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HomeMy WebLinkAbout0435.093• (D. c '; ~".c July 29, 1993 'I'HB HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL Palo AI'co, California Submission pf Resolution Relating to Wastewater Treatment Plant~ for COn§ideration a~ League of California Citles Annual Conference Members of the Council: Rim"?!, in Brief This report requests that Council endorse sllbmi t::al of a resolution for adoption by the League of California Cities (the League) at its 1993 Annual Conference. This report further requests that Council direct staff to seek endorsement of the resolution by the Peninsula Division of the League. The :r.e_solution wo· .... ld have the League support legislation and related initiatives to develop appropriate requirements for the discharge of treated sewage. BAckground The ~~ual Conference of the League of California Cities will be held i:.t San Francisco October 17-20, 1993. Cities may submit resolutions for adoption by the Lea.gue to guide work planning and the League's priorities during the upcoming year. Resolutions may be endorsed by a city' e geographical division (The Peninsula Division for Palo Alto) to demonstrate a broader base of support for the resolution. At the request of Palo Alto. San Francisco and the California Association of Sanitary Agencies {CASA). the League" s Environmental Quality Policy Comndttee endorsed watershed management leg~61ation and a related State Water Resources Control Board resolution on Ju..Tle 25, 1993. The resclution now being proposed tc.r adoption by the Leag-Ile' S General Assembly constitutes a somewhat broader statement of policy to allow and direct other actions by the Leag1Je in the area of surface water protection. Palo Alto staff have briefed Assemblyman Byron Sher on the new, stringent d~scharge standards facing wastewater treatment plants and the associated policy issues. Assemblyman Sher and his staff have indicated a willingness to convene the interested parties and to attempt to formulate legislative solutions. If these efforts are successful, Assemblyman Sher has indicated his desire to carry the legislation next year. Piscnssion The resolution identifies increasingly stringent discharge standards for wastewater treotment plants as an action issue for CMR:435: 93 -1- -~---.-.. o che League in the upcoming year~ An equally stringent regulatory approach is not currently being implemented for all other sources of poll',ltants t.o the State's surface waters. The most notable exceptions are mining, agriculture. and other -non-point­ dischargers which, to date. have not been subject to full regulatory controls. It is therefore pOB5ibl~ ,-Ud.'L a disproportionate share of society's r~Bources are being targeted toward relatively more expensive controls on a relatively small and dwindling percentage of the problp.m: wastewater treatment plant discharges. To avoid misusing taxpayer dollars and society's resources, a ·watersho:d management" ;approach is proposed which would evaluate contributions from all sources and the costs of controlling each. It is also possible that a portion of the pollu~ant loading which does come from wastewater treatment plants comes from sources which are not best controlled by local government. Examples would be commercial product3 containing a pollutant of concern "",here the most effective control strategy may be to require production reformulatio!l~ However, local government would not be the most app:t'opriate entity to require reformulation. The resolut.ion identifies this as a related issue requiring a legislative solution. Recomme.nda t ions Staff recommends that Council: Direct staff to forward Peninsula Division of the endorsement. the attached resolution to the League of California Cities for 2~ Direct staff to forward the attached Resolution to the League of California cities for adoption at their General Assembly h<>ing held on October 19. 1993. Respectfully submitted, -7· ::;/c 'J 'l<..L.-p ir~", PHILIP BOBEL Environmental Compliance Manager ~~ Attachment: Resolution Related Reports: CMR:435 :93 CMR,325 ,93 C>!R, 393,93 -2- pt.,. /~,~ G~~ S. ROBERTS Director of Public Works ·' " • RE'SCLtrTION RELATING Ie ~qASTEWATER TREA'l'MEN1' PLANTS WHBREA.S. California' s cities are facing increasingly stringent diacr...a.rge standards for publicly owned treatment wo::-ks (POTWo); and WHEREAS, identification of all sources of pollutants. t.:1ethods ct control and costs of control measures is essential; and ilirtSREAS.. control of many sources goes beyond the legal. technical and tin~~cial capabilities of cities; and WHER.E:M, cities are Dot the '!POst. appropriate governmental entities to control or regulate certain pollutant sources; and lffiBREAS. California cities and the League of Califo1..nia Cities have engaged in discussions ...... ith other agencies; including the california Associatinn of Sanitation Aqencies and environmental advocacy organizations~ to resolve these issues; DOW therefore, be it RESOLVED .. by the General Assembly of the League of California Cities assembled in Annual Conference in San Francisco on OCtober 19, 1993, that the League support legislation to develop watershed management plans fo-r the efficient, effective, reasonable and equitable control of polluta"lts discharged to surface waters of the state; and be it further RESOLVED. that the League encourage the development of reasonable control measures by other govecnmental entities for those sources for which cities are not the most appropriate regulators. .'