enforcement of the clean water act involving the federal, state and local governments epa hq

Enforcement of the Clean Water ActEnforcement of the Clean Water ActInvolving the Federal, State and local governmentsInvolving the Federal, State and local governments

• EPA HQEPA HQ

• EPA RegionsEPA Regions

• DOJDOJ

• State WaterState Water

• State AGsState AGs

• District AttorneysDistrict Attorneys

• Sewer DistrictsSewer Districts

• MunicipalsMunicipals

• CountiesCounties

Greg V. Arthur, US EPA Region 9, San Francisco, California, USAGreg V. Arthur, US EPA Region 9, San Francisco, California, USA

EPA Environmental EngineerEPA Environmental EngineerEPA Region 9, Clean Water Act Compliance OfficeEPA Region 9, Clean Water Act Compliance Office

• Sewage TreatmentSewage Treatment

• Industrial WastewaterIndustrial Wastewater

• Municipal / State AuditsMunicipal / State Audits

• Civil EnforcementCivil Enforcement

inspections / auditsinspections / audits

administrative orders administrative orders

judicial settlementsjudicial settlements

• Criminal EnforcementCriminal Enforcement

investigationsinvestigations

judicial trialsjudicial trials

Federal EPA regional guy

local sewer district guys

Enforcement of the Clean Water ActEnforcement of the Clean Water ActReasons for effective environmental enforcement in the USReasons for effective environmental enforcement in the US

Mostly Above BoardMostly Above Board

• Little corruptionLittle corruption

• Diffused powerDiffused power

• Defined complianceDefined compliance

achievableachievable

clear pathwaysclear pathways

measurablemeasurable

consistentconsistent

• Open accessOpen access to to

recordsrecords batch industrial wastewater treatment unit batch industrial wastewater treatment unit for oil and toxic shipyard process watersfor oil and toxic shipyard process waters


National StandardsNational Standards

• Best-Available-Best-Available-

TechnologyTechnology

treatment (BAT)treatment (BAT)

• BAT defined forBAT defined for

most high-strengthmost high-strength

wastewaterswastewaters

• The end result hasThe end result has

been widespreadbeen widespread

treatmenttreatment activated sludge aeration tanks at a activated sludge aeration tanks at a municipal sewage treatment plantmunicipal sewage treatment plant


Broad Public SupportBroad Public Support

• clean airclean air

• clean waterclean water

• unspoiled landsunspoiled lands

• getting rid of getting rid of

toxic dumpstoxic dumps

• wildlife protectionwildlife protection

• The public benefitsThe public benefits

but does not bearbut does not bear

the costs directlythe costs directly industrial wastewater treatment unit for industrial wastewater treatment unit for toxic metals and acids at a plating toxic metals and acids at a plating

shopshop


But, no broad agree-But, no broad agree-

ment on the valuement on the value

of environmentalof environmental

protection by thoseprotection by those

who are regulated who are regulated

So … what motivatesSo … what motivates

dischargers todischargers to

comply with watercomply with water

pollution laws?pollution laws?

facultative lagoon for organics destruction facultative lagoon for organics destruction and nitrogen capture at an animal and nitrogen capture at an animal

feed lotfeed lot


Level Playing FieldLevel Playing Field

• national standardsnational standards

• national enforce-national enforce-

ment policiesment policies

• recovery of therecovery of the

economic benefiteconomic benefit

of non-complianceof non-compliance

• states / locals muststates / locals must

be as stringentbe as stringent

• political independence political independence deep shaft bioreactors with dissolved air deep shaft bioreactors with dissolved air flotation of solids from cheese wastesflotation of solids from cheese wastes


Protection of Protection of

Public InvestmentPublic Investment

• domestic sewersdomestic sewers

• storm sewersstorm sewers

• sewage treatmentsewage treatment

• water supplieswater supplies

• irrigation districtsirrigation districts

• landfillslandfills

metal cleaning and plating wastewaters atmetal cleaning and plating wastewaters ata faucet company captured for off-haulinga faucet company captured for off-hauling


Data-driven andData-driven and

PredictablePredictable

• compliance deter-compliance deter-

mined by sampling mined by sampling

• national guidelinesnational guidelines

for test methodsfor test methods

• national policy:national policy:

not samplingnot sampling is is

equal to a failureequal to a failure

to meet standardsto meet standards biotower preceding activated sludge contact biotower preceding activated sludge contact at a municipal sewage treatment plantat a municipal sewage treatment plant


Most work done byMost work done by

state / local agenciesstate / local agencies

• delegation ofdelegation of

authoritiesauthorities

• partial nationalpartial national

funding for statesfunding for states

• national oversightnational oversight

• national reportingnational reporting

• mandatedmandated

requirements requirements rotating-drum electrowinning silver recovery rotating-drum electrowinning silver recovery for a movie film processing plant in Californiafor a movie film processing plant in California

control room for a sewage treatment plant control room for a sewage treatment plant owned by a small city, under a State permitowned by a small city, under a State permit


• Little corruptionLittle corruption

• National standardsNational standards

• Broad public supportBroad public support

• Level playing fieldLevel playing field

• Protection ofProtection of

Public investmentPublic investment

• Data-driven andData-driven and

PredictablePredictable

• State delegationState delegation

• Locally mandatedLocally mandated

As a result,As a result,

Most complianceMost compliance

is achieved throughis achieved through

voluntary compliance.voluntary compliance.

Some is achievedSome is achieved

through administrativethrough administrative

enforcement.enforcement.

Use of governmentalUse of governmental

power through courtspower through courts

is rarely necessary.is rarely necessary.

chemically-aided de-emulsion and oil water chemically-aided de-emulsion and oil water separation unit for oily ships bilge watersseparation unit for oily ships bilge waters

Enforcement of the Clean Water ActEnforcement of the Clean Water ActSome weaknesses in environmental enforcement in the USSome weaknesses in environmental enforcement in the US

• Data managementData management

• GovernmentalGovernmental

Sources of PollutionSources of Pollution

Federal installationsFederal installations

State agenciesState agencies

City utilities City utilities

• Developing StateDeveloping State

capabilitycapability

• National goalsNational goals

• New technologiesNew technologies

Enforcement of the Clean Water ActEnforcement of the Clean Water ActCase Study – Cooperative DischargerCase Study – Cooperative Discharger

Arizona copper mine – smelter, concentrator, open pit mining, Arizona copper mine – smelter, concentrator, open pit mining, heap leaching, solvent extraction / electrowinning, rod plantheap leaching, solvent extraction / electrowinning, rod plant

Heap LeachHeap Leach

Mining AreaMining Area

TailingsTailings

Pinal CreekPinal Creek

Old Webster LakeOld Webster Lake


Old Webster Lake – Dry since 1989Old Webster Lake – Dry since 1989

Pre 1989 – artist’s renditionPre 1989 – artist’s rendition


• Mining startedMining started

100 years ago100 years ago

• Acidic drainageAcidic drainage

impounded inimpounded in

Webster LakeWebster Lake

• 1.4 billion gals1.4 billion gals

• Leaked throughLeaked through

undergroundunderground

stream gravelstream gravel

• pH ~ 2.0pH ~ 2.0

Webster LakeWebster Lake

Perennial Flow Perennial Flow 14 stream miles14 stream miles

Lower Pinal CreekLower Pinal Creek

LPC Wellfield and LPC Wellfield and Slurry Barrier WallSlurry Barrier Wall

LPC Ground Water LPC Ground Water Treatment PlantTreatment Plant



• Leading edgeLeading edge

captured andcaptured and

pumped to thepumped to the

LPC GroundLPC Ground

Water Treat-Water Treat-

ment Plantment Plant

• All undergroundAll underground

stream flowsstream flows

intercepted intercepted LPC Wellfield and Slurry Barrier WallLPC Wellfield and Slurry Barrier Wall


• Two-stage Two-stage

metals precipi-metals precipi-

tation at pHs tation at pHs

of 7 and 10of 7 and 10

• Floc / settlingFloc / settling

• Tertiary filtersTertiary filters

• $2 million per$2 million per

year to operateyear to operate

• 30% total cost30% total cost

of mine closureof mine closure Lower Pinal Creek Water Treatment FacilityLower Pinal Creek Water Treatment Facility


• RestorationRestoration

of the creekof the creek

• No surfacing ofNo surfacing of

acidic oracidic or

metals-bearingmetals-bearing

ground watersground waters

• Salts are stillSalts are still

flushing out offlushing out of

stream bedstream bed

Discharge from LPC Water Treatment PlantDischarge from LPC Water Treatment Plant


• 1983 CAAG Study1983 CAAG Study

• 1987 EPA Order1987 EPA Order

• 1988 USGS Study1988 USGS Study

• 1990 Arizona Ground1990 Arizona Ground

Water PermitWater Permit

• 1992 Arizona WQARF1992 Arizona WQARF

“ “state superfund”state superfund”

• 1997 Discharger Study1997 Discharger Study

• 2000 NPDES permit2000 NPDES permit

• 2007 NPDES renewal2007 NPDES renewal Pinal Creek downstreamPinal Creek downstream

Enforcement of the Clean Water ActEnforcement of the Clean Water ActCase Study – Uncooperative DischargerCase Study – Uncooperative Discharger

California job-shop electroplater discharging to a California job-shop electroplater discharging to a municipal sewer system under municipal permitmunicipal sewer system under municipal permit

Enforcement of the Clean Water ActEnforcement of the Clean Water Act


Plating ShopPlating Shop

Plating Shop

Warehouse

Wastewater Treatment


treatment


dye bypassed dye bypassed treatmenttreatment

concealed standpipe #1concealed standpipe #1

standpipe coverstandpipe cover


treatment


concealed under concealed under pump assemblypump assembly

concealed standpipe #2concealed standpipe #2

dye bypassed dye bypassed treatmenttreatment


treatment

Cr 0.9 mg/lCr 0.9 mg/l Zn 18.0 mg/lZn 18.0 mg/l Cd 1.7 mg/lCd 1.7 mg/l

Cr 1.0 mg/lCr 1.0 mg/l Zn 20.7 mg/lZn 20.7 mg/l Cd 0.8 mg/lCd 0.8 mg/l


treatment


best-available-technologybest-available-technology• cyanide destructioncyanide destruction• chromium reductionchromium reduction• metals precipitationmetals precipitation• flocculationflocculation• settlingsettling• sand filtrationsand filtration• filter press and dryerfilter press and dryeradequate capacityadequate capacitysegregated treatmensegregated treatmenbatch treatment of spentsbatch treatment of spents• acidsacids• cyanide-bearingcyanide-bearing


chromechromereduxnreduxn

metalsmetalsprecipprecip

cyanidecyanidedestructdestruct flocfloc clarifierclarifier sandsand

filtfilt

sludge holdsludge hold

cyanide destructcyanide destruct

filterfilterpresspress dryerdryer

acid-sumpacid-sump gen-sumpgen-sump cn-sumpcn-sump

influent wastewatersinfluent wastewaters

samplesamplepointpoint





filtfilt




acid-sumpacid-sump



cn-sumpcn-sumpgen-sumpgen-sump


diversion valvediversion valveclosedclosed

discharge linedischarge line

cyanide return linecyanide return line


diversion valvediversion valveopenopen

sewersewer

cyanide return linecyanide return line




filtfilt




acid-sumpacid-sump



cn-sumpcn-sumpgen-sumpgen-sump



diversion valve closeddiversion valve closedCd – 0.7 mg/lCd – 0.7 mg/lZn – 1.3 mg/lZn – 1.3 mg/l

diversion valve opendiversion valve openCd – 48.0 mg/lCd – 48.0 mg/lZn – 2490. mg/lZn – 2490. mg/lCN – 18.0 mg/lCN – 18.0 mg/lPb -2.07 mg/lPb -2.07 mg/lCr – 67.6 mg/lCr – 67.6 mg/lCu – 10.9 mg/lCu – 10.9 mg/lNi – 2.36 mg/lNi – 2.36 mg/l


1983 – quarterly local inspections1983 – quarterly local inspections1993 – EPA audit of local program1993 – EPA audit of local program1999 – informant tip to FBI1999 – informant tip to FBI2000 – joint search under warrant2000 – joint search under warrant2001 – local daily sampling2001 – local daily sampling2002 – Federal criminal settlement2002 – Federal criminal settlement

Enforcement of the Clean Water ActEnforcement of the Clean Water ActQuestions or CommentsQuestions or Comments

• EPA HQEPA HQ

• EPA RegionsEPA Regions

• DOJDOJ

• State WaterState Water

• State AGsState AGs

• District AttorneysDistrict Attorneys

• Sewer DistrictsSewer Districts

• MunicipalsMunicipals

• CountiesCounties

Greg V. Arthur, US EPA Region 9, San Francisco, California, USAGreg V. Arthur, US EPA Region 9, San Francisco, California, USA

enforcement of the clean water act involving the federal, state and local governments epa hq

Documents

clean water actreasons

clean water actinvolving

sampling national guidelines

test methods national

us epa region

toxic metals

public benefits

ment policies recovery