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CENTRAL VALLE" REGIONAL WATER QUALITY ( -)NTROL BOARD INSPECTION REPORT DISCHARGER: SMS BRINER LOCATION &COUNTY: 17750 East Highway 4,Stockton CONTACT(S): Robert W. Chelli—SMS Briner General Manager; Maylon Lott California Cherry Briner General Manager INSPECTION DATE: 1 May 2001 INSPECTED BY: Howard Hold,Timothy O'Brien OBSERVATIONS AND COMMENTS: SMS Briners is a 30-acre vegetable brining operation approximately 10 miles east of Stockton adjacent to Littlejohn's Creek(Figure 1). Part of the facility has been leased to California Cherry Briners, who discharge their wastewater into SMS Briners wastewater system. The operations area includes rows of brining tanks (Figure 2 and 3), two processing plants,two nonpennitted unlined surface impoundments (Figures 4 through 7), an injection well (Figure 8), and a waste pile containing old pallets and poly drums (Figure 8). The resulting wastewater is moved around the site by a series of interconnected drains and sumps (Figure 9 and 10). Once the wastewater is in the sump (Figure 11), it is then diverted to the unlined ponds. After detention in the unlined surface impoundments, the wastewater is then held in a tank prior to injection into the well (Figure 12). The facility was issued Waste Discharge Requirements No. 92-053 on 27 March 1992. The compliance schedule required that all brine waste be withdrawn from the ponds by 1 June 1993 and that complete closure of the ponds be achieved by 1 November 1994. The Discharger has not complied with either of these requirements of the Waste Discharge Requirements. - Prior to the inspection, an onsite meeting was held with Robert Chelli, the general manager for the site. During the discussion, Staff presented the compliance schedule in Waste Discharge Requirements No. 92- 053 and its milestones. Mr. Chelli explained that the compliance schedule had been appealed to the State Board. Staff explained that the Regional Board file for SMS Briner does not contain any record of this action. Mr. Chelli wanted to make it clear that the ponds were being used primarily for storm water detention. Staff then informed Mr. Chelli that the Board had adopted the time schedule in Waste Discharge Requirements and only revised requirements adopted by the Board could alter the existing compliance schedule. Furthermore, SMS Briners has been sold to Kruger Food Inc.. They are leasing operational space and wastewater discharge services to California Cherry Briners. SUMMARY: Compliance Issues: ■ Illegal Discharge of brine into unlined ponds ■ Accumulation of salts on land surface that would result in storm water runoff with elevated salts being discharged directly into Little John's Creek. • Degradation of groundwater. ■ The discharge of California Cherry Briners wastewater into SMS Briners pond. ■ SMS Briners change of ownership.