Appendix — Costle v. Pacific Legal Foundation
Supreme Court brief1980
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SEP 4 979
APPENDIX
Iu the Supreme Court of the United States
OCTOBER TERM, 1978
No. 78-1472
DOouGLAS M. COSTLE, ADMINISTRATOR,
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
Petitioner
—).—
PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION, ET AL.
ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
PETITION FILED: MARCH 23, 1979
PETITION GRANTED: JUNE 11, 1979
In the Supreme Court of the United States
OCTOBER TERM, 1978
No. 78-1472
DOUGLAS M. COSTLE, ADMINISTRATOR,
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
Petitioner
—
PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION, ET AL.
ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
INDEX
Page
es I II 1 5 cc escetenisannintcaneiobtedinebisinieninunsentihie 1
2. NPDES Discharge permit, No. CA0109991/Order No.
75-100, August 18, 1975 (A.R. Exh. 1)® ..............0......0..... 3
*“A.R.” refers to the administrative record certified by EPA
to the court of appeals. “PLF Stay” re.ers to the “Joint Motion
for Stay Pending Review and Affidavit of Robert K. Best” dated
September 2, 1977, and PLF’s “Reply to Memorandum in Opposition
to Motion For Stay Pending Review” dated November 3, 1977, both
filed by all petitioners in No. 77-2909 below. “LA Stay” refers
to “Memorandum of Amicus Curiae in Support of Joint Motion
For Stay Pending Review” dated November 23, 1977, filed by Los
Angeles in No. 77-2909. “EPA Stay Opp.” refers to EPA’s “Memo-
randum In Opposition To Motion For Stay Pending Review” dated
September 30, 1977, filed in No. 77-2909. “PLF Merits” refers to
“Petitioners’ Opening Brief” dated January 13, 1978, filed by all
petitioners in No. 77-2909. “PLF Reply” refers to “Petitioners’
Reply Brief” dated February 10, 1978, filed by all petitioners in
No. 77-2909. “LA Merits” refers to the “Brief of the City of Los
Angeles” in No. 77-3008. “EPA Brief” refers to “Brief for Re-
spondents” dated February 1978 in Nos. 77-2909 and 77-3008. “EPA
Pet. Reh.” refers to EPA’s “Petition for Rehearing.” By order filed
December 19, 1977, the court of appeals ordered that “the record
and all other documents received in these petitions for review * * *
are ordered filed.” By order filed February 10, 1978, the court ordered
that “the volume of exhibits to petitioners’ brief heretofore re-
ceived is ordered filed.” See F.R. App. P. 16(b).
20.
21.
INDEX
California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Order
No. 75-165, December 1, 1975 (LA Merits Exh. 2) ........
California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Order
No. 76-80, May 24, 1976 (LA Merits Exh. 8) ................
California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Order
No. 76-202, November 22, 1976 (LA Merits Exh. 4) ......
Letter, Lawrence L. Hoffman to Paul DeFalco, Jr., De-
cember 9, 1976 (PLF Stay Exh. 6) .......................ccceeeeeeees
Letter, Albert C. Martin to Paul DeFalco, Jr., December
RR RF BR, 5 RPA RoR aN see
Letter, Ronald A. Zumbrun to Paul DeFalco, Jr., De-
cember 30, 1976; letter, Paul DeFalco, Jr., to Ronald
A. Zumbrun, January 31, 1977 (PLF Stay Exh. 8) ........
Order (NPDES No. CA0109991), January 24, 1977 (A.R.
BRN TD avnttcstichcdeccvecteesninns Asslasnatebcietnndinnlibecneseedematligiaasnlaastistipsasbin
Letter, Raymond M. Hertel to City of Los Angeles, Att:
Donald C. Tillman, January 27, 1977 (Order No. 77-1,
January 24, 1977, attached) (A.R. Exh. 8) .......0000000......
. California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Order
No. 77-29, February 28, 1977 (LA Merits Exh. 5) ........
. Affidavit of Paul DeFalco, Jr., April 18, 1977 (PLF Stay
I Sai0 <2 1 i ds inca emaailiiscsibanenscenttbiaipinlicidtinanliasiahahanetiibanedebin
. Letter, William H. Pierce to Warren A. Hollier, April
BG Te Se Te DD ic cisccctcnscenpeceecsinscearmnnntonntnsdenbaeatinigna
. Notice of Proposed Action, C-77-18W(M), April 27,
RRR SIG. WD ccrnciscpccecsenneinetannensisenatieiotttinenncendinlingacttie
. Letter, R. L. O’Connell to Warren A. Hollier (undated)
Sn RR RROD et arn ieee Cree Oe ON
Letter, Raymond M. Hertel to City of Los Angeles,
Att: Donald C. Tillman, May 2, 1977 (A.R. Exh. 11) ....
Public Voucher for Advertising, May 3, 1977 (A.R. Exh.
jg RRS a eR IRIS AS er a SR NED eC
Transcript, Pacific Legal Foundation v. John R. Quarles,
Jr. (C.D. Cal., Civ. No. 77-0521-HP), May 23, 1977 (PLF
RARER SATS UE Rear Ree a> - eee
Letter, R. L. O’Connell to Warren A. Hollier, June 2,
nn a ais
Letter, Raymond M. Hertel to City of Los Angeles, Att:
Donald C. Tillman, June 2, 1977 (Order No. 77-84, May
28, 1977, attached) (A.R. Exh. 16) ...........................0.......
Letter, David M. Shell to William H. Pierce, June 10,
i gt RE ren een oe
Page
ay a —
INDEX
Telegram-Mailgram, John B. Kilroy, Sr., to Paul De-
Falco, Jr., June 18, 1977 (EPA Stay Opp. Exh. B; PLF
BR BR: TB) cecitenncicisdadincisnkicesinbbedisbnictdsledealioies
. Letter, R. L. O’Connell to Donald M. Pach, june 23,
ROTT CIRPA POR. BRO. DOIN. BBD. laccccscccccssttcicccecicncicstiniomees
. Certification of Issues of Law by R. L. V’Connell for
Paul DeFalco, Jr., June 23, 1977 (EPA Stay Opp. Exh.
GG} icvicvhcacanectocenssetesonsonaepnanieahoielecadeintiun da tadeemaaat aaa aaa
Letter, Anthony O. Garvin to David M. Shell, June 23,
LOTT CR TE TG. OD ites ict
. Brief of Pacific Legal Foundation on Behalf of John B.
Kilroy on Certified Questions to General Counsel, July
BR SOUT CHP Fe Be, I Gs scencctietcccncce crate
Complaint in United States v. City of Los Angeles (C.D.
Cal., Civ. No. 77-3047R), August 12, 1977 (EPA Stay
Com. BUA: BP): ci cisscctacksdaveccsnashisscncnkiomaibecshanasbaulceiialeneieadiaemmarhiats
. Letter, Paul DeFalco, Jr., to Thomas E. Hookano, Sep-
tember 2, 1977 (EPA Stay Opp. Exh. E) ........000.00000.......
. Decision of the General Counsel on Matters of Law Pur-
suant to 40 ©.F.R. Section 125.36(m), No. 66, October
2B, 108 CPR UE BOD: SP ndicieceioea ene
. Affidavit of Donald Calvin Tillman, November 23, 1977
(LA Stay, unnumbered attachment) ...........00......00000020....
. Letter, R. L. O’Connell to David M. Shell, December 20,
BOTT CHEM BERR CE TE BP vncietnticcccteiaceateneties
Cher ROUTINE CUI siccecdsiedecissistsicarttntindaeate as
RELEVANT DOCKET ENTRIES
DATE FILINGS-PROCEEDINGS
1977
Aug 22 FILED, AS OF AUGUST 18, ORIG AND SIX
COPIES OF A PETITION TO REVIEW AN ORDER
OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.
—dmf—[77-2909]
Filed as of August 31, 1977, original and six copies of a
petition to review an order of the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency—dmf—[77-3008]
Nov 16 REC’D (LATE), AS OF OCT 20, CERT LIST OF
RECORD PURSUANT TO RULE 17(b) FRAP.—dmf—
Dec. 28 Filed, as of 12/23/77, order (G & A) upon due con-
sideration, the court issues the following orders: a) the
record and all other documents rec’d in these petitions
for review, includiig the amicus curiae memorandum,
are ordered filed; b) respondents’ motion to consolidate is
GRANTED; and c) that the terms, conditions and re-
quirements of NPDES Permit No. CA0109991 on review
in these consolidated cases are hereby STAYED with
the exception that effluent limitations which were applic-
able to the Hyperion Plant and which were in effect for
the discharges from the Hyperion Plant on 1/1/77, and
the monitoring and reporting requirements related there-
to shall remain in full force and effect pending final dis-
position of these consolidated cases or further order of
this court. d) the Clerk is directed to calendar these
consolidated cases as an expedited appeal, to fix an ab-
breviated briefing schedule and to notify all counsel of the
schedule. jr
1978
Feb 16 Filed, as of Feb 10, order (Br), Upon due considera-
tion, the volume of exhibits to petitioners’ brief hereto-
fore received is ordered filed.—dmf—
(1)
DATE FILINGS-PROCEEDINGS
1978
Feb 16 Filed, as of Feb 10, 25 copies of Exhibits to Peti-
tioners’ Brief.-—dmf—
Feb 27 FILED AS OF 2/6/78, CERT ADMIN RECORD
IN APPEAL IN ONE VOL, VOL I., PLDGS, THREE
CERT COPIES. ers
Mar 31 Filed as of 3/29/78, Order (G,A) IT IS ORDERED
as follows: (1) Paragraph (c) of this court’s stay order
of 12/23/78, was meant to include a stay of enforce-
ment of NPDES Permit No. CA0109991 by the USA.
(2) The resps and the USA are hereby restrained from
instituting such action and from further prosecuting
USA v. City of LA, CD Cal, Civ No. 77-3047-HP, pend-
ing final disposition of these consolidated cases or further
order of this court by the panel to which these consoli-
dated cases are assigned for disposition. ers
Apr 10 ARGUED AND SUBMITTED BEFORE MER-
RILL, SNEED, CJJ, EAST, DJ. jmr
Aug 10 As of Aug. 9, ORDERED OPINION (SNEED)
FILED & JUDG TO JUDG TO BE FILED & ENTD
Aug 10 As of Aug. 9, Filed opinion—REMANDED.
Aug 10 As of Aug. 9, Filed & Entd Judgment.—fn—
Nov 28 Filed, as of 11/24/78, order (M, S & East) The peti-
tion for rehearing is denied and the suggestion for re-
hearing en banc is rejected. nw
1979
April 13 Received 3/29/79, SC notice of filing petition for
cert. on March 23, 1979, assigned SC#78-1472. pn
June 18 Filed certified copy of SC order of June 11, 1979,
granting certiorari. (copies to panel) pn.
weet
3
California Regional Environmental Protection Agency
Water Quality Region IX
Control Board (415) 556-3450
Los Angeles Region Permit No. CA0109991
(213) 620-4460 Authorization to Discharge under
Order No. 75-100 the National Pollutant Discharge
Waste Discharge Elimination System-Federal Water
Requirements Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C.
125 et. seq.)
FOR
City of Los Angeles
_ Hyperion Treatment Plant
The California Regional Water Quality Control Board,
Los Angeles Region (hereafter Board) and the Regional
Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, Region
IX, find that:
1. City of Los Angeles has filed a report of waste
discharge and has applied for a permit to dis-
charge wastes under the National Pollutant Dis-
charge Elimination System.
2. Hyperion Treatment Plant, located at 12000 Vista
Del Mar Boulevard, Playa Del Rey, California,
currently discharges an average of 340 mgd (mil-
lion gallons per day) of municipal wastewater to
navigable waters or tributaries thereto (Santa
Monica Bay).
3. Approximately 100 mgd of the flow currently re-
ceives secondary treatment by the activated sludge
process; the balance is primary effluent.
a. The combined treated effluent (primary and
secondary) is discharged through an outfall
terminating 26,525 feet offshore in 187 feet
of water. This discharge point, identified as
Discharge Serial No. 002, is at Latitude 33°
54’ 45” N, Longitude 118° 31’ 15” W.
b. Separated solids are digested, screened, and
diluted one volume digested sludge with three
d
volumes secondary effluent prior to discharge
through an outfall terminating at 35,572
feet offshore at the head of a submarine
canyon at a depth of 300 feet. This discharge
point, identified as Discharge Serial No. 003,
is at Latitude 33° 55’ 35” N, Longitude 118°
33’ 15” W.
ce. During wet weather when flow exceeds 650
mgd due to infiltration and inflow approxi-
mately 0 to 20 million gallons of diverted
flow from the secondary settling tanks are
discharged for periods of 1 to 8 hours through
an outfall which terminates 5,364 feet off-
shore in 50 feet of water. This wet weather
flow occurs approximately once or twice a
year. This outfall is also used non-routinely
for gyavity discharge in cases of power fail-
ure at the pumping plant. This non-routine
flow occurs approximately two to three times
a year for a period less than one hour. This
discharge consists of 0 to 4 million gallons
of chlorinated secondary effluent. The out-
fall is also flushed weekly with chlorinated
secondary effluent for a period of 3 hours
at a flowrate of 100 mgd. This discharge
point is identified as Discharge Serial No.
001, at Latitude 33° 55’ 05” N, Longitude
118° 26’ 52” W.
4. City of Los Angeles discharges wastes from Hy-
perion Treatment Plant under requirements con-
tained in Order 74-329 and NPDES permit num-
ber CA0109991, issued, respectively, by this Board
and the Regional Administrator on November 18,
1974. This Order makes the following significant
modification to Order No. 74-329 and NPDES per-
mit issued on November 18, 1974:
Discharge Serial No. 003, which was not in-
cluded in Order No. 74-329 and the NPDES
permit issued on November 18, 1974, is now
regulated by this Order.
5
. The City of Los Angeles is participating in a joint
study with the County Sanitation Districts of Los
Angeles County and the County Sanitation Dis-
tricts of Orange County to develop an optimum
long-range sewage sludge disposal plan. The study
is entitled “Regional Wastewater Solids Manage-
ment Program—Los Angeles—Orange County
Metropolitan Area”.
. The City of Los Angeles expects to have interim
sludge handling facilities in operation by Decem-
ber 31, 1976. Studies should be conducted by the
City of Los Angeles to determine the best method
of disposal of the liquid fraction or supernatant
from these interim facilities so as not to cause a
violation of discharge requirements contained in
this permit.
. The State Water Resources Control Board adopted
the “Water Quality Control Plan—Ocean Waters
of California” on July 6, 1972. This plan contains
water quality objectives for the Pacific Ocean. The
Regional Administrator approved this plan on Au-
gust 18, 1972, thereby establishing this plan as
a State—Federal water quality standard.
. The Board adopted a Water Quality Control Plan
for Los Angeles River Basin on March 10, 1975.
The Water Quality Control Plan contains water
quality objectives for the nearshore and offshore
zones of the Pacific Ocean.
. The beneficial uses of the receiving waters are:
Nearshore Zone: (includes water generally less
than 30 feet deep of those waters within
1,000 feet of the shoreline): aesthetic en-
joyment; ocean water contact sport (swim-
ming, surfing, skindiving) ; propagation and
sustenance of marine life, including kelp and
shore birds; shellfish harvesting; scientific
research and training; sport fishing; com-
mercial fishing; pleasure boating; commer-
cial and naval shipping; and industrial water
supply.
6
Offshore Zone: (includes all waters located be-
tween the nearshore zone and the seaward
boundary of the Region): aesthetic enjoy-
ment; propagation and sustenance of marine
life; scientific research and training; sport
fishing; commercial fishing; pleasure boat-
ing; commercial and naval shipping; and in-
dustrial water supply.
10. Effluent limitations, national standards of perform-
ance, toxic and pretreatment effluent standards,
and ocean discharge criteria estabiished pursuant
to Section 208(b), 301, 302, 303(d), 304, 306, 307,
403, and 405 of the Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Act and amendments thereto are applicable
to the discharges.
The Board and Regional Administrator have notified the
discharger and interested parties and persons of their
intent to prescribe waste discharge requirements and
issue a permit for this discharge and have provided them
with an opportunity to submit their written views and
recommendations.
The Board and the Regional Administrator in a public
hearing heard and considered all comments pertaining to
the discharge and to the tentative requirements.
This Order and permit shall take effect 30 days from
the date of signature.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that City of Los Angeles,
in order to meet the provisions contained in Division
7 of the California Water Code and regulations adopted
thereunder, and the provisions of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act and regulations and guidelines
adopted thereunder, shall comply with the following:
A. Effluent Limitations
1. Wastes discharged shall be limited to treated
municipal wastewater, as proposed.
2. The discharge of an effluent in excess of the
following limits for Discharge Serial No. 001
is prohibited:
3
30-Day 7-Day Daily
Parameter Units Average Average Maximum
BOD, 20°C lbs/day* 25,000 37,500 50,000
mg/1 ' 30 45 _-
Suspended solids Ibs/day* 25,000 37,500 50,000
mg/1 80 45 —
Fecal coliform MPN/100 ml 200 400 2,000
Oil and grease Ibs/day* 8,340 — 12,500
mg/l 10 — 15
Settleable solids ml1/1 0.1 — 0.2
Turbidity TU 50 -— 75
Floating
particulates mg/1 (dry weight) 1.0 — 2.0
* Based on a design capacity of 100 mgd.
3. The discharge of an effluent in excess of the
following limits for discharge Serial No. 002
is prohibited.
30-Day Daily
Parameter Units Average Maximum
BOD, 20°C Ibs/day* 438,000 665,000
mg/1 125 190
Suspended solids Ibs/day* 385,000 579,000
mg/1 110 165
Settleable solids ml/1 0.7 1.0
Oil and grease Ibs/day* 70,000 105,000
mg/l 20 30
* Based on a design capacity of 420 med.
4. As ordered by the schedule of compliance in
F-1 below, the discharge of an effluent in ex-
cess of the following limits for Discharge Seriai
No. 002 is prohibited:
30-Day 7-Day Daily
Parameter Units Average Average Maximum
BOD, 20°C Ibs/day* 105,000 158,000 210,000
mg/1 30 45 _-
Suspended solids Ibs/day* 105,000 158,000 210,000
mg/1 30 45 —
Fecal coliform MPN/100 ml 200 400 2,000
Oil and grease Ibs/day* 35,000 — 52,500
mg/1 10 — 15
Settleable solids ml/1 0.1 — 0.2
Turbidity TU 50 — 75
Floating
particulates mg/1 (dry weight) 1.0 —. 2.0
5. The discharge of an effluent from Discharge
Serial Nos. 001 and 002 in excess of the follow-
ing limits is prohibited:
30-Day Maximum
Parameter Units Average Daily
Arsenic Ibs/day* 35 70
mg/1 0.01 0.02
Copper lbs/day* 700 1050
mg/1 0.2 0.3
Lead Ibs/day* 350 700
mg/1 0.1 0.2
* Based on a design capacity of 420 mgd.
6. The discharge of an effluent from Discharge
Serial Nos. 001 and 002 in excess of the follow-
ing limits after July 1, 1978, is prohibited;
provided, however, except as to residual chlo-
rine, if it can be conclusively demonstrated by
any discharger to ocean water tributaries that
the treatment process required by Water Code
Section 18379 (a and b), plus source control,
will not result in complete compliance with the
following limits by July 1, 1978, the Board and
Regional Administrator may allow additional
time for compliance not to exceed July 1, 1983:
9
Discharge Rate Concentration
(Ibs/day)* Limit(mg)
30-Day Daily 30-Day Daily
Constituents Average Maximum Average Maximum
Silver 70 | 140 0.02 0.04
Cadmium 70 105 0.02 0.03
Total chromium 17.5 35 0.005 0.01
Mercury 3.5 7.0 0.001 0.002
Nickel 350 700 0.1 0.2
Zine 1050 1750 0.3 0.5
Cyanide 350 700 0.1 0.2
Phenolic compounds
(expressed as phenol) 1750 3500 0.5 1.0
Ammonia (expressed as
nitrogen) 105,100 140,000 30.0 40.0
Total identifiable
chlorinated hydrocarbons 7.0 14 0.002 0.004
Toxicity concentration — -—— 1.5 tu 2.0tu
Residual chlorine — — 1.0 2.0
* Based on a design capacity of 420 mgd.
7. The discharge of an effluent in excess of the
following limits from Discharge Serial No. 003
is prohibited:
30-Day Maximum
Parameter Units Average Daily
Total solids lbs/day* 900,000. 1,350,000
mg/1 18,000 —
* Based upon a flow of 6.0 mgd.
8. The discharge of an effluent from Discharge
Serial No. 003 in excess of the following limits
after July 1, 1978, is prohibited; provided, how-
ever, except as to residual chlorine, if it can
be conclusively demonstrated by any discharger
to ocean water tributaries that the treatment
process required by Water Code Section 13379
(a and b), plus source control, will not result
10
in complete compliance with the following limits
by July 1, 1978, the Board and Regional Ad-
ministrator may allow additional time for com-
pliance not to exceed July 1, 1983:
Total chromium
Discharge Rate Concentration
(Ibs/day) * Limit(mg)
30-Day Daily 30-Day Daily
Constituents Average Maximum Average Maximum
0.50 1.00 0.01 0.02
1.00 1.50 0.02 0.03
0.25 0.50 0.005 0.01
10.0 15.0 0.2 0.3
5.00 10.0 0.1 0.2
0.05 0.10 0.001 0.002
5.00 10.0 0.1 0.2
1.00 2.00 0.02 0.04
15.0 25.0 0.3 0.5
5.00 10.0 0.1 0.2
Phenolic compounds
(expressed as phenol) 25.0 50.0 0.5 1.0
Ammonia (expressed as
1,500 2,000 30 40
Total identifiable
chlorinated hydrocarbons 0.10 0.20 0.002 0.004
Toxicity concentration
Residua! chlorine —- — 1.0 2.0
— — 1,.6(tu) 2.0(tu)
* Based upon a flow of 6 mgd.
9. The daily discharge rate shall be obtained from
the following calculation for any calendar day:
N
Daily discharge rate=8.34 <
Ete
1
in which N is the number of samples analyzed
in any calendar day. Q: and C; are the flow
rate (MGD) and the constituent concentration
(mg/1) respectively, which are associated with
each of the N grab samples which may be
taken in any calendar day. If a composite
sample is taken, C, is the concentration meas-
Q,-C,
ae
|
:
|
)
10.
11.
12.
13.
11
ured in the composite sample, and Q, is the
average flow rate occurring during the period
over which samples are composited.
The 7-day and 30-day average discharge rates
shall be the arithmetic average of all the values
of daily discharge rate calculated using the
results of analyses of all samples collected dur-
ing any 7 and 30 consecutive calendar day
periods, respectively. If fewer than four sam-
ples are collected and analyzed during any 30
consecutive calendar day period, compliance
with the 30-day average discharge rate limita-
tion shall not be determined. If fewer than
three samples are collected and analyzed dur-
ing any 7-day period, compliance with the 7-
day average discharge rate limitation shall not
be determined.
The 7-day, or 30-day, average concentration,
other than the fecal coliform bacteria, means
the arithmetic mean of measurements made
during a 7, or 30, consecutive calendar day
period, respectively. The 7-day, or 30-day,
average concentration for fecal coliform bac-
teria means the geometric mean of measure-
ments made during a 7, or 30, consecutive cal-
endar day period, respectively. The geometric
0m is the nth root of the product of n num-
rs.
For Discharge 001, the arithmetic mean of the
BOD, and suspended solids values, by weight,
for effluent samples collected in a period of 30
consecutive calendar days shall not exceed 15
percent of the arithmetic mean of the values,
by weight, for influent samples collected at ap-
proximately the same times during the same
period. For Discharge 002, compliance with
this condition shall be as ordered by the com-
pliance schedule in item F-1.
The pH of wastes discharged shall at all times
be within the range 6.5 to 9.0.
12
14. The temperature of wastes discharged shall
not exceed 100°F.
15. Radioactivity in the effluent shall not exceed
the limits specified in Title 17, Section 5, Sub-
chapter 4, Group 3, Article 3, Section 30269
of the California Administrative Code.
B. Discharge Prohibition
1. As ordered by the schedule of compliance in
Provision F-1 below, the discharge of sludge
through Discharge Serial No. 003 shall be
terminated.
2. For the purposes of this Order, sludge shall be
defined as scum, grit, screenings, and sludge
collected from headworks and primary clari-
fiers; waste activated sludge collected from
aeration units and secondary clarifiers; di-
gested sludge collected from anaerobic di-
gesters; and the solids fraction collected from
sludge separation units or drying beds.
3. As used in this order, Phase I shall mean the
facilities necessary to provide for the termi-
nation of no less than the first 14 of the sewage
sludge presently discharged. Plase II shall
mean the facilities necessary to provide for the
termination of no less than an additional 14 of
the sewage sludge presently discharged. Phase
III shall mean the facilities necessary to pro-
vide for the termination of the discharge of
the final portion of sewage.
ce. The discharger shall comply with the schedule of
compliance as outlined in Provision F-1 below to
develop the “Regional Wastewater Solids Manage-
ment Program-Los Angeles-Orange County Metro-
politan Area” and implement the recommended
program for ultimate disposal of wastewater solids.
—-s 7 ete eee
a i ie
18
D. Receiving Water Limitations
1. As ordered by the schedule of compliance as
outlined in F-1 below, the discharge shall not
cause the following limits to be exceeded after
initial dilution after July 1, 1977:
Parameter Units Average Maximum
Floating Particulates mg dry weight/m? 1.0 1.5
Toxicity Toxicity units — 0.05
Grease and Oil mg/m? 10 20
2. The wates discharged shall not cause receiving
waters to contain any substance in concentra-
tions toxic to human, animal, plant, or fish life.
3. Wastes discharged shall not cause the appear-
ance of grease, oil or oily slick, or foam in the
receiving waters.
4. Wastes discharged shall not cause the forma-
tion of sludge banks or deposits or create a
nuisance due to odors or unsightliness along
shores or beaches.
5. Wastes discharged shall not cause objectionable
odors to emanate from the receiving waters.
6. No sewage solids or other physical evidence of
waste discharge shall be visible at any time in
the water or on beaches, shores, rocks, or struc-
tures.
7. The salinity of the receiving waters shall not
be changed by the discharge to an extent such
as to be harmful to desirable biota.
8. Nutrient materials contained in wastes dis-
charged shall not cause objectionable aquatic
growths or degrade indigenous biota.
9. Marine communities, including vertebrate, in-
vertebrate, and plant species, shall not be de-
graded.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14
The pH of the receiving waters shall not be
changed at any time by more than 0.2 pH units
from that which occurs naturally outside the
zone of initial dilution.
Wastes discharged shall not alter the color of
the receiving waters nor create a visual con-
tract with the natural appearance of the water.
Dissolved oxygen concentrations outside the
zone of initial dilution shall not at any time
be depressed more than 10 percent from that
which occurs naturally excluding effect of up-
welling.
The discharge shall not cause the following
bacteriological limitations to be exceeded in the
following areas:
a. Within a zone bounded by the shoreline
and a distance of 1,000 feet from the
shoreline or the 30-foot depth contour,
whichever is further from the shoreline,
and in areas outside this zone used for
body-contact sports, the following bacter-
iological objectives shall be maintained
throughout the water column:
Sample of water from each sampling
station shall have a most probable num-
ber of coliform organisms less than
1,000 per 100 ml (10 per nl); pro-
vided that not more than 20 percent of
the samples at any sampling station,
in any 30-day period, may exceed 1,000
per 100 ml (10 per ml), and provided
further that no single sample when
verified by a repeat sample taken with-
in 48 hours shall exceed 10,000 per 100
ml (100 per ml).
b. At all areas where shellfish may be har-
vested for human consumption, the fol-
lowing bacteriological objectives shall be
maintained throughout the water column:
Lihat ee A oe Rent ale
ee ed
ce area lt
bh ae a e~
14,
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
15
The median total coliform concentra-
tion shall not exceed 70 per 100 ml,
and not more than 10 percent of the
samples shall exceed 230 per 100 ml.
The transmittance of natural light shall not
be significantly reduced at any point outside
the initial dilution zone, such that the mean
of sampling results for ayn consecutive 30-
day period would be beyond one standard de-
viation of the mean determined for natural
levels for the same period.
The concentration in marine sediments of sub-
stances listed in item A8 above shall not be
significantly increased above that present un-
der natural conditions.
The rate of deposition of inert solids and the
characteristics of inert solids in ocean sedi-
ments shall not be changed such that benthic
communities are degraded.
The concentration of organic materials in ma-
rine sediments shall not be increased above
that which would degrade marine life.
The dissolved sulfide concentration of waters
in and near sediments shall not be significantly
increased above that present under natural
conditions.
The natural taste, odor, and color of fish, shell-
fish, or other marine resources used for human
consumption shall not be altered.
E. General Requirements
. o
2.
Neither the discharge nor any treatment of
waste shall cause pollution or nuisance.
This discharge shall not cause a violation of
any applicable water quality standard for re-
ceiving waters adopted by the Regional Board
or the State Water Resource Control Board
16
as required by the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act and regulations adopted there-
under. If more stringent applicable water
quality standards are promulgated or approved
pursuant to Section 303 of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act, or amendments thereto,
the Board will revise and modify this Order
in accordance with such more stringent stand-
ards.
. Odors of sewage origin shall not be perceivable
beyond the limits of the treatment plant.
. Standby or emergency power facilities and/or
storage capacity or other means shall be pro-
vided so that in the event of plant upset or
outage due to power failure or other cause,
discharge of raw or inadequately treated sew-
age does not occur.
. The Board and Regional Administrator shall
be notified immediately by telephone of the
presence of adverse conditions in the receiv-
ing waters or on beaches and shores as a re-
sult of this discharge; written confirmation
shall follow within 24 hours.
. Any diversion from or bypass of facilities, in-
cluding the waste collection system, necessary
to maintain compliance with the terms and
conditions of this permit is prohibited, except
(a) where unavoidable to prevent loss of life
or severe property damage, or (b) where ex-
cessive storm drainage or runoff would damage
any facilities necessary for compliance with
the effluent limitations and prohibitions of
this permit. The permittee shall immediately
notify the Board and the Regional Administra-
tor by phone and in writing of each such di-
version or bypass, in accordance with proce-
dures outlined in the attached Standard Pro-
visions. The written confirmation shall include
information relative to the location, estimated
17
volume, date and time, duration, cause, and
remedial measures taken to effect cleanup and/
or to prevent recurrence. Immediate measures
shall be initiated to clean up wastes due to any
such bypass or diversion and to abate the ef-
fects thereof or, in the case of threatened pol-
lution or nuisance, to take other necessary
remedial action.
Notwithstanding E6, the bypassing of untreated
waste to the ocean is prohibited.
F. Provisions
a
Task
City of Los Angeles shall comply with the fol-
lowing time schedule to assure compliance with
the effluent and receiving water limitations
listed in items A-4, A-6, A-8, A-12, and D-1,
the discharge prohibition of item B-1, and the
sage -ag disposal of sewage sludge provision of
item C:
Completion Report of
Date Compliance
A-4 and A-12:
Complete draft facility
plan
Progress report
_ Complete final plans and
specifications
December 19,1975 December 31, 1975
July 1, 1976 July 15, 1976
December 1, 1976 December 15, 1977
Award contract and
begin construction
Progress reports
Complete construction
January 1, 1977 January 15, 1977
July 1, 1977 July 15, 1977
January 1, 1978 January 15, 1978
July 1, 1978 July 15, 1978
January 1, 1979 January 15, 1979
September 1, 1979 September 15, 1979
Operational level
attained
October 1, 1979 October 15, 1979
Task
A-6 and A-8:
Progress reports
Demonstration of com-
pliance with effluent
limitations
D-1
Progress reports
Demonstration of com-
pliance with limita-
tions
B-1
Completion of approv-
able plans and specifi-
cations for Phases I,
II and III
Award contract and
begin construction
Receive delivery of
Phase I dewatering
equipment
Complete construction of
Phase I and achieve
operational level
Complete construction
of Phase II and
achieve operational
level
Complete construction of
Phase III and achieve
operational level
*** report to be submitted within 15 days of date specified for
18
Completion
Date
January 1, 1976
July 1, 1976
January 1, 1977
July 1, 1977
Jarvary 1, 1978
July 1, 1978
January 1, 1976
July 1, 1976
January 1, 1977
July 1, 1977
not later than 6
months from date
of concept approval
not later than 9
months from date of
concept approval
not later than 15
months from the date
of conceptual
approval, but in no
case later than
December 31, 1976
not later than 18
months from date of
concept approval
not later than 24
months from date
of concept approval
not iater than 30
months from date of
concept approval
completion of compliance schedule task.
Report of
Compliance
January 15, 1976
July 15, 1976
January 15, 1977
July 15, 1977
January 15, 1978
July 15, 1978
January 15, 1976
July 15, 1976
January 15, 1977
July 15, 1977
HEE
HEE
HEE
HEE
HEE
HRE
oe ee = etl tan es OAL MIE ETAT NOs gases: 2 - onlin
nem ecntenl mat
Task
C
Progress Reports on
Program for Ultimate
Disposal of Sludge
Submit a schedule for
implementation of a
program for ultimate
disposal of waste-
water solids
19
Completivn
Date
October 31, 1975
July 1, 1976
January 1, 1977
July 1, 1977
January 1, 1978
October 31, 1978
Report of
Compliance
November 15, 1975
July 15, 1976
January 15, 1977
July 15, 1977
January 15, 1978
November 15, 1987
The discharger shall submit to the Board and
the Regional Administrator on/or before each
compliance report date, a report detailing his
compliance or noncompliance with the specific
schedule date and task.
If noncompliance is being reported, the reasons
for such noncompliance shall be stated, plus an
estimate of the date when the discharger will
be in compliance. The discharger shall notify
the Board and the Regional Administrator by
letter when he has returned to compliance with
the time schedule.
This Order includes the attached “Standard
Provisions”’.
This Order includes items 1, 2, 8, and 4 of the
attached “Reporting Requirements”.
This Order includes the attached “General
Monitoring and Reporting Provisions’’.
This Order expires on February 1, 1977, and
City of Los Angeles must file a Report of Waste
Discharge in accordance with Title 23, Califor-
nia Administrative Code, not later than 180
days in advance of such date as application for
issuance of new waste discharge requirements.
20
6. A copy of these waste discharge specifications
shall be maintained at the discharge facility so
as to be available at all times to operating per-
sonnel.
7. In the event of any change in name, ownership,
or control of these waste disposal facilities, the
discharger shall notify the Board and the Re-
gional Administrator, of such change and shall
notify the succeeding owner or operator of the
existence of this order by letter, copy of which
shall be forwarded to the Board and the Re-
gional Administrator.
8. Any discharge of wastes at any point(s) other
than specifically described in this permit is
prohibited, and constitutes a violation of the
permit.
9. The discharger shall file a comprehensive report
with the Board and Regional Administrator by
November 19, 1975, detailing measures to be
taken to control inflow and infiltration into the
Hyperion system. Included shall be an imple-
mentation schedule outlining specific tasks and
dates to mitigate inflow and infiltration.
10. Order No. 74-329 and NPDES permit number
CA0109991, issued November 18, 1974, are
hereby rescinded.
11. This Order does not alleviate the responsibility
to obtain other necessary local, state and fed-
eral permits to construct facilities necessary for
compliance with this Order; nor does this Order
prevent imposition of additional standards, re-
quirements, or conditions by any other regula-
tory agency.
This certifies that the foregoing is a full, true, and cor-
rect copy of an order adopted by the California Regional
Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region, and
of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
permit issued by the Environmental Protection Agency,
ean
21
Region IX. The order and permit shall become effective
30 days from the date of signature.
/s/ Raymond M. Hertel /s/ Richard L. O’Connell
RAYMOND M. HERTEL RICHARD L. O’CONNELL
Executive Officer Director,
Enforcement Division,
for the Regional
Administrator
Date: August 18, 1975 Date: August 18, 1975
22
STANDARD PROVISIONS
. The requirements prescribed herein do not authorize
the commission of any act causing injury to the prop-
erty of another, nor protect the discharger from his
liabilities under federal, state, or local laws, nor
guarantee the discharger a capacity right in the
receiving waters.
. The discharge of any radiological, chemical, or bio-
logical warfare agent or high level radiological waste
is prohibited.
. The discharger shall require any industrial user of
the treatment works to comply with applicable service
charges and toxic and pretreatment standards pro-
mulgated in accordance with Sections 204(b), 307,
and 308 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
or amendments thereto. The discharger shall require
each individual user to submit periodic notice (over
intervals not to exceed nine months) of progress to-
ward compliance with applicable toxic standards de-
veloped pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act or amendments thereto. The discharger
shall forward a copy of such notice to the Board and
the Regional Administrator.
. The discharger shall permit the Regional Board, the
Regional Administrator, or their authorized repre-
sentatives :
(a) Entry upon premises in which an effluent
source is located or in which any required
records are kept;
(b) Access to copy any records required to be kept
under terms and conditions of this Order;
(c) Inspection of monitoring equipment or rec-
ords, and
(d) Samping of any discharge.
5. All discharges authorized by this Order shall be con-
sistent with the terms and conditions of this Order.
a A a 2 te 2
co
23
The discharge of any pollutant more frequently than
or at a level in excess of that identified and author-
ized by this Order shall constitute a violation of the
terms and conditions of this Order.
The discharger shall maintain in good working order
and operate as efficiently as possible any facility or
control system installed by the discharger to achieve
compliance with the waste discharge requirements.
Collected screenings, sludges, and other solids re-
moved from liquid wastes shall be disposed of at a
legal point of disposal, and in accordance with the
provisions of Division 7.5 of the California Water
Code. For the purpose of this requirement, a legal
point of disposal is defined as one for which waste
discharge requirements have been prescribed by a
regional water quality control board and which is in
full compliance therewith. This provision does not
age Pg the sludge discharge through outfall serial
0. ,
After notice and opportunity for a hearing, this
Order may be terminated or modified for cause, in-
cluding, but not limited to:
(a) Violation of any term or condition contained
in this Order;
(b) Obtaining this Order by misrepresentation, or
failure to disclose all relevant facts;
(c) A change in any condition that requires either
a temporary or permanent reduction or elimi-
nation of the authorized discharge.
If a toxic effluent standard or prohibition (including
any schedule of compliance specified in such effluent
standard or prohibition) is established under Section
307(a) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act,
or amendments thereto, for a toxic pollutant which
is present in the discharge authorized herein and
such standard or prohibition is more stringent than
any limitation upon such pollutant in this Order, the
Board and the Regional Administrator will revise or
10.
11.
12.
24
modify this Order in accordance with such toxic
effluent standard or prohibition and so notify the
discharger.
There shall de no discharge of harmful quantities of
oil or hazardous substances, as specified by regula-
tion adopted pursuant to Section 311 of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act, or amendments thereto.
In the event the discharger is unable to comply with
any of the conditions of this Order due to:
(a) breakdown of waste treatment equipment;
(b) accidents caused by human error or negli-
gence; or
(c) other causes such as acts of nature,
the discharger shall notify the Executive Officer and
the Regional Administrator by telephone as soon as
he or his agents have knowledge of the incident and
confirm this notification in writing within two weeks
of the telephone notification. The written notification
shall include pertinent information explaining rea-
sons for the non-compliance and shall indicate what
steps were taken to correct the problem and the
dates thereof, and what steps are being taken to
prevent the problem from recurring.
Pretreatment of Industrial Wastewaters
(a) Submittal of Information
The discharger shall submit to the Board and
the Regional Administrator:
(1) not later than December 18, 1975, the
information described in Section IV of
EPA Form 7550-22 for each major con-
tributing industry;
(2) at least thirty days prior to its initia-
tion, notification of any new introduc-
tion of pollutants from sources which,
if they were to discharge to the waters
Re lm Alto Bo
25
of the United States, including the ter-
ritorial seas, would be
(a) a new source as defined in Section
306 of the Act, or
(b) a major contributing industry sub-
ject to Section 301 of the Act. The
notification in (a) & (b) above shall
include the information described in
Section IV of EPA Form 7550-22;
(3) notification of any substantial change
in volume or character of pollutants dis-
charged by an existing source. Such
notice shall include the information de-
scribed in Section IV of EPA Form
7550-22 and the anticipated impact, if
any, on the quality or quantity of efflu-
ent discharged from the discharger’s
facility.
After receipt and review of such information, the
Board or the Regional Administrator may revise or
modify the conditions of this order including any
necessary effluent limitations for any pollutants not
identified and limited herein.
(b) Control of Industrial Pollutants
(1) The discharger shall require all indus-
trial users of its treatment works to
comply with the requirements of Sec-
tion 204 (b), if applicable, and Sec-
tion 307 of the Act. All existing major
contributing industries shall be required
to comply with pretreatment standards
for prohibited wastes and incompatible
pollutants within the shortest reason-
able time but not later than three
years from the date of their promulga-
tion. New industrial sources shall be
required to comply with pretreatment
standards promulgated pursuant to Sec-
(2)
26
tion 307(c) of the Act upon initiation
of their discharge to the discharger’s
facilities.
The discharger shall by December 18,
1975, submit to the Board and the Re-
gional Administrator for each major
contributing industry either (a) evi-
dence of compliance with pretreatment
standards promulgated pursuant to
Section 307(b) of the Act, or (b) a
report, on a form to be furnished by
the Administrator which shall set forth
the effluent limits to be achieved and
an implementation schedule for the
achievement of compliance by the re-
quired date. Such implementation sched-
ules shall in every case provide for the
initiation of any needed construction
of pretreatment facilities within 18
months of the date of promulgation of
applicable pretreatment standards.
(ce) Compliance Monitoring
(1)
(2)
The discharger shall monitor the com-
pliance of all affected sources with the
provisions of this condition and shall
submit quarterly reports on the status
of such compliance to the Board and
the Regional Administrator. These
quarterly compliance reports shall cover
the same periods and shall be submitted
on the same schedule as the monitoring
reports required by this order begin-
ning by December 18, 1975.
The discharger shall report quarterly
to the Board and the Regional Admin-
istrator each instance of compliance or
noncompliance by an affected source
with the provisions of implementation
PRM emi te ee
(3)
27
schedules submitted as required by sub-
paragraph b. of this condition.
The wastewater flow of each affected
source that is not covered by a current
implementation schedule shall be mon-
itored by the discharger or at the direc-
tion of the discharger by the source,
or by both, in such a manner and fre-
quency so as to produce information
that will demonstrate to the satisfac-
tion of the Board and the Regional
Administrator compliance or noncom-
pliance with the pretreatment stand-
ards applicable to such source. Such
monitoring shall comply with the moni-
toring requirements of this order. The
results of such monitoring shall be re-
ported by the discharger on the Dis-
charge Monitoring Report Form and
shall be included in the quarterly com-
pliance report described in 1. above.
(d) Definitions
(1) An “industry” means any facility iden-
tified in the Standard Industrial Classi-
fication Manual, 1972, Office of Man-
agement and Budget, as amended and
supplemented, under the following di-
visions:
a) Division A—Agriculture, Forestry,
and Fishing;
b) Division B—Mining;
ce) Division D—Manufacturing;
d) Division E—Transportation, Com-
munications, Electric, Gas, and
Sanitary Services;
e) Division I—Services.
(2)
(2)
(4)
28
A facility in the Divisions listed may
be excluded if it is determined by the
Board and the Regional Administrator
that it introduces primarily domestic
waste or wastes from sanitary con-
veniences.
A “major contributing industry” means
one that: (1) has a flow of 50,000 gal-
lons or more per average work day;
(2) has a flow greater than five per-
cent of the flow carried by the munici-
pal system receiving the waste; (3) has
in its waste a toxic pollutant in toxic
amounts as defined in standards issued
under Section 307 (a) of the Act; or
(4) is found by the Board or the Re-
gional Administrator to have significant
impact, either singly or in combination
with other contributing industries, on
the treatment works or the quality of
its effluent.
A “treatment works” means any facil-
ity, method or system fcr the storage,
treatment, recycling, or reclamation of
municipal sewage or industrial wastes
of a liquid nature, including waste in
combined storm water and sanitary
sewer systems.
“Prohibited wastes” means any of the
following wastes, which shall not be
introduced into the treatment works:
a) Wastes which create a fire or ex-
plosion hazard in the treatment
works;
b) Wastes which will cause corrosive
structural damage to treatment
works, but in no case wastes with a
pH lower than 5.0 unless the works
Bw eetenaaeeenienas
ab Nt SE he
ee ee ae ee
ee ee -
a ee
29
is designed to accommodate such
wastes;
¢) Solid or viscous wastes in amounts
which would cause obstruction to
the flow in sewers, or other inter-
ference with the proper operation
of the treatment works; or
d) Wastes at a flow rate and/or pollu-
tant discharge rate which is exces-
sive over relatively short time per-
iods so that there is a treatment
process upset and subsequent loss of
treatment efficiency.
(5) An “incompatible pollutant” means any
pollutant which is not a compatible
pollutant.
(6) A “compatible pollutant” means bio-
chemical oxygen demand suspended
solids, pH and fecal coliform bacteria,
plus additional pollutants identified as
compatible in this permit if the treat-
ment works was designed to treat such
pollutants, and in fact does remove
such pollutants to a substantial degree.
13. Growth—Related Conditions
(a) Step 1.—Warning Notice
(b)
Should there be a violation of any condition
of this order the Board or the Regional Ad-
ministrator pursuant to Section 402(h) of
the Act may proceed in a court of competent
jurisdiction to restrict or prohibit further
connections to the discharge’s treatment works
by any sources not utilizing the treatment
works prior to the finding that such a con-
dition was violated.
Step 2.—Initial Planning Actions
Not later than December 18, 1975, the dis-
charger shall submit to the Board and the
(c)
30
Regional Administrator a report on progress
in the development of a long-range plan which
will assure the prevention of hydraulic over-
load or inadequate treatment capacity of the
discharger’s treatment works. The report
shall be revised and submitted to the Board
and the Regional Administrator not less fre-
quently than at twelve month intervals there-
after.
The long-range plan shall include but is not
limited to the following considerations:
(1) a land use and pollution strategry to
achieve a balance between increased
wasteload generation and treatment ca-
pacity ;
(2) Community review of developments which
increase wasteload generation such as sub-
division approvals, building permits and
zoning changes; and,
(3) development of local legal authority to
enact ordinances, amend zoning regula-
tions, modify subdivision requirements
and building codes, or other appropriate
measures to assure the prevention of hy-
draulic overload or inadequate treatment
capacity.
Step 3.—Comprehensive Planning and Man-
agement System
Within 60 days of the effective date of this
Order the discharger shall submit to the Board
and the Regional Administrator a schedule of
anticipated new extensions and connections of
new sources of wasteload to the discharger’s
treatment works for the period ending with
the expiration date of this order.
The schedule shall be consistent with appli-
cable land use plans, open space plans, zoning
ete ee +
31
maps, capital improvement budgets, and other
appropriate planning and management con-
straints. Beginning not later than one year
after submittal of the schedule, the discharger
shall submit to the Board and the Regional
Administrator an annual report which con-
tains revisions of the schedule, if any, and
compares the rate of actual extensions and
connections with the schedule.
In additior, within 30 days of the effective
date of this Order, the discharger shall sub-
mit to the Board and the Regional Adminis-
trator a proposed program of public notice
including quarterly summary reports which
inform users of the discharger’s treatment
works and lecal government officials of the
extent of compliance achieved with the con-
ditions of this order. Thereafter, the dis-
charger shall initiate the program 30 days
after approval of the Board and the Regional
Administrator including in said implementa-
tion any additions or modifications which the
Board or the Regional Administrator may
make in approving the program.
14. Nothing in this order shall be construed to relieve
15.
the dischsrger from civil or criminal penalties for
noncompliance.
The Board and the Regional Administrator may
upon request of the discharger, and after public
notice, revise or modify any schedule of compliance
in this order if they determine good and valid cause
(such as an act of God, strike, flood, materials
shortage, or other event over which the discharger
has little or no control) exists for such revision.
32
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
1. The discharger shall file with the Board and the
Regional Administrator technical reports on self-
monitoring work performed according to the detailed
specifications contained in any Monitoring and Re-
porting Programs as directed by the Executive Of-
ficer.
. The discharger shall file a written report with the
Board and the Regional Administrator within 90 days
after the average dry-weather waste flow for any
month equals or exceeds 75 percent of the design
capacity of his waste treatment and/or disposal fa-
cilities. The discharger’s senior administrative officer
shall sign a letter which transmits that report and
certifies that the policy-making body is adequately
informed about it. The report shall include:
Average daily flow for the month, the date on which
the instanteous peak flow occurred, the rate of that
peak flow, and the total flow for that day.
The discharger’s best estimate of when the average
daily dry-weather flow rate will equal or exceed the
design capacity of his facilities.
The discharger’s intended schedule for studies, de-
sign, and other steps needed to provide additional
capacity for his waste treatment and/or disposal
facilities before the waste flow rate equals the ca-
pacity of present units. (Reference: Sections
13260, 13267(b), and 18268, California Water
Code. )
. The discharger shall notify the Board and the Re-
gional Administrator of (a) new introduction into
such works of pollutants from a source which would
be a new source as defined in Section 306 of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act, or amendments
thereto, if such source were discharging pollutants to
the waters of the United States, (b) new introduc-
tions of pollutants into such works from a source
which would be subject to Section 301 of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act, or amendments thereto,
33
if it were discharging such pollutants to the waters
of the United States, (c) a substantial change in the
volume or character of pollutants being introduced
into such works by a source introducing pollutants
into such works at the time the waste discharge re-
quirements were adopted. Notice shall include a de-
scription of the quantity and quality of pollutants
and the impact of such change on the quantity and
quality of effluent from such publicly owned treat-
ment works. A substantial change in volume is con-
sidered an increase of ten percent in the mean dry-
weather flow rate.
. The discharger shall file with the Board and the
Regional Administrator a report on waste discharge
at least 120 days before making any material change
or proposed change in the character, location or vol-
ume of the discharge.
. The discharge shall file with the Board and the
Regional Administrator, within 90 days after the
effective date of this Order, a technical report on his
preventive (fail-safe) and contingency (cleanup)
plans for controlling accidental discharges, and for
minimizing the effect of such events. The technical
report should:
Identify the possible sources of accidental loss, un-
treated waste bypass, and contaminated drainage.
Loading and storage areas, power outage, waste
treatment unit outage, and failure of process
equipment, tanks and pipes should be considered.
Evaluate the effectiveness of present facilities and
procedures and state when they became operational.
Describe facilities and procedures needed for effec-
tive preventive and contingency plans.
Predict the effectiveness of the proposed facilities
and procedures and provide an implementation
schedule containing interim and final dates when
they will be constructed, implemented, or opera-
tional. (Reference: Sections 18267(b) and 13268,
California Waier Code.)
34
The Board, or the Regional Administrator after re-
view of the technical report, may establish conditions
which it deems necessary to control accidental dis-
charges and to minimize the effects of such events.
Such conditions may be incorporated as part of this
Order, upon notice to the discharger.
3. The ‘ischarger shall submit to the Board, and the
Regional Administrator by January 30 of each year,
an annual summary of the quantities of all chemicals,
listed by both trade and chemical names, which are
used for cooling and/or boiler water treatment and
which are discharged.
. The discharger shall submit to the Board, and Re-
gional Administrator together with the first monitor-
ing report required by this permit, a list of all chemi-
cals and proprietary additives which could affect this
waste discharge, including quantities of each. Any
subsequent changes in types and/or quantities shall
be reported promptly.
. Not later than 6 months from the effective date of
this order and permit the discharger shall submit to
the Board and the Regional Administrator a work
plan and schedule of compliance to achieve a demon-
stration that the discharger complies with Section
403 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
Upon approval of the Board and the Regional Admin-
istrator, the interim and final dates contained in the
schedule shall become conditions of this Order. Ap-
proval may include additions or modifications to the
schedule.
=
85
GENERAL MONITORING AND
REPORTING PROVISIONS
GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR
SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS
Unless otherwiste noted, all sampling, samples preserva-
tion, and analyses shall be conducted in accordance with
the current edition of “Standard Methods for the Ex-
amination of Water and Wastewater” or as approved by
the Executive Officer and the Regional Administrator.
All analyses shall be performed in a laboratory approved
by the Executive Officer or certified to perform such
analyses by the California State Department of Public
Health.
Effluent samples shall be taken downstream of any ad-
dition to the treatment works and prior to mixing with
the receiving waters.
The discharger shall calibrate and perform maintenance
procedures on all monitoring instruments and equipment
to insure accuracy of measurements, or shall insure that
both activities will be conducted.
A grab sample is defined as an individual sample col-
lected in fewer than 15 minutes.
A composite sample is defined as a combination of no
fewer than eight individual samples obtained over the
specified sampling period. The volume of each individual
sample is proportional to the discharge flow rate at the
time of sampling. The sampling period shall equal the
discharge period, or 24 hours, whichever period is
shorter.
GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR REPORTING
For every item where the requirements are not met, the
discharger shall submit a statement of the actions under-
taken or proposed which will bring the discharge into
full compliance with requirements at the earliest time
36
and submit a time table for correction to the Board and
the Regional Administrator.
By February 28 of each year, the discharger shall sub-
mit an annual report to the Board and the Regional
Administrator. The report shall contain both tabular
and graphical summaries of the monitoring data obtained
during the previous year. In addition, the discharger
shall discuss the compliance record and the corrective
actions taken or planned which may be needed to bring
the discharge into full compliance with the waste dis-
charge requirements.
The discharger shall maintain all sampling and analyti-
cal results, including strip charts; date, exact place, and
time of sampling; date analyses were performed; analyst’s
name; analytical techniques used; and results of all
analyses. Such records shall be retained for a minimum
of three years. This period of retention shall be extended
during the course of any unresolved litigation regarding
this discharge or when requested by the Board or the
Regional Administrator.
Monitoring reports shall be signed by:
a. In the case of corporations, by a principal executive
officer at least of the level of vice-president or his
duly authorized representative, if such representa-
tive is responsible for the overall operation of the
facility from which discharge originates;
b. In the case of a partnership, by a general partner;
ce. In the case of a sole proprietorship, by the pro-
prietor ;
d. In the case of municipal, state or other public fa-
cility, by either a principal executive officer, rank-
ing elected official, or other duly authorized em-
ployee.
The discharger shall mail an originally signed copy of
each monitoring report and of all other reports required
by this order to each of the following:
87
Regional Administrator California Regional Water
Environmental Protection Quality Control Board,
Agency Los Angeles Region
Region IX 107 South Broadway
Attention: ENCMR Los Angeles, CA 90012
100 California Street Attention: Executive Officer
San Francisco, CA 94111
Each report shall contain the following completed declara-
tion:
“T declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing
is true and correct
Executed on the — day of at
(Signature)
(Title)”
In reporting the monitoring data, the discharger shall
arrange the data in tabular form so that the date, the
constituents, and the concentrations are readily discern-
ible. The date shall be summarized to demonstrate com-
pliance with waste discharge requ:..ements, and, where
applicable, shall include results of receiving water ob-
servations.
If the discharger monitors the discharge more frequently
than required by this order, using approved analytical
methods as specified herein, the results of such monitor-
ing shall be included in the calculation and reporting
of the values required in the monitoring report. Such
increased frequency shall also be indicated in the moni-
toring report.
Monitoring, analytical, and reporting requirements may
be modified by the Board or the Regional Administrator
upon due notice.
38
CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY
CONTROL BOARD
LOS ANGELES REGION
MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM
NO. 1492
FOR
City of Los Angeles
Hyperion Treatment Plant
(CA0109991)
A. Location of Sampling Stations
1. A sampling station shall be established for each
point of discharge and shall be located where
representative samples of the effluent can be ob-
tained. These stations shall be designated as Dis-
charge Serial Nos. 001, 002, and 003, respectively.
. Offshore stations shall be established along eight
traverses radiating outward from a point of
origin which shall be the center of the five-mile
effluent outfall diffuser pattern (approximately
at Latitude 33° 54’ 30” N and Longitude 118°
31’ 30” W).
These traverses shall proceed radially outward
from that point of origin on bearings referenced
to true north, as follows:
Traverse 1 North
” N 45° E
East
S 45° E
South
S 45° W
West
N 45° W
The offshore stations shall be located along these
traverses at the following distances from the
origin:
For Traverse 1:
COS orm © DD
Station 1A 7,500 feet
- 1B 20,000 “
For Traverse 2:
Station 2A 6,000 feet
7 15,000 “
39
For Traverse 3:
Station 3A 6,500 feet
3B 15,000 “
For Traverse 4:
Station 4A 6,000 feet
- 4B 20,000 “
m 4C 35,000 “
For Traverse 5:
Station 5A 7,000 feet
ve 5B 20,000 “
ss 5C 35,000 “
For Traverse 6:
Station 6A 7,000 feet
sd 6B 20,000 “
For Traverse 7:
Station 7A 5,000 feet
” 7B 20,000 “
For Traverse 8:
Station 8A 7,000 feet
™ 8B 20,000 “
~ 8C 35,000 “
In addition to the above, a control station (Sta-
tion OC) shall be established at a location 6,000
feet offshore from Las Tunas Beach (34° 1’ 20.3”
N, 118° 36’ W).
The offshore stations shall be located by means of
radar navigation; other means may be utilized
if in the judgment of the Executive Officer they
are of sufficient accuracy to permit reoccupation
of the stations within a reasonable distance.
. Eight nearshore stations shall be established, in
order to facilitate commutation by boat, at a
distance of 3,000 feet from the shoreline, as
follows:
Station Location
Nl Off Las Tunas Beach (34° 1’ 50.3”N, 118° 36’W)
N2 Along Traverse 1 and 40,000 feet from the origin
N38 Offshore from Ocean Park tower, Santa Monica
N4 Along Traverse 2 and 26,000 feet from the origin
N5 Offshore from Shore Station S 34.8 (see below)
N6 Along Traverse 3 and 28,000 feet from the origin
N7 Off Municipal Pier, Manhattan Beach
N8 Due west from northerly stack, near north end of
King Harbor, Redondo Beach
40
4. Seventeen shore stations shall be established as
follows: ,
Station Location
$21.7 Extension of Big Rock Road at 19543 Pacific Coasi
Highway, Malibu
$23.6 1,000’ east of Topanga Canyon Blvd., east side of
The Point Restaurant, Malibu
$25.6 East side of Bel Air Bay Club, Pacific Palisades
$27.5 Extension of San Vicente Blvd., Santa Monica-300’
SE of abandoned pilings at Santa Monica Beach
State Park
$28.5 400’ SW of Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica State Beach
Park (NW of end of breakwater)
$29.6 Strand Street extended, Santa Monica
$31.3 Venice Blvd. extended, Venice Beach
$32.4 Northstar Street extended, Venice Beach
$33.7. Surf Street, north side of Westport Beach Club,
Playa Del Rey
$34.8 Epinard Street extended, Playa Del Rey
$35.8 Opposite Hyperion East Headworks, 1,100’ north of
one-mile submarine outfall
S87.4 45th Street extended, Manhattan Beach State Park
$39.3 6th Street extended, Manhattan Beach State Park
$40.6 South side of Municipal Pier, Hermosa Beach
S42.5 Pearl Street extended, south side of Redondo Park,
Redondo Beach
$43.7 Avenue I extended, Redondo Beach
$45.0 Extension of Arroyo Circle, Malaga Cove, Palos
Verdes Estates
5. Three diving stations shall be established at the
main termini of the one-mile and 5-mile effluent
outfalls and on the shelf above the submarine
canyon in which the sludge outfall terminates;
these shall be designated D1, D2 and D8, re-
spectively.
6. Eight inshore diving stations shall be established
on transects normal to the shoreline at the eight
nearshore stations, at a depth of 80 feet.
B. Type and Frequency of Sampling and Analysis
1. Effluent Monitoring
—~
—_
daily
daily
daily
daily
daily
daily
once every 8 hours
monthly
monthly
monthly
monthly
monthly
monthly
monthly
monthly
monthly
of Analysis
twice daily
Minimum
Frequency
Type of
Sample
continuous
grab
24-hr. composite
24-hr. composite
grab
grab
grab
grab
24-hr. composite
24-hr. composite
24-hr. composite
24-hr. composite
24-hr. composite
24-hr. composite
24-hr. composite
24-hr. composite
24-hr. composite
grab
Units
°F
mg/l
mgd
mg/1
MPN/10Col
MPN/10Col
DH units
mg/1
ml/1
mg/l
mg/l
mg/1
mg/l
mg/1
mg/1
mg/l
mg/1
mg/1i
Discharge
Serial No.
001,002,003
001,002,003
001,002
001,002
001,002
001,002
001,002,003
001,002,003
001,002
001,002,003
001,002,003
001,002,003
001,002,003
001,002,003
001,002,003
001,002,003
001,002,003
001,002,003
Parameter
Suspended solids
Coliform group
Fecal coliform
pH
Oil and grease !
Temperature
BOD, 20°C
Settleable solids
Arsenic
Cadmium
Chromium
Copper
Lead
Mercury 2
Nickel
Silver
Zinc
Flow
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44
8. Receiving Water Monitoring
a. Offshore sampling stations shall be occupied
at least once each week between the hours of
7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Samples shall be taken at
a depth of one to three feet. In the event of
stormy weather that makes sampling hazard-
ous or impractical, these samples can be omit-
ted provided that such omissions do not occur
in consecutive weeks or in more than four
weeks in any calendar year. The following
determinations shall be made at each station:
(1) Dissolved oxygen
(2) Grease
_ (3) Temperature
(4) Transparency
(5) Floating particulates (surface sample
only—quarterly monitoring only)
. Once each month, on a day when samples are
taken as specified in 3-a above, samples shall
also be obtained at each offshore station at
depths of 20 feet, 50 feet, and approximately
10 feet below the thermocline (if the latter
two stations lie within 10 feet of each other,
the 50-foot station may be omitted), and the
following determinations made:
(1) Dissolved oxygen
(2) Temperature
(3) Grease (sub-thermocline samples only)
. Once each month a determination of water
turbidity shall be made at each offshore sta-
tion at the 5’, 10’, 20’, and 50’ depths, end
approximately 10 feet below the thermocline.
. Once every six months bottom samples shall
be obtained at each offshore station for deter-
mination of content of organic matter, as a
45
percent of total dry solids. These bottom
samples shall be taken by means of a Shipek,
Petersen, or “orange-peel” dredge or an equiv-
alent device having an open sampling area
of not less than 60 square inches. Five bot-
tom samples shall be obtained at each station
and coraposited for analysis.
. Once every six months bottom samples shall
be obtained at each offshore station for deter-
minations of thickness of the sludge layer, if
any. These samples shall be taken by means
similar to those specified for core samples in
3-a. above. Sludge thickness shall be deter-
mined by direct measurement to the nearest
millimeter. To the extent practicable, a photo-
graphic record shall be made of each core.
. Once every six months bottom samples shall
be obtained at each of the offshore stations
for biological examination and determination
of biomass and diversity. One of these sam-
plings shall be made during the summer sea-
son. The samples shall be collected with
Shipek, Petersen, “orange-peel” or equivalent
type dredge having an open sampling area of
not less than 60 square inches. Not less than
four samples shall be taken at each station
and each shall be processed and analyzed sepa-
rately.
. For biomass, the volume and wet weight re-
tained on a one millimeter screen per unit
volume of sediment shall be determined. The
animals representing at least ten percent of
the total population shall be enumerated and
a as to genus (and species if possi-
e).
. An annual diving survey shall be made. This
shall consist of :
(1) An inspection and coring at and in the
vicinity of each diving station to deter-
i.
46
mine thickness of sludge layer, presence
and thickness of any “cloud” of unset-
tled solids, and bottom flora and fauna.
A photographic record shall be made of
the results of this inspection.
(2) An examination of each outfall and dif-
fuser port system for leaks and flow dis-
tribution.
At intervals of five years or less, beginning
in 1971, an inspection shall be made at the
terminus of the sludge outfall and in the vi-
cinity, to determine thickness of sludge layer,
presence and thickness of any “cloud” of un-
settled solids, ana bottom flora and fauna. A
photographic record shall be made of the re-
sults of this inspection. This inspection may
be made by diving, by submarine, or by other
suitable means.
Nearshore sampling stations shall be occupied
once each week between the hours of 7 a.m.
and 6 p.m. Samples shall be taken at a depth
of one to three feet. In the event of stormy
weather that makes sampling hazardous or
impractical, these samples can be omitted pro-
vided that such omissions do not occur in con-
secutive weeks or in more than four weeks
in any calendar year. The following determi-
nations shall be made at each station:
(1) Dissolved oxygen
(2) Coliform
(3) Transparency
(4) Temperature
. Once every six months (summer and winter)
the blue light energy shall be measured at
nearshore stations Nl and N2 at a water
depth of 50 feet (or 5’ above the bottom if
AT
shallower than 55 feet). This measurement
shall be made:
(1) With a photometer fitted with a cosine
collecting device and a blue filter having
50 percent transmission values at 450
and 650 millimicrons;
(2) In units of ergs/cm?/day ;
(3) Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the
sun is not obscured by clouds (a slight
haze is permissible).
1. Shore stations shall be sampled on a daily
frequency, and the samples shall be analyzed
for coliform organisms, most probable number
(MPN).
m. At the time samples are collected of the wa-
ters of Pacific Ocean (shore, nearshore and
offshore stations) observations shall be made
and recorded of conditions of wind, weather,
and tide. Observations shall also be made and
recorded of water color, turbidity, odor, and
of floating or suspended matter in the water
or on the beach, rocks and jetties or beach
structures. The character and extent of such
matter shall be described.
n. The inshore diving stations shall be occupied
at six-month intervals and the following de-
terminations made: Thickness of organic-
laden sediment and composition of substrate;
general condition of ocean floor; water tem-
perature and clarity; benthos; and fish count.
C. Techniques of Sampling and Analyzing
1. All samples shall be taken and all analyses shall
be performed in accordance with the latest edi-
tion of “Standard Methods for the Examination
of Water and Wastewater”, published by the
American Public Health Association, Inc., except
48
that for specific analyses newer techniques may
be used if in the judgment of the Executive Offi-
cer the results obtained are consistent with the
objectives of these waste discharge requirements.
Tests for most probable number (MPN) of coli-
form organisms will be the confirmed test using
at least three tubes per dilution and sufficient
dilutions to permit determination of the upper
and lower MPN limits from standard tables.
. Those personnel involved in sampling and analy-
sis shall be well trained to accomplish those func-
tions. Sampling and analytical apparatus shall
be appropriate to the task and in good working
order.
. Transparency measurements shall be made with
a Secchi disc. A Secchi dise is a circular plate,
having a standard diameter of 30 centimeters,
the top side of which is white. The disc is low-
ered in the water until the disc is just percepti-
ble, and the depth in feet reported.
. Turbidity shall be determined by means of a
turbidity meter, using equipment and procedure
similar to that described by L. V. Whitney,
“Transmission of Solar Energy and the Scatter-
ing Produced by Suspensoids in Lake Waters”,
Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sci-
ences, Arts, and Letters, Vol. 31 (1938). Results
shall be expressed as the percent of light attenu-
ation per meter of sea water, as compared to a
standard of distilled water.
. Procedures for determination of acute toxicity of
the waste using bioassay techniques shall be as
specified in the latest edition of “Standard Meth-
ods for the Examination of Water and Waste-
water”, by American Public Health Association
et al. Particular attention shall be directed to
the selection and preparation of test animals so
that the response of biota in the marine environ-
ment is accurately measured. Test species selec-
49
tions shall be submitted to the Executive Officer
for advance approval. The duration of the tests
shall be 96 hours. Modifications of procedures
outlined in “Standard Methods” shall be only as
approved in advance by the Executive Officer of
this Board.
. Radioactivity determinations of gross bets activ-
ity shall be made within 48 hours following prep-
aration of composite samples. The over-all effi-
ciency of the counting system, size of sample and
counting time shall be such that radioactivity can
be determined to a sensitivity of ten picocuries
per liter (pce/l) for sewage and ten picocuries
per gram for sludge, with a 95% confidence limit
not to exceed 50 percent.
. Inshore diving station examinations shall be made
in accordance with methods described by Turner,
Ebert, and Given, California Fish and Game, Vol.
52, No. 1 (1966).
D. Filing of Reports
1. One copy of a written report of the results of
the monitoring program shall be submitted to
the Board and one copy to the Regional Admin-
istrator for each month by the first day of the
second following month, beginning not later than
November 1, 1975.
. Each written report shall contain the following
information:
a. Dates and times of sampling and observa-
tions;
b. Weather conditions during sampling;
ce. Average and peak daily volume of wastes dis-
charged during the report period;
d. Tabulated results of specified analyses and
physical observations, including the monthly
mean and range for each effluent parameter
reported ;
50
e. Depth of thermocline;
f. In addition to reporting the most probable
number of coliform organisms obtained from
samples collected from shore and nearshore
stations, the running median of the latest
6-month period shall also be determined and
reported. Coliform data obtained during or
within 48 hours following a rainstorm shall
not be used in determining medians.
g. In reporting the results of analyses for acute
toxicity, the following shall be reported for
each analysis:
(1) Median tolerance limit (96 hour test) ;
(2) A concise statement or table of the ex-
perimental data on which median toler-
ance limit data are based; that is, the
number and species of test organisms
used and the recorded percentages of sur-
vival at each tested concentration. This
table shall also include such data for the
controls used;
(3) The total number of test animals used in
each analysis shall be reported along with
the number of test animals surviving
after 24 hours, 48 hours, and 96 hours;
(4) The species used in each test.
h. In reporting the data on blue light energy
(Item B3j) the measurement depths shall be
reported.
51
State of California
Resources Agency
CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY
CONTROL BOARD,
LOS ANGELES REGION
Order No. 75-165
NPDES No. CA0109991
WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS
FOR
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
HYPERION TREATMENT PLANT
The California Regional Water Quality Control Board,
Los Angeles Region finds that:
1. City of Los Angeles discharges wastes from the
Hyperion Treatment Plant under waste discharge
requirements and a National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) Permit contained in
Order No. 75-100 jointly adopted by this Board and
issued by the Environmental Protection Agency on
August 18, 1975.
. Order No. 75-100 and the NPDES Permit contain
a time schedule for prohibition of the sludge dix-
charge. The time schedule is related to the Clean
Water Grant concept approval.
. Concept approval was given on October 1, 1975.
. The Environmental Protection Agency is admin-
istratively modifying the NPDES Permit to sub-
stitute definite dates in the time schedule for com-
pliance with the sludge discharge prohibition.
The Board has notified the discharger and interested agen-
cies and persons of its intent to modify waste discharge
requirements for this discharge and has provided them
with an opportunity to submit their written views and
recommendations.
52
The Board in a public hearing heard and considered all
comments pertaining to the discharge and to the tentative
requirements.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that Order No. 75-100
adopted by this Board on August 18, 1975, is modified
as follows:
A. Page 16 is deleted and replaced by the attached
page.
B. All other pages of Order No. 75-100 shall re-
main unmodified.
I, Raymond M. Hertel, Executive Officer, do hereby cer-
tify that the foregoing is a full, true, and correct copy
of an Order adopted by the California Regional Water
er Control Board, Los Angeles Region, on December
/s/ Raymond M. Hertel
RAYMOND M. HERTEL
Executive Officer
RMH: dds
53
Completion Report of
Task Date Compliance
D-1
January 1,1976 January 15, 1976
July 1, 1976 July 15, 1976
January 1,1977 January 15, 1977
Demonstration of com- July 1, 1977 July 15, 1977
pliance with limitations
BA
Completion of approvable April 1, 1976 April 16, 1976
plans and specifications
for Phases I, II, and III
Award contract and begin July 1, 1976 July 16, 1976
construction
Receive delivery of Phase I December 31, 1976 January 16, 1977
dewatering equipment
Complete constrution of April 1, 1977 April 16, 1977
Phase I and achieve
operational level
Complete construction of October 1, 1977 October 16, 1977
Phase II and achieve
operational level
Complete construction of April 1, 1978 April 16, 1978
Phase III and achieve
operational level
C
Progress Reports on Pro- October 31, 1975 November 15, 1975
gram for Ultimate July 1, 1976 July 15, 1976
Disposal of Sludge January 1,1977 January 15, 1977
July 1, 1977 July 15, 1977
January 1,1978 January 15, 1978
I, Richard A. Harris, am Assistant Executive Officer of
the California Regional Water Quality Control Board,
Los Angeles Region, certify that this record is a true and
complete copy of the original document.
/s/ Richard A. Harris
RICHARD A. HARRIS
Modified 12/1/75
54
State of California
Resources Agency
CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY
CONTROL BOARD,
LOS ANGELES REGION
Order No. 76-80
ORDER DIRECTING THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES TO
COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS PRESCRIBED BY
THE CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY
CONTROL BOARD, LOS ANGELES REGION IN
ORDER NO. 75-100 (NPDES PERMIT NO. CA-
0109991) (C1 1492) (CA0109991) (M-1492)
The California Regional Water Quality Control Board,
Los Angeles Region, finds:
1. City of Los Angeles discharges an average of 350
mgd (million gallons per day) of treated municipal
wastewater and approximately 160 tons per day
of sewage sludge to Santa Monica Bay from its
Hyperion Treatment Plant in Playa del Rey under
requirements prescribed jointly on August 18, 1975,
by this Board and the United States Environmental
Protection Agency in Order No. 75-100 (NPDES
Permit No. CA0109991).
2. On December 1, 1975, this Board adopted Order
No. 75-165, amending Order No. 75-100 and the
NPDES Permit by modifying the time schedule for
prohibition of sludge discharge to the ocean to pro-
vide for definite dates for compliance with the
Tasks required for compliance with the Discharge
Prohibition, as specified in Provisions B-1, and B-
3 of Order No. 75-100.
3. The discharge requirements contained in Order No.
75-100 provide, in part, for the following Discharge
Prohibition :
55
“B-1. As ordered by the schedule of compliance in
Provision F-1 below, the discharge of sludge
through Discharge Serial No. 003 shall be
terminated.”
“B-3. As used in this order, Phase I shall mean
the facilities necessary to provide for the
termination of no less than the first 144 of
the sewage sludge presently discharged.
Phase II shall mean the facilities necessary
to provide for the termination of no less
than an additional 144 of the sewage sludge
presently discharged. Phase III shall mean
the facilities necessary to provide for the
termination of the final portion of sewage
sludge.
4. The time schedule contained in Order No. 75-165
for accomplishment of the discharge termination for
sludge is as follows:
Completion Report of
Task Date Compliance
Completion of approvable April 1, 1976 April 16, 1976
plans and specifications
for Phases, I, II, and III
Award contract and begin July 1, 1976 July 16, 1976
construction
Receive delivery of Phase I December 31, 1976 January 16, 1977
dewatering equipment
Complete construction of April 1, 1977 April 16, 1977
Phase I and achieve
operational level
Complete construction of October 1, 1977 October 16, 1977
Phase II and achieve
operational level
Complete construction of April 1, 1978 April 16, 1978
Phase III and achieve
operational level
5. The City has not completed or reported compliance
with the first Task set forth in Finding 4 listed
above.
. Failure to meet the completion date specified for
approval plans and specifications makes it highly
56
probable that the City will fail to meet the sub-
sequent completion dates for the remaining Tasks
described above.
The Board in a public hearing heard and considered all
testimony pertinent to the matter. All Orders referred
to above and records of hearings and. testimony therein
are included herein by reference.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that City of Los Angeles
shall comply with the following:
1. In accordance with Water Code Section 13301, the
City of Los Angeles is directed to comply with the
provisions of discharge prohibited B-1 of Order No.
75-100 (NPDES Permit No. CA0109991) as
amended by Order No. 75-165 in accordance with
the following time schedule for elimination of sludge
discharge to the ocean:
Phase Not Later Than The City Will
I August 1, 1978 Reduce sludge discharge by 40 tons
per day
II April 1, 1979 Reduce sludge discharge by an addi-
tional 40 tons per day for a cumula-
tive reduction of 80 tons per day
III October 1, 1979 Reduce sludge discharge by an addi-
tional 40 tons per day for a cumula-
tive reduction of 120 tons per day
IV April 1, 1980 Eliminate all remaining discharges
of sludge to the ocean. (Approxi-
mately 160 tons)
To accomplish compliance with the above schedule
the City of Los Angeles shall perform the follow-
ing tasks in accordance with the dates shown:
Report of
Completion Date Compliance
Task Not Later Than Not Later Than
Advertise for the demolition August 1, 1976 August 15, 1976
work, trucks and dewater-
ing equipment for Phases I,
II, Ill & IV
57
Report of
Completion Date Compliance
Task Not Later Than Not Later Than
Award contract for demo- December 1,1976 December 15, 1976
lition, trucks and dewarter-
ing equipment for Phases I,
II, II & IV
Submit final plans and January 1,1977 January 15, 1977
specifications for support
system
Award contract for support May 1, 1977 May 15, 1977
system
Complete construction of August 1, 1978 August 15, 1978
Phase I and achieve
operational level
Complete construction of April 1, 1979 April 15, 1979
Phase II and achieve
operational level
Complete construction of October 1, 1979 October 15, 1979
Phase III and achieve
operational level
Complete construction of April 1, 1980 April 15, 1980
Phase IV and achieve
operational level
City of Los Angeles shall submit to the Regional Board,
the State Water Resources Control Board, and the Re-
gional Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency
on or before each compliance report date, a report on
compliance or non-compliance with the specific schedule
date and task.
If non-compliance is being reported, the reasons for such
non-compliance shall be stated, plus an estimate of the
date when City of Los Angeles will be in compliance.
City of Los Angeles shall notify the Regional Board,
the State Water Resources Control Board, and the Re-
gional Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency
by letter when it has returned to compliance with the
time schedule.
2. If the City of Los Angeles fails to comply with any
provision of this Order, the Executive Officer is au-
thorized, and he is hereby directed, to request the
58
Attorney General and District Attorney to take the
appropriate action against the discharger, including
injunction and monetary remedies.
I, Raymond M. Hertel, Executive Officer, do hereby cer-
tify that the foregoing is a full, true, and correct copy
of an Order adopted by the California Regional Water
Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region, on May 24,
1976.
/s/ Raymond M. Hertel
RAYMOND M. HERTEL
Executive Officer
I, Richard A. Harris, am Assistant Executive Officer
of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board,
Los Angeles Region, and certify that this record is a
true and complete copy of the original document.
/s/ Richard A. Harris
RICHARD A. HARRIS
59
State of California
Resources Agency
CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY
CONTROL BOARD,
LOS ANGELES REGION
Order No. 76-202
AN ORDER AMENDING ORDER NO. 76-80 DIRECT-
ING THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES TO COMPLY
WITH REQUIREMENTS CONTAINED IN ORDER
NO. 75-100 (CI 1492) (CA0109991) (M-1492)
The California Regional Water Quality Control Board,
Los Angeles Region, finds:
1. City of Los Angeles discharges an average of 340
mgd (million gallons per day) of treated municipal
wastewater and approximately 160 tons per day of
sewage sludge to Santa Monica Bay from its Hyperion
Treatment Plant in Playa del Ray under requirements
prescribed jointly on August 18, 1975, by this Board
and the United States Environmental Protection
Agency in Order No. 75-100 (NPDES Permit No.
CA0109991).
2. On December 1, 1975, this Board adopted Order No.
75-165, amending Order No. 75-100 and the NPDES
Permit by modifying the time schedule for prohibition
of sludge discharge to the ocean to provide for definite
dates for compliance with the tasks required to com-
ply with the Discharge Prohibition, as specified in
Provisions B-1, and B-3 of Order No. 75-100.
3. The City failed to meet the completion dates as speci-
fied in Order No. 75-165 and at a hearing held May
24, 1976, this Board adopted Order No. 76-80 direct-
ing the City of Los Angeles to comply with require-
ments, as prescribed by this Board, to eliminate sludge
discharge to the ocean.
60
Order No. 76-80 included the following time schedule
to insure the elimination of the sludge discharge to
the ocean by April 1, 1980:
Report of
Completion Date Compliance
Task Not Later Than Not Later Than
Advertise for the August 1, 1976 August 15, 1976
demolition work, trucks,
and dewatering equipment
for Phases I, II, III & IV
Award contract for December 1, 1976 December 15, 1976
demolition, trucks and
dewatering equipment
for Phases I, II, III & IV
Submit final plans and January 11,1977 January 15, 1977
specifications for
support system
Award contract for May 1, 1977 May 15, 1977
support system
Complete construction of August 1, 1978 August 15, 1978
Phase I and achieve
operational level
Complete construction of April 1, 1979 April 15, 1979
Phase II and achieve
operational level
Complete construction of October 1, 1979 October 15, 1979
Phase III and achieve
operational level
Complete construction of April 1, 1980 April 15, 1980
Phase IV and achieve
operational level
4. City of Los Angeles notified this Board by letter dated
September 29, 1976, that they would be unable to com-
plete submittal of final plans and specifications for
the support system by the due date, January 1, 1977.
The City stated that the support system is being
designed in two phases and requested that the cur-
rent time schedule be revised to allow the submittal
of the final plans and specifications in two stages.
The City has assured the Board that all final con-
struction and operation due dates in Order No. 76-
80 will be met on time without change.
61
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that Order No. 76-80
adopted by this Board on May 24, 1976, is amended
as follows:
1. The time schedule for compliance contained in Item
1 is deleted, and replaced with the following:
Report of
Completion Date Compliance
Task Not Later Than Not Later Than
Award contract for December 1, 1976 December 15, 1976
demolition, trucks
and dewatering equipment
for Phases I, II, III & IV
Submit plans and January 1,1977 January 15, 1977
specifications necessary
to meet Phase I
Award contract for May 1, 1977 May 15, 1977
Phase I support system
Submit final plans and November 1, 1977 November 15, 1977
specifications for
Phases II, III & IV
Award contract for April 1, 1978 April 15, 1978
Phases II, III, & IV
support system
Complete construction August 1, 1978 August 15, 1978
of Phase I and achieve
operational level
Complete construction April 1, 1979 April 15, 1979
of Phase II and achieve
operational level
Complete construction October 1, 1979 October 15, 1979
of Phase III and achieve
operational level
Complete construction April 1, 1980 April 15, 1980
of Phase IV and achieve
operational level
City of Los Angeles shall submit to the Regional Board,
the State Water Resources Control Board, and the
Regional Administrator of Environmental Protection
Agency on or before each compliance report date, a re-
port on compliance or non-compliance with the specific
schedule date and task.
62
If non-compliance is being reported, the reasons for such
non-compliance shall be stated, plus an estimate of the
date when City of Los Angeles will be in compliance.
City of Los Angeles shall notify the Regional Board, the
State Water Resources Control Board, and the Regional
Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency by
letter when it has returned to compliance with the time
schedule.”
2. All other parts of Order No. 76-80 shall remain in
full force and effect.
I, Raymond M. Hertel, Executive Officer, do hereby cer-
tify that the foregoing is a full, true, and correct copy
of an Order adopted by the California Regional Water
Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region, on November
22, 1976.
/s/ Raymond M. Hertel
RAYMOND M. HERTEL
Executive Officer
RMH: dds
I, Richard A. Harris, am Assistant Executive Officer of
the California Regional Water Quality Control Board,
Los Angeles Region, and certify that this record is a
true and complete copy of the original document.
RICHARD A. HARRIS
/s/ Richard A. Harris
63
OFFICE OF
CITY ATTORNEY
CITY HALL EAST
Los Angeles, California 90012
[SEAL]
BURT PINES
CITY ATTORNEY
December 9, 1976
Mr. Paul DeFalco
Regional Director
United States Environmental
Protection Agency
Region IX
100 California Street
San Francisco, California 94111
Re: OBJECTIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY’S NEGATIVE DECLARATION ON THE PRO-
POSED ACTION BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTEC-
TION AGENCY OF MAKING A GRANT OFFER TO THE
CITY OF LOS ANGELES FOR THE PROJECT TITLED
HYPERION TREATMENT PLANT, INTERIM SLUDGE
PROCESSING AND DISPOSAL SYSTEM
Dear Mr. DeFalco:
The purpose of this communication is to lodge with
you a formal protest, on behalf of the City of Los An-
geles, as to your decision to proceed with the funding
of the Hyperion Treatment Plant Interim Sludge Project
without the preparation and serious consideration of a
full environmental impact statement (EIS) pursuant to
the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act.
The City of Los Angeles strongly believes that there are
serious environmental considerations involved with the
proposed project that under federal law are required to
be seriously analyzed and considered in an appropriate
EIS before the proposed project may properly proceed.
In that regard, the view of the governing body of the
64
City of Los Angeles, its City Council, is set forth in a
motion unanimously adopted by the City Council on Tues-
day, December 7th, a copy of which we have enclosed.
The City of Los Angeles has received EPA’s negative
declaration and environmental impact appraisal for the
above project. The City strongly questions the validity
of the utilization of a negative declaration in support of
the agency action.
EPA’s environmental impact appraisal stated that the
project consists of dewatering the disgested sludge by
centrifugation at the Hyperion Treatment Plant (HTP)
and hauling the sludge cake by truck to the Palos Verdes
Class 1 saniltary landfill. The project capacity will be
160 dry tons/day and will be constructed in four phases,
with construction of 40 dry tons/day capacity in each
phase. The project will provide for the complete re-
moval of sludge from the ocean by April 1, 1980. EPA’s
environmental impact appraisal goes on to state that
when the entire project is operational, the trucking opera-
tion will require 255 round trips/week with a hauling
distance of 42 miles/round trip. Operation of the cen-
trifuges will require about 640 lbs. per day of chemical
polymers and will consume about 13.1 million kwh/year
of electricity. An estimate of energy consumption for the
transport of the sludge cake to the Palos Verdes landfill
is 3,600 barrels of oil per year. EPA’s environmental
impact appraisal further states that there will be dust
and noise due to the construction work at HPT, impacts
on the sanitary landfill site itself and impacts from the
transport of the sludge to the site.
The environmental impact appraisal of EPA states,
on page 9:
“Following are the unavoidable adverse impacts
from the project:
(a) The energy and materials required for the
construction of the dewatering facilities and the
energy required for hauling of the sludge cake to
the landfill are less than any alternative which ac-
complishes the objective of removing City of Los
Angeles sludge from the Pacific Ocean. Sludge dis-
65
posal of the landfill will have less impact on the
total environment than any of the other alternatives
when energy, time, and biotic effects are considered;
(b) Dust generation during the construction of the
facilities, and noise impacts from the dewatering
and trucking operations are minimal; (c) the air
quality impacts of the trucking are less than the
impacts for any alternative except the “no project”
which does not comply with State and Federal laws.”
(Emphasis added)
EPA, in its environmental impact appraisal, attempts
to justify the utilization of a negative declaration on
the ground that the project would have less environ-
mental impact than any other alternative which EPA
considered. In the City’s view, this does not justify a
negative declaration.
The administrative action of the EPA, which the nega-
tive declaration purportedly supports, is the award of a
grant pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution Control
Act. Such action of the EPA is subject to environmental
review pursuant to the National Environmental Policy
Act, 40 Code of Federal Regulatons, 35.925-8. EPA was
required to make an environmental review, pursuant to
40 CFR 6.204, to determine whether significant impacts
are anticipated from the proposed action, whether any
feasible alternatives can be adopted or changes can be
made in project design to eliminate significant adverse
impacts, and whether an EIS or a negative declaration
is required. Section 6.212(a) of these regulations states
that when the environmental review indicates there will
be no significant impact or significant adverse impacts
have been eliminated by making changes in the project,
the responsible official shall prepare a negative declara-
tion to allow public review of his decision before it be-
comes final. However, clearly the law does not provide
that a negative declaration can be prepared merely be-
cause it is believed the project will have less of an en-
vironmental impact than the other alternatives.
The principal concern of the City of Los Angeles is
the total failure of EPA to consider the consequences of
continuing the discharge of sludge into the ocean, the
66
alternative described as “No project”. EPA has sum-
marily dismissed this alternative in its environmental
impact appraisal as not complying with State and Fed-
eral laws. We are unaware of any State or Federal
law that mandates the Interim Sludge Processing and
Disposal System that is the subject of the instant grant
offer, nor are we aware of any requirements of law that
require the City to diccontinue discharge of sludge to the
ocean at this time. Even if we accept the proposition
that EPA need not consider an alternative that conflicts
with the mandate of a federal statute, it is our judgment
that at most the discontinuance of ocean dumping of
sludge may not be required by the Federal Water Pollu-
tion Control Act until 1985. Any decision to require
such discontinuance prior to that date is purely within
the discretion of EPA. Clearly, pursuant to 40 CFR
6.304(b), EPA is required to prepare an EIS, which
“ . . shall develop, describe, and objectively, weigh
feasible alternatives to any proposed action, including
the options of taking no action or postponing action.”
(Emphasis added. )
The City, in its environmental assessments did not
consider the continuation of sludge discharge into the
ocean as an alternative since the City was subject to an
order of a State Regional Water Quality Control Board
ordering the eventual cessation of ocean discharge of
sludge. Pursuant to The California Environmental
Quality Act (Public Resources Code, Section 21154), the
City was precluded from considering ocean discharge as
an alternative since it would conflict with the State
Agency’s order. EPA, however, is not subject to the
restraints of Section 21154.
Additionally EPA could not justify refusal to con-
sider continuance of ocean discharge of sludge as an al-
ternative merely because the law may preclude such
discharge in the future or even at present. The United
States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia circuit,
in the case of Natural Resource Defense Council, Inc.
v. Morton, 458 F.2d 827 (1972) stated that:
67
“The need for continuing review of environmental
impact of alternatives under NEPA cannot be put
to one side on the ground of past determinations by
Congress or the President.” (p. 836.)
The court went on to say that:
“The mere fact that an alternative requires legis-
lative implementation does not automatically estab-
lish it as beyond the domain of what is required for
discussion, particularly since NEPA was intended to
provide a basis for consideration and choice by the
decision makers in the legislative as well as the
executive branch.” (p. 837.)
The Morton case has been cited, as to this point, with
approval in subsequent decisions. Environmental De-
fense F., Inc. v. Corps of Engineers of United States
Army, 492 F.2d 1128, 1185 (1974); Sierra Club v.
Linn, 502 F.2d 48, 62 (1974).
The failure of EPA to consider the alternative of con-
tinued ocean discharge is sufficient by itself to require
further environmental assessment. The City of Los An-
geles has other concerns, however, with the adequacy
of the supporting data for EPA’s Negative Declaration.
For example, EPA’s environmental impact appraisal is
totally conclusionary in content. It states, on page 6,
that the dust and noise due to construction activities will
have minimal impacts on the surrounding area. There
is no supportive data in the appraisal for this conclu-
sion. It further states that the use of the Palos Verdes
landfill for final disposal of sludge will result in the
least environmental impacts from the hauling of sludge,
(p. 7) and the impact on air quality is insignificant
when compared to all other viable alternatives. (p. 8).
Again there is no supporting data in the appraisal for
these statements.
The appraisal declares that the ‘“(n)oise impacts pro-
duced by this transport should be minimal because the
trucks will be operated during normal working hours
over standard truck routes.” (p. 7, emphasis added.)
This statement, by its very language, implies that the
68
noise impacts may not be minimal and thus there may
be a significant environmental impact just from noise.
There are to be 255 round trips/week or 51 round trips
on an average each day, which means 102 goings and
comings from the landfill per day. Assuming the trucks
operate on an eight hour day, and allowing for an hour
going and coming, this could mean there would be six
hours of activity in the area of the landfill, or approxi-
mately 17 trips per hour or approximately one every
31% minutes. To what extent is there presently truck
activity on these routes? How significant is the increase
in truck activity, and in the use of the landfill? What
impact will this trucking and project use of the landfill
have on this area? The environmental impact appraisal
does not even address these questions.
In making the determination as to whether a project
will not have significant adverse environmental conse-
quences, the inherent danger, as stated by the United
States Court of Appeals (9th Cir.) in City of Davis v.
Coleman, 521 F.2d 661, 673, is that the most serious
environmental effects of a project may not be obvious,
and that the purpose of the EIS requirements is to en-
sure that to the “fullest extent possible, agency decision-
makers have before them and take into proper account
a complete analysis of the project’s environmental im-
pact.”
EPA’s negative declaration asserts that it reviewed
the City’s environmental impact assessment. The City,
in its assessment, namely, the final environmental impact
report it prepared for the project, dated August 1, 1975,
stated, on page 44, that the disposal of sludge at a land-
fill may produce severe unavoidable adverse environmental
impacts. The City’s EIR also states that the generation
of noise and traffic, and the consumption of energy by
the operation of the sludge dewatering facilities, trucks
and landfill vehicles are adverse effects which cannot be
avoided if the project is to be implemented. In short,
both the City’s EIR and EPA’s Environmental Impact
Appraisal indicate that the project may cause a signifi-
cant affect on the environment.
Se
——
~
69
The court, in City of Davis v. Coleman, supra, at p.
673 stated that an “EIS (Environmental Impact State-
ment) must be prepared whenever a project ‘may cause
a significant degradation of some human environmental
factor.’” The court went on to quote with approval the
language of the case of Minnesota Public Interest Re-
search Group v. Butts, 498 F.2d 1320, wherein that
court said:
“An initial decision not to prepare an EIS pre-
cludes the full consideration directed by Congress.
In view of the concern for environmental disclosure
present in NEPA, the agency’s discretion as to
whether an impact statement is required is properly
exercised only within narrow bounds. Action which
could have a significant effect on the environment
should be covered by an impact statement. ” (Em-
phasis added.)
The United States District Court in the case of Pacific.
Legal Foundation v. Burns (Central District, California),
enjoined the operation of the Diamond Lane on the
Santa Monica Freeway, stating therein that “in de-
termining whether a project ‘may have a significant ef-
fect on the environment,’ the courts properly interpret
that phrase to impose a low threshold requirement.”
In the case of Concerned Residents of Buck Hill Falls
v. Grant, 388 F. Supp. 394, 409, the United States Court
of Appeals stated that:
“The duty imposed on all federal agencies by
N.E.P.A. to prepare an environmental impact state-
ment in appropriate cases is to be construed gene-
rously and enforced strictly; Congress intended by
enacting NEPA to require all federal agencies to
give fuller study and consideration to envirenmental
effects to their projects, a goal which can be realized
only by requiring strict compliance with the proce-
dure set forth in Section 102 (2) (C) of the Act.” |
The United States Court of Appeals in Calvert Cliffs
Coordinating Committee v. United States Atomic Energy
Commission, 449 F.2d 1109, 1112 (1971) (D.C. Cir.)
70
stated that NEPA contains very important “procedural”
provisions—“provisions which are designed to see that
all federal agencies do in fact exercise the substantial
discretion given them. These provisions are not highly
flexible. Indeed, they establish a strict standard of com-
pliance.”
The Palos Verdes landfill adjoins a residential area.
We are advised that representatives of the affected com-
munities have already contacted you to underscore their
serious concerns regarding the potential impacts on their
communities. By utilizing the EIS procedure, EPA
would be required to publish a notice in local newspapers
stating that the draft EIS is available for comment and
listing where copies could be obtained, and submitting
news releases to other media. 40 CFR 6.208(b) (3). A
public hearing would also be available. While EPA is
not required by statute to hold public hearings on EIS’s
the responsible official should hold a public hearing on a
draft EIS whenever a hearing may facilitate the resolu-
tion of conflicts or significant public controversy. 4 CFR
6.402. Certainly, however, only by complying with the
EIS procedures can all the affected parties present their
concerns and have them properly evaluated and consid-
ered.
The City of Los Angeles has not decided that the Palos
Verdes landfill is the appropriate landfill for disposal
of HTP sludge. Even if it is eventually determined to be
the most appropriate site, what happens when it is filled?
We see no evidence in EPA’s data that indicates EPA is
aware of the remaining capacity of the site and the pro-
jected demand for other refuse disposal at the site. If
the Class I landfill capacity of Southern California is
used up for sludge disposal, what alternative disposal
methods are available for those wastes, many hazardous,
that can only be placed in Class I landfills? In light of
these factors, we must question the validity of EPA’s
statement in the Environmental Impact Assessment that
“No secondary impacts on the environment are antici-
pated from the implementation of the project.”
This City continues to be very concerned about the
tentative decision to use the Palos Verdes landfill for
71
disposal of the sludge. It will be difficult to cope with the
almost certain public controversy that will ensue when
the communities surrounding the Palos Verdes landfill, or
communities around other potential landfill sites, become
aware of the intention to dispose of the sludge at those
sites if a thorough environmental assessment of alterna-
tives has not been done. As noted above, the preparation
and publie review of an EIS will allow public participa-
tion and comment on all of the alternatives involved be-
fore a decision has been finally made.
Finally, the Environmental Impact Assessment iden-
tifies a number of alternative methods of disposing of
the sludge when ocean discharge is discontinued and dis-
misses them summarily on the basis of higher costs, other
environmental considerations, conflict with existing EPA
requirements due to delays in implementing the alterna-
tive, or uncertainty as to technological capability. We
are not aware of any in-depth study of these alternatives
to determine whether the conclusions supporting their
rejection are valid, and if so, whether on balance the
disadvantages of disposal in the Palos Verdes landfill
might not outweigh the disadvantages of other alterna-
ae even if they are more costly or pose other prob-
ems.
It is requested, therefore, that EPA prepare a full
and legally adequate environmental impact statement
developing, describing, and objectively weighing feasible
alternatives to the project, as required by the National
Environmental Policy Act and applicable regulations
thereunder, including the options of taking no action or
postponing action. The feasible alternatives should in-
clude the alternative of the continuation of sludge dis-
charge into the ocean.
EPA’s environmental impact appraisal, both by its
inclusions and ommissions, indicates that an EIS is nec-
essary prior to EPA’s making a grant offer in this
matter. It is our judgment that without an EIS the
grant offer would be in violation of NEPA, a situation
that the City of Los Angeles cannot countenance. We
feel confident that EPA, as the principal federal agency
responsible for protecting the nation’s environment, also
72
desires to avoid a clear violation of the applicable federal
law.
We trust you will advise us of the actions you intend
to take in response to this formal protest as expedi-
tiously as possible.
| Very truly yours,
BURT PINES
City Attorney
By/s/ L. L. Hoffman
LAWRENCE L. HOFFMAN
Chief Assistant City Attorney
On behalf of the City of
Los Angeles
LLH:jm
ec: Hon. Tom Bradley, Mayor
Each Member of the City Council
Hon. Board of Public Works
Dr. C. Erwin Piper, City Administrative Officer
Donald C. Tillman, City Engineer
State Water Resources Control Board
State Regional Water Quality Control Board
Ken Spiker, Chief Legislative Analyst
73
[EMBLEM]
LOS ANGELES AREA
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
404 South Bixel Street, P.O. Box 3696
Los Angeles, California 90051
(213) 482-4010
December 15, 1976
Mr. Paul De Falco, Jr.
Regional Administrator
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region IX
100 California Street
San Francisco, California 94111
Hyperion Treatment Plant,
Interim Sludge Processing
and Disposal System
Dear Mr. De Falco:
This is in reply to your letter of November 18, 1976, to
All Interested Government Agencies and Public Groups
in connection with the proposed modifications to the
Hyperion Treatment Plant and Interim Sludge Process-
ing and Disposal System.
Chamber of Commerce Position
Briefly, it is the position of the Los Angeles Area Cham-
ber of Commerce that an environmental impact report
must be prepared, circulated, considered and approved
by the City of Los Angeles, the State Water Resources
Control Board and the U. S. Environmental Protection
Agency in connection with the proposed plans to stop
the discharge of sludge from the City of Los Angeles
Hyperion Treatment Plant and to provide for the dis-
posal of this sludge by transportation and disposal in
an appropriate sanitary landfill, or by incineration, or
some other means of disposal.
It is the position of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of
Commerce, based upon a detailed analysis of the pro-
74
posal that there will be a significant and major impact
on the environment if the proposed Interim Sludge Proc-
essing and Disposal System contemplated by the Agency
is earried out. In addition, there will be a substantial
financial impact on the citizens and taxpayers of Los
Angeles. Since there is no demonstrable adverse envi-
ronmental impact from the present system of sludge
disposal into the deep submarine ocean waters off of
southern California, there are no demonstrable benefits
to be derived from putting the proposed plan into effect.
Finally, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
believes that the Agency’s letter of November 18, 1976
has not been sent to a sufficient number of public agen-
cies and other interested parties in southern California
to constitute adequate notice of the Agency’s proposed
plans. The Agency’s proposal with its significant environ-
mental and financial impact has not been published in
the Federal Register as required under the Federal Reg-
ister Act. Finally, no provision has been made for neces-
sary public hearings at which the environmental effect
of the Agency’s proposed Interim Sludge Processing and
Disposal System can be evaluated.
In essence, since the proposed plan involves action by the
City of Los Angeles, the California State Water Re-
sources Control Board, and the U. S. Environmental Pro-
tection Agency, the statutory and procedural require-
ments imposed by the California Environmental Quality
Act and the National Environmental Protection Act must
be complied with.
Background of Proposed Project
At the present time the City of Los Angeles’ major Hy-
perion Treatment Plant discharges 360 million gallons
per day of waste water effluent and the resulting digested
primary and secondary sludge into a deep submarine
canyon in the Pacific Ocean through an outfall termi-
nating 7 miles offshore at a depth of 330 feet. The efflu-
ent is 0.75% (3/4 of 1%) suspended solids, made up of:
75
1.3 mgd of screened digested sludge (primary)
i.0 mgd of waste activated sludge (secondary)
2.5 mgd of secondary effluent
4.8 mgd average daily discharge
This method of disposal of the sludge has been in effect
and in operation for a period of nearly 20 years. Under
the Agency’s proposed plan to alter this method of sludge
disposal, instead, special dewatering facilities are to be
installed at the Hyperion Treatment Plant. The result-
ing estimated 800 wet tons per day of sludge are then
to be trucked across the City and disposed of by dumping
into an acceptable sanitary landfill. While such sludge
dumping, constituting 2 Class 1 landfill operation is now
permitted at the nearby Palos Verdes landfill site, start-
ing in about 1980, it will be necessary to truck the re-
sulting sludge a distance of up to 40 miles for dumping
in the City’s Lopez Canyon sanitary landfill site in the
Sunland-Tujunga area or up to 40 miles for disposal in
the Los Angeles County Calabasas sanitary landfill.
The present volume of sludge in the underwater
offshore submarine canyon has occupied an area of
about 2 kilometers with a depth of up to 1 meter.
An even greater allowance for disposition of such
volumes of sludge will be required in Lopez Canyon
or any alternate site utilized under the Agency’s
plan.
Based upon an 80-mile round trip for each truck load
and 50 truck loads per day it is estimated that 350,000
additional gallons of gasoline will be consumed on an
annual basis adding to the air pollution and congestion
in the Los Angeles Air Basin. In this regard, both the
California Air Resources Board, and the U. S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency itself, have already expressed
their concern over the emission of any additional air
pollutants into the Los Angeles Air Basin, stating that
such additional emissions can only be authorized in the
event that there be a shut-down of an equivalent amount
of other air emissions on a “trade-off” basis. No such
76
“trade-off” is contemplated under the Agency’s proposed
plan.
Lack of Environmental Benefit
In order to assess the environmental impact of the pres-
ent Los Angeles City and County sanitation waste dis-
charge practices, since 1969, both the City and County
have participated in a joint Southern California Coastal
Water Research Project employing about 30 qualified
scientists, at a cost of about $800,000 a year. $500,000
cf this cost is underwritten by the Cities of Los Angeles
and San Diego, Ventura County, and the County Sanita-
tion Districts of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. An
additional $230,000 is underwritten by the U. S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency, and the remainder of the
funding is from miscallaneous sources, including the Uni-
versity of California. Over the more than five years of
the Project’s existence more than $5 million has been
expended studying the biology, chemistry and engineer-
ing problems covering the Southern California Bight
ocean area from Ventura County to the Mexican Border,
the ocean area into which the City’s Hyperion Plan efflu-
ent and sludge is discharged.
The Project’s research work, carried on over a period of
time, has analyzed in detail the effect on marine life,
including fish, marine life, invertebrates, and bacteria
in the entire scuthern California offshore area. The
Project’s conclusion, as set forth in the Project’s 755-
page 1973 Three Year Report is:
“Because of the generally minor and reversible na-
ture of the effects and uncertainty as to the actual
consequences of the most well-intentioned corrective
actions, there is presently no justification for any
major alteration of waste management or discharge
practice...”
The present Director of the Project has concluded that
there appears to be “no possibility” of harming a “sig-
nificant percentage of the population of any species” of
marine animals. Even if the present waste discharge
77
practices are continued for several years at about the
present rate and toxicity it is his opinion, backed by the
scientists working on the project, that there will not be
“any serious or irreversible effect on the sealife.”
Compared to the continuation of the present practice of
discharging sewage effluent and sludge into the deep
ocean waters of California the Agency’s proposed Interim
Sludge Processing and Disposal System would have sig-
nificant adverse environmental impacts not only with
respect to the transportation of the sludge, but with re-
spect to the environmental impact of the disposition of
the resulting sludge in the Lopez Canyon and Calabasas
sanitary landfills. In this connection the environmental
impact on adjacent landfill homeowners, the effect on the
flora and fauna and the ecology of the sanitary landfill
area concerned must be assessed, as well as the effect on
ground water supplies underlying the areas in which the
disposition is planned to take place. In this regard, the
need for environmental impact analysis for exactly such
proposed landfill operations has been precisely recognized
in the preparation and presentation of a four-volume
Environmental Impact Statement covering the City of
Los Angeles’ proposed reactivation of the Mission Canyon
Landfill area for exactly the type of sanitary landfill
operations proposed in the present plan.
Adverse Financial Impact
In addition to the substantial adverse environmental im-
pact (which does not exist under the present deep ocean
submarine sludge disposal system) there is a clear ad-
verse financial impact. According to the Agency’s letter
not only will new project facilities totalling $7.2 million
be required, but in addition to this, substantial increased
Operation and Maintenance Expenses will also be in-
curred.
In contrast to the Agency’s statement, it is the City of
Los Angeles’ estimate that the cost to implement the
interim sludge processing project is estimated at $10.9
million of which the City anticipates grant reimburse-
78
ment of approximately $8.5 million. However, the esti-
mated Operation and Maintenance cost is $3.7 million
annually and is not grant eligible. Since it may take
five years to implement a permanent process which may
be recommended in a present on-going regional study,
if the interim process is operational through this five
year period, the total cost of the interim project will be
$31.3 million. Inasmuch as the wastewater study will
be completed in a reasonably short time and may show
that no project is necessary, there is serious doubt
whether the Agency’s interim proposal is cost effective.
Under the criteria established in the 1972 Water Pollu-
tion Control Act, these additional costs must be met by
increases in sewage process or user charges imposed on
water consumed by the City’s Residential, Commercial,
and Industrial water users or by increases in property
taxes imposed upon Los Angeles taxpayers.
Under the alternatives required to be reviewed and under
the environmental review required, the lack of present
environmental impact and increased adverse impact of the
proposed Agency plan and its financial impact must be
considered.
Lack of Notice and Hearings
In its letter of November 18, 1976, the Agency’s admin-
istrator sets forth the Agency’s plan in a 2-page letter
concluding with the Agency’s “preliminary decision” not
to prepare an environmental impact statement, going on
to state that no action would be taken within 15 working
days from the November 18th date of the Notice—pre-
sumably providing a basis for Agency action after De-
cember 10th.
In this regard it is the Chamber of Commerce’s position
that there has been a lack of effective notice of the
Agency’s plans. Not only was the Agency’s November
18th letter circulated only to a small restricted service
list, but no notice of the Agency’s action was published
in the Federal Register as required under the Federal
Register Act. Since the Agency’s present action would
79
circumvent the environmental review principles set forth
in the National Environmental Policy Act by refusing
to prepare and circulate an appropriate Environmental
Impact Report, additional formal notices must be given
of the Agency’s plans in this regard.
The need for this additional notice and the required
holding of hearings are evident by the Agency’s actions
in similar circumstances regarding the City of Phila-
delphia’s proposal to continue its 2-year practice of sludge
disposal into shallow Delaware Bay waters adjacent to
the City of Philadelphia. In that case involving the In-
terim Ocean Disposal permission granted to the City of
Philadelphia (Permit No. PA-010) several days of hear-
ings were held. At the end of this hearing period, at
which representatives of the City of Philadelphia ap-
peared and testified a detailed 65-page Report was pre-
pared by the Chairman of the panel convened and desig-
nated by the Environmental Protection Agency (G. Wil-
liam Frick, Panel Chairman) September 19, 1975. There-
after, on September 25, 1975, the Agency administrator
issued an 8-page decision reviewing the circumstances
(Russell E. Train, Administrator).
While it is the Chamber of Commerce’s position and
understanding that the circumstances surrounding the
disposition of sludge in the shallow waters of the Dela-
ware Bay are different than the circumstances surround-
ing the disposal of sludge over a 20-year period from the
City of Los Angeles’ Hyperion Treatment Plant into the
deep submarine ocean waters off of southern California,
it is nevertheless clear that based on this direct precedent,
the sufficient environmental issues were raised in that
ease, and are raised in this case to require the prepara-
tion of an environmental impact report—plus a detailed
further Agency environmental review followed by hear-
ing process for disposition of the issue raised by the
Agency’s proposed plan.
Under these circumstances, it is the Chamber of Com-
merce’s position that in view of the lack of environmental
benefit from the proposed plan, and the adverse environ-
80
mental impact that is predicted to result and the financial
impact on the City of Los Angeles water users, a similar
environmental review process must be followed by the
Agency in the present instance.
Summary
In sum, it is the position of the Los Angeles Area Chamber
of Commerce that an environmental impact report must
be prepared, circulated, considered and approved by the
City of Los Angeles, the State Water Resources Control
Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in
connection with the proposed plans to stop the discharge
of sludge from the City of Los Angeles Hyperion Treat-
ment Plant and to provide for the disposal of this sludge
by transportation and disposal in an appropriate sani-
tary landfill, or by incineration, or some other means
of disposal.
It is the position of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of
Commerce, based upon a detailed analysis of the pro-
posal that there will be a significant and major impact
on the environment if the proposed Interim Sludge
Processing and Disposal System contemplated by the
Agency is carried out. In addition, there will be a sub-
stantial financial impact on the citizens and taxpayers
of Los Angeles. Since there is no demonstrable adverse
environmental impact from the present system of sludge
disposal into the deep submarine ocean waters off of
southern California, there are no demonstrable benefits
to be derived from putting the proposed plan into effect.
A copy of the Resolution of the City Council concerning
this issue approved on October 22, 1975 is attached for
your information.
Copies of this letter are being sent to the California
State Water Resources Control Board, and a number of
City of Los Angeles officials including the Mayor, the
City Council, its Public Works Committee, the City’s
Department of Public Works and its Bureau of Sanita-
tion. In addition, copies are being forwarded to inter-
ested sanitation officials and other interested parties in
81
southern California, as well as to other southern Cali-
fornia members of the Legislature and Congress.
Yours very truly,
/s/ Albert C. Martin
ALBERT C. MARTIN
President
82
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
amendments of 1972 (PL 92-500), require the discon-
tinuance of the discharge of pollutants, including sludge,
into the waters of the United States; and
WHEREAS the Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean
Waters of California, prepared pursuant to the Porter-
Cologne Water Quality Control Act, requires the discon-
tinuance of ocean disposal of sewage sludge; and
WHEREAS at the request of the Federal Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State Water
Resources Control Board (SWRCB) the City has en-
tered into a joint regional Wastewater Solids Manage-
ment Program study with the sanitation districts of
Los Angeles and Orange Counties and the EPA and
SWRCB to develop a long term regional solution for
sludge disposal, which study is estimated to be complete
in the fall of 1978; and
WHEREAS the City is participating in the Southern
California Coastal Water Research Project which is
studying the effects of wastewater discharges, including
sludge, into Santa Monica Bay; and
WHEREAS the City is currently disposing of sludge
into the ocean under the authority of a National Pollu-
tion Discharge Effluent System (NPDES) permit issued
jointly by the EPA and the California Regional Water
Quality Control Board, which permit requires the City
to partially discontinue ocean disposal of sludge by April
1977; and
WHEREAS it is within the legal authority of the
EPA and the California Regional Water Quality Control
Board to review the NPDES permit and extend the
sludge out deadline until such time as the regional Waste
Water Solids Management Program study is complete;
and
WHEREAS the Executive Officer of the State Water
Resources Control Board in a letter to the City Engineer
83
on October 31, 1974, stated that should the engineering
and environmental feasibility of implementing an interim
sludge out project “show that these solutions are not
cost effective or environmentally acceptable, we will then
give further consideration to your request to an extension
of the deadline.” ; and
WHEREAS there is no consensus of scientific opinion
that the City’s current practice of ocean disposal of sew-
age sludge has more significant adverse environmental
effects than land disposal; and
WHEREAS the environmental impact report for the
interim sludge out alternatives which shows that the
interim sludge out proposal is not cost effective inasmuch
as the proposed hauling of sewage sludge by trucks to a
landfill site, at an implementation cost of $10,940,000
and an annual operation expense of $3,700,000, may be-
come obsolete upon completion of the regional Waste-
bn a Management Program study in the fall of
; an
WHEREAS the said environmental impact report
shows that land disposal of sludge has adverse environ-
mental effects; and
WHEREAS the City does not presently have adequate
funds available for the interim sludge project and also
the mandatory upgrading of the City’s wastewater treat-
ment facilities; now
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of
Los Angeles hereby requests the Regional Administrator
of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency and
the State Regional Water Quality Control Board to re-
view the current NPDES permit and postpone the dead-
line for the discontinuance of ocean disposal of sewage
sludge until a reasonable time after the regional Waste-
water Solids Management Program study is completed.
84
PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION
455 Capitol Mall, Suite 465
Sacramento, California 95814
Telephone (916) 444-0154
December 80, 1976
Mr. Paul De Falco, Jr.
Regional Administrator
United States Environmental
Protection Agency
Region IX
100 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
Dear Mr. De Falco:
Pacific Legal Foundation, as a nonprofit public-interest
law firm, has examined the legal basis for the require.
ments emanating from the EPA and the State Water
ality Control Board concerning discharges from the
ity of Loa Angeles Hyperion Treatment Plant, This
letter containa our conclusions on the law and our re
quest for EPA to take certain corrective actions which
we believe to be in the public interest,
It is our understanding that EPA bases the require.
ments it is making concerning the elimination the
discharge of digested sewage sludge to ocean waters
and the achievement of er | treatment standards
for effluent from the Hyperion Plant on the belief that
thene uirementsa are mandated by Congress in the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of
1972, PL 92-500, For that reason, EPA has not and
will not consider developing reasonable standards for
the discharges from the Hyperion Plant based on the
environmental impact to the ocean area concerned,
We disa with this reading of the law, In fact, the
law applicable to ocean discharges specifically requires
thorough consideration of the environmental lerpeate of
such discharges and the setting of reasonable standards
based upon the analysis of such environmental impacts,
EPA’s own regulations governing the requirements for
ocean discharges specifically state this same interpreta-
tion. For these reasons, it is requested that EPA immedi-
ately suspend any orders, requirements or permit condi-
tions directed toward the City of Los Angeles concerning
the cessation of ocean discharge of digested sewage sludge
or the upgrading of wastewater treatment facilities which
discharge to the ocean to secondary treatment stand-
ards. Specifically, requirements to this effect in NPDES
Permit CA 0109991 and any approved federal grants
are to be suspended and no such requirements included
in future permits or grant approvals until a thorough
environmental analysis has been completed and stand-
ards developed for the affected ocean area based on the
environmental aanlysis as required by law.
We have been informed that EPA is basing ite present
uirements on Section 801(b)(1)(B) of PL 92-600,
EPA is reading into that section a requirement that all
publicly owned wastewater treatment plants must achieve
secondary treatment technology regardless of where the
lant is located and how it is operated, Section 801 must
read in the context of the entire act,
We must call to your attention that the definitions of
“discharge of pollutants” as used in Section 101 (a) (1)
and “effluent limitations” as used in Section 801(b) (1)
(B) carefully preserve the distinction between navigable
waters and ocean waters, Sections 501(11) and (12),
These distinctions clearly convey the intention of Con-
eas that requirements concerning discharges to the
a waters were not indiscriminately lumped to-
gether,
To the extent that PL 92-500 ia directed towards din
charges into the ocean waters, a specific provision ia in-
cluded as Seetion 403, The requirements of Section 403
differ substantially from Section 901 in that the stand.
ards to be applied are not to be based on technological
achievement, but rather on environmental impacts, It is
clear that, as stated in the EPA’s own regulations, See-
tion 404(e) requires “that applications for permite for
the dumping or other discharge of any materials into
the marine environment be evaluated on the basis of
86
the impact of the materials on the marine environment
. » » and on the economic and social factors involved,”
40 C.F.R. 227.1(¢). EPA's regulations also make it clear
that these requirements apply to “discharge through out-
falls.” 40 C.F.R, 227.1(b).
It is also pertinent to note that shortly after the pas-
sage of PL 92-500, directed primarily at the protection
of navigable waters, the same Congress felt it appropri-
ate to pass PL 92-532, directed at protection of ocean
waters. The requirements for criteria in this second law
are very similar to Section 403 of PL 92-500—so similar,
in fact, that EPA has chosen to adopt a single set of
regulations to implement both. 40 C.F.R, 227, In this
second law, Congress reaffirmed its intention that con-
trol of pollutants in the ocean be based on criteria con-
cerning the impact on the marine environment, Section
102,
Since the definition of navigable waters (to which See-
tion 301 applies) includes “territorial seas” (Section 502
(7)) and since Section 408 by ita terma applies directly
to the “territorial seas,” there is the potential for some
initial confusion as to the application of these two sec.
tions. However, Section 403 is a — requirement
by Congress that NPDES Permits issued pursuant to
Section 402 “for a discharge into the territorial sea”
must be issued in compliance with the guidelines estab-
lished under the requirements of Section 408 “for de-
termining of the igen of the waters of the terri-
torial seas, . .”. EPA openly admits in the regulations
published pursuant to Section 408 that this section con-
tains a congressional mandate that discharges must be
“evaluated on the basis of the impact on the marine en-
vironment, , ." 40 C.F, 227,1(e), This specific man.
date by Congress cannot be avoided by reference to See-
— 801 which is a general section on “Effluent limi.
tations,
As an additional factor of significance, it should be noted
that the Hyperion Treatment Plant discharges effluent
and sludge not to the “territorial seas” but to the “eon.
tiguous zone,” an area clearly included in PL 92-600
87
in Section 408 only, Only a single emergency outfall
discharges into the territorial sea and such discharges
are rare,
While Congress may have intended a uniform national
requirement for discharges to the navigable waters based
on treatment technology, it is clear that the congres-
sional intent in the case of discharges to the oceans was
that requirements would be based on the environmental
impacts likely to result.
The requirements in Section 408(¢) of PL 92-500 and
Section 102(c) of PL 92-582 for a complete environ-
mental analysis, including economic and social factors,
of the marine environment are separate and distinct
from the requirement for the development of an En-
vironmental Impact Statement under the National En-
vironmental Policy Act. While we hold grave reserva.
tions as to the legality and, in particular, the a ..
ness of EPA's use of a “negative declaration” for the
Hyperion Plant in liew of an EIS, we are not assertin
that matter here, It ia clear that the requirements o
PL 92-500 and PL 92-582 can not be set aside by a
“negative declaration” and that a comprehensive environ-
mental review must be performed to comply with these
laws, It would be moat appropriate from the standpoint
of the public interest for EPA to prepare a single com-
prehensive analysis which would conform to the full
requirements for study, analysis, public participation,
= disclosure and open decision making of all three
aws,
We have been informed that substantial selentifie and
technical information exist which show that requirementa
for the Hyperion Treatment Plant if develo ursuant
to Section 403(e) of PL 02-600 and Seetion 102(¢) of
PL, 92-582 would not require secondary treatment for all
discharges, We have also been informed that a full
review as required by the applicable laws, including the
economic and social factors involved, would moat likely
indicate that shifting of the disposal of all sludge from
ocean waters to landfill would environmentally, eco
nomiecally and socially undesirable,
88
Under these circumstances, we believe EPA has a duty
to suspend the present requirements in NPDES Permit
No. CA 0109991 relating to the cessation of discharge
of sludge to ocean waters and to the upgrading of the
Hyperion Plant technology to secondary treatment levels.
No similar requirements should be included in a future
permit until a full environmental analysis, including eco-
nomic and social factors of the ocean discharge of effluent
and sludge, has been completed. As soon as possible, a
new NPDES permit should be issued to the City of Los
Angeles including only those conditions necessary to pro-
vide adequate protection to the marine environment di-
rectly affected by the discharge from the Hyperion Plant
in proper balance with the economic and social costs in-
volved.
Sincerely,
RONALD A. ZUMBRUN
President and Legal
Director
89
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[SEAL]
REGION IX
100 California Street
San Francisco, California 94111
CERTIFIED MAIL No. 450175 Jan. 31, 1977
Ronald A. Zumbrun
President and Legal Director
Pacific Legal Foundation
455 Capitol Mall, Suite 465
Sacramento, California 95814
Dear Mr. Zumbrun:
After giving careful consideration to your letter dated
December 30, 1976, I have concluded that I must deny
your request for the immediate suspension of the re-
quirements of the NPDES permit issued for the City of
Los Angeles Hyperion Treatment Plant. My conclusion
is based upon the following considerations.
Section 301(b) (1) (B) of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act Amendments of 1972 (33 U.S.C. § 1311(b)
(1) (B)) provides expressly that all publicly owned treat-
ment works in existence on July 1, 1977, shall achieve
“effluent limitations based upon secondary treatment as
defined by the Administrator pursuant to section 304(d)
(1) of this Act.” In turn, section 304(d) (1) (33 U.S.C.
§ 1314(d) (1)) requires the Administrator to publish “‘in-
formation, in terms of amounts of constituents and chem-
icals, physical, and biological characteristics of pollutants,
on the degree of effluent reduction attainable through
the application of secondary treatment.” Neither section
301 nor 304 offers any indication that publicly owned
treatment works discharging to ocean waters should be
exempted from secondary treatment requirements. Thus,
under a plain veading of section 301(b) (1) (B), all pub-
licly owned t:eatment works, including those discharging
90
to ocean waters must achieve effluent limitations based
upon secondary treatment.
This conclusion was affirmed by the General Counsel
of EPA in a decision of law concerning the NPDES
permit issued to the Greater Anchorage Borough.
(NPDES Decision of Law No. 12). Like the Hyperion
Plant, the treatment works owned by the Greater An-
chorage Borough discharges directly to the ocean. The
General Counsel ruled that this fact does not exempt
the facility from the secondary treatment requirement of
section 301(b) (1) (B).
In your letter, you point out that the definition of the
terms “discharge of pollutants” and “effluent limita-
tions” in section 501 of FWPCA (33 U.S.C. § 1861) pre-
serve the distinction between navigable waters and ocean
waters. Although it is true that these definitions use
the terms navigable waters and oceans rather than using
a single term for both, the important point is that both
navigable waters and ocean waters are covered by the
definitions. The reference to “effluent limitations” in sec-
tions 301(b)(1)(B) and 304(d)(1) thus requires the
Administrator to establish effluent limitations based up-
on secondary treatment for both discharges to navigable
waters and discharges to ocean waters. Similarly, the
use of the term “discharge of pollutants” in section 402
(a) (1) requires the issuance of NPDES permits for
discharges to ocean waters as well as for discharges to
navigable waters. Furthermore, section 402 provides
that NPDES permits must include the condition that
each discharge will meet all applicable requirements of
section 301 and 403. Section 402 thus requires EPA to
issue NPDES permits for ocean discharges from munici-
pal treatment works which contain effluent limitations
based on secondary treatment as defined by the Admin-
istrator.
The regulations published by the Administrator defin-
ing the requirements of secondary treatment do not au-
thorize less stringent effluent limitations for treatment
works discharging to ocean waters. (40 C.F.R. § 133).
The limitations established in this regulation for bio-
logical oxygen demand and suspended solids, moreover,
91
preclude the discharge of sewage sludge as well as pri-
mary effluent. In view of these requirements, it would
be irresponsible to suspend the conditions of the NPDES
permit issued to the City of Los Angeles for the Hyperion
Plant.
An opportunity for any interested party to contest the
conditions of the NPDES permit for the Hyperion Plant
was available at the time that the permit was issued
in August 1975. Although any interested person could
have requested an adjudicatory hearing under 40 C.F.R.
section 125.36, neither the City of Los Angeles nor any
one else contested the conditions of the permit. In view
of the fact that section 125.36 provides a specific pro-
cedure for review of the conditions of a permit, it would
be inappropriate to reopen consideration of the NPDES
permit for the Hyperion Plant at this date.
Regarding your request that EPA suspend the grant
conditions for the Hyperion Treatment Plant, I have con-
cluded that such action would be irresponsible and must
be denied. The grant conditions requiring the elimina-
tion of discharges of sewage sludge and primary effluent
were proposed by EPA pursuant to 18 C.F.R. § 601.25
(b) (86 F.R. 18029) and were accepted by the City of
Los Angeles. As such, these conditions represent mu-
tually agreed upon contractual obligations between EPA
and the City of Los Angeles. With respect to future
grants, section 201(g)(2) of FWPCA prohibits EPA
from making grants for the construction of wastewater
treatment works after fiscal year 1974 unless the grant
applicant has demonstrated that the project will pro-
vide for the application of the best practicable waste
treatment technology. Like section 301(b) (1) (B), sec-
tion 201(g) (2) does not provide an exemption for proj-
ects which will discharge to ocean waters. Section 201
(g) (2) of FWPCA thus prohibits EPA from making
grants to applicants which will not utilize at least sec-
ondary treatment technology. In view of this require-
ment, it is clear that any future grants to the City of
Los Angeles must also include conditions requiring the
92
removal of sewage sludge and the achievement of effluent
limitations based on secondary treatment.
Sincerely,
/s/ Paul DeFalco, Jr.
PAUL DEFALCO, JR.
Regional Administrator
93
California Regional Water Environmental Protection Agency
Quality Control Board Region IX
Los Angeles Region (415) 556-3430
(213) 620-4460 Permit No. CA0109991
Order No. Amended Authorization to
Amended Waste Dicharge Discharge under the National
Requirements Pollutant Dicharge Elimination
System—Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 125 et. seq.)
FOR
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
HYPERION TREATMENT PLANT
The California Regional Water Quality Control Board,
Los Angeles Region and the Regional Administrator, En-
vironmental Protection Agency, Region IX, finds that:
1. City of Los Angeles discharges wastes under re-
quirements contained in Order No. 75-100 adopt-
ed by this Board and the Regional Administrator
on August 18, 1975. On December 1, 1975, May
24, 1976, and November 22, 1976, this Regional
Board adopted Orders Nos. 75-165, 76-80 and
76-202 respectively, amending the time schedules
contained in Order No. 75-100. Order No. 75-
109 expires on February 1, 1977.
2. City of Los Angeles has filed a report of waste
discharge and applied for renewal of its waste
discharge requirements and National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System Permit prior to
the expiration of the current requirements and
Permit.
3. Adequate review time will not be available for
the tentative waste discharge requirements prior
to the expiration date of the current Order.
4. The City of Los Angeles has prepared a final
environmental impact report in accordance with
the Californie Environmental Quality Act (Pub-
lic Resources Code Section 21000 et. seq.).
94
5. The City of Los Angeles has changed or altered
the project as follows:
a) Discharge of chlorinated secondary effluent
out the 1-mile outfall during installation of
the eductor—construction schedule has been
arranged such that there should be no inter-
ruption of beach usage
b) Discharge of primary effluent during con-
struction of secondary facilities—construc-
tion activities have been timed so that pri-
mary effluent will be discharged out the
5-mile outfall instead of the 1-mile outfall.
c) Cessation of sludge discharge to ocean-land-
fills utilized will have a shortened useful life
—however, no other alternative is currently
available. The problem is being studied by
the State Water Resources Control Board
and the Los Angeles/Orange Metropolitan
Area Study Group.
6. The changes or alterations of the project miti-
gate or avoid the significant or lasting adverse
environmental impacts of the project.
The Board and Regional Administrator have notified the
discharger and interested agencies and persons of their
intent to amend the waste discharge requirements and
permit for this discharge and have provided them with
an opportunity to submit their written views and rec-
ommendations.
The Board and the Regional Administrator in 2 public
hearing heard and considered all comments pertaining
to the tentative amended requirements and permit.
This National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
permit amendment shall take effect 30 days from the
date of signature. The amendment to the State require-
ments is effective upon signature.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that Order No. 75-100
adopted by this Board on August 18, 1975, and NPDES
95
Permit No. CA0109991 issued by the Regional Adminis-
trator on August 18, 1975, shall be revised as follows:
1. The expiration date in Provision F-5 is changed
from February 1, 1977, to June 30, 1977.
2. All other limitations, prohibitions, requirements,
and provisions of Order No. 75-100 and NPDES
Permit No. CA0109991 shall remain in full force
and effect.
This certifies that the foregoing is a full, true, and cor-
rect copy of an Order adopted by the California Regional
Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region, and
of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems
permit amendment issued by the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, Region IX.
/s/ Raymond M. Hertel /s/ William H. Pierce
RAYMOND M. HERTEL WILLIAM H. PIERCE
Executive Officer Chief, Permits Branch,
Enforcement Division
for the Regional
Administrator
Date: January 24,1977 Date: January 24, 1977
96
STATE OF CALIFORNIA—RESOURCES AGENCY
EDMUND G. BROWN, JR., Governor
CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY
CONTROL BOARD—LOS ANGELES REGION
[SEAL]
107 South Broadway, Suite 4027
Los Angeles, California 90012
(213) 620-4460
Jan. 27, 1977
City of Los Angeles.
Bureau of Engineering
Room 800, City Hall
Los Angeles, California 90012
ATTENTION: Mr. Donald C. Tillman
City Engineer
RE: Waste Discharge Requirements (NPDES Permit
No. CA0109991)
Gentlemen:
Reference is made to our letter lated January 14, 1977,
which transmitted a copy of a tentative Order that pro-
posed extending the expiration date of Order No. 75-100
and NPDES No. 0109991 to June 30, 1977.
In accordance with the administrative procedures, this
California Regional Water Quality Control Board and
the Environmental Protection Agency, held a joint pub-
lic hearing on January 24, 1977. At the hearing, the
Board reviewed the tentative Order and adopted Order
No. 77-1 which extends the expiration date contained in
Order No. 75-100 to June 30, 1977. The remainder of
Order No. 75-100 remains in effect.
The representative of the Regional Administrator, EPA,
recommended issuance of the amended NPDES Permit
97
No. CA109991 (copy attached) relative to this waste
discharge.
Please note that additional Findings (Nos. 4 through 6)
were added at the hearing.
If you have any questions, please call us.
Very truly yours,
Original signed by
Raymond M. Hertel
RAYMOND M. HERTEL
Executive Officer
ec: See attached mailing list
Enclosures
This certifies that the foregoing is a full, true, and cor-
rect copy of an Order adopted by the California Re-
gional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Re-
gion, and of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimina-
tion Systems permit amendment issued by the Environ-
mental Protection Agency, Region IX.
/3/ Raymond M. Hertel /s/ William H. Pierce
RAYMOND M. HERTEL WILLIAM H. PIERCE
Executive Officer Chief, Permits Branch,
Enforcement Division for
the Regional Administrator
Date: January 24, 1977 Date: January 24, 1977
98
California Regional Water Environmental Protection Agency
Quality Control Board Region IX
Los Angeles Region (415) 556-3450
(213) 620-4460 Permit No. CA0109991
Order No. Amended Authorization to
Amended Waste Dicharge Discharge under the National
Requirements Pollutant Dicharge Elimination
System—Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 125 et. seq.)
FOR
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
HYPERION TREATMENT PLANT
The California Regional Water Quality Control Board,
Los Angeles Region and the Regional Administrator,
Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, find that:
1. City of Los Angeles discharges wastes under
requirements contained in Order No. 75-100
adopted by this Board and the Regional Admin-
istrator on August 18, 1975. On December 1,
1975, May 24, 1976, and November 22, 1976, this
Regional Board adopted Orders Nos. 75-165, 76-
80 and 76-202 respectively, amending the time
schedules contained in Order No. 75-100. Order
No. 75-100 expires on February 1, 1977.
2. City of Los Angeles has filed a report of waste
discharge and applied for renewal of its waste
discharge requirements and National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System Permit prior to
the expiration of the current requirements and
Permit.
8. Adequate review time will not be available for
the tentative waste discharge requirements prior
to the expiration date of the current Order.
4. The City of Los Angeles has prepared a final
environmental impact report in accordance with
the California Environmental Quality Act (Pub-
lic Resources Code Section 21000 et. seq.).
5. The City of Los Angeles has changed or altered
the project as follows:
&
99
a) Discharge of chlorinated secondary effluent
out the 1-mile outfall during installation of
the eductor—construction schedule has been
arranged such that there should be no inter-
ruption of beach usage
b) Discharge of primary effluent during con-
struction of secondary facilities—construction
activities have been timed so that primary
effluent will be discharged out the 5-mile out-
fall instead of the 1-mile outfall.
c) Cessation of sludge discharge to ocean-land-
fills utilized will have a shortened useful life
—however, no other alternative is currently
available. The problem is being studied by
the State Water Resources Control Board and
the Los Angeles/Orange Metropolitan Area
Study Group.
6. The changes or alterations of the project miti-
gate or avoid the significant or lasting adverse
environmental impacts of the project.
The Board and Regional Administrator have notified the
discharger and interested agencies and persons of their
intent to amend the waste discharge requirements and
permit for this discharge and have provided them with
an opportunity to submit their written views and recom-
mendations.
The Board and the Regional Administrator in a public
hearing heard and considered all comments pertaining
to the tentative amended requirements and permit.
This National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
permit amendment shall take effect 30 days from the date
of signature. The amendment to the State requirements
is effective upon signature.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that Order No. 75-100
adopted by this Board on August 18, 1975, and NPDES
Permit No. CA0109991 issued by the Regional Ad-
ministrator on August 18, 1975, shall be revised as
follows:
100
1. The expiration date in Provision F-5 is changed
from February 1, 1977, to June 30, 1977.
2. All other limitations, prohibitions, requirements,
and provisions of Order No. 75-100 and NPDES
Permit No. CA0109991 shall remain in full
force and effect.
ec: Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, Re-
ional Administrator, Attn: Permits Branch
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
State Water Resources Control Board, Legal Division
Attn: Harry M. Schueller
Department of Fish and Game, Marine Resources
Region
Department of Health, Water Sanitation Section
Department of Water Resources
State Department of Parks and Recreation
Department of Navigation and Ocean Development
State Lands Division
City of Los Angeles, City Engineer
City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering
City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Sanitation
County of Los Angeles, Department of Health Serv-
ices
Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Rec-
reation
Los Angeles County Engineer, Project Planning and
Pollution Control Division
Los Angeles County Engineer, Sanitation Division
County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
City of Santa Monica
City of El] Segundo
City of Manhattan Beach
City of Hermosa Beach
City of Redondo Beach
City of Torrance
Malibu Township Council
101
U.S. Naval Station, Long Beach
Ocean Fish Protective Association
Izaak Walton League of America
NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service
U.S. Fish
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