|
***
|
The
energy challenge facing California is
real. Every Californian needs to take
immediate action to reduce energy consumption
|
|
***
|
For
a list of simple ways to reduce demand
and cut your energy costs, see the tips
at: http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/news/echallenge.html
|
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GROUNDWATER DIVISION |
ENFORCEMENT
& GROUNDWATER PERMITTING
Administrative
Civil Liability issued to Hi-Tech Seating Systems,
Inc.
Joyce
Wang
An ACL was issued to Hi-Tech Seating Products, Inc. for $2,980, for violating the State’s General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activities, Water Quality Order No. 97-03-DWQ, NPDES No. CAS000001, by failing to submit the required annual report for 2000-2001. The Discharger paid the penalty in full on January 23, 2002.
Administrative
Civil Liability issued to Falcon Auto Transport
Joyce
Wang
An ACL was issued to Falcon Auto Transport for $2,980, for violating the State’s General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activities, Water Quality Order No. 97-03-DWQ, NPDES No. CAS000001, by failing to submit the required annual report for 2000-2001. A check for 50% of the penalty, a letter committing to performance of a SEP for the remainder of the penalty and a signed waiver dated January 24, 2002 has been received by the Regional Board.
Administrative
Civil Liability issued to Camp Glenn Rockey
Lala
Kabadian
A revised ACL was issued to Camp Glenn Rocky for $52,000, for violating California Water Code sections 13376 and 13264. The Camp discharged 9,000 gallons of raw sewage January 15 – January 24, 2000, January 29 – February 11, 2000 and February 24 – March 8, 2000 into Sycamore Canyon Creek, a water of the State. The Discharger has paid the penalty in full.
Mandatory
Minimum Penalty issued to Southern California
Water Company, Yukon Plant
Russ
Colby
A MMP was issued to Southern California Water Company, Yukon Plant for $21,000, for exceeding their NPDES permit daily maximum effluent limit on December 14, 2000 for: lead by 55%, settleable solids by 100%, arsenic by 144% and total suspended solids by 280%. The Discharger also exceeded their NPDES permit monthly average effluent limits during the month of December for turbidity, settleable solids by 500% and total suspended solids by 1,040%. The wastes flow to the Dominguez Channel, a water of the State. The Discharger paid the penalty in full on January 25, 2002.
Mandatory
Minimum Penalty issued to Casden Properties
Joyce
Wang
A MMP was issued to Casden Properties, Park La Brea Parcel B, for $6,000, for exceeding their NPDES permit daily maximum effluent limit for oil & grease on June 6, 2001 by 100% and their monthly average effluent limit for oil & grease by 200% for the month of June. The wastes flow to Ballona Creek, a water of the State.
Regional
Board Meeting
Enforcement
Staff
In accordance with Resolution 00-017, a Regional Board Hearing Panel conducted evidentiary hearings for ACLs on October 29, 2001, pertaining to:
- ACL issued to Metal Recycling 22, Inc. for $33,610, for violating the State’s General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activities and on December 17, 2001,
- ACLs issued to Central City Pallets, Inc./Alameda Street for $6,980, to Central City Pallets, Inc./Enterprise Street for $6,980, and to M.G.M. Auto Sales/Dismantling for $6,980, for failing to submit required Notices of Intent.
The Hearing Panels heard evidence presented by the Dischargers, their representatives and Board staff and reported their findings at a full Board Meeting held at the Richard H. Chambers, U.S. Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California on January 24,2002.
The full Board adopted the Hearing Panel’s recommendations and directed the Executive Officer to issue Orders on the Complaints for Metal Recycling 22, Inc., Central City Pallets, Inc./Alameda Street, Central City Pallets, Inc./Enterprise Street and to M.G.M. Auto Sales/Dismantling.
NPDES
Facility Inspections
Jesus
Plasencia and Jose Morales
Enforcement Unit NPDES inspectors conducted 3 level B inspections (routine non-sampling inspections) and 3 level A inspections (comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken) of facilities with NPDES Permits. Inspection of these facilities is a required part of the NPDES program. See Attachment "A".
Notices
Of Violation – NPDES Discharge Monitoring Reports
Enforcement
Staff
The Executive Officer issued Notices of Violation and Requirements to Submit information to 11 facilities for failing to comply with provisions of Waste Discharge Requirements included as part of their NPDES Permits. Enforcement staff identified these violations as part of the NPDES discharger monitoring report review process.
Self
Monitoring Reports
Enforcement
Staff
In
January 2002, staff reviewed a total of 109 Self-Monitoring
Reports submitted by NPDES permit holders.
Waste Discharge Requirement Program (Non-Chapter 15)
Halaco
Engineering Company
Gary
Schultz
Halaco Engineering Co. (Halaco), located at 6200 Perkins Road, Oxnard, currently discharges solid and liquid wastes to a waste management unit under waste discharge requirements contained in Order No. 80-58. Board staff in past inspections cited violations and cited failure to meet operation plan requirements. The Regional Board staff issued a tentative Cease and Desist Order on January 14, 2002, Halaco argued in correspondence that the violations were not supported by fact. Subsequently, Board staff along with the Environmental Defense Center as an interested party, conducted extensive negotiations with Halaco to develop a negotiated tentative Cease and Desist Order (NTCDO). Board staff scheduled the Halaco tentative item (the NTCDO) for a February 19, 2002, Board meeting. However, due to substantive questions of Board members, the item was continued to a February 28, 2002, Board meeting. When the hearing resumed on February 28, 2002, the Board considered the changes made to the revised NTCDO, considered public comments, and directed further changes. As the Board considered all factors pertaining to the case, the Board conditionally approved the NTCDO subject to the review of the Board for the final document incorporating changes read into the record.
Adoption of General Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) for Groundwater Remediation at Petroleum Hydrocarbon fuel and/or Volatile Organic Compound Impacted Sites (Order No. R4-2002-0030)
On January 24, 2002, this Regional Board adopted General Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) (Order No. R4-2002-0030) for re-injection, percolation or infiltration of treated groundwater from the cleanup of petroleum hydrocarbon fuel and/or volatile organic compound impacted sites and similar discharges. The general WDRs have discharge limitations for the receiving groundwater. The Discharger is also required to file with the Regional Board technical reports on self-monitoring performed according to the detailed specifications contained in a Monitoring and Reporting Program for each authorized Discharger. The general WDRs will expedite the application process for Dischargers and provide a level of protection comparable to individual, site-specific WDRs.
WDR
Facility Inspections
Non-Chapter
15 Unit staff
Non-Chapter 15 Unit staff conducted level B1 (routine non-sampling inspections) and complaint inspections of 17 facilities with WDR Permits. Inspection of these facilities is a required part of the WDR program.
Self
Monitoring Reports
Non-Chapter
15 Unit staff
In January 2002, staff reviewed a total of 29 Self-Monitoring Reports submitted by WDR permit holders.
General Post-Closure Maintenance of Inactive Non-hazardous Waste Landfills within the Los Angeles Region Waste Discharge Requirements
Regional Board staff estimate that there are in excess of 700 solid waste disposal sites in the Los Angeles Region. Of these, the vast majority are classified as closed, abandoned or inactive ("CAI" units) under current landfill regulations. Effectively, these sites are non-permitted because they preceded modern landfill regulations. In heavily developed southern California, as open land has become more scarce and expensive there has been an increasing interest in developing CAI sites. Historically, CAI sites have tended to be relatively remote and not have post-closure land uses that posed an immediate environmental threat. As these sites are proposed to be redeveloped, changes in site conditions must be assessed to assure that no environmental threat is exacerbated with the change in land use.
General waste discharge requirements (Order No. R4-2002-022) were adopted by the Regional Board on January 24, 2002 to incorporate final closure and post-closure maintenance for CAI sites in the Region. The general waste discharge requirements will be issued by the Executive Officer if 1) the discharger elects to be enrolled under the program; 2) the discharger is required to enroll into the program to satisfy a Conditional Use Permit, or equivalent requirement to redevelop a landfill property; or 3) the site is a known or potential threat to water quality.
The general waste discharge requirements will speed up the permitting process and result in a short turnaround time for the owner, will standardize requirements for post-closure maintenance and monitoring procedures, and will allow the Board to more efficiently evaluate whether proposed redevelopment projects are sufficiently protective of the environment.
Monthly Enforcement Summary
A
summary listing the Monthly Enforcement actions
has been included with this report as Attachment
"C".
STORM WATER SECTION
Construction
and Industrial – Inspection Update
Yi
Lu
Board Staff have received approval from the State Water Resource Control Board (State Board) to adjust workplan targets for industrial and compliance inspections. The workplan has been adjusted to redirect staff resources for enforcement follow-up resulting from Regional Board staff and United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) contractor compliance inspections. The table below lists the adjusted workplan goals and updated compliance inspections completed through the month of January 2002.
|
Compliance Inspections |
||||||||
|
2000/01 Total (% Target) |
First Quarter |
Second Quarter |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
YTD Total (% Target) |
2001/02 Target |
|
|
Construction |
324 (138%) |
62 |
51 |
53 |
166 (66%) |
250 |
||
|
Industrial |
251 (121%) |
57 |
67 |
40 |
163 (65%) |
250 |
||
|
Contractor |
N/A |
N/A |
170 |
150 |
|
|
320 (64%) |
500 |
|
Total |
575 (130%) |
119 |
288 |
243 |
650 (65%) |
1,000 |
||
The US EPA has retained Tetra Tech, Inc. (TTI), to assist the Regional Boards with compliance inspections. The contract inspections began in late October 2001, and were halted at the end of January 2002, due to US EPA budget limitations. Approximately 400 facilities were to be inspected. As of January 31, 2002, the contractor has provided approximately 247 inspection reports to the Regional Board and 175 of them have been reviewed. The following table lists the status of our follow-up on these inspection reports:
|
72 |
Inspection reports await review. |
|
101 |
Inspection reports noted major permit violations. 78 Notices of Violations (NOVs) were issued; 23 NOVs are being drafted. |
|
47 |
Inspection reports noted minor permit violations. 1 Notice to Comply (NTC) was issued; 46 NTCs are being drafted. |
|
14 |
Inspection reports noted compliance. |
|
13 |
Inspection reports found facilities to be closed or relocated. |
|
|
|
|
247 |
Total |
Industrial
– Long Beach Non-filer Project
Yi
Lu
The Port of Long Beach submitted a list of 33 businesses to the Regional Board in October 2001. These businesses are located within the Port of Long Beach and are potential non-filers subject to the General Industrial Storm Water Permit. Regional Board staff started site inspections on these businesses in January 2002. The following table lists the preliminary results from the inspections.
|
|
33 Facilities have been inspected. 2 are already permitted; 7 have been identified as subject to the General Permit requirement; 14 are not subject to the General Permit requirement (vacant, duplicated, etc.); 10 can not be accessed due to access problems and/or bad addresses.
|
During March 2002, staff will send out letters to the seven facilities that have been identified as being subject to the General Industrial Storm Water Permit, and require them to file a Notice of Intent with the State Board to obtain coverage under the General Industrial Storm Water Permit.
Industrial--Draft
Industrial General Permit Review
Dan
Radulescu
On January 17, 2002, staff participated in the Urban Runoff Task Force Meeting convened by the State Board. The Urban Runoff Task Force is made up of representatives from the State Board, Regional Boards and the USEPA, and meets bimonthly to discuss and coordinate implementation of the storm water program. At the meeting, Regional Board staff discussed the first draft of the Industrial Storm Water General Permit (the draft), and elaborated on comments submitted to the State Board in December 2001.
Municipal-Ventura
Countywide Storm Water Quality Program Audit Report
Ejigu
Solomon
From October 29 through November 1, 2001, four co-permittees of the Ventura municipal storm water permit were audited. Tetra Tech, Inc. on behalf of US EPA and Los Angeles Regional Board performed the program evaluation. Regional Board staff issued the audit report to Ventura Countywide municipal storm water permit managers. For additional information, please contact Ejigu Solomon at (213) 620-2120.
Resolution
Adopted to Fund Phase 2 of the Water Augmentation
Study
Matt
Yeager
On January 24, 2002 the Regional Board adopted a resolution to provide $75,000 to fund Phase 2 of a study of storm water infiltration devices--the Water Augmentation Study (WAS). The Regional Board previously provided $50,000 to fund Phase 1 of the WAS in December 2000. The WAS is a multi-agency effort being led by the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, in partnership with Regional Board and six other participating agencies to research storm water infiltration as a treatment option and as a means to augment ground water in the region.
Municipal
- LA County MS4 Permit Petitions
Xavier
Swamikannu
The Regional Board adopted the Los Angeles County Municipal Storm Water NPDES Permit (Order No. 01-182) on December 13, 2001. A total of seven distinct petitions have been filed with the State Board challenging the action of the Regional Board in adopting the municipal storm water permit for Los Angeles County. Petitioners include the County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles, the Western States Petroleum Association, Building Industry Association of Southern California, Building Industry Legal Defense Foundation, Construction Industry Coalition on Water Quality, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, Playa Vista Foundation, and the cities of Alhambra, Artesia, Arcadia, Baldwin Park, Bell, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Beverly Hills, Carson, Cerritos, Claremont, Commerce, Compton, Covina, Diamond Bar, Downey, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawaiian Gardens, Hawthorne, Industry, Irwindale, La Mirada, Lakewood, Lawndale, Lomita, Montebello, Monrovia, Norwalk, Paramount, Pico Rivera, Pomona, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Santa Clarita, Santa Fe Springs, Sierra Madre, Signal Hill, South Pasadena, Temple City, Torrance, Vernon, Walnut, West Covina, Westlake Village, and Whittier. The Regional Board staff is currently preparing the Administrative Record and the Regional Board Response to the Petition for submittal to the State Board.
Municipal
– US EPA Briefing
Xavier
Swamikannu
On
January 17, 2002, storm water management briefed
USEPA Region IX staff on progress with implementation
of the storm water program in the Los Angeles
region. US EPA requested the briefing in order
for them to seek a resolution of a petition filed
in 1999 by the Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC) against US EPA for its failure to ensure
that the State meets its delegated responsibilities
under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) storm water program. The US EPA
is considering holding a workshop to discuss its
review of the program and next steps to resolve
the petition.
REMEDIATION
SECTION
Well Investigation Program
Chromium
VI Forum hosted by U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff
Dixon
Oriola
Regional Board staff attended a Chromium VI Public Forum on January 14, 2002, hosted by US Congressman Adam Schiff (Glendale). This forum was held in the Chambers of the Glendale City Council Board Room and was moderated by Dr. Kenneth Olden of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Institute for Health (NIH). Also joining Congressman Adam Schiff on the panel, the Mayor of Glendale, Mr. Gus Gomez and Mayor Bob Kramer of the City of Burbank. Invited guests speakers included Dr. John Froines (UCLA), Dr. Michael Collins (UCLA), Dr. Joseph Landolph (USC), Dr. John Bucher (NIEHS, NIH), and Mr. Don Froelich (City of Glendale). Environmental groups, concerned local citizens and the press also attended this forum.
The discussion centered on what are the potential health effects from drinking Chromium VI polluted water and what scientific or epidemiologic evidence exists to infer toxicity and/or carcinogenicity. Some speakers from the City of Glendale, County of Los Angeles and the public also addressed the panel about concerns with regards to drinking water containing elevated concentrations of Chromium VI.
Cleanup of Contaminated Sediments in the Consolidated Slip meeting
On
February 20th, a meeting was held with interested
persons to discuss the initiation of Regional
Board efforts to pursue a cleanup of contaminated
sediments in the Consolidated Slip (located at
the mouth of Dominguez Channel). Sediments in
this area have been impacted by decades of pollutants
that have been discharged into Dominguez Channel.
The area is also listed on the Regional Board's
listing of contaminated hot spots. The meeting
discussion focused on efforts that can be made
initially to develop an initial planning document
to outline the state of contamination and the
steps that can be taken to restore the site. The
Regional Board has approximately $1 million allocated
in reserve accounts from enforcement actions that
are earmarked to pursue cleanup. Additional funding
will ultimately be required for cleanup which
may take an extended period to accomplish. The
Regional Board is currently evaluating the appropriate
next steps to take to further define the nature
and extent of contamination.
UNDERGROUND
STORAGE TANK PROGRAM
Charnock
Sub-basin MTBE Investigation
Weixing
Tong
Introduction: The Charnock Sub-Basin Investigation Area is located in the Central Groundwater Basin of the Los Angeles Coastal Plain. During March 1996, MTBE concentrations up to 610 m g/L was detected in the City of Santa Monica (CSM) wells, consequently in June 1996, the CSM shut down its five production wells. The Southern California Water Company (SCWC) has a wellfield adjacent to the CSM wellfield and shut down its two production wells in October 1996, to avoid drawing in MTBE pollution. No MTBE was ever detected in the SCWC production wells. During April 1997, the Regional Board and USEPA (jointly the "Agencies") signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deal with the MTBE pollution problem affecting both the CSM and SCWC wellfields (collectively "Charnock Wellfields"). Pursuant to the MOU, the Agencies identified 48 potential responsible party sites (PRP sites) within one and one quarter mile radius of the wellfields (Charnock Sub-Basin Investigation Area). Based upon record search, 32 potential source sites were required to perform a preliminary investigation to determine the potential of soil and groundwater contamination. At present, there are 27 active sites in the Charnock Sub-Basin Investigation Area. Of the 27 active sites, additional site assessment work is required at 13 sites. Groundwater monitoring is being performed at all 27 sites. Remedial action workplans for the soil and/or groundwater have been approved for a total of 9 sites.
Site Specific Cleanup: Site specific cleanup technologies include air stripper, granular activated carbon adsorption, advanced oxidation process, and soil vapor extraction. The following are the current status of site-specific cleanup activities:
PRP Site No. 4 (ARCO): Implement soil vapor extraction. To date approximately 51,664 pounds of total petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed from beneath the site.
PRP Site No. 7 (Unocal): Implement soil vapor extraction. To date approximately 16,908 pounds of total petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed from beneath the site. A remedial action plan has been approved to clean up the contaminated groundwater beneath the site.
PRP Site No. 8 (Mobil): Implement soils vapor extraction and groundwater pump and treat system. To date approximately 305 pounds of MTBE, 85 pounds of benzene, and 14,020 pounds of petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed by soil vapor extraction. Since November 1999, approximately 23.5 million gallons of groundwater have been pumped, treated and discharged under an NPDES permit. Approximately 780 pounds of petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed from groundwater underneath the site.
PRP Site No. 10 (Chevron): Implement soils vapor extraction and prepare groundwater pump and treat system. A vapor and groundwater extraction system (VEGE) has been installed and operated at the site. To date approximately 4,258 pounds of petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed by soil vapor extraction.
PRP Site No. 11 (Shell): Implement soil vapor extraction and onsite and offsite groundwater pump and treat system. A groundwater pump and treat is used to recover polluted groundwater and is then treated using an air stripper to remove MTBE followed by advanced oxidation process to remove TBA. To date approximately 110 million gallons of groundwater have been treated and discharged under an NPDES permit. Since the inception of the remediation system, 7,863 pounds of total petroleum hydrocarbons, 397 pounds of benzene and 1,579 pounds of MTBE have been removed from the site. The system influent concentrations for MTBE have decreased from 19,000 m g/L in November 1999, to 440 m g/L in November 2001. The soil vapor extraction system has been operated since September 2000. To date approximately 86 pounds of MTBE, 29.6 pounds of benzene, and 3,247.3 pounds of petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed by soil vapor extraction.
PRP Site No. 12 (Winall Oil): Implement soil vapor extraction. A soil vapor extraction system has been operating since May 2000, and has removed to date (September 2001) 14,309 pounds of petroleum hydrocarbons, 96 pounds of benzene, and 1,869 pounds of MTBE.
PRP Site No. 6 (Conoco): Voluntary onsite soil excavation is ongoing.
PRP Site No. 16 (Tosco): Implement pilot test for soil vapor extraction system.
PRP Site No. 23 (Chevron-Thrifty-Best): Completed tanks removal and excavation of contaminated soil onsite and is Installing a duel-phase vapor extraction system to cleanup onsite and offsite vadose zone contamination. Construction for offsite soil vapor extraction piping has been complete. Offsite gasoline free product removal is ongoing.
Chevron-Thrifty-Best has completed the installation of onsite vapor extraction wells and 14 offsite groundwater monitoring well clusters between the site and the Charnock Wellfield. Chevron-Thrifty-Best is currently installing three additional step-out groundwater monitoring well clusters along the Sawtelle Boulevard in February 2002. The startup operation of the onsite vapor extraction system is scheduled to commence in May 2002.
PRP Sites No. 1, No. 8, No. 15, No. 23, No. 40, and No. 44: Complete tank removal and/or upgrades.
Charnock Sub-basin Regional Approach: On the Charnock Sub-basin regional issues, the Regional Board and Shell have entered into a Stipulated Agreement containing a specified Scope of Work (SOW) to perform regional investigation and analysis of alternatives for both Interim Water Replacement and Interim Regional Response Actions. The Regional Board members at the August 31, 2000, meeting approved the Stipulated Agreement. As part of this investigation, a number of groundwater monitoring wells have been installed into the Upper Silverado Aquifer and Shallow Unnamed Aquifer to aid in determining plume source(s) and characteristics, and to perform periodic groundwater monitoring. This work requires development of a basin-wide flow model, development a GIS database, evaluate alternative drinking water sources within the Charnock Sub-Basin, evaluate methods of treating polluted groundwater, restoring the Charnock Sub-Basin Investigation Area to its full beneficial use, and provide a community relations plan. The work specified in the SOW is a necessary step to restore the drinking water supply at the Charnock Wellfields. Per the agreement, Shell’s consultant has completed the fieldwork as specified in the scope of work. On November 19, 2001, the final reports for regional investigation results and recommendations for selection of remedy were submitted. Currently, Regional Board and USEPA staffs are evaluating the reports.
Arcadia
Wellfield Restoration from MTBE Contamination
Jay
Huang
Three aquifers were impacted by MTBE contamination. Two groundwater aquifers, the shallow aquifer and the production aquifer are located north of the Brentwood fault; the lower aquifer is located south of the fault. The shallow aquifer and lower aquifer in the vicinity of the former Mobil Station 18-LDM have been treated with a pump and treat system since October 1997. Currently approximately 22 gallons per minute (GPM) of groundwater are being pumped from 18 groundwater extraction wells of the shallow and lower aquifers and treated at the Mobil facility. To date (December 26, 2001) the treatment system has pumped 25.2 million gallons of groundwater and removed an estimated amount of 80.6 pounds of TPH and 211.5 pounds of MTBE. The average MTBE concentration in the shallow aquifer influent has been decreased from over 2,000 m g/L in 1998 to 37 m g/L in December 2001. The impacted soil in the vadose zone has been treated with a vapor extraction system (VES). The cumulative VOC mass removed is 13,145 pounds since May 1999. The VES has been shutdown since December 2001 due to low influent concentrations.
A Production Aquifer Remediation System (PARS) using activated carbon filtering to clean up the production aquifer has been in operation since May 17, 2000. Currently groundwater from Arcadia Well No.5 are being pumped at 300 GPM and discharged to a storm drain. To date (November 1, 2001), PARS has pumped approximately 222.88 million gallons of groundwater and removed 0.51 pounds of MTBE. The average daily influent concentration of MTBE was less than 0.5 m g/L.
A spiking demonstration test designed to further evaluate system reliability and effectiveness has been conducted for 45 days and completed in December 2000. A Demonstration Test Report dated July 2, 2001 has been submitted and reviewed by the California Department of Health Service (CDHS). CDHS has decided that no public hearing will be held prior to issuance of the permit amendment for the PARS treatment facility. CDHS has completed a draft permit amendment and is expected to issue a formal permit amendment to City of Santa Monica (CSM) in mid-February 2002. CSM is then allowed to resume its distribution of treated groundwater water extracted from the Arcadia Wellfield to the resident of CSM.
Methyl
Tertiary Butyl Ether Investigation of Southern
California Water Company’s Harrison Well No. 2
John
Chiang
In May 2001, Regional Board staff was notified of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) pollution in Southern California Water Company’s (SCWC) Harrison Well No. 2, located at 673 West Harrison Avenue, Claremont. Groundwater sampling of Harrison Well No. 2 during November 2000, detected MTBE ranging from 4.0 to 7.0 µg/L. Harrison Well No. 2 remains off-line because MTBE concentration has exceeded the secondary drinking water standard of 5 µg/L.
In July 2001, Regional Board staff conducted site inspections and completed records searches, and identified fifteen (15) potential responsible parties (PRPs) within the one mile radius of the Harrison Well No. 2. On October 26, 2001, Regional Board staff issued directive letters to the 15 PRPs notifying them of the MTBE problem and requiring site specific information pertaining to their underground storage tank operations and assessment work completed. The information from the PRPs is due to the Regional Board by January 15, 2002. On the same day, the Regional Board sent a letter to SCWC requesting that they provide well construction, production, and hydrogeologic information in the area surrounding the Harrison Well No. 2, to assist in determining the source(s) and cause(s) for the pollution in their well.
To date, site information was provided by nine of the fifteen PRPs for their underground storage tanks in response to the October 26, 2001 letter. Three were returned and resent to new address on November 16 and 29, 2001, respectively. An enforcement letter will be sent to three PRPs shortly for their delinquent technical reports. In addition, SCWC has not provided information as per our October 26, 2001 letter. Regional Board staff will review and evaluate of the information provided from the PRPs. A determination will be made for any future assessment work.
Completion of Corrective Action at Leaking Underground Fuel Storage Tank Sites
Regional Board staff have reviewed corrective actions taken for soil and/or groundwater contamination problems from leaking underground storage tanks for the time of January 1, 2002 through February 8, 2002, and determined that no further corrective actions are required:
Former Farmers Market Car Wash, Los Angeles (900360243)
Abes Auto Repair/Former Exxon Service Station, Whittier (I-05944)
Former Robin Oil Company Service Station No. 17, South El Monte (I-13193A)
Weiss
Development, Los Angeles (900250225)
|
SURFACE WATER DIVISION |
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Application Forms on Web Site
The Los Angeles Regional Board has made all the NPDES and Waste Discharge Requirements application forms available (both USEPA and State Board forms) on our web site. This facilitates an easy and instant access of the forms for dischargers and public. It saves mailing charges and eliminates mailing time delays or pick-up trips to the Regional Board office. In addition, it is the only Regional Board that has all the forms including fee schedules and certification requirements on web site. State Board and other Regional Boards can also retrieve the forms by linking to www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/
General NPDES Permits
A
list of General NPDES Permit Authorization/Revision
and Termination for January 2001 can be found
on "Attachment B".
|
REGIONAL PROGRAMS |
STANDARDS AND TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS (TMDLs)
The Dominguez Channel Watershed Advisory Council (DCWAC) met on August 1, 2001 to discuss and reach consensus on the master plan development outline. The council approved the outline, in principle, and directed the DC Outline Committee to develop and to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for consulting services to support the master plan development. Jonathan Bishop, Mark Pumford, and Tony Rizk represented the Regional Board.
On August 1, 2001, following the DCWAC meeting, the Dominguez Channel TMDL committee met to discuss TMDL development issues. The Regional Board distributed a draft document that compiles a host of data, photographs, GIS maps, and support documentation that are relevant to the DC TMDL development effort. The data included dry and wet weather water quality analysis that demonstrates impairment for metals, coliform, and ammonia. Further, the Regional Board presented to the committee a preliminary draft technical work plan, a.k.a., Preliminary Plan (PP) designed to control data gaps and to assist the development of a science based TMDL. Jonathan Bishop and Tony Rizk represented the Regional Board.
On August 16, 2001, the TMDL committee met again and adopted the Preliminary Plan (PP) to guide the TMDL scientific studies. Further, the committee began the process of assessing each element in the PP and expanding it to address logistical details and implementation steps. In this context, the committee decided, with support from the Regional Board and the Los Angeles Sanitation District, to request SCCWRP assistance and facilitation of these studies. Melinda Becker and Tony Rizk represented the Regional Board.
On August 21, 2001, the DC Outline Committee finalized the scope of work that will be issued in the RFP for consultation services in support of the Area Master Plan. Shirley Birosik and Tony Rizk represented the Regional Board.
On August 27, the TMDL committee met again to discuss the PP and to prepare a list of questions and issues to discuss with SCCWRP in an upcoming meeting on August 30, 2001. Tony Rizk represented the Regional Board.
On a separate issue, the Regional Board staff has been pursuing a fact-finding mission of a diversion installed in Dominguez Channel at the Del Amo Bridge site construction. The diversion appears to have been installed without adequate environmental review, and has resulted in an impact on the aquatic environment, as well as on sensitive biological wildlife, including birds and fish populations. Regional Board staff are coordinating with LA County DPW, City of Carson, California Department of Fish and Game, and US Army Corps of Engineers. The fact finding is near completion. Appropriate actions are being identified.
For more information, please contact Tony Rizk, at 213-576-6756.
Energy
Crisis
Tony
Rizk
In response to the energy crisis, the State Board, in coordination with the Regional Boards formed an energy team to support Governor Davis effort to solve the energy crisis.
To this extent, Regional Board staff is coordinating with the California Energy Commission (CEC) on water quality issues at the El Segundo power plant, Magnolia Power Plant, and Malburg Generating Station.
For more information, please contact Tony Rizk, at 213-576-6756.
Statewide
Pesticide Working Group
Tony
Rizk
The Regional Board staff are identifying data needs to submit to DPR for funding in support of TMDL development for the next two to three years. A preliminary list of data needs was sent to DPR late August, 2001.
For more information, please contact Tony Rizk, at 213-576-6756.
Marina
Del Rey
Tony
Rizk
The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors (Beaches and Harbors) is coordinating with the Regional Board to develop a mitigation plan for coliform impairment in Basin D Marina Beach, a.k.a., Mother’s beach. The California Clean Beaches Initiatives, the State Board Cleanup and Abatement account, and the Beaches and Harbors own funds will jointly fund the mitigation plan.
The Regional Board intended to vote on a resolution to support this effort in August 20, 2001. Due to no quorum, the vote was postponed until the Regional Board meeting on September 19, 2001.
Regional Board staff continue to coordinate with the USEPA on the development of TMDLs for metals in the back basins of Marina Del Rey. Regional Board staff provided the EPA with pertinent GIS maps that included land uses and drainage areas.
For more information, please contact Tony Rizk, at 213-576-6756.
Basin
Plan Amendment to Update the Ammonia Water Quality
Objective
Deborah
Neiter
Staff released a draft basin plan amendment to the public on February 6, 2002. The Basin Plan amendment would update existing ammonia water quality objectives to reflect the revised criteria developed by U.S. EPA in the "1999 Update of Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Ammonia." The new criteria reflect recent research and data assessed since 1984. The revised acute criteria are no longer dependent on temperature but are dependent on pH and fish species present (i.e. salmonids). The chronic criteria continue to be dependent on pH and temperature but at lower temperatures the criteria are also dependent on the presence or absence of early life stages of fish (ELS). Finally, the chronic criteria are now based on a 30-day averaging period instead of four days.
State
Board Holds Workshop on Trash TMDLs
Melinda
Becker
The
State Water Resources Control Board conducted
a workshop on Wednesday, February 6, 2002, in
Sacramento, California. Both the Los Angeles River
and Ballona Creek Trash TMDLs were on the agenda.
The Regional Board was represented by the Executive
Officer, Regional Board Staff and Staff Attorney.
State Board Chair, and State Board members, heard
testimony from the City of Los Angeles, the County
of Los Angeles, the Coalition for Practical Regulation,
Heal the Bay, Santa Monica BayKeeper, the Natural
Resources Defense Council, and others. The items
were considered by the Board for adoption at their
Board meeting held on February 19th.
Surface
Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) Roundtable
Tracy
Vergets
The State Board, Regional Boards, and California Department of Fish and Game participated in the monthly roundtable meeting in Sacramento on February 5, 2002. These monthly roundtable meetings help to ensure the development and implementation of the SWAMP program is on track and consistent with the objectives of AB 982. Topics of discussion during this meeting included development of task orders to implement workplans for Fiscal Year 2001/2002, development of workplans for Fiscal Year 2002/2003, and updates on the development of the QAPP, Scientific Reivew Committee, and database management. For more information, please contact Tracy Vergets at (213) 576-6661.
Machado
Lake Technical Advisory Committee
Anthony
Klecha
On January 8, 2002, staff participated in the first meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for the Machado Lake Assessment Study. The goal of the study is to assess the water quality and develop solutions for Machado Lake (also referred to as Harbor Lake), which is located in the City of Wilmington. Key tasks of the study include public participation, water quality sampling and analysis, data analysis, the development of a pollution abatement plan, pre-design of engineering controls, and a study summary report. The State Water Resources Control Board awarded the City of Los Angeles $93,750 in 205j grant funding to conduct the study. Committee discussion included project background, purpose and overview, and existing conditions at the lake and neighboring Harbor Park.
Dominguez
Channel Modeling Effort
Anthony
Klecha
On
January 23, 2002, staff participated in a scoping
meeting at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
in Berkeley, California. The purpose of the meeting
was to define the (request for proposal) scope
of a joint Dominguez Channel water quality/hydrology
modeling effort to be conducted by Lawrence Berkeley
and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories.
The Department of Energy has indicated that they
will provide $200,000 for the development of the
model, which they intend to utilize as a scientific
tool for determining refinery wasteloads, not
only in the Dominguez Channel, but in other areas
where refineries discharge to 303(d) listed waterbodies.
The developers of the model indicated that the
model should be available in approximately June
of 2003.
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
Calleguas Creek Watershed
The Calleguas Creek Watershed Management Plan Committee was convened in 1996 to initiate development of a comprehensive watershed management plan. A large group of stakeholders, including federal, state, and local agencies, landowners, businesses, and nonprofit organizations are represented. An Executive Steering Committee, consisting of a much smaller group of stakeholders, guides the day-to-day activities of the watershed group. Subcommittees have changed through time but currently target Water Resources/ Water Quality, Flood Protection and Sediment Management, Habitat/Open Space/ Recreation, Land Use, and Public Outreach/Education. Subcommittees generally meet monthly or bimonthly. The group as a whole is working toward having a draft watershed management plan for review by April. Information about the management committee and its subcommittees can be found at http://www.calleguas.com/cc.htm.
The Executive Steering Committee last met on December 5.
The Water Quality/Water Resources Subcommittee last met on February 5 and had discussions on the status of the Board’s chloride TMDL as well as 2002 budget and workplan. A public review draft of the Calleguas Creek Nutrient TMDL report can be found at http://www.calleguas.com/.
The Flood Protection/Sedimentation Subcommittee last met on January 14. They are currently involved with modeling the watershed’s hydrology as well as erosion and sedimentation. The Subcommittee is scheduled to meet next on February 11.
The Public Outreach/Education Subcommittee last met on October 4.
A Land Use Subcommittee includes representatives from local planning agencies. This subcommittee is last met on January 7 as a joint meeting with the Habitat Subcommittee. The collection and utilization of land use data (GIS-based) is a major current task. The next meeting is scheduled for March 13.
The Habitat/Recreation Subcommittee met on January 8 and continues oversight of the vegetation mapping component of a wetlands study. An update on the status of the project was provided by the consultant. A previous work product, funded by the California Coastal Conservancy, is the Watershed Wetlands Restoration Plan available at http://www.calleguas.com/cc.htm. Prioritization of sites identified in the Restoration Plan will be the next step and a Request for Proposals has been prepared to contract out this work. The next meeting is scheduled for March 12.
Los Angeles River Watershed
The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council meets on the third Wednesday of each month. The Watershed Council is a consortium of government agencies, community and environmental groups, business and academia who organized both to resolve and prevent problems in the watershed in a cooperative, collaborative manner.
Formation of the Watershed Council grew out of a conference held in 1995 to discuss how to initiate and/or implement watershed management objectives in the greater Los Angeles Area. Stakeholders in attendance agreed to continue meeting and begin a multi-purpose cooperative watershed management process that is open to the public. The Council’s website is at http://www.lasgrwc.org.
The Watershed Council has recently published a document entitled, "Beneficial Uses of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers." Copied may be obtained by contacting the Watershed Council’s offices at 213-367-4111.
The Friends of the LA River has a Los Angeles River e-mail discussion forum. To subscribe, e-mail to la-river-discuss-subscribe@makelist.com. To view archives of past Los Angeles River discussions on the Internet, go to http://www.egroups.com/list/la-river-discuss.
San Gabriel River Watershed
A "State of the Watershed" report is available for the San Gabriel River Watershed which was prepared by Regional Board staff in 2000. The report describes the watershed, with its many diversion structures and recharge areas, and summarizes available water quality data in a manner easily understood by the layperson. The complete set of data evaluated for the report (as well as the report itself) is available electronically by contacting Shirley Birosik at sbirosik@rb4.swrcb.ca.gov. Hardcopies of the report are also available.
There are ongoing meetings being held for planning of a San Gabriel River Education Center which may be built in the Whittier Narrows area. Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 3:00 PM at the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District offices.
In 1999, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors directed the Department of Public Works (in cooperation with the County Departments of Parks and Recreation and Regional Planning) to prepare a San Gabriel River Master Plan. The National Park Service through its Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program will assist in the development effort. All river stakeholders have been invited to participate. The Master Plan will be a consensus-based document that will recognize and address River issues and concerns of the stakeholders. It will include areas within existing rights of way from Morris Dam in the San Gabriel Mountains to the River's outlet in Seal Beach. The Master Plan will identify project opportunities for: enhancements for recreation, open space, and habitat areas; restoration; preservation of the River's natural resources; maintaining flood protection and existing water rights.
The Master Plan effort will be coordinated with the activities of the recently formed San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountain Conservancy. The final Master Plan is expected to be ready for approval in 2003. Information on the Master Plan effort may be found at http://ladpw.org/pln/sgrmp/.
The San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy has produced a draft Guiding Principles Watershed and Open Space Plan which may be obtained at http://www.rmc.ca.gov/. The Conservancy is an independent State agency within the Resources Agency of the State of California established by state law in 1999. Its jurisdiction includes the San Gabriel River and its tributaries, the Lower Los Angeles River and its tributaries, and the San Gabriel Mountains, Puente Hills, and San Jose Hills. It was established to preserve urban open space and habitats in order to provide for low-impact recreation and educational uses, wildlife and habitat restoration and protection, and watershed improvements within its jurisdiction.
The
Friends of the San Gabriel River is an active
stakeholder in the watershed and their website
is at http://www.sangabrielriver.org/.
Santa Monica Bay Watershed Management Area – Malibu Creek Watershed
The Malibu Creek Watershed Executive and Advisory Council have met on a bimonthly basis for many years and is concerned with a variety of human health and habitat issues. Current active committees/task forces under the Council include those focusing on lagoon water level management, exotic species, steelhead trout recovery, human health, education/outreach, flow reduction, and volunteer monitoring.
The Watershed Council last met on January 29 and included a report on subcommittee activities. A lengthy discussion on grant opportunities for the watershed also occurred as well as a presentation by Heal the Bay on their stream health index. The Council’s last meeting was scheduled for February 26. A website for the group is being developed.
Santa Monica Bay Watershed Management Area – Topanga Creek Watershed
A watershed committee has been meeting in the Topanga Creek Watershed since 1998. This group was formed as a follow-up to the Topanga Canyon Floodplain Management Citizens’ Advisory Committee which produced a draft Topanga Creek Watershed Management Plan in 1996. A major goal of the watershed committee is to prioritize potential watershed protection actions previously identified, participate in a coordinated resource management planning (CRMP) process, and finalize the draft watershed management plan. The Committee last met on January 24 and the agenda focused on exotic plant removal issues geared toward residents. The group’s next meeting is scheduled for March 21. Their website address is http://www.TopangaOnline.com/twc/.
The group’s Technical and Landowners Advisory Committee provides oversight for the feasibility study, mentioned in the previous paragraph, that will help develop design parameters for possible restoration of the Topanga Lagoon. The Committee last met on December 6 to review the consultant’s work to date. The last meeting was scheduled for February 13.
Dominguez Channel Watershed
A Dominguez Channel Watershed Advisory Committee was formed in February 2001 and meets on a monthly basis to conduct a variety of tasks including development of a Watershed Management Master Plan aimed at protecting and improving the environment and beneficial uses of the watershed. Proposition 13 funding ($200,000) was approved by the State Water Resources Control Board for the LA County Department of Public Works to work on a watershed plan. The complete list of issues to be addressed are still being developed. Many members of the group are interested in participating in Regional Board TMDL work in the watershed. Monitoring will be a major early activity. Subcommittees have been formed to concentrate on selecting a consultant to begin writing the watershed plan, deal with detailed technical issues, and pursue additional funding. Meetings are generally held on the first Wednesday of each month. A website for the group is in development at http://ladpw.org/wmd/watershed/dc/.
Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project
The Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project is a partnership of public agencies working cooperatively to acquire, restore, and enhance coastal wetlands and watersheds between Point Conception and the International border with Mexico. Using a non-regulatory approach and an ecosystem perspective, the Wetlands Project works to identify wetland acquisition and restoration priorities, prepare plans for these priority sites, pool funds to undertake these projects, implement priority plans, and oversee post-project maintenance and monitoring.
The Wetlands Project is headed by Board of Governors comprised of top officials from each of the participating agencies. The Southern California Wetlands Managers Group and the Public Advisory Committee serve as advisory committees to the Board. The Wetlands Managers Group is responsible for drafting the regional restoration plan and advising the Governing Board on regional acquisition, restoration, and enhancement priorities. The Wetlands Project has also established a panel of scientists to advise on regional goals, specific objectives, project criteria, and priorities. Governing Board meetings are public and are noticed at least 10 days prior to each meeting. If you sign up on the Wetlands Project email list, you will receive email notification of all board meetings. Minutes from previous meetings and other information about the group may be found on their website at http://www.coastalconservancy.ca.gov/scwrp/index.html. The last Board of Governors meeting was held on November 29 as part of a two-day forum on wetlands.
Meetings with the Los Angeles County and Ventura County Task Forces occurred in January 2002 to hear about specific wetlands restoration proposals. The deadline for applying for funding was February 15. More information on the application process may be found on the Recovery Project’s website.
Watershed Management Initiative Chapter
Each Regional Board updates a "chapter" on an annual basis which describes how that Board is implementing watershed management. The last update occurred at the end of December 2001. The consolidated statewide document is the basis for many funding decisions including allocating money for monitoring, TMDL development, and grant monies disbursement. Hardcopies of this Region's current Chapter (as well as Appendices) may be obtained by contacting the Regional Board office, Regional Programs Section secretary, at 213-576-6619.
The updated document may also be obtained electronically (in MSWord97) by contacting Shirley Birosik, Watershed Coordinator, at 213-576-6679 or sbirosik@rb4.swrcb.ca.gov.
It can also be downloaded off the Regional Board’s website at http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/html/programs/regional_programs.html.
Funding
Information on a wide variety of funding sources is available on the Regional Board webpage at http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/html/fundings.html under "Grant Funding Sources" as both a Word97 document and Adobe Acrobat file.
Proposition
13 Funding: The
Request for Proposals (RFPs) for Phase II funding
has been released by State Board; concept proposals
were due by February 1. The next step in the process
is an evaluation, which will lead to inviting
a list of entities to submit a full proposal.
More information may be found on the State Board’s
website at http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/prop13/index.html.
NONPOINT SOURCE
Section 401 Water Quality Certification Program
Certification Actions
The following Section 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) actions have been issued since January 4, 2002:
|
Date of Issuance |
Applicant |
Project |
Action |
|
January 9, 2002 |
County of Los Angeles Public Works |
The Old Road over Santa Clara River |
Conditional WQC |
|
January 10, 2002 |
California State Parks and Recreation |
McGrath State Beach Levee Replacement |
Conditional WQC |
|
January 10, 2002 |
Conejo Recreation & Park District |
North Fork of Arroyo Conejo Creek |
Conditional WQC |
|
January 11, 2002 |
Calleguas Municipal Water District |
Los Posas Basin Aquifer Storage and Recovery Program - Amendment #1 |
Conditional WQC Amendment. |
|
January 11, 2002 |
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works |
Whittier Narrows Water Conservation Diversion Canal Zone 1 Culvert Replacement |
Standard WQC |
|
January 16, 2002 |
Ventura County Flood Control District |
Calleguas Creek South Bank Restoration Project (Geotechnical Exploration Activities) |
NWP-6 |
|
January 22, 2002 |
Caltrans District 7 - Division of Environmental Planning |
Routine maintenance drain clearing activities for Winter 2001 |
Conditional WQC |
|
January 29, 2002 |
Valley Crest Tree Company |
Establishment of "Aaron Piece" Drainage Channels - Amendment #1 |
WQC Amendment |
|
January 29, 2002 |
Valley Crest Tree Co. |
Re-establishment and Repair of Two Agricultural Drainages- Amendment#1 |
WQC Amendment |
|
January 29, 2002 |
Valley Crest Tree Company and San Cayetano Mutual Water Co. |
Re-establishment of Bear Canyon Creek - Amendment #1 |
WQC Amendment |
|
February 1, 2002 |
Casitas Municipal Water District |
Encasement of the Ojai Valley Main at San Antonio Creek |
Denial Without Prejudice |
|
February 5, 2002 |
Ventura Regional Sanitation District |
Tierra Rejada Landfill Monitoring Well Maintenance |
Standard WQC |
|
February 8, 2002 |
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Programs Development Division |
Santa Clara River @ PDT 832, 771, and 911- Invert Access Ramp |
Standard WQC |
|
February 11, 2002 |
Mitchell Development, Inc. |
Placerita Chaparral Estates |
Conditional WQC |
|
February 13, 2002 |
Southern California Gas Company |
WEZU- 26 Pipeline |
Conditional WQC |
|
February 13, 2002 |
Stevenson Ranch Venture, LLC c/o William S. Hart Union High School District |
Rancho Pico Junior High School and West Ranch High School |
Conditional WQC |
|
February 13, 2002 |
Abell-Helou GP |
Arbor Glen Project - Tract 53439 |
Standard WQC |
Certification actions recently issued and project descriptions for applications currently being reviewed can be viewed from our Web Site located at
http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/html/meetings/401wqc.html
For additional information regarding our Section 401 Program, please contact Jason Lambert at (213) 576-5733 or Valerie Carrillo at (213) 576-6759. Any petitions for the appeal of a Section 401 WQC action must be filed within 30 days of the date of its issuance. We encourage public input during the certification process.The following Section 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) actions have been issued since the preparation of the last Executive Officers Report:
|
DATE OF ISSUANCE |
APPLICANT |
PROJECT |
ACTION |
|
August 20, 2001 |
Gordon Group Holdings, Ltd. |
Sweetwater Creek Bridge |
Standard WQC |
Certification
actions recently issued and project descriptions
for applications currently being reviewed can
be viewed from our Web Site located at http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/html/meetings/401wqc.html.
For additional information regarding our Section
401 Program, please contact Anthony Klecha at
(213) 576-6785. Any petitions for the appeal of
a Section 401 WQC action must be filed within
30 days of the date of its issuance. We encourage
public input during the certification process.
|
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES |
Water
Quality Awards
S.
Gay Norris
The second annual Water Quality Awards will be held on Thursday, April 18, 2002 during Earth Week. The Water Quality Awards recognize the significant contribution of individuals, groups, and organizations to water quality in our region. Two new award categories were added this year, Water Quality Research and Water Quality Education. To solicit nominations for the 10 awards, over 1600 nomination packets were mailed on February 1, 2002. The criteria for submitting a nomination will soon be available on our website. The final deadline for submission of nominations was March 1, 2002. For information on attending the awards please contact Ms. Gay Norris at (213) 576-6698.
South Bay Council Government Infrastructure Working Group
On February 27th, the Executive Officer attended a meeting of the South Bay Council Government Infrastructure Working Group to comment on and answer question related to the recent adoption by the Regional Board of the Los Angeles County Municipal Storm Water and Urban Runoff NPDES permit. Mr. Don Wolfe, Deputy Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works also spoke at the event.
League of California Cities
On February 20th, the Executive Officer and former Chair David Nahai spoke at a forum for city attorney's sponsored by the League of California Cities on the topic of the Los Angeles County Municipal Storm Water and Urban Runoff NPDES permit. The EO spoke on a panel discussion and Mr. Nahai was the keynote luncheon speaker.
Municipal
– LA County MS4 Q&A
Xavier
Swamikannu
Board Chair Francine Diamond sent on January 30, 2002, a letter and a document, ‘Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Storm Water and the Storm Water Permit’ to nearly 500 elected officials to familiarize them with the facts behind storm water quality management in the region.
Municipal-Ventura
County MS4 Development Planning Workshop
Ejigu
Solomon
On January 30, 2002, the Los Angeles Regional Board and Ventura County Flood Control District jointly hosted a workshop on development planning program of the municipal storm water permit with emphasis on understanding and implementing the Storm water Quality Urban Impact Mitigation Plan (SQUIMP). The workshop offered a morning and afternoon session. Over 200 planners, engineers, architects in private industry and municipal government participated. The panelists discussed the regulatory requirements of the municipal permit, the results of monitoring data, and siting, designing and selection of appropriate best management practices for new development and redevelopment.
Industrial—Public
Outreach
Ivar
Ridgeway
On January 16, 2002, staff participated in the Sun Valley Watershed Group meeting. Staff briefly discussed the status of our wet-season compliance inspections and the US EPA Contractor inspections in the Sun Valley area. The preliminary results from monitoring conducted by Los Angeles County and inspections indicate that several facilities in the Sun Valley area are discharging contaminated storm water.
Underground
Storage Tank Meeting
Yue
Rong
The fourteenth UST Working Group meeting was held at Regional Board office on January 15, 2002. A total of 17 people were in attendance. The attendees represented local government agencies, major oil companies, environmental group, environmental consultants, environmental law firm, environmental laboratory, realtor/banker special interest group, and Regional Board staff.
The focus of this meeting is about the Regional Board enforcement procedures. Regional Board staff Hugh Marley presented requirements under Regional Board’s authority for enforcement actions. Board staff Yue Rong presented Regional Board’s enforcement under the Underground Storage Tanks Program. Dr. Joe Lyou of California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund presented enforcement issues expectations from the perspective of environmental interest groups. The presentations were well interacted with questions and discussions from the attendance. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled in May 2002. Agenda for next meeting will be available in a late date.
As of February 28, 2002 our staff total is 169: 149 technical staff (including 4 part-time staff), 9 permanent analytical staff and 11 permanent clerical staff.
Staff is currently taking steps to fill our vacant CEA positions, 1 Section Chief position, 3 technical positions, and 1 clerical position.
The following separated from Region 4:
Mark Pumford, Environmental Program Manager I, separated on 01/18/02.
Megan Fisher, Environmental Scientist, transferred to Region 9 on 02/12/02.
Staff
Farewell
Xavier
Swamikannu
Storm Water Section staff bid farewell to Board staff Megan Fisher on February 8. Megan who worked on the City of Long Beach MS4 audit and the Los Angeles County MS4 permit reissuance, among other assignments, is transferring to the San Diego Regional Board. While her departure is a loss to the Los Angeles Region, we are glad that she will bring her special skills to work on MS4 issues in the San Diego Region.
Storm
Water Web site
Weindy
Abarquez
The Storm Water web site is currently being reformatted for easier information access and navigating. Some of the enhancements include revision of the Storm Water News page and staff contacts. For more efficiency, additional web site links have been added for quicker access to other storm water related sites.
MTBE ad hoc Committee
On August 21, 2001, Regional Board staff, was invited to speak at Southern California local MTBE ad hoc committee sponsored by the England Geosystem Environmental Engineering, and held at the Cal-State Fullerton campus. The topic of the speech was "Groundwater Data Analysis: MTBE Relative to Other Oxygenates in the Los Angeles Region." Staff presented MTBE and other gasoline oxygenates data obtained at leaking underground storage tank sites within Los Angeles and analysis of the data in terms of their relationship. In attendance were persons representing consultants, oil companies, and other related industries. The attendance showed great interests in the presentation.
Enforcement Unit NPDES Facility Inspections January 2002
| Discharger | Facility Name | CI No. | Order No | Program Class | Most Recent Inspection | Address | City | NPDES_No | Estimated Date of Inspection | Date of Inspection | Type of Inspection | ||
| Long Beach Generation LLC | Long Beach Generation Station | 5764 | 94-130 | MAJ | 6/18/01 | 2665 W. Seaside Blvd | Long Beach | CA0001171 | 10/30/01 | 1/16/02 | "A" type compliance - Comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken | ||
| Los Angeles Unified School Dis | Tank Leak-Los Angeles Unified | 7521 | 97-046 | MIN | 6/24/96 | 309 Lucas Ave | Los Angeles | CAG834001 | ½ | 1/17/02 | "B" type compliance - A routine nonsampling inspection | ||
| Southern California Edison | Dominguez Hills Fuel Oil Fac | 5841 | 99-043 | MAJ | 6/18/01 | 2500 E. Victoria St | Compton | CA0052949 | 11/6/01 | 1/28/02 | "A" type compliance - Comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken | ||
| Tosco Corp. | L.A.Refinery, Carson Plant | 7352 | 94-001 | MAJ | 6/28/01 | 1520 E. Sepulveda Blvd | Carson | CA0063185 | 12/18/01 | 1/29/02 | "A" type compliance - Comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken | ||
| Cerritos, City Of | C-5 Water Well | 8164 | 97-045 | MIN | None | 11830 Eberle St | Cerritos (Dairy Valley) | CAG994001 | 3/7/02 | 1/30/02 | "B" type compliance - A routine nonsampling inspection | ||
| G & L Realty Corp. | Office Building Parking Garage | 6848 | 97-045 | MIN | 6/26/96 | 436 N. Bedford St. | Beverly Hills | CAG994001 | ½ | 1/31/02 | "B" type compliance - A routine nonsampling inspection | ||
General Permitting Unit
General NPDES Permit Authorization/Revision and Termination – January 2002
|
General Permit type and Facility name & Location |
Date of Coverage |
Date of Revision |
Date of Termination |
||
|
A. |
NPDES CAG994001 (Order No. 97-045) Dewatering (no treatment) |
||||
|
1 |
City of Lakewood, Well No. 11A, 5136 Sunfield Avenue, Lakewood |
01/08/02 |
|||
|
2 |
Cedar-Senai Medical Center, Diagnostic Treatment Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles |
01/09/02 |
|||
|
3 |
City of Arcadia Public Works Services Department, Longden Well #2 Water Supply Pump Rehabilitation Project, 1257 E. Longden Avenue, Arcadia |
01/17/02 |
|||
|
4 |
Kennedy-Wilson Properties, 9601 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills |
01/29/02 |
|||
|
5 |
Irish Construction, Lots 1 through 46 & Lots 1 through 20, 66th Avenue and Vista Del Mar, Playa Del Rey |
01/28/02 |
|||
|
B |
NPDES CAG994002 (Order No. 97-043) Dewatering (treatment required) |
||||
|
1 |
S. L. West Hollywood LLC, West Hollywood Gateway Project, Santa Monica Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, West Hollywood |
01/08/02 |
|||
|
2 |
Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Hollyhills Drain Unit 7 Project, Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, and Los Angeles |
01/09/02 |
|||
|
3 |
Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Central Plant, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles |
01/09/02 |
|||
|
4 |
Tosco Refining Company, 42" Pipeline Relocation Project, Terminal Island Freeway, Wilmington |
01/25/02 |
|||
|
5 |
Espirit, Marina Del Rey, Parcel 12, 13900 Marquesas Way, Marina Del Rey |
01/29/02 |
|||
|
6 |
Marina Harbor Apartments, 4500 Via Marina, Marina Del Rey |
01/31/02 |
|||
|
C. |
NPDES CAG674001 (Order No. 97-047) Hydrostatic Test Water |
||||
|
1 |
Arco Terminal Services Corporation, East Hynes Terminal, 5905 Paramount Boulevard, Long Beach |
01/11/02 |
|||
|
D. |
NPDES CAG994003 (Order No. 98-055) Nonprocess |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
E. |
NPDES CAG834001 (Order No. 97-046) – Cleanup of Petroleum Fuel Pollution |
||||
|
1 |
CalClean, Inc., 16820 South Figueroa Street, Gardena |
01/18/02 |
|||
|
F. |
NPDES CAG914001(Order No. 97-044) – Cleanup of Volatile Organic Compounds Contaminated Groundwater |
||||
|
1 |
Georgia Pacific Corporation, 760 South Vail Avenue, Montebello |
01/15/02 |
Monthly Summary of Regional Board Enforcement Actions
January 2002
|
13267 Letters |
Notice of Non Compliance |
NOVs |
NTCs |
CAOs |
TSOs |
CDOs |
Administrative Civil Liability Penalty Complaints |
Program Total |
||||
|
Migden Mandatory |
Storm-water related |
All others |
Total ACLs |
|||||||||
|
Enforcement |
11 |
- |
11 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
27 |
|
NPDES |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Stormwater |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Underground Tanks |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Site Cleanup I & II |
- |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
|
WDRs |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
WIP |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Landfills |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Other (401, NPS) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
TOTAL |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
YTD Total |
11 |
2 |
12 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
30 |
|
13267 Letter – Requirement to Submit Information |
|
Level 1 enforcement - Notice of Non Compliance |
|
NOV - Notice of Violation |
|
NTC - Notice to Comply |
|
CAO - Clean up and Abatement Order |
|
TSO - Time Schedule Order |
|
CDO - Cease and Desist Order |
|
ACL – Administrative Civil Liability |
|
NPDES – National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System |
|
WIP – Well Investigation Program |
|
NPS – Nonpoint Source |
|
WDR – Waste Discharge Requirement |
|
|