STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD
WORKSHOP SESSION--DIVISION
OF WATER QUALITY
ITEM:
5
SUBJECT:
CONSIDERATION
OF APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR HIS DESIGNEE TO
APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT A GRANT OF APPROXIMATELY $600,000 FROM THE
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (USEPA), REGION 9, AND TO
NEGOTIATE A WORKPLAN TO CONTINUE SOURCE INVESTIGATION ACTIVITIES IN THE
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
DISCUSSION:
The Los Angeles Regional
Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB) has been investigating sources of ground
water contamination in the San Fernando Valley as part of its
Underground Tank and Well Investigation Program since 1984.
Four separate areas within
the San Fernando Valley were included in USEPA's National Priority
List (NPL) for Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Sites and the analogous State
Priority Ranking List prepared by the Department of Health Services in
1986. Three of the NPL sites are
located in the San Fernando Basin and include the North Hollywood/Burbank,
Crystal Springs, and Pollock well fields.
The fourth site is the Crescentia Valley and Glorietta well fields
located in the Verdugo Basin.
As part of the requirements under Superfund, USEPA must attempt to
identify potential responsible parties.
In addition, for any clean-up program to be effective, the existing
source of contamination must be identified and mitigated. The proposed cooperative agreement will
augment the LARWQCB and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)
resources to identify and mitigate the sources contributing to pollution within
the NPL site areas and to develop a list of potential responsible parties for
enforcement and recovery of clean-up costs.
The LARWQCB began using funds from the initial grant in March 1990. Funds from a ninth grant are now being used. The grant period for the ninth grant expires June 30, 2000. SWRCB staff proposes to apply to USEPA for a grant of approximately $600,000 to continue the project in Federal Fiscal Year 2000. If funds are available, USEPA has indicated that it intends to offer the grant to the SWRCB.
USEPA grant funds will be used by the LARWQCB to continue source
identification activities in the San Fernando Valley. This allows State-funded LARWQCB staff to
concentrate on the soil and ground water assessment portions of the source
investigations program.
The tasks to be supported by the proposed cooperative agreement are
summarized below:
1.
Integrate
existing chromium and chemical use databases into the LARWQCB’s Oracle database
and the Geographic Information System (GIS).
2.
Organize
information on existing consultant activities in the San Fernando Valley.
3.
Conduct
site inspections at all potential sources to evaluate the likelihood that a
discharge has occurred.
4.
Provide
GIS support for the chromium investigations.
5.
Administer
the program and coordinate activities among USEPA, SWRCB, and LARWQCB.
5.
Track
all aspects of the program with an automated data management system and provide
for the reporting needs of the LARWQCB, SWRCB, and USEPA.
The
grant will continue funding for 3.7 positions (3.5 personnel years
[PYs]) at the LARWQCB and 0.3 position (0.3 PY) at the SWRCB for
technical, administrative, and legal support.
POLICY ISSUE:
Should
the SWRCB authorize the Executive Director or his designee to apply for and
accept a Federal grant of approximately $600,000 from USEPA and negotiate a
workplan to continue source investigation activities in the San Fernando
Valley?
FISCAL
IMPACT:
The proposed grant would continue the San Fernando Valley Pollutant Source Investigation Project with Federal grant funds. Division of Water Quality staff is working with the Budget Office to increase the Fiscal Year 2000-01 SWRCB budget to ensure adequate expenditure authority.
RWQCB IMPACT:
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
That the SWRCB authorizes the Executive Director or his designee to:
1. Apply for and accept a Federal grant of approximately $600,000
from USEPA.
2. Negotiate a workplan to continue source
investigation activities in the San Fernando Valley.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
March 27,
2000 Draft
STATE WATER RESOURCES
CONTROL BOARD
RESOLUTION NO. 2000-
AUTHORIZING
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR HIS DESIGNEE
TO
APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT A GRANT OF APPROXIMATELY $600,000 FROM THE U.S.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (USEPA), REGION 9,
AND
TO NEGOTIATE A WORKPLAN TO CONTINUE SOURCE
INVESTIGATION ACTIVITIES IN
THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
WHEREAS:
1. The San Fernando Valley ground water basin provides drinking water for over 600,000 people.
2. A portion of the San Fernando Valley and
Verdugo ground water basins are polluted with volatile organic compounds,
chromium, and nitrates at concentrations exceeding State and Federal drinking
water standards.
3. Four areas within the San Fernando Valley
were placed on USEPA's National Priority List (NPL) for Uncontrolled Hazardous
Waste Sites in 1986. The four areas
are: North Hollywood/Burbank, Crystal
Springs, Pollock well fields in the San Fernando Valley Basin, and the
Crescentia Valley and Glorietta well fields in the Verdugo Basin.
4. The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality
Control Board (LARWQCB) has been investigating sources of ground water
contamination in the San Fernando Valley under its Underground Tank and Well
Investigation Programs since 1984 in an attempt to identify sources
contributing to ground water pollution.
5. If funding is appropriated, USEPA will make
a grant available to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) which will
continue funding for additional staff positions to continue source
investigation activities in the San Fernando Valley.
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
The
SWRCB:
1. Applies for and accepts a Federal grant of
approximately $600,000 from USEPA.
2. Negotiates a workplan to continue source
investigation activities in the San Fernando Valley.
The
undersigned, Administrative Assistant to the Board, does hereby certify that
the foregoing is a full, true, and correct copy of a resolution duly and
regularly adopted at a meeting of the State Water Resources Control Board held
on April 26, 2000.
_____________________________________
Maureen
Marché