ARCHIVED REPORTS_COMBINED ANNUAL AND SECOND-HALF 2012 GROUNDWATER MONITORING REPORT 01-31-2013

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INFORMATION SHEET 3 WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS ORDER R5-2012-0105 DIAMOND PET FOOD PROCESSORS OF RIPON, LLC AND RIPON COGENERATION, LLC DIAMOND PET FOOD RIPON FACILITY SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY The overall influent flow rate will average approximately 700,000 gallons per day (gpd), which includes wastewater generated from Diamond and Ripon Cogeneration, LLC, and dilution water. The wastewater generated by Diamond and Ripon Cogeneration, LLC will average approximately 283,000 gpd, which is approximately 40 percent of the total flow. The projected overall influent TDS concentration of 684 mg/L for Diamond and Ripon Cogeneration, LLC is less than the paper mill's effluent average TDS concentration of 812 mg/L in 2008. In addition, the proposed TDS loading rate is approximately 61 percent of the paper mill's discharge. To address the sources of salinity discharged to the wastewater treatment system and the LAAs, this Order requires the Dischargers to submit a Salinity and Nutrient Evaluation and Minimization Plan. Diamond will continue to manage the LAAs as Neenah did: the LAAs will be flood irrigated as needed to dispose of the treated wastewater by percolation. The RWD did not specify how the LAAs will be operated or how wastewater will be contained within the LAAs. This Order requires the Dischargers to appropriately operate the LAAs to prevent nuisance or wastewater runoff. The RWD indicates that the WWTF has enough storage and disposal capacity for the storm water collected at the facility and approximately 700,000 gpd of the treated wastewater including dilution water. The application of 700,000 gpd of water over the 86-acre LAAs equates to a daily application depth of 0.3 inches. Therefore, the flow limitations of this Order are based on the daily influent flows excluding the dilution water provided in the RWD. Groundwater Conditions WDRs Order 5- 01-148 required that Neenah determine background groundwater quality to establish Water Quality Protection Standards (WQPSs). The WQPSS for the shallow zone were established based on the groundwater monitoring data in the wells OB-10, OB-14, OB-16, OB-17, OB-21 and OB-22, which are adjacent to the Stanislaus River. The WQPSs were approved in August 2006. The discharges from Neenah and Ripon Cogeneration, LLC degraded groundwater quality, primarily with salinity constituents. In order to comply with the WDRs Order 5-01-148, Neenah planted the current orchard in a failed attempt to reduce the degradation by phytoremediation. In 2007 and 2009, Neenah applied low salinity fresh water to the percolation fields in order to improve groundwater quality and to meet the WQPSs. When the paper mill was closed in May 2009, the groundwater under portions of the paper mill site had not met these standards. Groundwater quality at the site has been monitored since January 1992. Four aquifer zones beneath the site have been identified. Diamond has 36 active monitoring wells and five groundwater production wells. In addition, Diamond monitors six other monitoring wells that