Laserfiche WebLink
California Regional Water Quality Control Board t <br /> Central Valley Region <br /> Linda S.Adams Arnold <br /> Secretaryfor Karl E.Longley,SCD,P.E.,Chair <br /> Schwarzenegger <br /> Environmental Sacramento Main Office Governor <br /> Protection 11020 Sun Center Drive#200,Rancho Cordova,Califomia 95670-6114 <br /> Phone(916)464-3291•FAX(916)464-4645 <br /> http://www.waterbouds.cigov/mnualvalley <br /> 5 November 2007 <br /> Ben Hall, Director <br /> Environmental Services and Programs <br /> Musco Family Olive Company <br /> 17950 Via Nicolo <br /> Tracy, CA 95377-9767 <br /> CONDITIONAL APPROVAL, ASSIMILATIVE CAPACITY WORKPLAN, MUSCO FAMILY <br /> OLIVE COMPANY AND THE STUDLEY COMPANY, SAN JOA QUIN COUNTY, WASTE <br /> DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS ORDER NO. R5-2002-0148 <br /> We have reviewed the Work Plan for Assessment of Assimilative Capacity(Work Plan), <br /> prepared by Kennedy Jenks and dated 16 July 2007, which describes the planned activities to <br /> assess the long-term capacity of the land application areas to treat the discharge of olive <br /> processing wastewater. The Work Plan was submitted in response to our 10 March 2004 <br /> letter commenting on a previous work plan, and our subsequent discussions. To summarize, <br /> the Work Plan proposes a methodology to assess water flux, soil chemistry, and crop uptake in <br /> the unsaturated zone under the application areas. This would be accomplished by monitoring <br /> soil moisture at various depths, crop sampling, soil sampling in the upper five feet, and <br /> sampling of deeper soils. This data would also be used to assess any changes in irrigation <br /> practices to decrease downward flux below the root zone and to improve waste constituent <br /> uptake by crops. Further details regarding the proposed study methods are provided in the <br /> Work Plan. <br /> We believe the study needs to get started as soon as possible and are providing conditional <br /> approval with this letter to allow installation of the field equipment and sample collection and <br /> analyses to proceed. In addition, we have a number of additional concerns about the Work <br /> Plan that we expect Kennedy Jenks to address separately in an addendum or follow-up report <br /> to the Work Plan. These concerns are described below, and include items such as a salt <br /> balance for the system, the effects of previous discharges, and compliance with the <br /> requirements of the recently adopted Cease and Desist Order (CDO). <br /> Conditional Approval <br /> In the proposed activities portion of the Work Plan (Section 3), Kennedy Jenks needs to <br /> consider sampling and analysis of wastewater, tailwater, and stormwater necessary to <br /> complement the proposed soil sample data. We mention this because the Work Plan did not <br /> explicitly include a salt balance as one of its data evaluation goals. Staff believe that a salt <br /> balance is needed to provide a crosscheck on the overall wastewater disposal system. Some <br /> California Environmental Protection Agency <br /> <5 Recycled Paper <br />