HomeMy WebLinkAbout0534.000(
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october 11~ 1990
THE HONORABLE CITY COONCIL
Palo Alto, California
New Discharge Requirements for the ReqiQrlal )later Quality Control
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Members of the council:
Report in Brill
This is an informational report summarizing a recent action taken
by.t..be state water ~esources Control Board (State Boar-d) 'Which will
result in lnore stringent 'met.als discharge st.andards fer the
Regional Water Quality Control Plant (RWQCP) in April 1991a No
action by Council is required.
Background
The discharge permit~ issued by the Regional Water Quality Control
Board (Regional Board) for the RWQCP in December 1988, 'Was appealed
to the state Board by the Citizens for Better Environment {CBE)
and other environmental groups~ The appeal contended that the
RWQCP discharge standards for metals and other toxic pollutants
were not stringent enough. It also contended that the December
1991 effective date tor the standards vas not soon enough.
FollowilNJ approximately one ~nd one-half years of consideration ..
hearings and ~orksbops, the State Board took final action on the
appeal on October 4~ 1990. The action took the form of an crder
remandinq a series of issues back to the Regional Board.
The order directs the Regional Board to:
1. Hake the int~rim standards in the permit more stringent.
2. Develop ne~ final standards and plac~ them in the permit by
April 199}'.
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Issue an enforcement order in April 1991, or soon thereafter,
containing a ~ime schedule for compli~nce with the new final
standa:rds ..
The order also affects the other two South Bay plants (Sunnyvale
and San Jose}~ The San Jose plant is f~rther required to mitigate
for the loss ot salt marsh habitat. This further requirement do~s
not apply to the RWQCP or to Sunnyvale.
Impact ~ the Regional Wate.r OUalni.t...L.£Qntrol Plant
While the numerical values of the new standards were not specified
by the state Board~ it is apparent from their order that the RWQCP
cannot meet the new standards and that for at least one. metal
(copper), the standar6 will be significantly more stringent than
the December 1991 standards which the RWQCP had been facing. The
two possible methods for complying with the more stringent
standards are to build a metals removal facility at the RWQCP or to
implement rigorous new source control programs for the indust.rial~
commercial and residential sectors. A metals removal facility
would cost at least $75 .. 0<J<l. 0'0'0 to build. Equally illportant. ... su-ch
a facility is not favored by regulatory agencies or environmental
9roups because of its negative environmental impacts... including
massive energy consumption.
Host. parties favor riqorous ney source control programs as the
method t.o attempt to comply. The RWQCP has already begun by
increasing monit.oring and enforcement., 10' ... erinq metals limits.
imposing a requirement for Waste Minimization Studies... imposing
~etals charges, and developing a new silver ordinance and control
program for pbotoprocessors and x-ray facilities. However, this
will not. be nearly enough. In factI there is no certainty that
source control programs alone will be able to meet all of the new
standards. Controlling copper will be especially difficult ..
because about a third comes from the residential sector and the
sources from that sector are not well understood. Even if copper
'Were completely eliminated .from ind·ustrial and co-:m:mercial sources,
the residential sector alone would prevent compliance u:11ess
SUbstantial reductions are achieved ..
In summary, it will not be possible to achieve the new discharge
standards for the RWQCP in Ap·ril 1991. Source control appears to
be the best alternative. but there is no certainty that it ~ill
achieve the standards by a date certain. staff will advise Council
in April (Oir" earlier) .. hen specific numerical limits are proposed
by the Peqional Board and will inform council as to their i~pact on
the RWQCP.
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Respectfully submitted.
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PHILrp SOBEL
Enqineerinq Manager
DAVID G. ADAMS
Oirector of Public Works
Assistant City Manager
Related CMRS:
(attached)
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April ~O .. 19S9
TR£ HONO~3Ll CITV CO~~CIL
ralQ Alto. Calirorr.ia
CS,!:_:.;:ens for !!!Ii Be-tter-'En,";r9r.!f\e~t Pe"t.iti9r'. :Re OSE--::1':.arge Fenr~t to:
t2",e palo .1.1tc :?egic·:"'.21 "'~i!~E:r o:..:e:~ity CQ~t."ol F.lant
Y.e~ers of the Council:
'!his is '!'n in.!o~.!II,,;ional re;-o~ c·n the pE:tit;cn 1i3:de ty t __ ~Je
Cit :zE'r-.s tor is S-e'tte= _£l'1 .... iro .... .me~t tCflE). e~ e1" tv t!::e: St.a'";.e \;;::,te::
iteSc.I.,;.;:,ce5 Cor.tro1 acard lS .... ~.:3} co-:;:::e:rr-.inq the dis':::!;c::--ge pE-:rItit for
t.l'le Palo Alt.o ~eg:io:--,al \r;'ate:r Q\;alit:y control P::'ent {R""'JC?J.. }Ii:'
action is required b)' Council ~t tl.l!. tiltlE-. Sped.ticall:r .. caE is
re-q-.lesting thet tl".e SIll~CB lo ... ·er ~he dis.:::t.arge lir..:::ts fe'I" certain
toxic lD~t.i!lls" vl:.i;:.h are stipl.ll ated in tl",e new peI"Ilt is;s'J:ed by the
1O;egi;-.:-.al l!;"at.er O'..;;!lity Cc.ol'1trol :&~ar':: (Feg-::,cIizl :6.:.arcJ tc ':.'t.e City
0-0. !).e~e:::1:.e:r 21.. 150 e: s •
':"be San Fri!nciscc Eay ~S'in F:an .. -~s a~.;-;..~e;; i"-}..'..!'3"'..:.st 19E:7 a:-t'3
$e:-,.,e::: .z:s tb.e-~e:sis fer t"be d:5-.::~,a=-;e pe:l:it l!:s'.Je::l tc -:,·r.e cit.y f~'"
the ""-'";lCF Cl'n :>E=el!:!-·E:!" 21 .. lSSS. Be:-fc=e t.'be Ci-:'y~s pe-::-!:·~t '\0.-"'0:
iss:;;e! .. CB!: s-.:.bz::.itted a pE-t.:;":t.ic.~ to t:.s S";j<':-B re:::""E:~t'::~ ~::=-E
.strir:·:;!~r.t. ne"tals lir-::.ts in t~e B~sin P~al'1~ J..fter t.!.e r~.:Tjt "'"2:S
i~!'","e-::!. CEE s·..lpp::'e:::e;",t.ed lts ~etlt.ion .e~d req-... E::s!E-:: t:.t-.at E:::-e
s!ri:":ii;:;t lir.it.s be-:in~c~c::a~e~ ir, 't."be 'i,n5.:;":\."ic-";i!!:l pE:~its fer .Fa~o
J.,:tc .. S;;~...n}"";i:!!;~E: a:;,j San ';cse.
Ci~)" s!et[ !'iled i!II rE:s~.:'::-.s.e t.c t.~.E C5E pe:jti~ Ot'. ;"pril :;4. :5::;.
"t.:-J !-C:e.ad~i':"le for s· .. u.>ri55:lCn of c::'~E:::ts. '!:bE. :-1I2s:,;:·cr:se ir;.c:"oi-::e~!'
o :-:.e iE?':'S~ticJ'j cf a::-.j' ne ... ·• J[·:rE: strin~e:-;t re-:rl.i:re::·e.::-J!.s cr. r.eta:s
is k-·!"E:::::,at-;;re • .Ri<.'~:; staff is -.::.:-'lin..:; tara to e.::'r.tl~'Je to rej·.;.::e
~e~a!s in the ~i~:~arge~ an~ t~e $!~d~es O~ ~e~a~s rej~ctio~ ~~£
eb:;ut. to be irJitia!e~ 1:':,,' t cc.:-:,s·JJt:'ng e-:-'~::-leEri~; fi~. F..::·.·E" .. '£:-..
un~il t..ne.se st';J~':'es I!!"e c:~F':ete. s~,ef:! .... ill .n:-t. • ..!",::-.... :he ... · :!' .... :!" ...
:;::e r·e-ti!.ls re:·...)·:tl~!'1 is ~uc$si:-:e c'r C'C'st. E!!"e::tl...-e. 7~.e
r£-'2:c'~.!l B..:.ard ,dll a5~-.pt :-,e ... .-::i:'r:its ~.,:,:-t~.e r.'Io;':·C? ,ef!.E':" t'!'.e
st-,;:!':'e! arE: c~;:et&.
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"''''bIle these studies are bE-in; COI!';~e-:e~~ the S,,'1i<2B ~::"Id tt.e
.Regional Board viiI be a$op'::inq a l'le".' Basin }Olan. Tt,e t.'o
efforts 'Will COJ:le t0getbe%' in llite 19501 ... ·ith tte lilpositien ct
ne." pentit req..:irement.s. TbE il:egionel S-oar6's ti1I>E linE tor t.t,is
effcrt is I.tta=he~ to this report. Cit)' stlit! believe" t!':at t.:I",E
Reglo.r.al Soard t s approach to tt.is issue is :-cre $o'.;.r.;:f tt.a:'l eEl.· s
proposel to i-.::p:-se lI'Ore stringent discharge liJtits ~.
o rhe documenta.tio.n prepared by eSE, to support their claim tr.at
the s".l9<:Iested limits are cl.i.rrently atteir.able •• 21$ fla.'ed; by the
way i.e wbich the data from the t;ity's R"-'QCP ""ere t!sed. CUrrer.t
data is insufficient to conclude that the suggested li~its a~~
attainable ..
o CBEfs appeal of the ~et!an~s mitigation aspe~t of the Sa~ Jcse
permit~ and the Ceese anj Deslst order ~ere actior.s lixite~ to
San .:Yes-e ..
Tbe S~~B will nov e~n$ider the petiti~n of CSl. as ~ell as the
responses of tbe City .. ctber SO<,,;th B~y ~isc"harger5 and ct.~.er
1r,o;erested persons. The S'h"RCB ...-ill then :issue z: oe::ision in t.he
cC>l!:ing :IIcIlths~ Due to the ll~r a!"ld complexity of isslJes, it.
could ta.lte six .. ont1"~s or longer for the Sir."RC.B to act" Sta.!f .-ill
keep council in!onne~ as adQitior,al infoI'llle:tic~ devej.eps~
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Q~~~!jQL~=----Respectfully subelitted.~
02fe~
0);\"10 G~ A:;hJI'.5
Direct.or o! P..&l:·lic \-"::ri".s
cc: Citize~s fer a ;oetter [r:vlrcr.:':.€.'"lt
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y.arch 22 .. 1990
TH£ HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Palo Alto~ California
o
pische-.roe Limjts for thg f,egJol"lal \;"ater Duality Con~r91 PLu,,'" -
~fing sessicn
Members of the C~ncil:
This is an informational report su~~arllln9 the new. ~ore restric
t:ive discharge limitations being impcse.d on the Regio.nal "'"ater
Quality Control Plant (R~QCP) and the actions being taken to rejuce
the discr.arge of metals and other pollutants. No action is
required by Counc i 1.
Re~~lat9rv Reouirements
In Decerr;ber 1988,. a ne ..... pencit vas issued for the R'jo;'QCP ",-hic'h
lll',posej interim limits for metals and other pote:1tially t:cl-:ic
pollutants. The permit also ir.poses :more stringent. limits
effective December 1591. Other provisions of the permit require
a series of studies to be performed to oetermine the costs and
impacts of achieving the December 1991 limits. The 1991 limits ~ay
be adjustea up~crd or oo~n~ard depending on the outco~e of these
studies and other 'Work being conducted by the Regional \:eter
Quality Control Board (Regional Boara}.
Pe~Jt 10. ope a 1
Citizens for a Better Environment (CaE) and other enviroT'Jnental
qro~ps appe~led the permit and similar permits for San Jose and
Sunnyvale to the State Water .Rescurces Co·ntrol Board (state Board}
because they c'o not believe the pennits are restrictive encugh.
San JO$e appealeCS their permit because it appears too restrictive
to 08110'"' projected qro" ... th for its service area. A decision b:,? tt,e
state Board could corne as early as April. Based on a draft State
Board staff report4' it appeC!lirs un! il.ely that the limits will be.:-o:::e
less restrictive as a result of the C!lippeals.
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Palo ~lto Studies
Palo Alto has co~plete4 three studies related to the 19~1 limits
as rec;z:·uiredi by the permit. The first study estimatedi that if the
1991 limits ~ere met solely by installing further treatment at the
RWQCP, ;an..iual costs would: tripIC!'. The second study four.d that
about one third of the =etals comes from industry. ~o=e than one
third cernes from un=esulated industrial and commercial sources. and
less than one third comes from hO\lseoolds. , The third study found
that waste lI\ini1ft:izati~ practices by industry and cO!!U!1ercial
sources 'Would .not ensure the limits 'Would be Elet by 1991" but that
such 'K'leasures are a good idea and far cheaper tha.n installing
treatment at the R~QCP.
filot ~aste Mi~imization Progrem
A Pilot Waste Minimization Program is being planned, and silver is
the first metal to be addressed. It is envisioned that industrial
permit requirements, enforcement orders, new ordinance previsions,
and public educatlcn will be used in the pilot Waste Minimizaticn
Program~ The Regional Board co,ncurs with Palo Alto's approacb and
intends to modify Palo Alto's pgrmit. to make the Pilot Waste
Minimization Program. mandatory ...
Respectfully submitted,
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PHILIP BOBEL
Engi~eering Manager . . .
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DAVID G. AOI\MS
Director of Public Works
(~'~lli~ JUNl FLEMING
Assistant City Manager
Attachments: Executive Summaries of Studies
Pilot Waste Minimitation Program for Silver
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