January 12-13 , 2000 Meeting Minutes

Regional Board members, staff and interested parties participated in a tour of the Tahoe-Truckee Sanitation Agency on January 13 from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.

Mr. Sandel, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, 2000.

Mr. Baggett, Member of the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) and liaison to the Lahontan Regional Board, gave an update regarding State Board activities.

1. PUBLIC FORUM

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   Tom Dodson, environmental consultant, representing IMC Chemical Corporation, addressed the Board concerning a proposed Basin plan amendment regarding Searles Lake in the Trona hydrologic unit.

   Mr. Dodson asked the Board to direct staff to finish processing this portion of the amendment in order to present it at the June Regional Board meeting.

   Mr. Singer stated that Searles Lake portion of the amendment would be incorporated into the package presented to the Regional Board in June.

 

2. MINUTES

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   Minutes of the Regular Meeting of November 17-18, 1999 in Bishop
   
   

Motion: Moved by Dr. Dodge, seconded by Dr. Cooley and unanimously carried. to adopt the November 17-18, 1999 minutes as proposed.




3. ADOPTION OF CONSENT CALENDAR

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   Mr. Singer amended Item No. 5 and drew the Board's attention to a late revision to Item No. 6 of the Consent Calendar. He recommended the Board adopt Item 5 as amended and Item 6, incorporating the late revision sheet, on the Consent Calendar.
   
   

Motion: Moved by Dr. Dodge, seconded by Dr. Nebeker and unanimously carried. to adopt the Consent Calendar as proposed, incorporating the changes to Item 5 and the change to Item 6 in the late revision sheet.

OTHER BUSINESS

12. Resolutions of Appreciation for Former Regional Board Members Ossian "Oz" R. Butterfield and Charles "Bud" Porter

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    The Board presented Resolutions of Appreciation to Ossian "Oz" R. Butterfield and Charles "Bud" Porter.
    
    
    
4. WORKSHOP ON LAKE TAHOE STORMWATER PROGRAM

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   Lauri Kemper, Chief, Lake Tahoe Watershed, gave the presentation, which provided an overview of the Lake Tahoe Stormwater Program. Information regarding the following permits was provided:
   
   
   1. The General Stormwater NPDES Permit for Construction Activities in the Lake Tahoe Basin
   2. The Municipal Stormwater NPDES Permit for Placer County, El Dorado County and the City of South Lake Tahoe
   3. The Statewide Caltrans Stormwater Permit
   4. The General Industrial Stormwater Permit
      
      

   This year the Regional Board will consider renewal of the Construction and Municipal Permits, issuance of a new General Industrial Permit for Lake Tahoe Marinas and adoption of a Time Schedule Order requiring Caltrans to comply with its stormwater permit.

   Tim Hackworth, Placer County Public Works, addressed the Board concerning funding sources for maintaining stormwater facilities.

   Bruce Lee, El Dorado County Department of Transportation, discussed the difficulties in meeting priorities established by TRPA, Tahoe Conservancy and Lahontan.
   
   

15. CLOSED SESSION

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    Note: Board members met in closed session on January 12, 2000 from 9:20 p.m. to 9:40 p.m. to discuss Significant Exposure to Litigation. Authority: Government Code Section 11126 (e)(2)(B)(i).
    
    
    ENFORCEMENT ACTION
    
    
8. Public Hearing - Consideration of a Time Schedule Order Requiring California Department of Transportation – District 3 to Submit a Plan and Time Schedule of Specific Actions to Comply with Requirements Set Forth in State Board Order No. 99-06-DWQ

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   Lauri Kemper, Chief, Lake Tahoe Watershed, gave the staff presentation and recommended the Regional Board adopt the Time Schedule Order.
   
   Dick Melim, Tahoe Coordinator and Deputy District Director, Caltrans, summarized an action plan for meeting the Time Schedule Order and how it relates to the EIP in the Tahoe Basin.
   
   
   

   Motion: Moved by Dr. Nebeker, seconded by Dr. Dodge and unanimously carried. to adopt the staff recommendation as proposed.




OTHER BUSINESS


9. Report on the Status of the Lake Tahoe Motorized Watercraft Ban

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   Mary Fiore, Environmental Specialist, gave the presentation. Based on preliminary studies conducted by the Motorized Watercraft Technical Advisory Group (MWTAG) which showed that gasoline hydrocarbon pollution was occurring at Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board adopted a ban on all two-stroke engines to take effect in June 1999.
   
   A Watercraft Emissions Study concluded marine engines powered by two-stroke carbureted engines discharged the largest amount of gasoline hydrocarbons to the lake compared to the four-stroke and newer two-stroke technologies. These data, as well as other research, helped support TRPA's June 1999 ordinance that revised the previous ban.
   
   F uture research recommended by MWTAG includes investigating the occurrence and magnitude of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) associated with the operation of motorized watercraft.
   
   Jon Paul Kiel, TRPA, answered the Board's questions regarding two-stroke carbureted engines.
   

Regular Meeting, Continued
8:30 a.m., January 13, 2000

Mr. Sandel, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. on January 13, 2000. Board members present: Beatrice Cooley, Ph.D., Richard A. Dodge, Ph.D., Eugene B. Nebeker, Ph.D., William A. Newsom, Judge, ret., Eric Sandel, P.E. Board members absent: none

1. PUBLIC FORUM

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No one addressed the Board during the public forum.


11. Workshop on Total Maximum Daily Loads

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    Robert Dodds, Assistant Executive Officer, gave the presentation. Discussion included answering questions, such as "What is the TMDL process?, What do TMDLs address? and What are TMDLs based on? Development of TMDLs provide an analytical basis for planning and implementing pollution controls, land management practices, and restoration projects needed to protect water quality. Approved TMDLs and associated implementation measures must be included in State water quality management plans or basin plans.
    
    
10. Workshop on the Clean Water Enforcement and Pollution Prevention Act of 1999 (SB 709)

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    Steven Blum, State Water Resources Control Board Legal Counsel, gave the presentation. He discussed recent additions to the California Water Code which became effective January 1, 2000. This legislation will require the Regional Board to collect mandatory minimum penalties for certain types of violations.
    
    
    ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
    
    
7. Continuation of Public Hearing - Consideration of an Administrative Civil Liability (ACL) Order for Edgar Stratton for Violation of Cleanup and Abatement Order No. 6-86-11A4, Nevada County

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   Mr. Sandel opened the public hearing and continued the matter until the March meeting.
   
   
   OTHER BUSINESS
   
   
17. Election of Chair and Vice Chair for 2000

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    Motion: Moved by Judge Newsom, seconded by Dr. Nebeker and unanimously carried. to Eric Sandel Chair of the Regional Board.

    
    

    Motion: Moved by Dr. Nebeker, seconded by Dr. Dodge and unanimously carried. to elect Dr. Cooley Vice Chair of the Regional Board.

    
    
    
16. Tahoe-Truckee Sanitation Agency - Tour of Facility and Discussion of Future Expansion Plans

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    Scott Ferguson, Chief, Northern Watersheds Unit, discussed TTSA's proposal to expand their facilities to accommodate future growth. TTSA has determined, through modeling, that its discharge would cause the receiving water objectives to be exceeded between the eighth and tenth year of the expansion. The objectives would only be exceeded during low flow conditions and only by a small amount. Two options were discussed; use a treatment technology for the expansion that is different from its current treatment system or a Basin Plan amendment relaxing the receiving water objectives.
    
    Craig Woods, General Manager of TTSA, discussed the history of the facility and the process summary whereby, through a series of biological, chemical and physical processes, wastewaters are purified to a degree where surface and ground water is protected. He went on to discuss proposed expansion plans.
    
    
    
13. Executive Officer's Report

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    Mr. Singer briefed the Board on the following subjects:
    
    
    • The publicity that will surround the 50^th Anniversary of the Lahontan Regional Board
    • Senate Bill 989, including enforcement responsibilities and the new maximum reimbursement cap
    • USA Gas station in South Lake Tahoe has selected an on-site cleanup method of dual vapor extraction. The Cleanup and Abatement Order will be modified to incorporate a schedule for implementing the process.
    • Pollution issues related to dairies, which may require more regulatory action
    • An upcoming segment on "60 Minutes" regarding the effect of MTBE on groundwater
    • The pursuit of funding so that corrective action measures can continue at Leviathan Mine
    • Correspondence from South Tahoe Public Utility District that offers coordination between the District and the Regional Board
    • A letter from Squaw Valley Ski Corporation related to inspections
    • The Regional Board's regulatory authority in water extraction projects in regards to a proposed project in Mono County
    • Regulating golf courses and the potential problems therein

    With no objections from the Board, Mr. Singer stated his intent to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Truckee River Watershed Coordinated Resource Management and Planning Group (TRW CRMP).
    
    

14. Reports by Chairman and Board Members

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    Dr. Nebeker distributed information concerning bioremediation of MTBE. He also distributed information related to wetlands.
    
    

There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m.