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WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREATS GENERAL ORDER NO. R5-2008-0110 5 IN-SITU GROUNDWATER REMEdTATION AT SITES IMPACTED BY VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, NITROGEN COMPOUNDS, PERCHLORATE, PESTICIDES, SEMI-VOLATILE COMPOUNDS, HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM AND/OR PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS 16. Some amendments used to stimulate degradation of waste constituents in groundwater have a salt component (generally sodium or potassium). Upon completion of the intended degradation process, the salt component remains. The groundwater in the Central Valley is severely degraded by salts and the Regional Board is intent on minimizing the discharge of salts to the groundwater. The use of non salt-containing injectants is preferred, and the Discharger is required to demonstrate that there are no non salt-containing injectant alternatives that will cost-effectively promote the degradation of the target constituent before being allowed to use a salt-containing injectant. See Discharge Specification D.1. Furthermore, the Discharger is required to establish background salt concentrations and monitor the groundwater for changes in salt concentrations during the life of the project. Increases in salt concentrations in ground water are restricted by Groundwater Limitation E.3, below. 17. The action to adopt these Waste Discharge Requirements is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq.) (CEQA) because it: (1) authorizes activity that will result in a minor modification to land pursuant to Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Section 15304; (2) consists of an action by a regulatory agency authorizing actions for the protection of the environment pursuant to Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Section 15308; and (3) authorizes minor cleanup actions costing $1.5 million or less that are taken to prevent, minimize, stabilize, mitigate, or eliminate the release or threat of release of a hazardous waste or substance pursuant to Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Section 15330. 18. The discharge is exempt from the requirements of Consolidated Regulations for Treatment, Storage, Processing, or Disposal of Solid Waste, set forth in the Title 27, California Code of Regulations (CCR), section 20005 et seq. (hereafter Title 27), which allows a conditional exemption from some or all of the provisions of Title 27. The exemption, pursuant to Title 27 CCR Section 20090(b), is based on the following: a. The Regional Water Board is issuing waste discharge requirements. b. The discharge is in compliance with the applicable Basin Plan. _c. The wastewater does not need to be managed according to Title 22CCR, Division 4.5 and Chapter 11 as a hazardous waste. Section 20090(d) allows exemption for a project to cleanup a condition of pollution that resulted from an unauthorized discharge of waste based on the following: d. The application of amendments to groundwater is at the direction of the Regional Water Board to cleanup and abates conditions of pollution or nuisance resulting from the unauthorized discharge of waste. e. Wastes removed from the immediate place of release must be discharged according to the Title 27 regulations; and f. The cleanup actions intended to contain wastes at the place of release shall implement the Title 27 regulations to the extent feasible.