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CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD <br /> CENTRAL VALLEY REGION <br /> ORDER NO. <br /> WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS <br /> FOR <br /> DEGROOT AND SONS, A&J FOODS, INC. , AND CHIRON CORPORATION <br /> WASTEWATER DISPOSAL TO LAND <br /> SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY <br /> The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Region, <br /> (hereafter Board) finds that: <br /> I. DeGroot and Sons, A&J Foods, Inc. , and Chiron Corporation (hereafter <br /> Dischargers) submitted a Report of Waste Discharge, dated 15 January 1991 . <br /> A&J Foods, Inc. , and Chiron Corporation generate process wastewaters from <br /> cheese and yeast production, respectively, which the DeGroots dispose of for <br /> them. The DeGroots own the land on which the A&J Foods and Chiron <br /> Corporation have their facilities, and dispose of the process wastewaters <br /> from the facilities on adjacent property also owned by them. The Assessor's <br /> Parcel Number for this property is 195-050-16. A&J Foods, and Chiron <br /> Corporation are named in these requirements because they generate the <br /> wastewaters. DeGroot and Sons own and operate the wastewater treatment and <br /> disposal facilities and are responsible for implementing these requirements. <br /> 2. The DeGroot and Sons accepts wastewaters from A&J Foods and Chiron <br /> Corporation as part of a lease agreement with these two companies. A&J A <br /> Foods generates up to 22,000 gallons per day (gpd) of cheese whey from <br /> cheese manufacturing. The cheese whey contains 2-3% protein solids and is <br /> heat treated to 195°F to kill all cheese culture. Chiron Corporation grows <br /> -DNA-altered yeast for use in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Wastewater <br /> generated by Chiron amounts to approximately 8600 gpd of reject from a F <br /> freshwater reverse osmosis unit and 2500 gallons per week of fermented broth <br /> containing 2-5% yeast cells that have been killed by a hypochlorite <br /> solution. Chiron also generates low volumes of washwater, boiler blowdown <br /> and stormwater runoff that are discharged into the wastewater collection <br /> system. <br /> 3. The Dischargers discharge the collected wastewaters to an unlined <br /> evaporation/percolation pond with a capacity of approximately 3,000,000 IT <br /> gallons. The pond is located across Airport Way from A&J Foods and Chiron <br /> Corporation on farmland owned by DeGroot and Sons. See Attachment A, <br /> incorporated herein and made part of this Order. Wastewater is applied <br /> periodically with fresh water to cropland by flood irrigation. The <br /> evaporation/percolation pond and irrigated farmland are the designated <br /> disposal areas. <br /> 4. Board staff has received numerous complaints of obnoxious odors emanating <br /> from the Discharger's wastewater treatment and disposal practices. In <br /> addition, Board staff has observed the discharge of wastewater by the <br /> Discharger to an irrigation ditch alongside his property with eventual <br /> discharge to a runoff containment pond for a cattle lot on the Discharger's <br /> property. The Discharger has not applied for a discharge to the irrigation <br /> ditch and these requirements do not allow such a discharge. <br />