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WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS GENERAL ORDER NO. R5-2015-0012 4 IN-SITU GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION AND DISCHARGE OF TREATED GROUNDWATER TO LAND 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 tastes and odors objective requires that groundwater shall not contain tastes or odors producing substances in concentrations that cause nuisance or adversely affect beneficial uses. State Water Board Resolution No. 92-49 (hereafter Resolution No. 92-49) requires the Regional Board to require actions for cleanup and abatement of discharges that cause or threaten to cause pollution or nuisance to conform to the provisions of State Water Board Resolution No. 68-16 (hereafter Resolution No. 68-16) and the Basin Plan. Pursuant to Resolution No. 92-49, the Regional Board shall ensure that dischargers are required to clean up and abate the effects of discharges in a manner that promotes attainment of either background water quality, or if background levels of water quality cannot be restored, the best water quality which is reasonable and which complies with the Basin Plan including applicable WQ0s. Resolution No. 68-16 requires the Regional Board in regulating discharges to maintain high quality waters of the State until it is demonstrated that any change in quality will be consistent with maximum benefit to the people of the State, will not unreasonably affect present and potential beneficial uses, and will not result in water quality less than that described in plans and policies (e.g., quality that exceeds WQ0s). Temporal degradation of groundwater may occur at sites subject to this Order within the defined treatment zone due to the amended groundwater injection. The temporary degradation allowed by this Order is consistent with Resolution No. 68-16 since (1) the purpose is to accelerate and enhance remediation of groundwater pollution and such remediation will benefit the people of the State; (2) the discharge facilitates a project to evaluate the effectiveness of cleanup technology in accord with Resolution No. 92-49; (3) the degradation is limited in scope and duration; (4) best practicable treatment and control, including adequate monitoring and a contingency plan to assure protection of water quality are required; and (5) the discharge will not cause WQ0s to be exceeded beyond the transition zone and it is expected that increases in concentrations above WQ0s caused by the treatment will be reduced over time. If the background concentration of a not-targeted-for-remediation constituent already exceeds the WOO listed in Finding 18, then the concentration of the constituent in the amendment as added to groundwater cannot exceed the WOO for that constituent. A slight residual increase in salts may occur at some sites subject to this Order but will be limited to a maximum 20 percent increase over background and less than the WOO listed below in Finding No. 18. See Groundwater Limitation E.3. This Order addresses water quality as it relates to the amendments being injected, as well as the byproducts and breakdown products produced by the reactions of the injectants, pollutants being treated and native geological materials. Cleanup criteria for groundwater are established in an appropriate enforcement document such as a Record of Decision, Cleanup and Abatement Order, or Remedial Action Plan and are not discussed further as a part of this Order. As discussed above, amendments are injected to groundwater to stimulate reduction in concentrations of the target waste constituent and the target waste constituent may undergo a series of transformations to other constituents as it degrades.