The California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2011-12
REGULATE: WASTE DISCHARGES TO LAND - WDR |
|
|
GROUP: |
ALL OTHER WASTE WASTE DISCHARGE TO LAND-WDR FACILITIES |
|
MEASURE: |
NUMBER OF PERMITS ADOPTED OR RENEWED
NUMBER OF PERMITS PAST RENEWAL DATE AS OF END OF FISCAL YEAR 2011-12 |
|
MESSAGE: |
Approximately 73% of the permits are renewed within the recommended frequency. |
|
|
MEASUREMENTS
WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING
Facilities under this category include food processing plants and all other non-industrial and non-municipal domestic type of waste. 73% of the permits have been reviewed/updated in accordance within the recommended frequency. 280 permits need to be renewed or reviewed/updated as of June 30, 2012 and may be considered backlogged. 58 permits were reissued or reviewed during fiscal year 11-12. The backlog of expired permits varies among the different regional boards. Facilities enrolled under a general permit are not considered past an expiration date.
WHY THIS MEASURE IS IMPORTANT
Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) are issued for the duration of the discharge and do not contain an expiration date. Regional Boards are authorized to review WDRs periodically pursuant to Section 13263(e) of the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. The State Legislature has found that many WDRs are out of date and therefore do not reflect existing laws, regulations, and revised Water Quality Control Plans. The Water Boards recommend that WDRs be reviewed on a frequency of five, ten or fifteen years, based on the discharger’s Threat to Water Quality (TTWQ). WDRs that have not been reviewed/updated are considered to be backlogged. This measure describes the workload associated with existing permits.
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
GLOSSARY
- All other facilities
- All facilities that treat and/or dispose of wastes that do not fall into one of the Municipal, Industrial and Agricultural Waste categories. It does not include Dairies or other Confined Animal facilities
- Waste Discharge Requirements Program
- The Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) Program regulates all point source discharges of waste to land that do not require full containment (which falls under the Land Discharge Program), or are not subject to the NPDES Program.
- Review/Update Actions
- The Waste Discharge Requirements WDRs are to be reviewed according to a schedule based upon their TTWQ Category as follows: TTWQ 1= Every 5 years, TTWQ 2= Every 10 years and TTWQ 3= Every 15 years. TTWQ 1 has the highest priority. There are three possible actions which may result from the WDR review/update process: rescission, continuance, or revision. A revision requires the issuance of a new WDR with a new adoption date. No formal Regional Board action is required to continue WDRs without change. A memorandum signed by the Regional Board Executive Officer (EO), documenting that the review concluded that the existing WDR is appropriate and that no changes are necessary at this time, is placed in the WDR file.