SITE INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE CASE 2

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WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS ORDER NO.R5-2002-0071 -9- CALIFORNIA NATURAL PRODUCTS WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY area or the 9.2 acre landscaped area. Therefore,this Order provides a schedule for data collection to determine whether the discharge will cause an increase in groundwater constituents above that of background levels. Because the Discharger has only reestablished cropping at the 17.6 acre land application area in 2001, a decrease in the groundwater concentration over time is anticipated. If the discharge is causing an increase, then the Discharger maybe required to cease the discharge, implement source control, change the method of disposal, or take other action to prevent groundwater degradation. The waste will be applied to land at agronomic rates. This Order establishes effluent limitations that are protective of the beneficial uses of the underlying groundwater, requires a salinity source reduction study if groundwater degradation is observed, and requires groundwater monitoring to evaluate if the discharge of waste is impacting the groundwater quality. 58. Section 13267(b) of California Water Code provides that: "In conducting an investigation specifed in subdivision (a), the regional board may require that any person who has discharged, discharges, or is suspected of having discharged or discharging, or who proposes to discharge waste within its region, or any citizen or domiciliary, or political agency or entity of this state who has discharged, discharges, or is suspected of having discharged or discharging, or who proposes to discharge, waste outside of its region that could affect the quality ofwaters within its region shall furnish, under penalty ofperjury, technical or monitoring program reports which the regional board requires. The burden, including costs, of these reports shall bear a reasonable relationship to the need for the report and the benefits to be obtained from the reports. In requiring those reports, the regional board shall provide the person with a written explanation with regard to the need for the reports, and shall identify the evidence that supports requiring that person to provide the reports." The monitoring and reporting program required by this Order and the attached Monitoring and Reporting Program No. R5-2002-0071 are necessary to assure compliance with these WDRs. The Discharger operates the facility that discharges the waste subject to this Order 59. Excessive application of food processing wastewater to land application areas can create objectionable odors, soil conditions that are harmful to crops, and degradation of underlying groundwater by overloading the shallow soil profile and causing pollutants (organic carbon, nitrate, dissolved solids, and metals)to percolate below the root zone. If sufficient information becomes available, this Order may be revised to increase or further reduce loading rates as appropriate. If the Discharger is unable to modify its waste stream or application methods such that groundwater quality will not be impacted, then the Regional Board would be required to classify the waste as a designated waste and require full containment under Title 27 of the California Code of Regulations (hereafter Title 27). 60. State regulations pertaining to water quality monitoring for waste management units are found in Title 27, California Code of Regulations (CCR), Section 20380 et seq., (hereafter Title 27). These regulations prescribe procedures for detecting and characterizing the impact of waste constituents on groundwater. While the facility has been found exempt from Title 27, the data analysis methods of Title 27 are appropriate for determining whether the discharge complies with the terms for protection of groundwater specified in this Order.