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DRAFT Staff Report -9- <br /> Administrative Civil Liability Complaint <br /> Rodney and Gayla Schatz dba Mokelumne Rim Vineyards <br /> San Joaquin County <br /> improvements to the wastewater treatment system. The Discharger must still submit the technical <br /> reports and make the improvements, so the economic savings for that noncompliance is simply the <br /> interest it has saved on any loans. Staff estimates that the Discharger accrued no more than $1,000 in <br /> savings due to non-submittal of the technical reports. The benefit realized by not monitoring as required <br /> by the MRP is estimated to be approximately $8,860. The total economic benefit realized is estimated <br /> to be approximately $9,860. <br /> Other Matters as Justice May Require <br /> Staff spent approximately 100 hours, or $8,000 in staff costs, in generation of the ACL Complaint, <br /> including review of the files. Staff estimate that we will incur another 80 hours of work(another <br /> $8,000) to prepare the agenda material for the ACL Order and to prepare for the Regional Board <br /> presentation. <br /> Prior History of Violations <br /> The Discharger has a history of violations at this facility, including inadequate freeboard in the <br /> wastewater pond, inadequate dissolved oxygen in the wastewater pond, failure to submit technical <br /> reports required by the WDRs, failure to submit complete self-monitoring reports, failure to meter <br /> wastewater flow rates, and failure to make needed improvments to the wastewater system. <br /> Determination of Amount <br /> California Water Code (CWC) Section 13268 authorizes the imposition of administrative civil liability <br /> for violation of CWC Section 13267. The maximum liability for each day of violation is one thousand <br /> dollars ($1,000). As of 12 October 2005, the required technical and self-monitoring reports are a <br /> cumulative total of cumulative total of 6,714 days late. Therefore, the maximum liability under CWC <br /> Section 13268 is six million seven hundred fourteen thousand dollars ($6,714,000).No minimum <br /> liability is required to be imposed under Section 13268(b)(1). <br /> As of 12 October 2005, the Discharger has been in noncompliance with its WDRs for 2,458 days. The <br /> maximum liability under CWC Section 13350(e)(1) is $5,000 per day per instance of violation, and in <br /> this case, the maximum liability is for daily violation of the WDRs is thirty three million five hundred <br /> seventy thousand dollars ($33,570,000). The minimum liability under CWC Section 13350(e)(1) is <br /> $100 per day per instance of violation, and in this case, is six hundred seventy one thousand four <br /> hundred dollars ($671,400). <br /> CWC Section 13350(f) allows imposition of a civil liability in an amount less than the minimum <br /> specified if express findings are made setting forth the reasons, based upon the specific factors required <br /> to be considered pursuant to CWC Section 13327. In this case, a civil liability less than the minimum <br /> required is appropriate based on(a)the Discharger's ability to pay and continue in business, (b)the <br /> economic benefit accrued by the Discharger in not complying with the WDRs, (c)the water quality <br /> impacts resulting from noncompliance, and (d)the range of other administrative civil liabilities recently <br /> issued to other dischargers for similar issues of non-compliance. <br /> Based on the above, the Executive Officer assessed an Administrative Civil Liability in the amount of <br /> thirty thousand dollars ($30,000). The amount of the liability proposed is based upon a review of the <br /> factors set forth in CWC Section 13327 and 13350, and includes consideration of the economic benefit <br /> or savings resulting from the violations. <br /> WAStatl\ObnenMm JoaquinN4okelm-e Rim Vineyards\ACL Sept OSStaff Report.DOC <br />