SITE INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE CASE 2

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WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS ORDER NO.R5-2002-0071 - 10- CALIFORNIA NATURAL PRODUCTS WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY 61. 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. 62. 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 within 6.4 to 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. 63. The California Department of Water Resources sets standards for the construction and destruction of groundwater wells (hereafter DWR Well Standards), as described in California Well Standards Bulletin 74-90(June 199 1) 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. 64. The action to adopt WDRs for this existing facility is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA), in accordance with Title 14, California Code of Regulations (CCR), Section 15301. On 15 November 2001, the City of Lathrop issued a Notice of Exemption for the installation of a pipeline in order to utilize wastewater to irrigate the 16.0 acre land application area. The City determined that the project is exempt from the provisions of the CEQA, in accordance with Title 14,CCR, Section 15301. 65. This discharge is 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. 66. Pursuant to California Water Code Section 13263(g), discharge is a privilege,not a right, and adoption of this Order does not create a vested right to continue the discharge. PUBLIC NOTICE 67. The Regional Board has notified the Discharger and interested agencies and persons of its intent to prescribe WDRs for this discharge and has provided them with an opportunity for a public hearing and an opportunity to submit their written views and recommendations.