HomeMy WebLinkAbout0546.091J~ ;1
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December 5, 1591
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Palo Alto, California
Regional Water Quality Control Plant Discharge Limitation for
Mercury
Members of the Council:
Report in Brief
This is an informational r~port con~erning the mercury discharge
limit for the Regional Watt~ ~uality Control Plant (RWQCP). No
action by Council is required.
Background
The Regional wate.r Quality ...:ontro:, Board (Regional Board) is
considering modifications to its Basin plan and new limits for
discharge to San Francisco Bay, which ~ould affect the RWQCP. For
one pollutant, mercury, the Regional Board staff has proposed to
remove human consumption of fish and shellfish, as 3 protected
beneficial use immediately adjacent to the discharge pipes from the
three sewage treatment plants in lower South Bay --Palo Alto, San
Jose and Sunnyvale. Using the Regional Board staff's methodology,
this would result in a discharge limit for Palo Alto of 0.2 parts
per billion (ppb) as opposed to a limit ~hich could have been as
low as 0.01 Pflb.
Discussion
The proposal to remove human consumption of fish and shellfish as
protected use is opposed by ~nvironr.'lental groups and attracted
significant press attentilJ'l in recent 'WC I'!:k 5 . Palo J.lto I s RWQCP
staff has neither supported nor opposed the Regional Board staff
approach. Rather, Palo Al to's RWQCP staff submitted an alternative
approach resulting in discharge I imi ts slightly higher than the
Regional Board's 0.2 ppb proposal. The PaID AltD proposal is based
on a recalculation of the limit ~hich ~ould be needed to protect
fish and shellfish to the Food and Drug Administration st~ndard.
On December 11, 1991, the Regional Board will consider the various
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C'HR:546:91
• proposals at a public hearing in Oaklund.
permit was to be considered i!t the same
postponed l1ntil the more qe:neral issue
addressed.
p_espectfully submi t.ted,
(?~ ~"-
PHILIP BOBE:L cr:a ager, Eny~rorunen~al c.?mpliance
_t~la~ ---DAVID G" ADAMS
Director of public Works
I~II,~\~}~
( ~ }"LEI!ING
~A$sistant City Manager
CMR:546:91
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Division
The Palo Alto discharqe
meeting, :but is beinq
of tn~ Basin Plan is