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PROJECT DESCRIPTION <br /> McDONALD ISLAND GAS STORAGE FIELD <br /> ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE PROJECT <br /> As PG&E' s largest gas storage field, McDonald Island is capable <br /> of supplying up to 369 of the systems peak day demand require- <br /> ment. The field consists of three injection/extraction stations : <br /> McDonald, Whiskey Slough and Turner Cut. <br /> During the natural gas extraction process , production liquids <br /> are separated from the natural gas and, until recently, were dis- <br /> posed of in unlined evaporation ponds, except for McDonald sta- <br /> tion where this waste water was stored in tanks for off-site dis- <br /> posal . The ponds were also used for the disposal of rainwater <br /> runoff from the processing and control platforms at Whiskey <br /> Slough and Turner Cut which may contain inseparable chemical <br /> wastes , oil and grease . These ponds were operated under Waste <br /> Discharge Requirements issued by the California Regional Water <br /> Quality Control Board -Central Valley Region (CRWQCB) , Order Num- <br /> ber 74-372 . The typical volume of production liquids and rain <br /> water, run-off is approximately 400 , 000 gallons per year, most of <br /> it generated during gas withdrawal and the rainy season. The peak <br /> volume is usually achieved during the month of January. <br /> Because of recent changes in the law regarding disposal of such <br /> wastes , the evaporation ponds no longer meet the design require- <br /> ments which were established by Subchapter 15, Title 23 of the <br /> California Administrative Code. The CRWQCB inspected the ponds in <br /> early 1986 and, due to design and operation deficiencies, ordered <br /> PG&E to stop discharging this waste water into the ponds . Since <br /> that time, two existing 10 , 000 gallon storage tanks at Whiskey <br /> Slough and Turner Cut have been used as a temporary means to col- <br /> lect the production fluids and rain water run-off together for <br /> off-site disposal . Concurrently, studies have been conducted for <br /> Whiskey Slough and Turner Cut to determine and evaluate alterna- <br /> tives to the existing evaporation ponds which would be acceptable <br /> to the CRWQCB. <br /> Based on these studies , the most effective solution was to pro- <br /> vide separate and permanent collection/storage tank systems for <br /> the production fluids and rain water run-off and to transport the <br /> wastewater off-site for disposal in approved injection wells . The <br /> two existing tanks at Whiskey Slough station and Turner Cut sta- <br /> tion will continue to store production fluids for transport and <br /> off-site disposal . The project for which development plan <br /> approval is sought consists of the installation of three 11 , 000 <br /> gallon storage tanks which will store the rain water run-off <br /> water collected from the platforms and the truck loading facility <br /> sump. <br /> Containment around the tanks will consist of a concrete slab and <br /> dike in case of an accidental spill . The tanks will include level <br /> indicators and high level alarms . The truck loading facility will <br /> be modified to accommodate the new piping. All proposed facili- <br />