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♦ i <br /> THE KIRK LAW FIRM <br /> Ms. Lori Casias <br /> Associate Government Program Analyst <br /> State of California <br /> Water Resources Control Board <br /> Division of Clean Water Programs <br /> June 3, 1999 <br /> Page 4 <br /> On or about January 25, 1999, while Unocal was performing the additional <br /> characterization work at the Site, the Division of Clean Water Programs informed the Central <br /> Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board ("the Regional Board") of its intention of <br /> recommending closure of the Site to the State Board at its March 13, 1999 workshop. [Exhibit 7 <br /> - State Water Resources Control Board memorandum to Gary Carlton,Executive Officer, Central <br /> Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board from Edward C. Anton, Chief, Division of Clean <br /> Water Programs, dated January 25, 1999,with draft order attached.] <br /> Meanwhile, after several months of discussions and negotiations, Unocal and the <br /> District Attorney agreed to a settlement "in principle" on February 17, 1999, whereby Unocal <br /> agreed to pay penalties for all alleged underground storage tank violations associated with its <br /> former service station sites in San Joaquin County to date, leaving the District Attorney's <br /> insistence that Unocal withdraw its petition for review and closure of the Site and the allocation <br /> of penalties for further discussion. Correspondence dated February 17, 1999 to Deputy District <br /> Attorney David Trey from Unocal's attorney confirming their settlement discussions is attached <br /> as Exhibit S. <br /> Unocal and the District Attorney subsequently agreed to an allocation of penalties. <br /> However, Unocal stood fast on its refusal to withdraw the petition for closure and informed the <br /> District Attorney that it believed his request to be inappropriate. Unocal also told him that if the <br /> State Board did not issue an order closing the Site, Unocal would undertake the additional <br /> corrective action required for closure of the Site. [Exhibit 9 - Letter to David J. Irey, Deputy <br /> District Attorney, Environmental Prosecutions Unit, from Sherri M. Kirk, dated March 2, 1999.] <br /> After considering PHS/EHD's and the Regional Board's comments on the <br /> proposed closure orderl and the report of Unocal's supplemental site characterization work <br /> performed at the Site during January and February 1999, the Division of Clean Water Programs <br /> staff concluded, on or about March 22, 1999, that the report of the supplemental work at the Site <br /> "contains no new information that would alter the conclusions and recommendations for closure <br /> presented in the draft order." [Exhibit 11 - State Water Resources Control Board memorandum <br /> to James George Giannopoulos, Chief, Regulatory Programs Branch and Edward C. Anton, <br /> 1 Attached hereto as Exhibit 10 is a Regional Board memorandum to GLB,WJM, and GMC from Mark R. <br /> List,dated February 16, 1999,objecting to closure of the Site. <br />