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WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS ORDER NO.R5-2003-0178 -8- MORADA PRODUCE COMPANY LINDEN PACKING SHED SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY 44. According to Pollution Abatement in the Fruit and Vegetable Industry,published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency(US EPA Publication No. 625/3-77-0007) (hereafter Pollution Abatement), in applying food processing wastewater to land for biological treatment,the loading of BODS should not exceed 100 lbs/acre/day(average)to prevent development of nuisance conditions. 45. Acidic soil conditions can be detrimental to land treatment system function, and may also cause groundwater degradation. If the buffering capacity of the soil is exceeded and soil pH decreases below 5, naturally occurring metals (including iron and manganese) may dissolve and degrade underlying groundwater. Pollution Abatement recommends that water applied to crops have a pH between 6.4 and 8.4 to protect crops from damage by food processing wastewater. Near neutral pH is also required to maintain adequate active microbial populations in the soil. 46. The California Department of Water Resources sets standards for the construction and destruction of groundwater wells, as described in California Well Standards Bulletin 74-90(June 1991)and Water Well Standards: State of California Bulletin 94-81 (December 1981). These standards, and any more stringent standards adopted by the State or County pursuant to CWC section 13801, apply to all monitoring wells. 47. Federal regulations for stormwater discharges promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(40 CFR Parts 122, 123, and 124) require specific categories of facilities which discharge stormwater to obtain NPDES permits. This facility is within the specific categories described by the US EPA,and it is therefore appropriate to require that the Discharger submit a Notice of Non- Applicability, apply for a No Exposure Certification, or obtain coverage for its processing facility under the State Board's Water Quality Order No. 97-03-DWQ to comply with these regulations. 48. On 3 October 2001,the San Joaquin County Community Development Department adopted a Negative Declaration for the expansion project, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code Section 21000, et. seq.) and State CEQA guidelines. 49. This discharge is currently exempt from the requirements of Consolidated Regulations for Treatment, Storage, Processing, or Disposal of Solid Waste, as set forth in Title 27, CCR, Division 2, Subdivision 1, Section 20005, et seq., (hereafter Title 27). The exemption,pursuant to Section 20090(b), is based on the following: a. The Regional Board is issuing waste discharge requirements, b. The discharge complies with the Basin Plan, and c. The wastewater does not need to be managed according to Title 22 CCR, Division 4.5, and Chapter 11, as a hazardous waste. The basis for this exemption, pursuant to (b) above, may be revised as new information becomes available on background water quality and the potential for water quality impacts from the waste discharge.