SR0079530 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS ORDER NO. R5-2008-0148 -18- LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FOR LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY SITE 300 SAN JOAQUIN AND ALAMEDA COUNTIES apply limits more stringent than MCLs to ensure that waters do not contain chemical constituents in concentrations that adversely affect beneficial uses. 77.The Basin Plan contains narrative water quality objectives for chemical constituents, tastes and odors, and toxicity. The toxicity objective requires that groundwater be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that produce detrimental physiological responses in humans, plants or animals. The chemical constituent objective requires that groundwater shall not contain chemical constituents in concentrations that adversely affect beneficial uses. The taste and odor objectives require that groundwater shall not contain tastes or odors producing substances in concentrations that cause nuisance or adversely affect beneficial uses. 78.The Basin Plan establishes the control of salinity as a high priority. The Regional Water Board issued a memorandum on 26 April 2007 setting forth guidance for the consistent management of salinity and the need to immediately begin addressing salinity in existing discharges. The discharge of salts above background levels, when discharged to land or water, increases the inventory of salt in the Region, that is, it increases the total salt contained in surface water, groundwater, and soil. Crop productivity drops with increasing soil salinity until farming becomes infeasible. Some types of salt can result in significant human health risks. For example, nitrates are a component of salt and pose a significant human health risk. This Order complies with the 26 April 2007 guidance memorandum. Salinity is of concern in the existing discharges covered by this Order. However, sufficient information is not available at this time to establish effluent limits or interim effluent limits. This Order requires the Discharger to conduct a salinity evaluation and minimization plan; requires the Discharger to obtain additional effluent information; requires the Discharger to evaluate fate and transport of salt to ground water; and requires the Discharger to develop additional information on salinity in the source water and receiving water. 79.Section 13241 of the Water Code requires the Regional Water Board to consider various factors, including economic considerations, when adopting water quality objectives into its Basin Plan. Water Code Section 13263 requires the Regional Water Board to address the factors in Section 13241 in adopting waste discharge requirements. The State Water Board, however, has held that a regional water board need not specifically address the Section 13241 factors when implementing existing water quality objectives in waste discharge requirements because the factors were already considered in adopting water quality objectives. These waste discharge requirements implement adopted water quality objectives. Therefore, no additional analysis of Section 13241 factors is required.