(MGD)

2004

20.72

50

2005

20.39

49

2006

20.11

48

2007

19.12

48

2004-2007

20.09

50

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NPDES PERMIT NO. IL0021989

Effective Date: August 1, 2004

Expiration Date: July 31, 2009

Receiving Stream: Sangamon River

Discharge Number and Name: 007 STP Outfall

Design Average Flow (DAF):........................................................... 20.0 MGD

Design Maximum Flow (DMF): ....................................................... 50.0 MGD

Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand (CBOD5):................. 10 mg/L (mo. avg.)

20 mg/L (daily max.)

Total Suspended Solids (TSS): ......................................................... 12 mg/L (mo. avg.)

24 mg/L (daily max.)

Ammonia Nitrogen (March): ............................................................ 4.4 mg/L (mo. avg.)

10.1 mg/L (daily max.)

Ammonia Nitrogen (April, May, Sept., Oct.): .................................. 3.3 mg/L (mo. avg.)

6.4 mg/L (daily max.)

Ammonia Nitrogen (June-Aug.): ...................................................... 2.0 mg/L (mo. avg.)

6.4 mg/L (daily max.)

Ammonia Nitrogen (Nov.-Feb.): ...................................................... 7.9 mg/L (mo. avg.)

14.4 mg/L (daily max.)

Fecal Coliform (May-Oct.): .............................................................. 400 cfu/100 mL (daily max.)

Chlorine Residual (May-Oct.): ......................................................... 0.05 mg/L (daily max.)

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time, construction should be underway for expansion of the treatment plant which will

require NPDES permit modifications due to increased hydraulic capacity. The SMSD

has given consideration to ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus requirements for the

future as discussed in more detail later in this report.

Based upon the 2006 plant influent data, the carbonaceous BOD

5

concentration

ranges from 157 to 214 milligrams per liter (mg/L) with an average of 172 mg/L. The

CBOD

5

removal after primary, secondary and tertiary treatment is about 98 percent, for

an average effluent CBOD

5

of approximately 3 mg/L.

The total suspended solids (TSS) concentration has a range from 132 to 307 mg/L

with an average of 198 mg/L for 2006. With a removal rate of over 96 percent, the

discharge to the receiving stream had only 7.3 mg/L of TSS on average.

Although not designed for nitrification, through operational adjustments to the

plant the SMSD has been able to meet their seasonal NPDES requirements for ammonia

nitrogen. Data from 2006 shows a reduction of ammonia from an influent value of 12

mg/L to 1.38 mg/L in the tertiary effluent, which is over 88 percent removal. At the

present time, ammonia nitrogen loading is at the plant’s maximum capacity.

Recommended wastewater treatment plant improvements will be designed to provide

ammonia nitrogen removal.

Total phosphorus removal is not currently regulated by Spring Creek’s discharge

permit, so influent and effluent data values are not available.

Plant expansion

recommendations will take into account phosphorus removal requirements that are

expected in the next permit renewal cycle.

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2.7

Anticipated Spring Creek Plant Discharge

The temperature of the wastewater leaving the plant varied from a low of 50ºF to

a high of 78ºF in 2006. Effluent leaves the plant on average at a pH between 6.4 and

8.0.

A current plant influent boron concentration of 0.25 mg/L was used as

background to calculate the new concentration with the FGDS wastewater included in the

flow stream. Based on the 7-day low effluent flow of 11.31 MGD combined with the

FGDS wastewater at 0.27 MGD of added flow and a boron concentration of 450 mg/L,

the wastewater treatment plant effluent would have a maximum boron concentration of

11.0 mg/L. It is anticipated that the boron will not be significantly affected by nor

adversely affect the plant’s treatment processes and therefore the effluent boron

concentration is expected to mirror the influent concentration. The plant consistently

meets NPDES regulated parameters as detailed in Table 2-8. Subsequently, the plant’s

effluent maximum boron concentration is estimated to be 11.0 mg/L. The boron

concentration downstream in the Sangamon River is estimated to be 4.5 mg/L under this

scenario.

In summary, pumping the CWLP FGDS wastewater to the SMSD Spring Creek

Wastewater Treatment Plant is not expected to have any effect on the wastewater plant

other than the increase in boron concentration in the effluent. The only reduction would

be to bring CWLP back to compliant levels with NPDES Permit No. IL0024767 in Sugar

Creek as was typical prior to SCR operation.

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Discharge Parameter

Permitted Value

Average Value (2006)

CBOD

5

(oxygen demand)

10 mg/L

3.2 mg/L

TSS (total suspended solids)

12 mg/L

7.3 mg/L

Ammonia Nitrogen

Varies from 2.0 to 7.9 mg/L

1.38 mg/L

Fecal Coliform (May-Oct.)

400 cfu/100 ml sample

98 cfu/100 ml

Chlorine Residual (May-Oct.)

0.05 mg/L

0.024 mg/L

Dissolved Oxygen

6.0 mg/L minimum

7.2 mg/L

pH

6 to 9 units

6.5 to 8.0 units

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RESOURCES OF THE SANGAMON RIVER

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3.1

3.1.1 Geology and Physiography

The Sangamon River Basin is located in the Springfield Plain subsection of the

Till Plains section of the Central Lowland Physiographic Province. The topography of

the Springfield Plain is a relatively flat-lying glacial till plain moderately dissected by

dendritic drainage systems. Elevations range from about 600 ft on uplands to 520 ft

within the Sugar Creek, Sangamon River, and South Fork River Valleys.

Geologic mapping of the area indicates the Wisconsinan-aged loess deposits

(predominantly silts of the Peoria Loess and Roxana Silt Formations) comprise the upper

8 to 12 ft of surficial material. A modern soil horizon has developed within the upper

few feet of loess. The loess is often absent within stream valleys due to erosion.

Roughly 50 ft of glacial deposits (e.g., diamictons and alluvium) underlies the

loess. The glacial deposits are commonly a poorly sorted mixture of clay, silt, and sand

with lesser amounts of gravel, cobbles, and boulders. The thicknesses of the glacial

deposits vary greatly due to variation in bedrock topography and surficial erosion.

The uppermost bedrock in the Sangamon River Valley is Pennsylvanian-aged

sedimentary rock. The bedrock consists of cyclic sequences of sandstone, siltstone,

shale, limestone, and coal. Bedrock outcrops are not uncommon along the Sangamon

River and its tributaries.

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3.1.2 Sangamon River

The watershed of the Sangamon River comprises about 5,419 square miles, all of

which lie in the central part of Illinois (see Figures 3-1 and 3-2). The Sangamon River is

within the Lower Illinois River Basin watershed. It includes either all or the major

portions of McLean, Piatt, DeWitt, Macon, Logan, Sangamon, Christian, Menard,

Mason, and Cass Counties, and minor portions of Tazewell, Ford, Champaign, Shelby,

Montgomery, Macoupin, and Morgan Counties. Practically all of the area is tillable and,

for the most part, is cultivated.

The Sangamon River originates in the central portion of McLean County at a

point about 12 miles east of Bloomington and flows southeasterly for about 35 miles,

then southwesterly about 110 miles. From Roby, the stream takes a northwesterly course

for 64 miles to River Mile 34.5 where the Sangamon River is joined by Salt Creek, its

largest tributary. At Mile 34.5, the Sangamon River makes a sharp right-angled turn to

the west, flowing in a general westerly direction and joins the Illinois River near Mile 89

of that stream about 8 miles north of Beardstown. The total length of the Sangamon

River is about 250 miles, while the length of the valley it occupies is about 170 miles.

At its source, the Sangamon River is about 850 ft above sea level. The total fall

of the river from its source to its mouth is about 420 ft. In the upper 10 miles, the fall is

120 ft, or an average of 12 ft per mile, and for the remaining 240 miles of the river the

fall is 300 ft, or an average of 1.25 ft per mile.

The Sangamon River’s low water width varies from 80 to 240 ft, with the average

being 150 ft. The high water average width is about three-fourths of a mile.

The whole length of the Sangamon River is characterized by a series of pools and

shoals; the latter, on the average, are about a mile apart. Average depths of these pools

and shoals are 4 ft and 1 ft, respectively. There are five major impoundments within the

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basin: Lake Decatur (which is the only lake located directly on the Sangamon River),

Lake Springfield, Lake Taylorville, Sangchris Lake, and Clinton Lake. Lake Decatur is

the deepest portion of the river, with low water pool at a depth of 17 ft. The extreme

flood stage varies from a minimum of 6 ft above low water at Decatur Dam to a

maximum of 29 ft above low water just above Riverton. The average high water

increment for the reach between Decatur and the mouth of the river is about 24 ft.

Hanson conducted a field survey on October 30, 2007 to characterize the general

features of the Sangamon River downstream of the CWLP power plant discharge. Three

areas were visited including: Riverside Park in Springfield; Petersburg at Illinois Route

123; and Oakford at Illinois Route 97. The river flow was low during the field visit with

an approximate 70 cfs discharge at the Riverton U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gage

Station.

The river through this section is a low gradient, meandering stream with an

incised channel of about 15 ft below the adjacent landscape. The river width ranged from

about 80 to 100 ft at Springfield to about 300 ft at Oakford. A major tributary, Salt Creek,

empties into the Sangamon River about 8 miles upstream of Oakford. This lower section,

below the confluence of Salt Creek, appears to have been channelized in the past and has

scoured out a wider floodway in the sandier soils of this reach.

A few structures were observed: a former dam immediately upstream of the

Spring Creek confluence in Springfield, and two rock check dams within a few hundred

yards upstream and downstream of Illinois Route 123 in Petersburg. These structures

have created riffle areas that are a source of oxygenation for the river during low flow.

The sediments of the river substrate graded from a silt and sand mix to a totally sandy

substrate at Oakford. Sandbars were much more frequent further downstream near

Oakford giving the riverbed almost a braided stream appearance in the low flow period.

Most of the riparian corridor of this segment is wooded with typical floodplain

forest species consisting primarily of silver maple, box elder, sycamore, and cottonwood.

The trees appeared more mature on the upstream portion near Springfield with average

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ages around 40 to 50 years old. The forested areas near Petersburg and Oakford appeared

much younger with early successional trees around 10 to 20 years old. The downstream

area south of Petersburg also exhibited areas with more apparent agricultural use up to

the river bank with very little to no riparian habitat.

According to the Illinois Streamflow Assessment Model (ISWS, 2007), the mean

flow at the confluence with Spring Creek was 2,120 cfs for the base period from 1948 to

1997. During high flow periods, stream discharge can exceed 7,000 cfs at this location.

3.2

3.2.1 Water Uses

The types of water use and the extent of these uses were investigated for the

Lower Sangamon River from its confluence with the South Fork of the Sangamon River

at Riverton, Illinois to its confluence with the Illinois River near Beardstown, Illinois.

The following organizations and agencies were contacted for information on known

water uses for this reach of the Sangamon River: the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS);

the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS); the Illinois EPA; the Illinois Department of

Natural Resources (IDNR), Office of Water Resources; the Illinois Department of

Agriculture; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District; and the Soil and

Water Conservation Districts and the University of Illinois Extension Offices for

Sangamon, Menard, Mason, and Cass Counties.

The Illinois EPA and ISWS reported several NPDES permitted discharges to the

Sangamon River from Riverton to Beardstown. Table 3-1 lists the NPDES permitted

discharges to this reach of the Sangamon River, and Figure 3-3 depicts the location of

these discharges.

Other generally known uses of the Sangamon River include aquatic life habitat

and recreation (boating, fishing, swimming). See Section 3.2.2 for further information

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TABLE 3-1

NPDES PERMITTED DISCHARGES TO THE SANGAMON RIVER FROM THE

NPDES

Facility Name

Outfalls

Flow (MGD)

IL0026611

Clear Lake Sand and

Gravel Co.

001-Surface water runoff

002-Surface water runoff

003-Surface water runoff

3

IL0062651

Lincoln Place Mobile

Home Park

001- Sewage treatment plant

discharge

0.053

IL0021041

Riverton Sewage

Treatment Plant

001-Sewage treatment plant

discharge, excess flow

A01-Excess flow

0.529

Intermittent

ILG551034

Illinois DOT I-55

Sangamon Co. North

001-Sewage treatment plant

discharge

0.01

IL0021989

Springfield Metro

Sanitary District –

Spring Creek

007-Sewage treatment plant

discharge

20

IL0049824

Pleasant Plains Water

Treatment Plant

001-Water treatment plant

discharge

0.0003

IL0022233

Petersburg Sewage

Treatment Plant

001-Sewage treatment plant

discharge

0.5

IL0077691

Petersburg Water

Treatment Plant

001-Water treatment plant

discharge

0.089

Source: Illinois EPA, 2007 and ISWS, 2007

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regarding these uses. It is understood that irrigation is a protected use; however, use of

this reach of the Sangamon River at issue for irrigation of agricultural land, golf courses,

nurseries, etc., were not reported by the aforementioned contacts.

3.2.2 Water Quality

The Illinois EPA’s

2006 Illinois Integrated Water Quality Report and Section

303(d) List

provides information on the condition of surface waters in the State of Illinois

and provides a list of waters where uses are impaired, the Section 303(d) list.

Information on four stream segments of the Sangamon River was used for this report.

These stream segments include the Sangamon River from the South Fork of the

Sangamon River to Spring Creek (E-26), the Sangamon River from Spring Creek to

Richland Creek (E-04), the Sangamon River from Richland Creek to Salt Creek (E-24),

and the Sangamon River from Salt Creek to the Illinois River (E-25) (see Figure 3-4).

All four stream segments are included on the 2006 Section 303(d) list.

Stream segment E-26 of the Sangamon River is identified as impaired for the

designated uses of aquatic life, fish consumption, and primary contact recreation

(swimming). Potential causes of aquatic life impairment are boron, nitrogen, phosphorus,

silver, total dissolved solids, and total suspended solids. Potential sources of these causes

are industrial point source discharges, on-site treatment systems, runoff, municipal point

source discharges, crop production, dams or impoundments, channelization, and

streambank modifications/destabilization.

A potential cause of fish consumption

impairment is polychlorinated biphenyls from an unknown source. A potential cause of

impairment of primary contact recreation is fecal coliform from an unknown source.

Stream segment E-04 of the Sangamon River is identified as impaired for the

designated use of fish consumption. A potential cause of fish consumption impairment is

polychlorinated biphenyls from an unknown source.

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Stream segments E-24 and E-25 of the Sangamon River are identified as impaired

for the designated use of fish consumption and primary contact recreation. A potential

cause of fish consumption impairment is polychlorinated biphenyls from an unknown

source, and a potential cause of impairment of primary contact recreation is fecal

coliform from an unknown source.

3.2.3 Primary Productivity, Plankton, and Aquatic Macroinvertebrates

Previously conducted surveys of primary productivity or plankton surveys of the

Sangamon River from Riverton to Beardstown have not been identified.

Aquatic macroinvertebrates are animals without backbones which are visible to

the unaided eye and live at least part of their life cycles within or upon available aquatic

substrates. Invertebrates in this group include annelids, macrocrustaceans, aquatic

insects, and mollusks. Assessments of the ecological health of streams, rivers, and lakes

are often determined by the composition of the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities

(Barbour et al., 1999 and U.S. EPA, 2007).

Macroinvertebrate data are generally interpreted by an examination of community

attributes: community structure, taxa richness, and use of the Macroinvertebrate Biotic

Index (MBI). The MBI is the average of the summation of tolerance values assigned to

each taxon collected and is weighted by their abundance. Low values indicate good

stream conditions and water quality, and high values indicate a degraded stream and

reduced water quality. The Illinois EPA guidelines for using biological information for

assessing aquatic life use in streams are provided in Table 3-2.

The Illinois EPA in cooperation with the IDNR conducted Intensive Basin

Surveys of the Lower Sangamon River basin in 1996 and 2003. Intensive Basin Surveys

are a major source of information for assessments of aquatic life use. Macroinvertebrate

sampling was conducted in selected stream segments of the Lower Sangamon River

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No Impairment

Moderate Impairment

Fully Supporting

Aquatic Life Use

Aquatic Life Use

Aquatic Life Use

(Poor Resource Quality)

Macroinvertebrate

Biotic Index (MBI)

MBI

≤

5.9

5.9 < MBI

≤

8.9

MBI > 8.9

Index of Biotic

Integrity (IBI)

IBI

≥

41

20 < IBI < 41

IBI

≤

20

Source: Illinois EPA, 2006.

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Basin including Stations E-50 (Riverside Park at Springfield), E-26 (Riverton), E-24

(Petersburg) and E-25 (Oakford). Illinois EPA conducted sampling at the Sangamon

River near Riverside Park (E-50) in 1996, and changed the sampling location to Riverton

(E-26) in 2003. Table 3-3 provides the macroinvertebrate species from the Sangamon

River stations during the surveys. Macroinvertebrate data from Station E-16 located at

Roby, Illinois are also provided for a comparison to a location upstream of the South

Fork/Sugar Creek confluence with the Sangamon River.

Due to different sampling methodology for the 1996 and 2003 surveys,

community comparisons between the years are not reliable (Illinois EPA, personal

communication, 2007). Illinois EPA used a qualitative hand-picking method in 1996,

and calculated MBIs using their modified Hilsenhoff MBI. In 2001, Illinois EPA

switched to 20-jab macroinvertebrate sampling linked to an 11-transect habitat method.

However, Hester-Dendy plate samplers were used to sample macroinvertebrates in the

Sangamon River since the 20-jab sampling is not applicable to larger streams.

Based on the 1996 and 2003 MBI scores, all four Illinois EPA stations of the

Sangamon River fully supported aquatic life, except for Station E-16 at Roby in 2003

which had an MBI of 6.1, indicating moderate impairment of aquatic life use. Station E-

50 (Riverton) in 1996 had the lowest MBI score of 4.5 (highest quality) of the four

stations surveyed.

3.2.4 Fisheries

Fisheries data are widely used to assess the biotic integrity of water resources.

The Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) was developed by Karr (1981) for use in small

warmwater streams in central Illinois and Indiana. The original version included 12

metrics that reflected fish species richness and composition, number and abundance of

indicator species, trophic organization and function, reproductive behavior, fish

abundance, and condition of individual fish.

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RIVER

E-16

Roby

E-50/26

Riverside Park/

Riverton

E-24

Petersburg

E-25

Macroinvertebrate Species

Oakford

2003

1996

2003

1996

2003

1996

2003

Oligochaeta

2

Decapoda

Cambaridae

1

Ephemeroptera

Oligoneuriidae

Isonychia sp.

1

7

3

19

2

7

Baetidae

Labiobaetis longipalpus

2

2

Baetis intercalaris

6

1

1

1

13

Baetis propinquus

3

Callibaetis sp.

1

1

12

Centroptilum sp.

7

Heptageniidae

Heptagenia pulla

1

Heptagenia diabasia

1

Stenonema sp.

7

Stenonema integrum

1

7

4

38

1

1

Stenonema pulchellum

1

1

Stenonema terminatum

4

5

Tricorythidae

Tricorythodes sp.

2

31

2

22

1

55

1

Caenidae

Caenis sp.

88

8

Caenis hilaris

3

28

Caenis punctata

1

1

Odonata

Gomphidae

Dromogomphus spinosus

1

Erpetogomphus

1

Gomphurus hybridus

1

2

Gomphus sp.

1

Coenagrionidae

Argia sp.

3

Argia moesta

1

Argia tibialis

3

7

1

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E-16

Roby

E-50/26

Riverside Park/

Riverton

E-24

Petersburg

E-25

Macroinvertebrate Species

Oakford

2003

1996

2003

1996

2003

1996

2003

Megaloptera

Corydalidae

Corydalus cornutus

2

3

3

Trichoptera

Hydropsychidae

24

7

47

Cheumatopsyche sp.

1

18

22

7

Hydropsyche betteni

1

Hydropsyche bidens

1

75

4

163

21

67

Hydropsyche orris

35

1

Hydropsyche simulans

11

34

25

22

6

57

Potamyia flava

3

41

8

53

7

96

Leptoceridae

Nectopsyche candida

4

1

1

2

1

Polycentropidae

Cyrnellus sp.

1

Cyrnellus fraternus

3

6

3

Coleoptera

Dryopidae

Helichus lithophilus

2

1

Elmidae

Dubiraphia sp.

1

Macronychus glabratus

1

1

Stenelmis sp.

1

1

Stenelmis vittipennis

3

2

Scirtidae

Scirtes sp.

1

Diptera

Tipulidae

Hexatoma sp.

1

Simulidae

Simulium sp.

1

2

Tanypodinae

1

Ablabesmyia mallochi

6

Ablabesmyia parajanta

1

Larsia sp.

2

Paramerina sp.

1

Procladius sp.

12

Thienemannimyia group

2

2

3

1

1

Orthocladiinae

Cricotopus sp.

1

1

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E-16

Roby

E-50/26

Riverside Park/

Riverton

E-24

Petersburg

E-25

Macroinvertebrate Species

Oakford

2003

1996

2003

1996

2003

1996

2003

Cricotopus bicinctus

3

Nanocladius sp.

1

1

Rheocricotopus sp.

1

2

Chironomini

134

Chironomus sp.

1

1

5

Cryptochironomus sp.

1

Cryptotendipes sp.

1

Dicrotendipes sp.

1

1

Dicrotendipes neomodestus

9

Endochironomus nigricans

1

Glyptotendipes sp.

13

36

5

65

6

7

Phaenopsectra sp.

1

Polypedilum sp.

1

6

4

6

Polypedilum convictum

2

1

Polypedium illinoense

3

2

4

4

Polypedilum scalaenum

2

Tanytarsini

Paratanytarsus sp.

10

2

Rheotanytarsus sp.

12

4

1

11

Tanytarsus sp.

4

2

Empididae

Hemerodromia sp.

1

1

Gastropoda

Physidae

Physa sp.

3

Physella sp.

1

Pelecypoda

Unionidae

9

9

Sphaeriidae

Sphaerium sp.

9

Corbiculidae

Corbicula fluminae

2

Pisidiidae

2

Total abundance

312

140

295

171

348

183

332

Number of taxa

27

20

24

30

15

27

17

MBI

6.1

4.5

5.6

4.8

5.9

5.2

5.0

Source: Illinois EPA biological data from Intensive Basin Surveys, 1996 & 2003.

1) Station E-16 (Roby) was not surveyed for macroinvertebrates in 1996.

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To provide an IBI scoring system more applicable to Illinois streams, the IBI

scoring system used by the Illinois EPA and IDNR was revised based on years of

sampling data in Illinois. Scores calculated using the new metrics are designated as

Revised IBI (RIBI). According to IDNR and Illinois EPA (personal communication

2007), the RIBI was designed for smaller streams in Illinois, and a RIBI specifically for

larger streams like the Sangamon River has not been completed. Therefore, use of the

RIBIs to assess the quality of Sangamon River is limited.

Fisheries surveys of the Lower Sangamon River Basin were conducted by the

IDNR in 1996 and 2003 as part of the Intensive Basin Surveys program (IDNR, 2004).

Sampling was conducted in selected stream segments of the Lower Sangamon River

Basin including Stations E-50 (Riverside Park at Springfield), E-26 (Riverton), E-24

(Petersburg) and E-25 (Oakford). As explained in Section 3.2.3, IDNR and Illinois EPA

changed the sampling location to Riverton (E-26) in 2003. Fish data from Station E-16

located at Roby, Illinois are also provided for a comparison to fisheries quality of a

location upstream of the South Fork/Sugar Creek confluence with the Sangamon River.

Table 3-4 lists the fish species collected from each of the sampling locations shown in

Figure 3-4, and also provides the number of species and designated IBI/RIBI scores.

The fish species collected at the Sangamon River stations were common for

midwestern streams relative to stream size, and none are present on the state or federal

endangered or threatened species list. The total number of fish and the number of fish

species collected at the river stations were relatively equal. Station E-26 at Riverton had

the lowest IBI/RIBI at 32/25, while the farthest downstream station, E-25 at Oakford, had

the highest IBI/RIBI at 42/41.

The IDNR compared the 2003 IBI and RIBI scores with those calculated from

previous sampling conducted in 1981-82 and 1996 (see Table 3-5). Based on the IBI

scores, the three Sangamon River stations were relatively equal in 1981-82 and 2003

sampling dates. Station E-50/26 at Springfield/Riverton had a somewhat lower IBI of 32

than E-24 at Petersburg and E-25 at Oakford (IBIs of 40 and 38 respectively) in 1996.

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Fish Species

E-16

Roby

E-50/26

2003

1996

2003

1996

2003

1996

2003

Shortnose gar

0

0

0

3

0

1

0

Longnose gar

0

1

0

2

1

0

1

Bowfin

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

Gizzard shad

26

49

39

60

48

27

41

Goldeye

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

Mooneye

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Grass carp

0

0

0

0

2

0

1

Carp

8

14

12

21

11

16

5

Suckermouth minnow

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Red shiner

398

41

90

104

26

107

12

Spotfin shiner

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

Sand shiner

48

0

5

0

0

8

1

Steelcolor shiner

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Emerald shiner

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Bluntnose minnow

10

0

1

0

1

0

0

Bullhead minnow

2

9

5

21

10

8

4

Bigmouth buffalo

1

0

1

1

3

0

1

Smallmouth buffalo

0

13

11

16

30

23

21

Black buffalo

1

0

2

0

1

0

2

Quillback

1

2

0

2

0

5

3

River carpsucker

7

4

3

15

16

19

17

Highfin carpsucker

0

0

0

2

0

0

0

White sucker

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

Shorthead redhorse

2

4

2

13

3

20

18

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Fish Species

E-16

Roby

E-50/26

2003

1996

2003

1996

2003

1996

2003

Golden redhorse

0

0

0

4

0

3

3

Silver redhorse

0

0

0

0

0

3

3

Channel catfish

38

6

22

12

7

7

10

Flathead catfish

2

5

5

5

8

2

4

Freckled madtom

3

0

0

0

0

0

0

Mosquitofish

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Brook silverside

0

0

1

0

0

1

0

White bass

1

0

0

6

7

5

2

Black crappie

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

Largemouth bass

0

0

1

3

3

0

0

Smallmouth bass

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

White crappie

1

1

0

5

0

0

0

Green sunfish

2

2

1

1

0

0

0

Orangespotted sunfish

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

Bluegill

1

0

3

6

4

0

2

Walleye

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

Sauger

0

0

0

1

1

0

1

Slenderhead darter

0

0

0

0

5

0

0

Freshwater drum

17

4

4

22

21

26

32

Red shiner x spotfin

hybrid

12

0

0

0

0

0

0

Striped x white bass

hybrid

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

Total number fish

585

159

211

327

211

284

185

Total number species

22

16

20

23

22

20

22

IBI

32

40

40

38

38

42

Revised IBI (RIBI)

27

24

25

36

32

32

41

Sources:

Lower Sangamon Basin Survey, 2003, Data Summary

, Doug Carney, IDNR, 2004.

Illinois EPA biological data from Intensive Basin Surveys, 1996 and 2003.

1) Station E-16 (Roby) was not surveyed for fish in 1996.

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Year

E-50/26

IBI

RIBI

IBI

RIBI

IBI

RIBI

1981-82

30

-

-

-

29

-

1996

32

24

40

36

38

32

2003

40

25

38

32

42

41

Change since 1996

+8

+1

-2

-4

+4

+9

Source: Carney, 2005.

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The Illinois EPA guidelines for using IBI information for assessing aquatic life

use in streams is provided in Table 3-2. Based on the 1996 and 2003 RIBI scores,

Stations E-16, E-50/26, and E-24 of the Sangamon River were moderately impaired for

aquatic life use (fair quality fisheries). Station E-25 at Oakford in 2003 had an RIBI of

41, indicating full support of aquatic life use and good resource quality. The two

upstream stations, E-50/26 (Riverside Park/Riverton) and E-16 (Roby), had lower RIBI

scores than the other downstream stations surveyed. However, IBI scores for all stations

except E-16, which was not surveyed, were relatively identical in 2003.

Subsequently, the IBI was adapted for use in Illinois through the Biological

Stream Characterization (BSC) Work Group, consisting of the Illinois EPA, the IDNR,

and the INHS. The Biological Stream Characterization (BSC) is a five-category stream

quality classification based primarily on the attributes of lotic fish communities. The

BSC classification scale ranges from a Unique Aquatic Resource (Class A) to a

Restricted Aquatic Resource (Class E). The predominant stream quality indicator used in

this process is the IBI, which forms a basis for describing the health or integrity of the

fish community. When available fishery data are insufficient for calculating an IBI

value, BSC criteria allow the use of sport fish information or macroinvertebrate data to

rate streams.

Based on the latest publication of the BSC (Illinois EPA, 1996), the reach of the

Sangamon River located in Sangamon, Menard, Mason, and Cass Counties were

classified as Moderate Aquatic Resources (Class C streams). The BSC defines a

Moderate Aquatic Resource as a fishery consisting of predominantly bullheads, sunfish,

and carp. The species diversity and number of intolerant fish are reduced. Also, the

trophic structure is skewed with an increased frequency of omnivores, green sunfish or

tolerant species.

The IDNR conducted a catfish survey of the Lower Sangamon River in 2003 to

assess channel catfish and flathead catfish populations (Carney, 2005). The Sangamon

River provides an important commercial and recreational resource through catfish

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fishing. Sample locations included Riverton (E-26), Riverside Park in Springfield (E-50),

Petersburg (E-24) and Oakford (E-25). Totals of 269 channel catfish and 96 flathead

catfish were collected during this sampling effort. Upstream sites at Riverside Park and

Riverton, where a total of 234 channel catfish and 73 flathead catfish, were more

productive than the Petersburg and Oakford sites, where a total of 35 channel catfish and

23 flathead catfish were collected. Possible explanations provided by Carney for the

upstream versus downstream population differences may involve population limiting

parameters of habitat availability and fishing pressure. Based on this survey, both

channel catfish and flathead catfish appear to maintain very good populations, in both

numbers of fish and size ranges.

Based on the results of the 2003 IDNR fisheries and catfish surveys of the Lower

Sangamon River and the BSC rankings, the Sangamon River in the Lower Sangamon

River Basin appears to be moderate aquatic resource. The latest fisheries survey

conducted by the IDNR collected similar number of species and total number of fish from

the three stream stations located in the Lower Sangamon River Basin; although the

lowest RIBI scores occurred at the Riverton station. However, RIBIs were developed for

streams smaller in size than the Sangamon River. Also, the 2003 catfish survey

determined that channel and flathead catfish populations were robust, especially at the

Riverside Park/Riverton section of the Sangamon River.

3.2.5 Threatened and Endangered Species and Natural Areas

The IDNR, Division of Ecosystems and Environment was contacted for

information on aquatic threatened and endangered species and natural areas of the

Sangamon River from its confluence with the South Fork of the Sangamon River to the

Illinois River (see correspondence in Appendix C). The Illinois Natural Heritage

Database listed observed occurrences of the lake sturgeon (

Acipenser fulvescens

) and the

redspotted sunfish (

Lepomis miniatus

) in the Sangamon River.

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The lake sturgeon is a state endangered fish which inhabits large lakes and rivers.

This species has occasionally been taken in the Illinois River mainstem by commercial

fishermen, but was never common in the Illinois River basin. The only record for the

Sangamon River was one individual taken in Menard County in 1996. The lake sturgeon

does not reproduce in the Sangamon River (IDNR, 2000 and 2001).

The redspotted sunfish is a state threatened fish which is found in Illinois only in

well-vegetated bottomland lakes and swamps in extreme southern Illinois and in

bottomland lakes and streams in the sand region of Mason, Cass and Tazewell Counties.

The redspotted sunfish was observed in the Sangamon River at its confluence with the

Illinois River in Cass County. It is extremely rare in the Lower Sangamon River basin

area, and appears to have been isolated from other populations of its species for a long

period (IDNR, 2000 and 2001).

The Illinois Natural Heritage Database listed the Sangamon River from Richland

Creek to Petersburg in Menard County as an Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) site.

This reach of the Sangamon River was recognized as a Biologically Significant Stream

because it supports a high diversity of native mussel species (Page et al., 1992).

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ISSUE OF CONCERN

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4.1

Proposed Site-Specific Standard for Boron

A site-specific water quality standard for boron is requested to allow the

Springfield Metro Sanitary District (SMSD) Spring Creek Plant to accept a pretreated

industrial effluent stream from the City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) power plant.

The stream to be pumped to the SMSD Spring Creek Plant from the CWLP facility is

expected to have an average flow rate of 187 gpm and a boron concentration of 450

mg/L. A flow of 187 gpm is equivalent to 0.4166 cubic feet per second (cfs). Assuming

that the typical municipal waste stream influent has a boron concentration of 0.25 mg/L,

the maximum anticipated boron concentration in the SMSD plant effluent would be based

on a 7-day low-flow period through the SMSD Spring Creek Plant of 17.5 cfs. A flow of

17.5 cfs is equivalent to 11.3 MGD.

Assuming complete mixing in the SMSD Spring Creek Plant, the boron

concentration from the effluent stream can be calculated as follows:

Q

SMSD

(C

SMSD

) + Q

CWLP

(C

CWLP

)

C

eff

=

Q

SMSD

+ Q

CWLP

where:

C

eff

= the boron concentration in mg/L of the resultant Spring Creek Plant effluent

after the proposed CWLP stream addition.

Q

SMSD

= the water flow through the Spring Creek Plant in cfs not including the CWLP

stream.

C

SMSD

= the boron concentration in mg/L of the typical waste stream influent to the

Spring Creek Plant not including the CWLP stream.

Q

CWLP

= the anticipated flow from the proposed CWLP stream in cfs.

C

CWLP

= the anticipated boron concentration of the proposed CWLP stream in mg/L.

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After acceptance of the proposed pretreated industrial effluent CWLP waste stream, the

maximum Spring Creek Plant effluent boron concentration is calculated to be 10.7 mg/L,

using the 7-day low-flow of 17.5 cfs (11.3 MGD) per the 2002 ISWS map.

4.2

4.2.1 Historic Boron Levels

Water quality data for the Sangamon River were requested from the Illinois EPA

to determine boron levels during the recent past. Data were available for Illinois EPA

Stations E-26 at Riverton, E-24 at Petersburg, and E-25 at Oakford from 1999 to 2004.

These monitoring data are collected by the Illinois EPA as part of the Ambient Water

Quality Monitoring Network (AWQMN) sampling program. Figures 4-1, 4-2, and 4-3

display the total boron concentrations at these three stream stations of the Sangamon

River from 1999 to 2004. Data were not available from the Illinois EPA from March

2004 to present. The boron data are also provided in tabular format in Appendix D.

Stream discharge volumes are also provided for Stations E-26 and E-25 for reference.

Stream discharge volumes in cfs were obtained from the USGS National Water

Information System (NWIS). Stream discharge information from 1999 to 2004 was not

available for Station E-24 (the Sangamon River at Petersburg).

Station E-26 at Riverton had the highest total boron concentrations over the four year

period, which is expected since this station is the closest downstream of the CWLP

NPDES discharge locations. The Illinois General Use Water Quality Standard for total

boron of 1.0 mg/L was exceeded four out of 44 sampling events at this station within the

five year period, or about nine percent. However, no boron value exceeded the adjusted

standard of 2.0 mg/L of boron. The highest boron concentration of 1.40 mg/L occurred

in January 2003. The mean boron concentration at Riverton was 0.394 mg/L over the

five year period from 1999 to 2004.

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(Sangamon River at Riverton)

0.000

0.200

0.400

0.600

0.800

1.000

1.200

1.400

1.600

Jan-99

Apr-99

Jul-99

Oct-99

Jan-00

Apr-00

Jul-00

Oct-00

Jan-01

Apr-01

Jul-01

Oct-01

Jan-02

Apr-02

Jul-02

Oct-02

Jan-03

Apr-03

Jul-03

Oct-03

Jan-04

Total Boron (mg/L)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

Stream Discharge (cfs)

Total Boron (mg/L)

Stream Discharge (cfs)

4-3

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(Sangamon River at Petersburg)

0.000

0.200

0.400

0.600

0.800

1.000

1.200

Jan-99

Apr-99

Jul-99

Oct-99

Jan-00

Apr-00

Jul-00

Oct-00

Jan-01

Apr-01

Jul-01

Oct-01

Jan-02

Apr-02

Jul-02

Oct-02

Jan-03

Apr-03

Jul-03

Oct-03

Jan-04

Total Boron (mg/L)

Total Boron (mg/L)

4-4

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0.700

Jan-99

Apr-99

Jul-99

Oct-99

Jan-00

Apr-00

Jul-00

Oct-00

Jan-01

Apr-01

Jul-01

Oct-01

Jan-02

Apr-02

Jul-02

Oct-02

Jan-03

Apr-03

Jul-03

Oct-03

Jan-04

Total Boron (mg/L)

0

2000

4000

6000

(cfs)

Total Boron (mg/L)

Stream Discharge (cfs)

4-5

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The total boron concentrations in the Sangamon River at Petersburg (Station E-

24) ranged from 0.044 mg/L to 1.10 mg/L from 1999 to 2004. The highest concentration

of 1.10 mg/L recorded in February 2000 was the only exceedance of the General Use

standard for boron of the 44 sampling events. The mean boron concentration at

Petersburg was 0.269 mg/L over the five year sampling period.

The total boron concentrations in the Sangamon River at Oakford (Station E-25)

ranged from 0.034 mg/L to 0.620 mg/L and never exceeded the General Use standard for

boron within the five year sampling period. The mean boron concentration at Station E-

25 was 0.141 mg/L from 1999 to 2004.

Figures 4-1 and 4-3 illustrate the inverse relationship between boron

concentration and stream discharge, which is expected. Boron concentrations were

always higher during periods of low flow, and lower when stream levels were high. The

average daily mean flows of the 44 sampling days were 1,641 cfs at Riverton and 3,088

cfs at Oakford. Lowest recorded flows were 63 cfs at Riverton and 300 cfs at Oakford.

Highest recorded flows of the 44 sampling days were 13,600 cfs at Riverton and 15,000

cfs at Oakford.

In addition to reviewing Illinois EPA water quality data, Hanson sampled the

Sangamon River on September 10, 17 and 24, 2007, and October 1, 2007 to determine

recent boron concentrations upstream and downstream of the Spring Creek confluence

during low stream flow conditions. A downstream sample at the Illinois Route 29 bridge

(Site S-1) and upstream sample at Riverside Park (Site S-2) were collected on each date,

as well as a sample from Spring Creek at the SMSD Plant. A blind duplicate sample was

typically taken each week at either the upstream or downstream location for a quality

control check.

Prairie Analytical Systems, Incorporated analyzed the stream samples. Prairie

Analytical Systems is accredited by the Illinois EPA Laboratory Accreditation Program

(IL ELAP). The results are summarized in Table 4-1 and provided in Appendix E. The

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Illinois General Use Water Quality Standard for total boron of 1.0 mg/L was exceeded

three of the four sampling dates at Riverside Park and the Illinois Route 29 bridge.

However, only one sampling date at Riverside Park exceeded the adjusted standard of 2.0

mg/L of boron. Stream flow was extremely low during the sample month, which

contributed to the higher boron concentrations. According to the USGS AWQMN, the

mean discharge at the Riverton gaging station for the month of September during the last

10 years of record is 236 cfs.

The City of Springfield, Office of Public Utilities, City Water, Light and Power

petitioned the Illinois Pollution Control Board and was granted an adjusted standard on

December 1, 1994 for boron from Outfall 003 on Sugar Creek to 100 yards downstream

of the confluence of the Sangamon River with Spring Creek in the Northeast Quarter of

Section 10, in Springfield Township, Sangamon County. Pursuant to this grant, 35 IAC

304.105 does not apply to discharges from Outfalls 003 and 004 as regards boron

concentrations that are less than or equal to:

1. 11.0 mg/L for boron from CWLP’s Outfall 003 at Spaulding Dam on

Sugar Creek to its confluence with the discharge of the Springfield

Metropolitan Sanitary District’s Sugar Creek Plant Outfall 008 in the

Northeast Quarter of Section 31, Clear Lake Township, Sangamon

County;

2. 5.5 mg/L for boron from the discharge of said sanitary district plant outfall

on Sugar Creek to its confluence with the South Fork of the Sangamon

River; and

3. 2.0 mg/L for boron from the confluence of Sugar Creek and the South

Fork of the Sangamon Rivers to 100 yards downstream of the confluence

of the Sangamon River with Spring Creek in the Northeast Quarter of

Section 10, Springfield Township, Sangamon County.

The model presented in the

Technical Support Document for Petition for Adjusted

Boron Standards for Sugar Creek and the Sangamon River

(Hanson Engineers

Incorporated, March 1994) was reviewed to determine if the flows and/or boron

concentrations utilized in the model could be updated to reduce the background boron

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TABLE 4-1

SANGAMON RIVER BORON CONCENTRATIONS UPSTREAM AND

Date

Sangamon River at

Sangamon River at

Riverton

9/10/2007

1.16

1.18

90

9/17/2007

1.15

1.12

1.35

55

9/24/2007

0.466

0.514

0.587

50

10/1/2007

1.43

1.43

2.14

48

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4-9

concentration in the Sangamon River upstream from the confluence with Spring Creek.

It was determined that the boron concentration presented in the 1994 model, 2.0 mg/L,

was appropriate for use as the boron concentration in the Sangamon River for purposes of

determining a site-specific boron standard after the addition of the proposed pretreated

industrial effluent CWLP stream to the SMSD Spring Creek Plant.

4.2.2 Predicted Boron Levels

Assuming complete mixing of the Sangamon River and the SMSD Spring Creek

Plant effluent, the boron concentration in the Sangamon River downstream from the

confluence with Spring Creek can be calculated as follows:

Q

upstream

(C

upstream

) + Q

eff

(C

eff

)

C

downstream

=

Q

upstream

+ Q

eff

where:

C

downstream

= the boron concentration in mg/L of the Sangamon River downstream

from the confluence with Spring Creek after the addition of the

proposed CWLP stream to the SMSD Spring Creek Plant.

Q

upstream

= the water flow in the Sangamon River upstream from the confluence

with Spring Creek in cfs.

C

upstream

= the boron concentration in the Sangamon River upstream from the

confluence with Spring Creek in mg/L.

Q

eff

= the flow from the SMSD Sugar Creek Plant after the addition of the

proposed CWLP waste stream cfs.

C

eff

= the boron concentration of the SMSD Sugar Creek Plant after the

addition of the proposed CWLP waste stream in mg/L.

Using the 7Q10 low-flow per the 2002 ISWS map of 54.8 cfs and a boron

concentration of 2.0 mg/L in the Sangamon River upstream of the confluence with Spring

Creek and an anticipated effluent flow of 17.5 cfs and a boron concentration of 11.0

mg/L from the Spring Creek Plant 7-day low flow, after complete dispersion in the

Sangamon River, the maximum boron concentration in the Sangamon River downstream

from Spring Creek is calculated to be 4.2 mg/L. In order to allow margin for fluctuation,

a site-specific water quality standard for boron of 4.5 mg/L is requested for the

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Sangamon River from 182 yards downstream of the SMSD Spring Creek Plant 007 STP

Outfall to the confluence of the Sangamon River with Salt Creek. This implies that boron

concentration in the Sangamon River the entire width of the river will be between 4.5

mg/L and 11.0 mg/L in the area between SMSD Outfall 007 and 182 yards downstream

of Outfall 007.

Assuming a boron concentration of 0.25 mg/L from the Athens and the Petersburg

wastewater treatment plants, the anticipated boron concentration of the Sangamon River

at the confluence with Salt Creek will be 1.6 mg/L under minimum flow conditions. A

maximum boron concentration of 1.3 mg/L is anticipated at the confluence of the

Sangamon River and the Illinois River. The Illinois General Use water quality standard

for boron of 1.0 mg/L is expected to be reached in the Illinois River 100 yards

downstream from the confluence with the Sangamon River.

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ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF BORON

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ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF BORON

Boron is a dark brown element that is widespread in the environment but occurs

naturally only in combined form, usually as borax, colemanite, boronatrocalcite, and

boracite.

Boron exists in natural sediments as borosilicates, which are considered

biologically inert. Boron is typically released to the environment slowly and at low

concentrations by natural weathering processes. Most of the natural boron compounds

usually degrade or are transformed by natural weathering of rocks to borates or boric acid,

which are the main boron compounds of ecological significance (Sprague, 1972).

5.1

Distribution and Uses of Boron

Proven commercial deposits of sodium tetraborate, from which borax is prepared,

are concentrated in the Mojave Desert of California where ancient lakes or marshes have

evaporated under arid conditions. The United States supplies 70 percent of the annual world

demand for boron compounds. Boron is used in the production of glass and glass products,

such as insulating fiberglass. It is also used in the manufacture of textiles, enamels, and

glazes used as coatings on household and industrial products. Other products that include

boron are: herbicides, insecticides, soaps, cleansers, cosmetics, antifreeze, high energy

fuels, flame-proof compounds, corrosion inhibitors, and antiseptics.

Boron is widely distributed in surface water and ground water. The average surface

water concentration for boron in the United States is about 0.1 mg/L, but concentrations

vary greatly, depending on boron content of local geologic formations and anthropogenic

sources of boron (Butterwick, et al., 1989). A survey of United States surface waters

detected boron in 98 percent of 1,577 samples at concentrations ranging from 0.001 mg/L to

5.0 mg/L. Mean concentrations calculated for the 15 main geologic drainage basins in the

continental United States ranged from 0.019 mg/L in the Western Great Lakes Basin to

0.289 mg/L in the Western Gulf Basin (Butterwick, et al., 1989). The concentration of

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boron in sea water is about 4.5 mg/L to 5.5 mg/L, varying with the local salinity

(Butterwick, et al., 1989).

Most boron that occurs in the fresh water aquatic environment is due to the relatively

high water solubility of all boron compounds, especially boron-containing laundry products

and sewage (U.S. EPA, 1975). Another, although very localized, source of boron to the

aquatic environment is coal ash. Many commercially-mined coal seams contain significant

concentrations of boron. Of the total boron in coal, as much as 71 percent may be lost to the

atmosphere upon combustion; however, more than 50 percent of the boron found in coal ash

is readily water soluble (Pagenkopf and Connolly, 1982). The release of boron from coal fly

ash to leachate water is dependent on the ash to water ratio: at 1 gm of ash/L, up to 90

percent of the boron is soluble; at 50 gm/L, only 40 percent is soluble: at 100 gm/L, less

than 30 percent is soluble (Eisler, 1990).

5.2

Toxicological Effects of Boron

There is a large literature base documenting boron’s effects on plants, especially

crop plants, and a smaller literature base documenting boron’s effects on animals. The

following discussion focuses primarily on boron’s effects on organisms associated with

freshwater systems. The toxicology of boron to freshwater biota is most applicable since

one use of the Sangamon River is supporting aquatic life, in addition to receiving permitted

NPDES discharges and recreation.

5.2.1 Effects in Humans

The U.S. EPA classifies boron as a Group D element, meaning that there is no

human and animal evidence of boron carcinogenicity.

Papachristou et al. (1987)

demonstrated that ingestion of water with 20 to 30 mg/L of boron can be considered to have

no adverse effects on human health. However, boron has been reported to cause toxic

effects in humans following oral, inhalation, and dermal exposures. Inhalation exposures to

14.4 mg/m

3

of borax dust have resulted in upper respiratory tract irritation, dryness of the

mouth, nose, and throat, as well as irritation of the eye, but a level of 1.1 mg/m

3

produced no

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symptoms (Garabrant et al., 1984). One study (Gupta and Parrish, 1984) demonstrated

toxicosis in adults at a dermal exposure of 645 grams of boric acid.

Oral doses of 15 to 20 grams of boric acid, equivalent to 0.25 to 0.3 g per kg of body

weight, have been shown to be lethal to adults (U.S.EPA, 1975, and Eisler, 1990). Oral

doses of 5 to 6 grams of borates have shown to be fatal to infants (from Eisler, 1990).

Specific symptoms associated with oral doses include nausea, persistent vomiting, diarrhea,

colicky abdominal pain, liver effects (jaundice), kidney disease, and dermatitis. In addition,

oral exposures have been reported to cause headaches, tremors, restlessness, convulsions,

weakness, and coma (ATSDR, 1992).

5.2.2 Effects in Other Mammals and Birds

In mammals, exposure to excessive boron may result in a reduced growth rate, loss

of body weight, decreased sexual activity, and eye irritation. Reduced growth has been

reported in cattle, dogs, rabbits, and rats (Eisler, 1990). However, Green and Weeth (1977)

and Weeth et al. (1981, from Butterwick et al., 1989) found no overt signs of toxicosis in

heifers exposed to 120 mg/L of boron and that 300 mg/L of boron is not acutely toxic to this

species when consumed via drinking water. Brockman et al. (1985) found ingestion of 100

to 300 grams of boron, equivalent to 200 to 600 mg of boron per kg of body weight, to be

lethal to cattle (from Eisler, 1990). Dogs were found to tolerate ingestion of 350 mg of

boron per kg of feed for two years, but showed symptoms of toxicosis when fed 1,170 mg of

boron per kg of feed after 38 weeks (Weir and Fisher, 1972). Rabbits showed growth

retardation when fed 800 to 1,000 mg of borates per kg of body weight daily for four days.

Rats exposed to drinking water containing boron concentrations of 150 to 300 mg/L had

body weights 7.8 percent and 19.8 percent less than the control group (Seal and Weeth,

1980, from Moss and Nagpal, 2003).

Toxic effects of boron in birds have been exclusively studied in ducks and chickens.

Results of chronic feeding studies using mallards demonstrate that diets containing 13 mg of

boron per kg of feed weight produce no adverse effects, but those diets containing 1,000

mg/kg of boron are fatal (from Eisler, 1990). Stanley et al. (1996, from Moss and Nagpal,

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2003) found significant adverse reproductive effects in mallards fed 900 mg of boron per kg

of dry feed. Pendleton et al. (1995, from U.S. Department of the Interior, 1998) reported

extremely rapid accumulation and elimination of boron in mallard tissues. Adult male

mallards fed a diet containing 1,600 mg of boron per kg accumulated equilibrium levels of

boron in liver tissue and blood within 2 to 15 days. After boron was removed from the

mallards’ diet, it was completely cleansed from the liver and blood within one day.

5.2.3 Effects in Fish and Amphibians

The following studies demonstrate tolerance ranges for some species of fish:

•

Mann (1973) studied the effects of sodium perborate, boric acid, and borax

upon eel fry, amphipods, rainbow trout, tubificid worms, and guppies. These

boron (B) compounds were determined to be relatively non-toxic using 24-

hour bioassay procedures. Detrimental effects occurred with exposure to

concentrations of more than 250 mg/L (17 mg B/L) of sodium perborate,

5,000 mg/L (875 mg B/L) of boric acid, and 2,500 mg/L (282 mg B/L) of

borax;

•

Wallen, et al. (1957) studied mosquito fish (

Gambusia affinis)

, which are

native to Illinois, using 96-hour bioassay procedures. No mortalities were

observed in concentrations of boric acid up to 1,800 mg/L (315 mg B/L);

•

Birge and Black (1977) studied the effects of boron exposures to channel

catfish (

Ictalurus punctatus

) embryos and fry using a 9-day bioassay

procedure. A median lethal concentration (LC

50

) value of 155 mg B/L in

soft water was determined for both borax and boric acid. In hard water, LC

50

values were 71 and 22 mg B/L for borax and boric acid, respectively. The

lowest-observed-effect concentrations (LOEC) for embryo-larval stages of

the channel catfish ranged from 1.0 to 25.9 mg B/L, depending on water

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hardness and the boron compound administered (from Butterwick et al.,

1989);

•

Eisler (1990) indicated that 30 and 33 mg/L of boron are "safe" levels for

game fish species such as the largemouth bass and bluegill;

•

Turnball et al. (1954, from Butterwick et al., 1989) reported a 24-hour LC

50

of 2,389 mg B/L for bluegill sunfish (

Lepomis macrochirus

);

•

Birge and Black (1981) reported an 11-day LOEC of 12.17 mg B/L for

freshly fertilized eggs of largemouth bass (

Micropterus salmoides

) (from

Butterwick et al., 1989);

•

Sensitive fish species such as freshwater coho (which are not present in the

Sangamon River basin) show adverse effects with exposure to 113 mg B/L

(Thompson, et al., 1976);

•

The 6-hour minimum lethal dose level for minnows ranged from 3,145 to

3,407 mg B/L in a boric acid solution (NAS, 1973; and McKee and Wolf,

1963, from Butterwick et al., 1989); and

•

Tests on the fathead minnow (

Pimeohales promelas

) egg-fry indicate a 30-

day LOEC (reduction in growth) at 24 mg B/L and a 60-day LOEC

(reduction in fry survival) at 88 mg B/L (Proctor & Gamble, 1979

(unpublished), from Butterwick et al., 1989).

The following studies have found amphibians to respond to boron at concentrations

similar to those for fish:

•

Boron compounds were found to be more toxic to embryos and larvae than

to adult amphibians (Birge and Black, 1977);

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•

Developmental abnormalities have been observed in toads exposed to boron

concentrations above 130 mg B/L (Eisler, 1990);

•

Birge and Black (1977) found that no effects occurred on embryos of

Fowler’s toad (

Bufo fowleri

) until a concentration of 53 mg B/L in the form

of boric acid was applied; and

•

Birge and Black (1977) found that leopard frog (

Rana pipiens

) embryos

suffered 100 percent lethality or teratogenesis in water treated with borax

and boric acid at levels of 200 and 300 mg B/L, respectively. Post-hatched

LC

50

values for boric acid were 130 mg B/L in soft water and 135 mg B/L in

hard water. In bioassays with borax, these values were 47 mg B/L and 54

mg B/L. The LOEC for embryo-larval stages of the leopard frog ranged

from 9.60 to 86.0 mg B/L, depending on water hardness and the boron

compound administered (from Butterwick et al., 1989).

The effects of boron on freshwater aquatic vertebrates applicable to the Sangamon

River and the Illinois River are summarized in Table 5-1.

5.2.4 Effects in Invertebrates

The following studies show tolerance ranges to boron exposures for some aquatic

invertebrates:

•

According to Eisler (1990), aquatic fauna can usually tolerate up to 10 mg

B/L in water for extended periods of time without adverse effects;

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TABLE 5-1

REFERENCED EFFECTS OF BORON ON FRESHWATER AQUATIC LIFE

Species

Life Stage

Test Response

VERTEBRATES

Bufo fowleri

(Fowler’s toad)

Embryo-larval

stages

Flow-through

Boric acid

Reconstituted

53.5 – 96.0

(1)

7-day LOEC

Birge and Black (1977) in Moss and Nagpal (2003)

Gambusia afinis

(mosquito fish)

Adult females

Static

Boric acid

<314

No mortalities in 96-hr

Wallen et al. (1957)

Ictalurus punctatus

(channel catfish)

Embryo-larval

stages

Flow-through

Borax

Reconstituted

1.04 – 25.9

(1)

71 - 155

9-day LOEC

9-day LC

50

Birge and Black (1977); Birge and Black (1981) in

Butterwick et al. (1989)

Ictalurus punctatus

(channel catfish)

Embryo larval

stages

Flow-through

Boric acid

Reconstituted

1.0 – 5.42

(1)

22 - 155

9-day LOEC

9-day LC

50

Birge and Black (1977); Birge and Black in Butterwick et

al. (1989)

Lepomis macrochirus

(bluegill sunfish)

Average size 7

cm, 5 g

Static

Boron trifluoride Tap

2,389

24-hr TLm

Turnball et al. (1954) in Butterwick et al. (1989)

Micropterus salmoides

(largemouth bass)

Freshly

fertilized eggs

Flow-through

Boric acid

Reconstituted

12.17

11-day LOEC

Birge and Black (1981) in Butterwick et al. (1989)

Minnow

Boric acid

Distilled & hard

3,145 – 3,407

6-hr minimum lethal dose

NAS (1973), McKee and Wolf (1963) in Butterwick et al.

(1989)

Pimeohales promelas

(fathead minnow)

Eggs and fry

Flow-through

Boric acid

Well

24

88

30-day LOEC (reduction in growth)

60-day LOEC (reduction in fry survival)

Proctor & Gamble (1979) (unpublished) in Butterwick et

al. (1989)

Rana pipiens

(leopard frog)

Embryo-larval

stages

Flow-through

Borax

Reconstituted

9.6 – 10.5

(1)

47 - 54

7-day LOEC

7.5-day LC

50

Birge and Black (1977); Birge and Black (1981) in

Butterwick et al. (1989)

Rana pipiens

(leopard frog)

Embryo-larval

stages

Flow-through

Boric acid

Reconstituted

47.5 – 86.0

(1)

130 - 135

7-day LOEC

7.5-day LC

50

Birge and Black (1977); Birge and Black (1981) in

Butterwick et al. (1989)

INVERTEBRATES

Chironomus decorus

(midge)

Fourth instar

48-hr acute

toxicity

96-hr chronic

toxicity

Sodium

tetraborate

Reconstituted

1,376

20

48-hr LC

50

96-hr significantly decreased growth rate

Maier and Knight (1991)

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Species

Life Stage

(mg B/L)

Reference

Daphnia magna

Straus

(water flea)

Static

Boric acid

Lake Huron

133

13.6

48-hr LC

50

21-day LOEC

Gersich (1984)

Daphnia magna

Straus

(water flea)

<24 hr

48-hr static

acute

21-day static

renewal chronic

Boric acid

Carbon filtered

226

13

48-hr L C

50

21-day LOEC

Lewis and Valentine (1981)

Tubifex

sp.

(tubificid worms)

24-hr toxicity

Borax

85

227

24-hr NOEC

24-hr LC

100

Mann (1973)

Tubifex

sp.

(tubificid worms)

24-hr toxicity

Boric acid

1,311

1,748

24-hr NOEC

24-hr LC

100

Mann (1973)

AQUATIC PLANTS

Anacystis nidulans

(blue green alga)

Boric acid

50

75

100

No effect on growth or organic constituents

Significantly decreased growth and chlorophyll content

Decrease in protein content causing inhibition in nitrate and

nitrate reductase activity. Decreased chlorophyll content and

photosynthesis inhibition within 72 hrs.

Martinez et al. (1986) in Eisler (1990)

Chlorella pyrenoidosa

(green alga)

10

>100

No effect on growth or cell composition after 7 days

Totally inhibitory for cell division and biomass synthesis in 72

hrs

Fernandez et al. (1984) and Maeso et al. (1985) in Eisler

(1990)

Lemna minor

(duckweed)

Boric acid

20

Growth inhibited after 7 days at pH 7.0

Frick (1985) in U.S. Department of the Interior (1998)

Lemna minor

(duckweed)

Boron

100

Growth inhibited

Wang (1986)

Selenastrum

capricornutum

(green alga)

4 – 7 days old

72-hr static

Reconstituted

12.3

72-hr LOEC

Moss and Nagpal (2003)

(1)

Dependent upon water hardness. See Sections 5.2.6 and 5.4 for a discussion of the potential effects to the Sangamon and Illinois Rivers in consideration of the low concentration toxicity levels reported in

the Birge and Black studies (1977 and 1981).

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•

The 48-hour LC

50

of the freshwater midge

Chironomus decorus

was 1,376

mg B/L when exposed to waterborne sodium tetraborate (Maier and Knight,

1991).

Growth rate by

C. decorus

larvae significantly decreased at

concentrations of 20 mg B/L and greater;

•

Sea urchin embryos showed normal development with exposure to 37 mg

B/L and lethality at 75 mg B/L (Kobayashi, 1971);

•

A 48-hour LC

50

value of 133 mg B/L was calculated for the cladoceran

(

Daphnia magna

) to boric acid (Gersich, 1984). A boron concentration of

13.6 mg/L was shown to cause sublethal effects on

D. magna

in a 21-day

study (Gersich, 1984);

•

Lewis and Valentine (1981) similarly determined a 48-hour LC

50

exposure

value for boric acid of 226 mg B/L with a 21 day sublethal exposure level of

13.0 mg B/L for

D. magna

.

The effects of boron on freshwater aquatic invertebrates applicable to the

Sangamon River and the Illinois River are summarized in Table 5-1.

5.2.5 Effects in Plants

Boron is essential for the growth of plants. Boron soil concentrations for optimum

plant growth reportedly range from 0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg for several plant species (Butterwick et

al., 1989). However, excess boron is known to be phytotoxic (Eisler, 1990). There is a

small range between boron deficiency and boron toxicity in plants (Parks and Edwards,

2005). Boron toxicity has been reported in grasses, fruits, vegetables, grains, trees, and

other terrestrial plants. Boron toxicity in plants is characterized by stunted growth, leaf

malformation, browning and yellowing, chlorosis, necrosis, increased sensitivity to mildew,

wilting, and inhibition of pollen germination and pollen tube growth. There is some

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evidence (Graham et al., 1987) that boron may accumulate to toxic levels in plants,

particularly in the presence of a high phosphorus and low zinc environment.

The following studies demonstrate tolerance ranges to levels of boron exposure for

some terrestrial plants:

•

Toxic effects in plants, including leaf injury, were observed in 26 percent of

plants at or below substrate concentrations that resulted in greatest growth,

indicating considerable overlap between injurious and beneficial effects of

boron in plants (Eaton, 1944);

•

In general, deficiency effects in plants were evident when boron

concentrations in soil solution were less than 2 mg B/L; optimal growth

occurred at 2 to 5 mg B/L; and toxic effects were evident at 5 to 12 mg B/L.

Sensitive species are known to include citrus, stone fruits, and nut trees;

semitolerant species include cotton, tubers, cereals, grains, and olives;

tolerant species usually include most vegetables (Gupta et al., 1985);

•

Biggar and Fireman (1960) showed that, with neutral and alkaline soils of

high absorption capacities, water containing 2 mg B/L might be used for

some time without injury to sensitive plants; and

•

Four species of turfgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, creeping bent, alta fescue, and

colonial bent, were irrigated with water containing 4.8 mg B/L. These

species of turfgrass were found to show excellent tolerance to higher levels

of boron in soil solution, when the practice of frequent mowing is employed

(Oertli et al., 1961).

Toxic effects observed in aquatic plants include inhibition of growth and reduced

photosynthesis (Frick, 1985; Antia and Cheng, 1975; Rao, 1981) at various concentrations

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above 10 mg B/L and below 100 mg B/L. The following studies demonstrate tolerance

ranges to levels of boron exposure for some aquatic plants:

•

The blue green alga, (

Anacystis nidulans

), exhibits no adverse effects with

respect to cell growth or organic constituents at 50 mg B/L and significant

adverse effects at greater than 100 mg B/L over a 72-hour exposure (Eisler,

1990 based on Martinez et al., 1986). Martinez et al. (1986 in Eisler, 1990)

found that a concentration of 75 mg B/L significantly decreased growth and

chlorophyll content in this species;

•

The green alga, (

Chlorella pyrenoidosa

), showed no effects on growth or

cell composition after a 7-day exposure to 10 mg B/L and adverse effects at

greater than 100 mg B/L in 72 hours (Fernandez et al., 1984 and Maeso et

al., 1985 in Eisler, 1990);

•

Duckweed, (

Lemna minor

), showed normal growth in 10 mg B/L and 20 mg

B/L exposures and growth inhibitions at 100 mg B/L exposures (Wang,

1986); however, Frick (1985 in U.S. Department of the Interior, 1998) found

that a concentration of 20 mg B/L was sufficient to inhibit the growth of

duckweed at pH 7.0;

•

Nineteen species of marine algae showed no effects from a 60-day exposure

to 10 mg B/L and growth inhibition in 12 of 19 species at 100 mg B/L (Antia

and Cheng, 1975).

The effects of boron on freshwater aquatic plants applicable to the Sangamon

River and the Illinois River are summarized in Table 5-1.

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5.2.6 Effects in Aquatic Organisms

The above studies, done on a diverse list of aquatic organisms, demonstrate the

response to boron of three aquatic trophic levels: plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate (fish

and amphibians). Boron effects on aquatic life are highly species specific and vary

depending on the organism’s life stage and environment. Based on previous studies, early

stages are more sensitive to boron than later ones. Most aquatic organism toxicity studies

have focused on the evaluation of lethal concentrations; however, other toxic effects have

been reported.

While most laboratory toxicity studies are based on reconstituted water as the

experimental medium, studies have shown that administering boron in natural water is less

toxic than when administered in reconstituted water in the laboratory. Of all the species and

life stages investigated in aquatic toxicity studies, the early life stages of rainbow trout

(

Oncorhyncus mykiss

) appear to be most sensitive to boron. Initial studies in reconstituted

water indicated a LOEC of 0.1 mg B/L. Procter and Gamble (unpublished, from Butterwick

et al., 1989) found that when trout embryo-larval stages were exposed to boron in natural

water courses, it was found to be substantially less toxic. Bingham (1982 in U. S.

Department of Interior, 1998) reported finding wild, healthy trout in surface waters

containing as much as 13 mg B/L. Black et al. (1993, from Moss and Nagpal, 2003)

reported a 20-day NOEC (no-observed-effect concentration) of 18 mg B/L as boric acid for

rainbow trout embryos. Therefore, the low-level effects observed in reconstituted laboratory

water may not accurately predict the much higher first effect levels under natural water

exposure conditions.

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (U.S. Public

Health Service, 1992), it is unlikely that boron is bioconcentrated significantly by organisms

in water. Other sources suggest that aquatic environments are not likely to experience boron

bioaccumulation or biomagnifications (Wren et al., 1983; Butterwick et al., 1989).

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Thompson et al. (1976) found no evidence of active bioaccumulation of boron in sockeye

salmon (

Oncorhynchus nerka

) tissues or Pacific oyster (

Crassostrea gigas

).

City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) of Springfield was granted an adjusted stream

standard for boron in 1994. The

Technical Support Document for Petition for Adjusted

Boron Standards for Sugar Creek and the Sangamon River

(Hanson Engineers

Incorporated, March 1994) presented scientific evidence showing no detectable degradation

to Sugar Creek receiving discharges having boron levels as high as 18 mg/L (see in the

matter of: Petition of the City of Springfield, Office of Public Utilities, for an Adjusted

Standard from 35 Illinois Administrative Code 302.208(e), AS94-9.) The CWLP of

Springfield study and the above-referenced studies demonstrate the toxicological effects of

boron at varying concentrations on the biological community of an aquatic ecosystem.

Overall, the results indicate that the Sangamon River biological community would not be

observably affected by the anticipated maximum boron concentration of 4.5 mg/L

downstream of the initial area of dispersion, or by the maximum boron concentration of 11.0

mg/L in the area of dispersion The Illinois River biological community would not be

observably affected by the anticipated maximum boron concentration of 1.3 mg/L.

5.3

Environmental Effects of Current Boron Levels

Characterization of the water and biological quality of the Sangamon River in the

Lower Sangamon River watershed is based on the 2006 Illinois Water Quality Report,

Intensive Basin Survey results from 1996 and 2003, water quality data from the Ambient

Water Quality Monitoring Network (AWQMN) from 1999 to 2004, and water sampling

of the Sangamon River conducted in September and October 2007 by Hanson. Based on

the water analyses, boron levels in the Lower Sangamon River were generally highest in

stream segment E-26 (Riverton), followed by stream segment E-24 (Petersburg), and

lowest in stream segment E-25 (Oakford). Boron concentrations in the Sangamon River

have ranged from 0.029 mg/L to 2.14 mg/L. Mean concentrations at each station based

on the Illinois EPA’s AWQMN data were 0.394, 0.269, and 0.141 mg/L at Stations E-26,

E-24, and E-25, respectively.

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Based on the macroinvertebrate surveys in 1996 and 2003, the stream quality of

the Sangamon River fully supports aquatic life use in all stream segments in the Lower

Sangamon River watershed. The highest quality MBI score was at Station E-26

(Riverton) in 1996. The stream station upstream of the confluence of the South Fork of

the Sangamon River and CWLP’s discharges, E-16 at Roby, had a MBI value in 2003 of

6.1 indicating moderate impairment of aquatic life use. Therefore, current boron levels

do not appear to be adversely affecting aquatic life in the Lower Sangamon River based

on the MBI assessment, especially considering the lower quality score reported for the

Roby location.

The results of the fisheries surveys conducted in 1996 and 2003 also do not reflect

adverse effects from current boron levels in the Sangamon River. Although Stations E-

50 and E-26, which are the closest downstream stations to the CWLP discharges, had the

lowest IBIs/RIBIs of the three Lower Sangamon River stations, the IBI/RIBI scores of all

three stations reflect fair resource quality, or moderate impairment for aquatic life use.

Also, the RIBI reported for Station E-26 (Riverton) in 2003 is not substantially different

from the RIBI reported for Station E-16 (Roby) (25 and 27 respectively).

To

reemphasize, use of the RIBI scores to assess the quality of the Sangamon River is

limited since the RIBI was designed for smaller streams in Illinois. Raw IBI scores for

all Lower Sangamon River stations were relatively identical in 2003.

The 2003 catfish survey of the Sangamon River by the IDNR determined that

channel and flathead catfish populations were robust, especially at the Riverside

Park/Riverton section. In light of the Birge and Black (1977) laboratory study which

determined that the LC

1

value at 4 days posthatching ranged from 0.2 to 5.5 mg B/L for

channel catfish (

Ictalurus punctatus

) fry subjected to varying boron compounds and

water hardness concentrations, current boron levels do not appear to be adversely

affecting the catfish populations.

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5.4

Predicted Effects of the Proposed Site-Specific Boron Standard

To determine the potential for adverse effects of the proposed site-specific boron

standard to the aquatic environment of the Sangamon River from the Spring Creek

confluence to the Illinois River confluence, the conclusions of previous studies on boron

toxicology (as summarized in Section 4.0) and CWLP’s previous

Technical Support

Document for Petition for Adjusted Boron Standards for Sugar Creek and the Sangamon

River

(Hanson Engineers Incorporated, March 1994) were reviewed.

The freshwater fish species most sensitive to boron identified thus far is the

rainbow trout (

Oncorhyncus mykiss

), although this cold-water species is not found in the

Sangamon River. Initial studies indicated a LOEC of 0.1 mg B/L in reconstituted water

(Butterwick et al, 1989; Parks and Edwards, 2005). However, while most laboratory

toxicity studies have administered boron compounds using reconstituted water as the

experimental medium, subsequent tests using boron in natural waters found that the

LOEC for rainbow trout ranged from 1.1 to 1.73 mg B/L (Parks and Edwards, 2005).

Other sources have reported that when trout embryo-larval stages were exposed to boron

in natural waters, boron was found to be substantially less toxic (Black et al., 1993 in

Moss and Nagpal, 2003; Butterwick et al., 1989; Loewengart, 2001).

Butterwick et al. (1989) concluded that early life stages of nonsalmonid fish

species appear relatively resistant to aqueous exposure to boron. Species which have

been studied and are known to be present in the Sangamon River include the fathead

minnow (

Pimeohales promelas

) egg-fry (30-day LOEC of reduction in growth of 24 mg

B/L), channel catfish (

Ictalurus punctatus

) embryo-larval stages (9-day LOEC of 1.04 to

25.9 mg B/L), and largemouth bass (

Micropterus salmoides

) eggs (11-day LOEC of

12.17 mg B/L). Again, boron involved with these studies was not administered using

natural waters.

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The Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection of British Columbia conducted

an exhaustive review of available boron toxicology studies to establish ambient water

quality guidelines for boron (Moss and Nagpal, 2003). The report discussed the

consistently low concentration toxicity levels found by Birge and Black studies (1977 and

1981, and Black et al., 1993) for a variety of aquatic species, and stated that these results

cannot be reproduced by other studies using similar conditions and species. Therefore,

the British Columbia researchers considered the Birge and Black studies as outliers and

did not consider them in the development of the British Columbia guideline. The British

Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (1997 in Moss and Nagpal, 2003)

found a LOEL for growth of inhibition on the green algae (

Selenastrum capricornutum

)

of 12.3 mg B/L. The Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection used this concentration

with a safety factor of 0.1 to derive the interim guideline for freshwater aquatic life of 1.2

mg/L.

The United States Department of the Interior also conducted an extensive

literature review of the biological effects of boron on the aquatic environment in the

Guidelines for Interpretation of the Biological Effects of Selected Constituents in Biota,

Water, and Sediment

(USDI, 1998). This report provided tentative predictions of boron

effect levels for aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, fish, and amphibians. Predictions of

no effect to toxicity threshold for these organisms were 0.5 to 10 mg B/L for aquatic

plants, 6 to 13 mg B/L for aquatic invertebrates, 5 to 25 mg B/L for fish, and a toxicity

threshold of less than 200 mg B/L for amphibians.

The

Technical Support Document for Petition for Adjusted Boron Standards for

Sugar Creek and the Sangamon River

(Hanson Engineers Incorporated, 1994)

demonstrated that the boron concentrations in the CWLP outfall discharges to Sugar

Creek and consequently the South Fork and Sangamon River, which have been receiving

outfall discharges as high as 18 mg/L of boron from the CWLP power plant since the

1960s, had no adverse effect on the aquatic communities being exposed to these boron

levels. These boron levels, on occasion up to 8 mg/L in Sugar Creek, can be nearly twice

as high as the site-specific standard of 4.5 mg/L for the Sangamon River 182 yards

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downstream of the Spring Creek Plant discharge proposed in this document. The 1994

Technical Support Document for Petition for Adjusted Boron Standards for Sugar Creek

and the Sangamon River

reported that the Sugar Creek Station EOA-01, located just

downstream of the CWLP discharges, had MBI value ratings of very good to excellent

and fish IBI values similar to Station E-16 of the Sangamon River at Roby, which is

located upstream of the South Fork confluence. The overall stream quality of the various

sampling locations of the South Fork, Sangamon River, or Sugar Creek did not show any

pattern of degradation attributable to boron concentrations.

The predicted maximum boron concentration of 11.0 mg/L in the area of

dispersion is not anticipated to adversely affect the aquatic communities in the Sangamon

River. During a 7Q10 low flow, the worst case discharge boron concentration of 11.0

mg/L from the Spring Creek Plant is predicted to reach at least 4.5 mg/L within a

distance of 182 yards in the Sangamon River. This location of the Sangamon River does

not contain known endangered species habitat or important life habitat, intake structures

of public or food processing water supplies, points of withdrawal for irrigation, or public

access areas. The

Technical Support Document for Petition for Adjusted Boron

Standards for Sugar Creek and the Sangamon River

(Hanson Engineers Incorporated,

1994) reported boron concentrations as high as 18 mg/L in the CWLP’s Outfall 003

discharging into Sugar Creek and demonstrated that the Sugar Creek biological

community would not be adversely affected at or below a boron concentration of 11.0

mg/L.

Based on the reviews of existing toxicity studies, documents and reports, no

adverse effects are anticipated to the biological components of the Sangamon River or the

Illinois River as a result of the site-specific standard for boron (up to 11.0 mg/L).

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EVALUATION OF WATER TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES

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EVALUATION OF WATER TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES

Over the past decade, CWLP has reviewed numerous alternatives to comply with

the General Water Quality Standard for boron in wastewater discharged from their

Springfield Power Plant. Alternatives applicable to the pretreatment of the FGDS waste

stream, expected to have an average flow rate of 187 gpm and a boron concentration of

450 mg/L, are discussed below. It is notable that there are currently no known

commercially-demonstrated processes for treating a waste stream with a similar boron

concentration.

6.1

Alternate Coal Source

The

Phase II SO

2

Compliance Study Report

(Burns & McDonnell, October 1998)

evaluated switching the CWLP coal supply from Illinois coal to Power River Basin

(PRB) coal, which is mined in the western United States. PRB coal is low-sulfur, low-

boron coal as compared to coal mined in Illinois. The study noted that CWLP does not

have any reliable way to receive rail delivered coal to the power plant and that the plant

site is not large enough for unit train coal deliveries. However, with major modifications,

limited rail unloading could be restored at the Dallman plant for delivery of PRB coals.

Under this scenario, the PRB “unit trains” would be delivered to a Springfield railyard

and then broken up for delivery to the Dallman plant. Two alternatives to on-site rail

delivery were also identified by CWLP during this study. Both alternatives involved

unloading the trains at an off-site facility and trucking the coal to the CWLP power plant.

Existing hammer mills would have to be retrofitted to accommodate the finer

grade PRB coal and dust control systems would have to be installed. Additionally, truck

dump operations would need to be enclosed to reduce dust emissions during unloading

operations. CWLP test burns demonstrated the need for the addition of limestone to

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blend in the coal for use in the cyclone boilers which would require installation of a

limestone storage silo and feed system. Further, the Burns & McDonnell study identified

13 areas of concern for operation of existing equipment and systems to burn PRB coal:

forced draft fan capacity, induced draft fan capacity, coal feeder capacity, bowl mill

capacity, exhauster capacity, coal pipe size, addition of mill inerting systems for

prevention of fire and explosion, addition of mill wash nozzles, cyclone modifications,

addition of cyclone slag flux agent, addition of a CO

2

inerting system to coal storage

bunkers, addition of furnace cleaning lances, and modifications to the ash handling

systems.

The Burns & McDonnell evaluation further noted that factors associated with

PRB coal combustion such as increased gas flow, elevated precipitator inlet temperature,

ash particle size, and fly ash/bottom ash split have significant influence on precipitator

performance. It may not be possible for CWLP to achieve continuous air compliance

under all operating conditions burning PRB coal in the existing power plant.

After considering the

Phase II SO

2

Compliance Study Report

, CWLP made a

decision to add a FGDS to Dallman Units 31 and 32. Factors cited by CWLP in support

of this decision:

ƒ

Lowest cost long term solution;

ƒ

Economic benefits for Springfield and the State of Illinois;

• Burn Illinois coal

- 100 coal mine related jobs

- $10M+ in annual coal sales

• 200 to 250 construction related jobs

ƒ

CWLP has successfully operated and maintained a FGDS on Unit 33

for 19 years;

ƒ

Gypsum byproduct sales would be $3,000,000/year; and

ƒ

The State of Illinois has budgeted $12.5M in Cost Sharing Funds to

benefit Illinois jobs.

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Further, CWLP cited the following disadvantages of using PRB Coal:

ƒ

Over $10M leaving Illinois annually;

ƒ

Shipping delays;

ƒ

Major railway modifications;

ƒ

Boiler modifications; and

ƒ

Concerns about explosive dust.

CWLP’s decision to continue to burn Illinois coal is atypical of the utility

industry. According to

The Illinois Coal Industry: Report of the Office of Coal

Development

(Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, June 2006),

although Illinois has an abundance of bituminous coal, only 13.5 percent, or 7.5 million

tons, of the coal used by Illinois utilities and industrial users in 2005 was mined in

Illinois. Illinois coal is used by the following utilities in Illinois: AmerenEnergy

Generating’s Coffeen and Meredosia plants, Springfield City Water, Light and Power,

Southern Illinois Power Cooperative, and AmerenEnergy Resources’ Duck Creek plant.

Lower priced, lower-sulfur and lower-boron coals, primarily from the Powder River

Basin of Wyoming, continue to make inroads in Midwestern and Eastern power plant

markets. Table 6-1 details the tonnage and source of coal used by Illinois Utilities in

2005.

6.2

Dry Ash Systems

Conversion to a dry ash system has been studied by CWLP; however the

particular waste stream that is the subject of this technical support document is generated

by the air pollution control system and would not be eliminated by modifying the power

plant ash handling system. It should however be acknowledged that conversion to a dry

ash system could eventually reduce the total boron load to the Sangamon River. The new

Dallman Unit 4 will include dry fly ash and bottom ash handling systems.

6.2.1 Dry Fly Ash

Conversion to a dry fly ash system has been considered by CWLP several times

for water conservation purposes and for boron mitigation at the ash ponds. The report

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State where

2005 Coal

(Thousand Tons)

Ameren Energy Resources

Duck Creek

Illinois

869

Ameren Energy Resources

Edwards Station

Illinois

Wyoming

51

2,810

Ameren Energy Resources

Coffeen

Illinois

Wyoming

2,274

27

Ameren Energy Resources

Hutsonville

Indiana

403

Ameren Energy Resources

Meredosia

Illinois

Wyoming

149

592

Ameren Energy Resources

Newton

Wyoming

4,269

Dynegy Midwest Generation

Baldwin

Wyoming

5,900

Dynegy Midwest Generation

Havana

Colorado

Wyoming

10

1,271

Dynegy Midwest Generation

Hennepin

Wyoming

933

Dynegy Midwest Generation

Vermillion

Illinois

Indiana

15

228

Dynegy Midwest Generation

Wood River

Wyoming

1,718

Electric Energy, Inc.

Joppa

Wyoming

5,195

Kincaid Generation, LLC

Kincaid

Wyoming

4,785

Midwest Generation

Joliet 9

Wyoming

1,188

Midwest Generation

Crawford

Wyoming

1,530

Midwest Generation

Fisk

Wyoming

774

Midwest Generation

Joliet 29

Wyoming

2,400

Midwest Generation

Powerton

Wyoming

Illinois

4,834

29

Midwest Generation

Waukegan

Wyoming

2,391

Midwest Generation

Will County

Wyoming

2,782

Southern Illinois Power Cooperative

Marion

Illinois

Wyoming

1,063

242

Springfield City Water, Light and Power

Dallman

Illinois

1,116

Springfield City Water, Light and Power

Lakeside

Illinois

113

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Water Study

(Burns and McDonnell, February 2005) estimated that the installed

equipment cost of converting all existing Dallman Units to dry fly ash would be

$10,200,000. The report noted that the added equipment (ash silos, unloading equipment,

dust control, truck traffics) would add significant operating cost to the total plant

operating budget. The operating costs include disposal cost for the collected ash which

CWLP is not currently paying for. Burns and McDonnell calculated the 2005 net present

value of this conversion as $19,500,000. Assuming an interest rate of 8 percent, that

equates to a 2008 net present value of $24,500,000 or, considering 66,489 electric

services, a cost of $368 per electric service.

6.2.2 Dry Bottom Ash

The report

Water Conservation Study

(Sargent & Lundy, April 2004) investigated

the use of a completely dry bottom ash handing system at the CWLP Dallman Power

Station. The report noted that the Unit 31 and Unit 32 boilers produce a molten slag,

requiring a water impounded tank to quench the slag and form smaller particles for

disposal. Therefore, it was concluded that a dry bottom ash system was not feasible for

Unit 31 and Units 32 boilers. Technically, a bottom ash system could be used for Unit

33. However, Sargent & Lundy stated in the report that the cost was significant, and the

experience with this technology in the United States was limited. Therefore, Sargent &

Lundy concluded that a dry bottom ash system for Unit 33 was not feasible. Burns &

McDonnell concurred with this opinion in the report

Water Study

, stating that only

Dallman Unit 33 is suitable for conversion to dry bottom ash due to existing equipment

and space limitations. However it was stated that the cost-benefit ratio of switching Unit

33 to a dry bottom ash system is expected to be unfavorable, and industry experience

with this type of system is limited. Thus, switching Unit 33 to dry bottom ash was not

considered a favorable option.

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6.3

Treatment Alternatives

The report

Water Study

(Burns & McDonnell, February 2005) compared

treatment options for the removal of boron from FGDS wastewater. Burns & McDonnell

noted that the FGDS wastewater contains extremely high concentrations of dissolved

solids (including chlorides) and suspended solids that would make it difficult to use many

less-expensive options to remove boron. This is because materials of construction would

need to be corrosion resistant; certain processes such as reverse osmosis would have poor

recovery due to the limitation on osmotic pressure, and the high suspended solids content

would require pretreatment.

Furthermore, according to Burns & McDonnell, due to the high boron

concentrations in the wastewater stream, the application of selective media, such as ion

exchange resin or activated carbon, would require frequent regeneration or media change-

out and would not be a realistic alternative. Also, chemical precipitation or co-

precipitation of boron is not expected to be effective because of the relatively low

concentration of boron in the wastewater compared to its solubility.

Burns & McDonnell concluded that general total dissolved solids (TDS) methods

such as Reverse Osmosis (RO) and mechanical evaporation are the only proven

technologies applicable for boron removal for the application at CWLP.

6.3.1 Brine Concentrator followed by Spray Dryer

Brine concentrators are mechanical evaporators that separate and recover water

from the wastewater solution. According to Burns & McDonnell, the most commonly

used brine concentrators are called falling film seeded slurry brine concentrators and

most of these units use a vapor compressor to provide self-sufficient supply of steam to

heat up the wastewater slurry. The heated wastewater evaporates and generates steam

that is compressed and used for heating up the wastewater slurry again. The slurry is

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recirculated in a vertically mounted tube bundle (falling film heat exchanger), with the

steam on the shell side. Due to the high concentrations of TDS and chlorides, the wetted

materials are normally made from high-grade stainless steels and the tubes from titanium.

These types of brine concentrators are very expensive. In addition, the vapor compressor

and the slurry recirculation pumps consume a significant amount of electricity.

The concentrated bleed from the mechanical evaporator would be fed to a spray

dryer where it is completely dried to a solid form for disposal. A typical spray dryer

atomizes the wastewater slurry in a drying chamber where hot air containing combusted

natural gas is injected. When the hot air meets the atomized wastewater, all the moisture

in the slurry is vaporized, leaving behind the solids.

The report

Water Study

(Burns & McDonnell, February 2005) concluded that to

accommodate periodic maintenance, and possible variation in the incoming wastewater

flow rate, it would be desirable to have dual trains of the brine concentrator/spray dryer

units, each designed for 50 percent of the maximum capacity required. The report

Water

Study

(Burns & McDonnell, February 2005) presented an opinion that boron removal in

FGDS water using a dual train brine concentrators followed by dual train spray dryers

had a capital cost of $8,222,000 and an annual operating cost of $798,539.

6.3.2 Reverse Osmosis followed by Crystallizer and Spray Dryer

The report

Water Study

(Burns & McDonnell, February 2005) considered an RO

process as an alternative to the first stage treatment with mechanical evaporation to

concentrate the wastewater. However, due to the high concentrations of dissolved

constituents in the FGDS blowdown stream, high recovery of an RO system is impossible

due to the osmotic pressure and the pressure limitation of commercially available RO

membranes. Burns & McDonnell concluded that because the FGDS blowdown contains

very high concentration of sparingly soluble salts such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg),

sulfate, and silica, as well as high suspended solids (gypsum particles), it must be

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pretreated to reduce or replace those constituents before the water could be treated by an

RO system.

An effective treatment to remove hardness (Ca and Mg) from water is a lime/soda

softener, where lime and soda ash (also known as sodium carbonate or Na

2

CO

3

) are

added to the water stream. The use of soda ash will add alkalinity necessary for the

calcium and magnesium to precipitate. Essentially, the sodium ions (Na) present in the

soda ash will replace the calcium and magnesium that is present.

The silica concentration will not be affected by the lime/soda softener as much as

the calcium and magnesium. In fact, when concentrated in the RO system at neutral or

acid pH, silica concentrations may exceed its solubility and cause a scaling problem on

the RO membranes. At neutral or acid pH, boron may crystallize to form boric acid,

which is a waxy substance that could also foul up the RO membranes. A high-pH RO

system effectively solves this problem. Thus, following the lime soda softener, Burns &

McDonnell considered a HERO system (a patented high-pH RO system design) RO

system. A HERO is still a RO system, so its recovery is limited by the osmotic pressure.

Due to the limitation of the recovery of the HERO, the size of the crystallizer is

much larger and more expensive than the spray dryer included after the brine

concentrator. However, the cost of the HERO is generally less than that of a brine

concentrator and it consumes less electricity. Compared to the brine concentrator/spray

dryer design, the HERO design has some disadvantages. The brine concentrator option is

more favorable than the HERO because it involves fewer components to operate. Also,

the chemical consumption as well as solids removal (requiring disposal) of the lime/soda

softener is significant. Finally, the energy consumption of the crystallizer is much higher

that of the spray dryer. The report

Water Study

(Burns & McDonnell, February 2005)

presented an opinion that boron removal in FGDS water using a lime/soda softener

followed by dual train HERO systems had a capital cost of $6,120,000 and an annual

operating cost of $1,118,649.

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6.3.3 Electrocoagulation

In response to a request from the Illinois EPA, CWLP commissioned Burns &

McDonnell to evaluate boron removal using electrocoagulation (EC). EC is a method of

treating wastewater with electricity and sacrificial metal plates to cause contaminants in

wastewater to become destabilized and precipitate. The EC reactor consists of metallic

electrode plates separated by thin annular spaces. Wastewater in the annular space

conducts electricity which dissolves the electrodes. The dissolved metal ions react with

contaminants creating precipitates that are removed by filtration. The metal plates can be

made from several materials, aluminum representing the most effective material in boron

removal.

Contaminant reduction occurs via two mechanisms: flocculation/precipitation

and adsorption. Adsorption occurs when contaminants electrostatically adhere to the

flocculated solids and are removed along with the precipitates. The adsorption of boron

on aluminum flocculants has been reported to be no greater than 20 percent of available

boron when adsorption is not inhibited by other contaminants such as chlorides and

sulfates, both of which exist in the FGDS wastewater in high concentrations.

Targeting boron specifically for removal by EC in the FGDS wastewater is more

difficult because boron is known to exist in at least six pH dependent species in water.

The predominant forms are boric acid [H

3

BO

3

] and borate [B(OH)

4

-

]. Boric acid

predominates at pH ranges below 4, whereas borate predominates at pH ranges above 12.

Boric acid is a form that is difficult to remove by most available technologies. FGDS

wastewater is in the 6.5 to 7.0 pH range; therefore 50 to 65 percent of the boron will be in

the boric acid form.

Additionally, competing reactions from other FGDS wastewater constituents with

lower activation energies may dramatically lower boron removal. Several chemical

species such as chlorides and sulfates are present in large quantities in the FGD

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wastewater and have lower activation energies than boron. The aluminum ion would

naturally react with these other chemical species before boron.

In their May 18, 2007 letter report evaluating boron removal using EC, Burns &

McDonnell presented a capital cost for removal of boron in FGDS wastewater of

$9,207,000 and annual operating costs of $14,074,000. Burns & McDonnell concluded

that economically, EC is not recommended for FGDS wastewater due to high capital and

operating costs relative to low boron removal efficiencies. Additionally these high

operating costs are based on assumptions extrapolated from studies performed on

wastewaters with characteristics much different the FGDS wastewater. While EC is

technically feasible for boron removal from the FGDS wastewater, boron removal

efficiency cannot be predicted due to lack of verified boron removal efficiencies in high

boron and high TDS wastewaters.

Boron removal efficiency is expected to be

dramatically decreased from theoretical estimates due to competing reactions in the EC

process.

6.3.4 Comparison of Treatment Alternatives

The costs presented for the three treatment alternatives for removal of boron

discussed above are shown in Table 6-2. According to the Burns & McDonnell 2005

report

Water Study

and the 2007 letter report evaluating electrocoagulation, capital costs

for the three water treatment alternatives for the removal of boron from the FGDS waste

stream presented in section 6.2 of this technical support document ranges from $6.1

million to $9.2 million. The annual operating and maintenance cost of these three

alternatives ranges from $0.80 million per year to $14 million per year. Assuming a

power plant life of 30 years and an interest rate of 8 percent, the present value of the three

water treatment alternatives was calculated to range from $22 million to $254 million.

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Treatment Process

Capital Cost

1

Annual O&M

1

Present Value

2

Present Value per

Electric Service

3

Brine Concentrator

8,222,000

798,539

22,100,000

followed by Crystallizer

6,120,000

1,118,649

25,600,000

385

Electrocoagulation

9,207,000

14,074,000

254,000,000

3,822

1

Costs from Burns and McDonald reports cited in sections 6.2.1, 6.2.2 and 6.2.3 of this report.

2

Present Value calculated assuming Annual O & M Costs escalate by $40,000/year for the Brine

Concentrator; $56,000/year for Reverse Osmosis; and $700,000/year for the Electrocoagulation

process. Calculation also assumes power plant life of 30 years and an interest rate of 8 percent.

3.

Cost based on 66,489 electric services (58,443 residential electric customers and 8,046 commercial

electric customers)

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6.3.5 Boron Pilot Project

In December 2005, CWLP entered into a contract with Aquatech International

Corporation to provide a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plant for the treatment of FGDS

wastewater. The system to be provided consisted of two brine concentrators followed by

spray dryers to treat the blowdown form the FDGS system at the power plant. However,

as detailed design progressed, it became apparent that the use of a brine

concentrator/spray dryer system to treat the FGDS blowdown was a unique application of

this technology. The relative inexperience in this application translated into design

changes as engineering of the system progressed. Additionally, the original scope of

work and the associated cost increased several times. Finally, the costs became too high

to proceed with the proposed brine concentrator system. At the time the system was

abandoned, the capital cost had risen to $40 million and the annual operating and

maintenance cost had risen to $3.7 million.

Assuming the annual operation and

maintenance cost will escalated by $185,00 per year, a treatment system life of 30 years,

and an interest rate of 8 percent, this equates to a present value of $104,500,000 (a

present value per electric service of $1,570). The question of how to dispose of large

quantities of solid waste generated by the treatment system was never resolved; therefore

the cost of waste disposal from the treatment process was not included in the

aforementioned present value.

It is interesting to note that in the

Milliken Clean Coal Demonstration Project: A

DOE Assessment

, which had a goal of achieving a zero-wastewater discharge, the brine

concentration system did not work satisfactorily at any time during the demonstration.

Construction of the Milliken Station began in April 1993 and ended in June 1995.

Operations were initiated in January 1995 and completed in November 1998. The U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE) dubbed the project a success except that the brine

concentrator system never became fully operational. It is not surprising that CWLP has

struggled with the same problem that the U.S. DOE failed to resolve.

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6.4

Pretreatment of Water Proposed for Transfer to SMSD

SMSD has entered into a contract with CWLP to accept the FGDS wastewater

stream for a price of $100,000/month provided that acceptance of this wastewater does

not upset normal Spring Creek Plant operations. The stream to be pumped to the SMSD

Spring Creek Plant from the CWLP facility is expected to have an average flow rate of

187 gpm and a boron concentration of 450 mg/L.

CWLP intends to treat the FGDS waste stream with conventional treatment

processes for solids removal prior to pumping the wastewater to the SMSD Spring Creek

Plant. Boron tends to associate with small particulate matter; therefore the pretreatment

process will attempt to remove particulates from the waste stream. Laboratory jar tests

have shown in some instances that up to ten percent of the boron in the wastewater can be

removed with solids settling. Unfortunately, the jar test results have not been consistent

and therefore, CWLP is not claiming any boron removal for purposes of calculating

boron concentrations in this document.

CWLP proposes collecting the FGDS waste stream in a 250,000 gallon influent

holding tank. This tank will provide about 22 hours of holding time for the waste stream,

anticipated to be approximately 187 gpm. Wastewater collected in the influent holding

tank will be fed to a ClariCone

TM

solids contact clarifier with a 240 gpm capacity.

Operation of the patented ClariCone

TM

has been demonstrated at over 300

installations nationwide. Mixing, tapered flocculation and sedimentation all take place

within a completely hydraulically driven vessel. The ClariCone

TM

maintains a dense,

suspended, rotating slurry blanket that provides solids contact, accelerated floc formation

and solids capture. The conically shaped concentrator maximizes the slurry discharge

concentration and allows plant personnel to visually monitor slurry discharge. The large

mass of retained slurry and unique helical flow pattern in the ClariCone

TM

prevent short-

circuiting and resists process upsets.

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Supernatant from the ClariCone

TM

will be collected in a second 250,000 gallon

holding tank and pumped to the SMSD Spring Creek Plant. The pumps to be used for

transferring the wastewater from the effluent holding tank to the Spring Creek Plant will

be centrifugal with a variable frequency drive. One or more chemical feed system(s)

will also be installed, operated and maintained by CWLP at locations immediately after

the pretreatment system and/or on the SMSD collection system to mitigate odors and

corrosion resulting from the FGDS wastewater.

The estimated capital cost of the pretreatment system including the pipeline to

transfer the pretreated FGDS wastewater and chemical feed system(s) to control odor to

the SMSD Spring Creek Plant is $15.5 million. The annual operating and maintenance

cost, including the monthly payment to SMSD is $1.6 million. Assuming that the

monthly payment to SMSD will remain fixed and other annual operating and

maintenance costs will escalate by $10,000 per year, a pretreatment system life of 30

years, and an interest rate of 8 percent, this equates to a present value of $36,100,000 (a

present value per electric service of $544).

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CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

CWLP and the SMSD are requesting a site-specific water quality standard for

boron in the Sangamon River and the Illinois River as a result of proposed discharge

from the Springfield Metro Sanitary District (SMSD) Spring Creek Plant. The CWLP

power plant in Springfield operates selective catalytic reduction (SCR) air pollution

control systems for nitrous oxide removal and flue gas desulfurization systems (FGDS)

for sulfur dioxide removal as required by its air operating permit. Apparently, trace

ammonia concentration from SCR operation results in increased leaching of boron and/or

increased boron solubility in the FGDS effluent water generated during gypsum dewatering.

Operation of the air pollution control systems causes elevated concentration of boron in the

plant effluent stream that is proposed to be transferred to the SMSD Spring Creek

Wastewater Plant. The site-specific standard for boron is necessary to allow CWLP to

continue to operate the power plant in compliance with its existing NPDES permit and State

and Federal air pollution regulations.

The General Use water quality standard for boron of 1.0 mg/L was established by

the Illinois Pollution Control Board for the protection of aquatic life. The standard was

based, in part, on boron toxicity to sensitive irrigated crops, such as citrus. This technical

support document considers existing water quality data and biological studies that were

obtained from several agencies including the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

(Illinois EPA), the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Illinois

Natural History Survey (INHS). Stream flow information from the Illinois State Water

Survey (ISWS) was used to predict boron levels in the Sangamon River. The discussion

of possible toxicological effects of boron is based on existing published literature and

from studies and technical documents produced for City Water, Light and Power

(CWLP) of Springfield and for Central Illinois Light Company (CILCO) of Peoria in

support of petitions for adjusted water quality standards for boron and a variance to an

adjusted water quality standard for boron.

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Four alternatives for complying with the General Use water quality standard for

boron were evaluated for the plant effluent stream that is proposed to be transferred to the

SMSD Spring Creek Plant. The FGDS waste stream is expected to have a flow rate of

187 gpm and a boron concentration of 450 mg/L. It is notable that there are currently no

known commercially-demonstrated processes for treating a waste stream with a similar

boron concentration.

The least expensive technologically feasible alternative for

reducing boron in the FGDS water would require a capital investment of $40 million,

annual operating expenses of $3.7 million, and additional costs for infrastructure

improvements and waste product disposal. In contrast, lesser costs are associated with

CWLP and SMSD’s proposed approach of pretreating the FGDS waste stream with a

conventional treatment processes for solids removal prior to pumping the wastewater to

the SMSD Spring Creek Plant and seeking a site-specific standard for boron in the

Sangamon River. It is estimated that the selected approach has a capital cost of $15.5

million and an annual operating cost of $400,000 in addition to the $100,000 per month

that CWLP has agreed to pay SMSD for additional expenses associated with accepting

the FGDS waste stream.

CWLP and SMSD propose that the water quality standard for boron set forth in

35 IAC 302.208(g) shall not apply to waters of the state that receive discharge from

SMSD Outfall 007 of the Spring Creek Plant located at 3017 North 8

th

Street,

Springfield, Illinois, owned by the Springfield Metro Sanitary District. Boron levels in

such waters must meet the water quality standard for boron as set forth below.

1. 11.0 mg/L in an area of dispersion within the Sangamon River from SMSD

Outfall 007 to 182 yards downstream from the confluence of Spring Creek with

the Sangamon River;

2. 4.5 mg/L from 182 yards downstream of the confluence of Spring Creek with the

Sangamon river to the confluence of Salt Creek with the Sangamon River, a

distance of 39.0 river miles;

3. 1.6 mg/L from the confluence of Salt Creek with the Sangamon River to the

confluence of the Sangamon River with the Illinois River, a distance of 36.1 river

miles; and

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4. 1.3 mg/L in the Illinois River from the confluence of the Illinois River with the

confluence of the Sangamon River to 100 yards downstream of the confluence of

the Illinois River with the Sangamon River.

The site-specific boron standard is justified because the current basis for the

General Use Water Quality Standard (agricultural irrigation, stock watering, and drinking

water) is not relevant to the Sangamon River downstream for the confluence with Spring

Creek and, as previously discussed, are unnecessarily stringent for the protection of

aquatic life. Based on the reviews of existing toxicity studies, documents and reports,

and the previous

Technical Support Document for Petition for Adjusted Boron Standards

for Sugar Creek and the Sangamon River

(Hanson Engineers Incorporated, 1994), no

adverse effects are anticipated to the aquatic life of the Sangamon River or the Illinois

River as a result of the proposed site-specific standard. The CWLP power plant is a

critical power supply for Springfield and surrounding communities; the site-specific

boron standard would allow the power plant to continue to operate in compliance with its

NPDES permit and State and Federal air pollution regulations.

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REFERENCES

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Hanson Engineers Incorporated, 1998. Technical Support Document for Petition for

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Loewengart, G., Toxicity of Boron to Rainbow Trout:

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Thompson, J.A.J., J.C. Davis, and R.E. Drew, Toxicity, Uptake and Survey Studies of

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Environment of Boron, Indium, Nickel, Selenium, Tin, Vanadium, and Their

Compounds, Vol. 1, Boron, Report No. 56/2-75-005A, 1975.

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Wang, W., Toxicity Tests of Aquatic Pollutants by using Common Duckweed,

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Final report submitted to Central Illinois Light Company, 1981.

Weir, R.J., Jr., and R.S. Fisher, Toxicologic Studies on Borax and Boric Acid

, Toxicol.

Appl. Pharmocol, 23:351-364, 1972.

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Simon, Handbook of Illinois Stratigraphy, Ill. GS B 95, 261p., 1975.

Willman, H.B., and J.C. Frye, Pleistocene Stratigraphy of Illinois

, Ill. GS B 94, 204p., 1970.

Wren, C. D., H. R. Maccrimmon and B. R. Loescher, Examination of Bioaccumulation and

Biomagnification of Metals in a Precambrian Shield Lake, Water Air Soil Pollut. 19:

277-291, 1983.

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SPRING CREEK PLANT NPDES PERMIT

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CWLP NPDES PERMIT

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IDNR CORRESPONDENCE

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BORON WATER QUALITY DATA

FOR THE SANGAMON RIVER – 1999-2004

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Boron Water Quality Data for the Sangamon River

Illinois EPA Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Network

Station E-26

Station E-24

Station E-25

Riverton, IL

Petersburg, IL

Oakford, IL

Date

Total Boron

(mg/L)

Date

Total Boron

(mg/L)

Date

Total Boron

(mg/L)

01/27/99

0.083

01/21/99

0.320

01/21/99

0.320

03/01/99

0.110

02/22/99

0.066

02/22/99

0.054

04/06/99

0.080

03/25/99

0.094

03/25/99

0.092

05/13/99

0.081

05/11/99

0.083

05/11/99

0.053

06/14/99

0.130

06/15/99

0.072

06/15/99

0.067

08/09/99

0.780

09/07/99

0.630

09/07/99

0.620

09/14/99

0.640

10/05/99

0.550

10/05/99

0.320

10/28/99

1.100

11/16/99

0.710

11/16/99

0.290

11/29/99

1.000

12/20/99

0.720

12/20/99

0.310

12/27/99

0.620

02/01/00

1.100

02/01/00

0.440

02/07/00

0.970

05/03/00

0.150

05/03/00

0.075

03/23/00

0.130

06/21/00

0.110

06/21/00

0.034

05/25/00

0.250

08/01/00

0.300

08/01/00

0.100

08/14/00

0.550

09/06/00

0.570

09/06/00

0.220

09/11/00

0.960

10/05/00

0.250

10/05/00

0.160

10/11/00

0.079

11/30/00

0.096

11/30/00

0.140

12/11/00

0.270

01/10/01

0.210

01/10/01

0.130

01/11/01

0.210

02/08/01

0.044

02/08/01

0.039

02/26/01

0.048

03/22/01

0.067

03/22/01

0.050

03/27/01

0.079

04/23/01

0.055

04/23/01

0.045

04/24/01

0.047

05/21/01

0.096

05/21/01

0.054

05/23/01

0.095

06/27/01

0.120

06/27/01

0.099

07/18/01

0.580

08/07/01

0.250

08/07/01

0.160

10/22/01

0.260

10/17/01

0.110

10/17/01

0.100

11/26/01

0.160

11/14/01

0.240

11/14/01

0.150

01/15/02

0.160

01/03/02

0.080

01/03/02

0.060

02/13/02

0.180

02/07/02

0.048

02/07/02

0.049

04/08/02

0.100

04/01/02

0.052

04/01/02

0.051

05/21/02

0.029

04/24/02

0.064

04/24/02

0.057

07/01/02

0.053

07/02/02

0.057

07/02/02

0.078

08/13/02

0.250

08/06/02

0.190

08/06/02

0.070

09/24/02

0.220

09/19/02

0.220

09/19/02

0.240

11/07/02

1.100

10/31/02

0.360

10/31/02

0.110

12/19/02

0.440

12/10/02

0.790

12/10/02

0.280

01/30/03

1.400

01/15/03

0.710

01/15/03

0.120

03/11/03

0.690

03/03/03

0.480

03/03/03

0.120

04/21/03

0.170

04/16/03

0.150

04/16/03

0.050

05/22/03

0.120

05/20/03

0.120

05/20/03

0.087

07/07/03

0.400

07/01/03

0.130

07/01/03

0.110

08/12/03

0.550

08/07/03

0.280

08/07/03

0.073

09/18/03

0.980

09/15/03

0.370

09/15/03

0.170

11/06/03

0.800

10/30/03

0.550

10/30/03

0.180

12/11/03

0.270

12/02/03

0.110

12/02/03

0.082

02/04/04

0.130

02/09/04

0.075

02/09/04

0.110

I:\07jobs\07E0039\Admin\14 Reports\Appendix_C_IEPA_Boron_Data.xls

8/5/2008

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BORON ANAYLTICAL RESULTS -

SEPTEMBER 2007 AND OCTOBER 2007

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TECHNICAL SUPPORT

DOCUýTIFNT FOR

PETITION

FOR ADJUSTED

BORON

STANDARDS

FOR 'S.UGIAIR CREEK

AND THE

S A N GAMON

RIVER

P REPARED

FOR

`ý

I

po?.,vpr

i

P REPARED

BY

H ANS

E

O G6omffommA4ev

NGINEERS

a

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TECHNICAL

SUPPORT

DOCUMENT FOR

PE=ON FOR

A DJUSTED BORON STANDARDS FOR-SUGAR

CREEK AND THE SANGAMON RIVER

P

repared for

CITY WATER, LIGHT AND POWER

Springfield, Illinois

Prepared

by

Dan W. Jones

HANSON ENGINEERS INCORPORATED

1525 South Sixth Street

Springfield, Illinois 62703

MARCH 1994

BronSugr.Repd1040594

92S5034A

Electronic Filing - Received, Clerk's Office, August 29, 2008

* * * * * R2009-008 * * * * *

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TECHNICAL SUPPORT

DOCUMENT FOR

PETITION FOR ADJUSTED

BORON STANDARDS

FOR SUGAR CREEK

AND THE SANGAMON RIVER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section

Page

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.0 Purpose

and

Scope

2.0 Facility Information

2.1 Plant Description

2.2 Plant Operation

2 .3

Outfall

and Discharge Description

2.3.1 Outfall

003

2.3.2 Outfall004

2.3.3 Outfall006

3.0 Resources of Sugar Creek and Associated

Sangamon River

3 .1

Natural Features

3.1.1 Sangamon River Basin

3.1.2 Sangamon

River

3 .1.3 South Fork of the Sangamon

River

3.1.4

Sugar Creek

3.1.5

Lake Springfield

3 .2 Environmental Quality

3.2.1 Water Uses

3.2.2

Analytical Water Quality

3.2.3

Aquatic

Macroinvertebrates

3.2.4 Fisheries

3.3 Ill. Water Quality Report Status

3.3.1 Assessment Methods

3.3.2 Sangamon River

Basin

3.3.3 Sangamon

River

3.3.4 South Fork of the Sangamon River

3.3.5 Sugar Creek

i

1-1

2-1

2-1

2 -3

2 -15

2-15

2-16

2-16

3 -1

3-1

3-1

3-1

3-4

3-4

3-5

3-8

3-8

3-11

3-14

3-18

3-26

3-26

3-27

3-34

3-37

3-39

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92S5034A

Electronic Filing - Received, Clerk's Office, August 29, 2008

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

(Continued)

Section

4.0

Issue

of

Concern

4.1 Proposed Adjusted

Water Quality

Standard for Boron

4.2 Boron Characteristics

4.2.1 Properties

4.2.2 Distribution

and Uses

4.2.3 Toxicology

4.3 Boron Concentrations

in Receiving

Waters

4.3.1 Historic Boron Levels

4.3.2

Predicted Low-Flow

Boron Levels

5.0 Environmental

Effects of Boron

Page

4-1

4-1

4-2

4-2

4-3

4-4

4-8

4-8

4-14

5-1

5 .1

Environmental Effects of

Present and Past Boron

Levels

5-1

5.2 Predicted Effects

of Achieving the General

Use Water

5-3

Quality Standard

5.3

Predicted Effects of

the Proposed Adjusted

Water

Quality Standard

6.0 Evaluation of Alternatives

for Complying

with NPDES

Pe-rm;r Boron

Limit

6.1 Selective Ion

Exchange

6.2 Reverse Osmosis/Mechanical

Evaporators

6.3 Dry Fly Ash

Conversion

6.4 Alternative

Coal

6.5 Economics

of Alternatives

7.0 Conclusions

and Recommendations

8.0 References

5 -4

6-1

6-1

6-3

6-3

6-5

6-7

7-1

8-1

B ronSugr.Repd1040594

92S5034A

Electronic Filing - Received, Clerk's Office, August 29, 2008

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TABLE

OF CONTENTS

(Continued)

APPENDICES

A

IEPA

Aquatic Macroinvertebrate

Studies of Sugar

Creek

B

CWLP Fisheries Study

of Sugar Creek, South

Fork, and Sangamon

River

C NPDES

Permit for CWLP

D Summary

of IEPA Toxicity Test

of CWLP Outfall

Discharges

LIST OF

TABLES

Table

Page

2 .1 Monthly Coal Usage

per Unit

2-4

2 .1A Coal Suppliers

2-5

2.2 Monthly Oil Usage

per Unit

2-6

2 .3 Monthly Gross

Generation per Unit

2-7

2.4 Capacity

Factor (Turbine/Generator)

2-8

2.5

Monthly

Steam

Delivered

to Turbines

2-9

2.6

Monthly Circulating

Water Pump Usage

2-10

2.7 Demineralizer and

Evaporator Production

2-12

2.8 Monthly Ash Sluice

Pump Usage

2-13

2.9 Clarification Pond Recirculating

Water Production

- Outfall 006

2-17

3 .1 Lake Springfield

Watershed Land Uses

3-7

1 TTTf[ý

I- ý.

N

ý .2

1 Vr1 Jk'T S

Dischar1 ges t o S ugar (

-"r eek and

Saiigai°

`ot`i

R iver,

S

pauldi..g

D am

to

Spring

Creek

3-9'

3.3 Water Quality

Data

3-13

3.4 Macroinvertebrate

Biotic

Index Values For Sugar

Creek

3-16

3.5

Index of Biotic Integrity

Metrics Used to Assess

Fish Communities

in Illinois

Streams

3-20

3.6

Fish Species Collected

From Sugar Creek,

South Fork, and Sangamon

River

3-22

3.7 Fisheries Data and

Indices for Stream Sampling

Stations

3-25

3.8 Biological Stream

Characterization Summary

3-28

3.9 Summary

of

Use

Support Assessment

Criteria for Illinois Streams

3-29

3.10 Criteria

for Assessing CWA Fishable

Goal

3-30

Attainment

in Rivers and Streams

3.11 Criteria

for Assessing CWA

Swimmable Goal

3-31

Attainment

in Rivers and Streams

B ronSugrRepdftkl0594

92S5034A

Electronic Filing - Received, Clerk's Office, August 29, 2008

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

(Continued)

LIST OF TABLES

(Continued)

T able Title

Page

3 .12

Designated

Use Support for the Sangamon River

Basin

3-32

3.13

Attainment

of CWA Goals for the Sangamon

River Basin

3-33

3.14 Total Sizes of Waters Not Fully Supporting

Uses Affected by

3-35

Various Cause Categories for

the

Sangamon

River Basin

3.15 Total Sizes of Waters Not Fully

Supporting Uses Affected By

3-36

Various Source Categories

For The Sangamon River

3.16

Stream

Condition Status

3-38

4.1 Total Boron Concentrations for Monitoring Stations

4-9

4.2

Boron Concentrations

and Flow Rates

4-17

6.1 Adjusted Standard Alternatives Economic

Analysis

6-6

L IST OF. FIGURES

Fi

ure

Title

Page

1 .1

Area of Study

1-2

2.1

CWLP Discharge

Outfalls

2-2

2.2

Water Flow Schematic CWLP Power Plant Complex

2-11

3.i

iviajor River Basins of Illinois

3 2

3.2

Lake Springfield Watershed

3-6

3.3

NPDES Discharge Points

3-10

3.4

Area of Study with Sampling Stations

3-12

3.5

Sugar Creek Macroinvertebrate Sampling

Stations

3-17.

3.6

Fisheries Sampling Locations

3-24

4.1

Locations for Calculated Boron Values

4-16

6.1

Diagram of Selective Ion Exchange

6-2

6.2

Diagram of Reverse Osmosis/Mechanical

Evaporators

6-4

B ronSugr.Repdt040594

92S5034A

Electronic Filing - Received, Clerk's Office, August 29, 2008

* * * * * R2009-008 * * * * *

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The reissued NPDES permit

IL0024767 requires the

City Water, Light and Power

(CWLP) electric generation station,

located on Lake Springfield,

to limit and monitor the

concentrations

of boron

in its outfall discharges

to Sugar Creek. The permit limit for boron

is

1.0 mg/L with compliance to be achieved by

December 14, 1994. This boron effluent discharge

limit is based upon the Illinois

General Use boron water

quality

stream

standard of the Illinois

Pollution Control Board (IPCB)

as set forth in 35 M.

Adm. Code 302.208(e). Historical data on

the concentrations of boron in the existing

discharges suggest that noncompliance

with the

effluent limitation in the permit will

occur frequently.

Therefore, an upward adjustment

for boron for the stream limitation is recommended.

The recommended adjusted stream standards for

boron are: 11.0 mg/L from CWLP outfall 003

to Springfield Metropolitan Sanitary District's (SMSD)

Sugar Creek station outfall 008; 5.5

mg/L

from outfall 008 to the confluence of Sugar

Creek with the South Fork and the Sangamon

River;

and 2.0 mg/L from this

confluence to 100 yds downstream

of the confluence of the Sangamon

River with Spring Creek,

which receives the SMSD's Spring

Creek station 007 outfall discharge.

This report evaluates and

compares the ecological and

water quality impacts of boron levels

discharged into Sugar Creek,

the associated sections of

the Sangamon River, and the South Fork

of the

Sangamon

River which receive Sugar

Creek flows. This evaluation assesses

the

effects

of proposed adjusted standards

for boron levels in Sugar Creek

and

the

Sangamon River resulting

from

discharges

into Sugar Creek from the CWLP

electric generation station facilities.

The IEPA

operates an Ambient Water Quality

Monitoring Network (AWQMN) consisting

of 208 fixed

stations.

Data from four

of the

AWQMN

sampling stations were

used in

this

report.

Station E16, near Roby, is about 11 riles

upstream of the confluence of the South Fork

and

Sugar

Creek

with the Sangamon River.

Station E26, near Riverton,

is 2.2 miles downstream

from the confluence of the South

Fork and Sugar Creek with

the

Sangamon.

Site EO-01 is

located on the South Fork at

the Illinois Route 29 bridge and

is about 4.7 miles upstream from

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92S5034A

Electronic Filing - Received, Clerk's Office, August 29, 2008

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its confluence with

Sugar

Creek and the Sangamon. Station EOA-01 is located on Sugar Creek

at the Illinois Route 29 bridge about one mile southeast of Springfield.

Results

of

chemical water analyses for all four stations were within the federal and state

guidelines. Sugar Creek appears to have had somewhat higher overall water

quality

during

the

1987 USGS Water Year than the stretches of

the

South

Fork and the Sangamon Rivers discussed

in this report.

The

percentage

of

samples

with boron levels above the General Water Use standard of

1.0 mg/L was calculated for each monitoring station.

Lake Springfield and the upstream South

Fork and Sangamon River stations had no samples with boron

levels

above 1.0 mg/L. Only

2.5

percent

of the SMSD sewage treatment

plant outfall 008 discharges into Sugar Creek exceeded

1.0 mg/L boron, whereas 74.5 percent of the samples from the Sugar Creek station were above

the 1.0 mg/L boron standard. The CWLP outfall discharges

into Sugar Creek appear to be the

primary

sources of boron flowing from Sugar Creek

into the Sangamon River and subsequently

influencing

the boron levels observed at

the downstream Riverton station.

When comparing the maximum boron levels from the sampling locations to the proposed

boron stream standards, only the CWLP Sugar Creek outfall 003

had

samples above the proposed

standard. However, except for very infrequent events, the CWLP outfall discharges would

normally be in compliance with the recommended adjusted boron stream standard.

A mass

balance

of boron concentrations was calculated for several locations in Sugar

Creek and the Sangamon River. The purpose of the cal_cullations

was to provide boron values

that

might be expected during critical low stream

flow conditions (7Q10). A worst-case scenario was

developed using a set of hypothetical

criteria, which included high effluent boron concentrations

and

low

stream and effluent

flow rates.

This

scenario suggests

that with present effluent flows and boron concentrations, boron

levels

in Sugar Creek and

the

Sangamon

River as far downstream as 100 yds below Spring Creek

would

not be expected

to fall below the 1.0 mg/L General Use standard during 7Q10 flows.

BronSupRepdl040594

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92S5034A

Electronic Filing - Received, Clerk's Office, August 29, 2008

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Even though

the Sangamon River

may show boron levels

below 1.0 mg/L during periods

of

"average"

flow volume due to dilution

factors, Sugar Creek

would still be expected

to have boron

concentrations

above 1.0 mg/L.

However, this scenario also suggests

that the requested

boron

stream standards,

would be met

at all locations.

Macroinvertebrate Biotic

Index values are included

in the 1985 and

the 1989 stream

studies

on Sugar Creek conducted

by the IEPA to assess

and monitor the effects

of the

Springfield

Sanitary District's

Sugar Creek sewage

treatment plant effluents

on the condition of

the receiving stream.

Both studies concluded

that the sewage

treatment plant was having a slight

to moderate

impact on Sugar Creek.

A 1987-88 fisheries survey

done for CWLP

included closely associated portions

of the

South Fork, the Sangamon

River, and Sugar Creek.

Based on fish species

diversity, it appears

the Sangamon

River is not being

negatively influenced by Sugar

Creek or the South Fork.

Several referenced

toxicity studies, done on

a diverse list of aquatic organisms,

demonstrate

the response to

boron of three aquatic

trophic levels: plant,

invertebrate, and

vertebrate (fish). The

results indicate that the Sugar

Creek-Sangamon River

biological

community would not be significantly

affected at

the

proposed

boron stream standards..

A study

on boron toxicity

to turfgrass species, commonly

used on golf courses,

from irrigation waters was

referenced.

The study suggests

toxicity problems would

not be anticipated at the proposed

adjusted standard should irrigation

of golf courses

be done from the Sangamon

River. A direct

investigation of potential

toxicity of the CWLP

discharges was

conducted by the IEPA in August

1988, A bioassay

was performed with effluent

water samples on