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***
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The
energy challenge facing California is
real. Every Californian needs to take
immediate action to reduce energy consumption
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***
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For
a list of simple ways to reduce demand
and cut your energy costs, see the tips
at: http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/news/echallenge.html
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GROUNDWATER DIVISION |
ENFORCEMENT
& GROUNDWATER PERMITTING
Board Hearing Panels
In accordance with Resolution 00-017, a Regional Board Hearing Panel conducted an evidentiary hearing for ACLs on December 17, 2001. The hearing Panel, consisting of three Board members heard evidence pertaining to ACLs issued to the following:
- Central City Pallets, Inc./Alameda Street for $6,980, for violating California Water Code section 13399, by failing to submit the required Notice of Intent;
- Central City Pallets, Inc./Enterprise Street for $6,980, for violating California Water Code section 13399, by failing to submit the required Notice of Intent; and
- M.G.M. Auto Sales/Dismantling for $6,980, for violating California Water Code section 13399, by failing to submit the required Notice of Intent.
The Hearing Panel heard evidence presented by the Dischargers and their representatives and Board staff and will report their findings at a future full Board Meeting.
NPDES Facility Inspections
Jesus Plasencia and Jose Morales
Enforcement Unit NPDES inspectors conducted 4 level B inspections, routine non-sampling inspections, and 7 level A inspections, comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken, of facilities with NPDES Permits. Inspection of these facilities is a required part of the NPDES program. Inspection of these facilities is a required part of the NPDES program. See Attachment "A".
Notices
Of Violation – NPDES DMRs
Enforcement Staff
The Executive Officer issued Notices of Violation and Requirements to Submit information to 5 facilities for failing to comply with provisions of Waste Discharge Requirements included as part of their NPDES Permits. Enforcement staff identified these violations as part of the NPDES discharger monitoring report review process.
Self
Monitoring Reports
Enforcement Staff
In November 2001, staff reviewed a total of 209 Self-Monitoring Reports submitted by NPDES permit holders.
Environmental
Crimes Task Forces
Enforcement Staff
Staff continued to participate in the USEPA and LA County Environmental Crimes Task Force meetings. These are monthly meetings held by LA County DA;, Ventura County DA; and the USEPA/US Attorney. Several governmental agencies and some cities attend. Environmental cases with concerns impacting multiple agencies (mostly with some sort of criminal aspect) are referred and discussed. Due to the sensitive nature of these ongoing criminal cases agendas are not published and items discussed are not for public dissemination.
Waste Discharge Requirement Program (Non-Chapter 15)
Halaco
Engineering Company
Gary Schultz
Halaco Engineering Co. (Halaco), located at 6200 Perkins Road, Oxnard, currently discharges solid and liquid wastes to a waste management unit under waste discharge requirements contained in Order No. 80-58. Board staff scheduled the Halaco tentative items (the waste discharge requirements (WDR) renewal and the cease and desist order (CDO)) for the October 4, 2001, Board meeting. However, Halaco submitted extensive comments on the tentative items and a Report of Waste Discharge (RoWD). The ROWD proposed by Halaco includes filter press dewatering of the current waste stream with the wastewater discharged to the sanitary sewer or recycled internally.
Subsequently, the previous tentative WDR and CDO have been withdrawn. Board staff have proposed a new tentative CDO to address Halaco’s comments and the prospective changes associated with the RoWD. Board staff is in discussion with Halaco regarding the preparation of the tentative CDO. The tentative CDO for Halaco will be presented at a future Board hearing now scheduled for February 16, 2002 in Simi Valley.
General
Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) for San Antonio
Canyon Mutual Service Company
Toni Callaway
Board staff received a Waste Discharge Requirements application for San Antonio Canyon Mutual Service Company, located at Mt. Baldy Village, California. Board staff reviewed the information provided and determined that the proposed discharge meets the conditions specified in Order No. 01-031, "General Waste Discharge Requirements for Small Commercial and Multifamily Residential Subsurface Subsurface Sewage Disposal". The case was enrolled under Order No. 01-031 on December 21, 2001.
General
Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) for Boy Scouts
of America
David Koo
Boy Scouts of America, Western Los Angeles County Council operates the Emerald Bay Boy Scout Camp at Catalina Island. Board staff reviewed a Waste Discharge Requirements application for Boy Scouts of America, and determined that the proposed discharge meets the conditions specified in Order No. 01-031, "General Waste Discharge Requirements for Small Commercial and Multifamily Residential Subsurface Subsurface Sewage Disposal". The case was enrolled under Order No. 01-031 on December 21, 2001.
WDR
Facility Inspections
Non-Chapter 15 Unit staff
Non-Chapter 15 Unit staff conducted level B1 inspections, routine non-sampling inspections, of 13 facilities with WDR Permits. Inspection of these facilities is a required part of the WDR program.
Self
Monitoring Reports
Non-Chapter 15 Unit staff
In December 2001, staff reviewed a total of 44 Self Monitoring Reports submitted by WDR permit holders.
Rescissions
of WDR
Thanhloan Nguyen, Hoan Tang
Board staff rescinded five old WDR permits issued by Los Angeles County after the status was verified by staff inspections.
Monthly Enforcement Summary
A summary listing the Monthly Enforcement actions has been included with this report as Attachment "C".
STORM WATER SECTION
Construction
and Industrial Inspection Summary
Wendy Phillips
In order to best determine compliance with requirements for implementing best management practices (BMPs) and for monitoring BMP effectiveness, staff are concentrating inspections during the wet season. Inspectors have been trained, assigned performance targets, and as of December 31st had completed 236 inspections, which is 47% of the target of the 500 full compliance inspections, including SWPPP reviews, of the 500 inspections scheduled for the end of March. Also, using contract funds provided by the US EPA, our field presence has been further increased through inspections by Tetra Tech, which as of December 31st had completed 170 inspections.
|
Compliance Inspections |
|||||||||
|
2000/01 Total (% Target) |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
YTD Total (% Target) |
2001/02 Target |
|
|
Construction |
324 (138%) |
16 |
18 |
28 |
15 |
18 |
18 |
112 (45%) |
250 |
|
Industrial |
251 (121%) |
38 |
14 |
5 |
9 |
23 |
35 |
124 (50%) |
250 |
|
Contractor |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
100 |
70 |
170 (34%) |
500 |
|
Total |
575 (130%) |
54 |
32 |
32 |
24 |
141 |
123 |
406 (40%) |
1,000 |
Inspectors are finding violations at the majority of permittees inspected. These violations are generating enforcement follow-up tasks, and management is in the process of evaluating the need to redirect staff resources to enforcement follow-up activities.
In addition to the 406 compliance inspections at the end of December 2001, staff completed 382 other types of inspections, including inspections for NOT (Notice of Termination) applications, follow-up inspections, enforcement and complaint inspections.
County
of Los Angeles Municipal Storm Water Permit
Megan Fisher
The Regional Board adopted the Los Angeles County Municipal Storm Water NPDES Permit (Order No. 01-182) on December 13, 2001. The renewal process began in January 2001 and included issuance of three drafts with public comment periods, two public workshops, over 30 meetings between Regional Board staff, Permittees, and other interested parties, two mediation sessions, and a public hearing. After the third draft, Regional Board staff proposed final insignificant changes for clarity purposes and in response to comments. After the Regional Board members had an opportunity to ask questions and address significant public comments, they adopted an Edited Tentative Draft, dated December 13, 2001, with a few additional changes. Notable changes include:
- Industrial/Commercial Facilities Program (Version A/C), an alternative inspection program that was developed during the mediation sessions, was adopted instead of Version A, B, or C.
- Several deadlines were moved back at the Permittees' request.
- Catch basin clean-out requirements were changed to allow for cities subject to the Los Angeles River and Ballona Creek Trash TMDLs to implement requirements consistent with the TMDL implementation instead of some of the specific permit requirements.
The new permit will become effective on February 1, 2002 (50 days after the adoption date), and will expire in 5 years. Hard copies have been sent to permittees, and an electronic copy is posted on the storm water webpage at www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/html/programs/Stormwater. If you are unable to access this site, please call Weindy Abarquez at (213) 576-6802 for a hard copy.
Non-Filer
Project – Port of Long Beach
Michael Yang
Regional Board staff has completed inspections of 40 facilities of non-filers referred to the Regional Board by the Port of Long Beach. Filing information on those facilities with industrial activities that are exposed to storm water (and should therefore be enrolled in the Industrial General Permit) will enable the Regional Board to bring informal enforcement action against industrial facilities that fail to file.
Industrial
- Storm Water Monitoring Groups Evaluation
Yi Lu
Section B 15 of the General Permit allows permittees to participate in monitoring groups to comply with the General Permit. The intent of the group monitoring provision is to reduce the monitoring requirements for the group members (group members obtain an 80% reduction in sampling requirements comparing with non-group members), so that they can focus their resources on implementing best management practices (BMPs).
However, it has come to the attention of the Regional Board, that the group monitoring program may not be functioning properly, as managed by group leaders and/or as implemented by group members. Through increased numbers of compliance inspections and reviews of administrative records, we have discovered noncompliance in several monitoring groups. A few of the problems are as follows:
- Many members failed to sample storm water as scheduled;
- Some members co-mingled the samples collected from different discharge points, as improperly instructed by their group leaders;
- Some members held their samples longer than the approved holding time;
- Many group leaders failed to keep track of active group members, and the monitoring and inspection schedules;
- Many group leaders failed to provide site-specific SWPPPs and/or BMPs to their members;
- Some group leaders failed to fulfill group leader annual inspections;
- Some group leaders failed to make evaluations and recommendations of clear and specific BMPs in their annual group evaluation reports.
Based on the above review of the group monitoring function, Regional Board staff believes there is a cause for concern about how well group monitoring is functioning to protect water quality. As the result, staff have done, or will be doing, the following:
- Terminated several group members who are not in compliance;
- Target group members who fall into the high risk sectors compliance inspections;
- Make referrals to the State Board for groups that are not adequately implementing the General Permit requirements, and recommend that the State Board to terminate these groups or require substantial amendments to the group monitoring plans;
- Re-evaluate
group monitoring plan provisions, such as reduced
sampling frequencies, as part of the process
re-issuing the new General Permit, and recommend
that group sampling schedules be increased.
Industrial
and Construction—Storm Report Newsletters
RoseLynn Wright
On December 21, 2001, staff sent out the December 2001 issue of the Industrial Storm Report and the very first Issue of a Construction Storm Report. In addition to answering frequently asked questions and listing storm water contacts, the Industrial Storm Report contains articles addressing the guidance on storm water laboratory reports; common pollution prevention tips for the auto dismantling business; and a discussion on group monitoring. The Construction Storm Report contains articles addressing the new sampling and analyses requirements for construction sites and common pollution prevention tips at the construction sites.
Copies
of the current issues as well as prior issues
of Storm Reports can be found on the Storm
Water webpage (www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/html/programs/stormwater/newsletter.html).
REMEDIATION SECTION
Well Investigation Program
Status
Report of the San Fernando Valley Chromium VI
Investigation
Dixon Oriola
Regional Board staff of the Well Investigation Program have completed all inspections of the Chromium VI Investigation. This San Fernando Valley activity took about 11 months and involved 254 sites where Chromium VI soil and/or groundwater contamination was suspected. A draft report of staff findings is in progress. Anticipated completion of this report is planned for February 2002.
MTBE
plume Bioremediation Pilot Test - U.S. Naval Base
Ventura County, Port Hueneme
Peter Raftery
Data collected by scientists at the Port Hueneme naval base, in cooperation with researchers at Arizona State University, indicate that a 500-foot wide, passive flow-through biobarrier, installed across the MTBE plume, has resulted in a greater than 99% reduction in dissolved MTBE concentrations. Navy and Regional Board staff believe that the preliminary data indicate that this technology may replace the conventional pump and treat system which is now used to contain the nearly one-mile long MTBE plume. Additional data will be collected.
UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK PROGRAM
Charnock
Sub-basin MTBE Investigation
Dr. Weixing Tong
Introduction: The Charnock Sub-Basin Investigation Area is located in the Central Groundwater Basin of the Los Angeles Coastal Plain. During March 1996, MTBE concentrations up to 610 mg/L was detected in the City of Santa Monica (CSM) wells, consequently in June 1996, the CSM shut down its five production wells. The Southern California Water Company (SCWC) has a wellfield adjacent to the CSM wellfield and shut down its two production wells in October 1996, to avoid drawing in MTBE pollution. No MTBE was ever detected in the SCWC production wells. During April 1997, the Regional Board and USEPA (jointly the "Agencies") signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deal with the MTBE pollution problem affecting both the CSM and SCWC wellfields (collectively "Charnock Wellfields"). Pursuant to the MOU, the Agencies identified 48 potential responsible party sites (PRP sites) within one and one quarter mile radius of the wellfields (Charnock Sub-Basin Investigation Area).
Based upon record search, 32 potential source sites were required to perform a preliminary investigation to determine the potential of soil and groundwater contamination. At present, there are 27 active sites in the Charnock Sub-Basin Investigation Area. Of the 27 active sites, additional site assessment work is required at 13 sites. Groundwater monitoring is being performed at all 27 sites. Remedial action workplans for the soil and/or groundwater have been approved for a total of 9 sites.
Site Specific Cleanup: Site specific cleanup technologies include air stripper, granular activated carbon adsorption, advanced oxidation process, and soil vapor extraction. The following are the current status of site-specific cleanup activities:
PRP Site No. 4 (ARCO): Implement soil vapor extraction. To date approximately 51,664 pounds of total petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed from beneath the site.
PRP Site No. 7 (Unocal): Implement soil vapor extraction. To date approximately 16,908 pounds of total petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed from beneath the site. A remedial action plan has been approved to clean up the contaminated groundwater beneath the site.
PRP Site No. 8 (Mobil): Implement soils vapor extraction and groundwater pump and treat system. To date approximately 305 pounds of MTBE, 85 pounds of benzene, and 14,020 pounds of petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed by soil vapor extraction. Since November 1999, approximately 23.5 million gallons of groundwater have been pumped, treated and discharged under an NPDES permit. Approximately 780 pounds of petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed from groundwater underneath the site.
PRP Site No. 10 (Chevron): Implement soils vapor extraction and prepare groundwater pump and treat system. A vapor and groundwater extraction system (VEGE) has been installed and operated at the site. To date approximately 2,168 pounds of petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed by soil vapor extraction.
PRP Site No. 11 (Shell): Implement soil vapor extraction and onsite and offsite groundwater pump and treat system. A groundwater pump and treat is used to recover polluted groundwater and is then treated using an air stripper to remove MTBE followed by advanced oxidation process to remove TBA. To date approximately 109 million gallons of groundwater have been treated and discharged under an NPDES permit. Since the inception of the remediation system, 7,647 pounds of total petroleum hydrocarbons, 384 pounds of benzene and 1,562 pounds of MTBE have been removed from the site. The system influent concentrations for MTBE have decreased from 19,000 mg/L in November 1999, to 500 mg/L in November 2001. The soil vapor extraction system has been operated since September 2000. To date approximately 83.7 pounds of MTBE, 29.1 pounds of benzene, and 2,928.2 pounds of petroleum hydrocarbons have been removed by soil vapor extraction.
PRP Site No. 12 (Winall Oil): Implement soil vapor extraction. A soil vapor extraction system has been operating since May 2000, and has removed to date (September 2001) 14,309 pounds of petroleum hydrocarbons, 96 pounds of benzene, and 1,869 pounds of MTBE.
PRP Site No. 6 (Conoco): Voluntary onsite soil excavation is ongoing.
PRP Site No. 16 (Tosco): Implement pilot test for soil vapor extraction system.
PRP Site No. 23 (Chevron-Thrifty-Best): Completed tanks removal and excavation of contaminated soil onsite and is Installing a duel-phase vapor extraction system to cleanup onsite and offsite vadose zone contamination. Construction for offsite soil vapor extraction piping has been complete. Offsite gasoline free product removal is ongoing.
PRP Sites No. 1, No. 8, No. 15, No. 23, No. 40, and No. 44: Complete tank removal and/or upgrades.
Charnock Sub-basin Regional Approach: On the Charnock Sub-basin regional issues, the Regional Board and Shell have entered into a Stipulated Agreement containing a specified Scope of Work (SOW) to perform regional investigation and analysis of alternatives for both Interim Water Replacement and Interim Regional Response Actions. The Regional Board members at the August 31, 2000, meeting approved the Stipulated Agreement. As part of this investigation, a number of groundwater monitoring have been installed into the Upper Silverado Aquifer to aid in determining plume source(s) and characteristics, and to perform periodic groundwater monitoring. This work will require development of a basin-wide flow model, development a GIS database, evaluate alternative drinking water sources within the Charnock Sub-Basin, evaluate methods of treating polluted groundwater, restoring the Charnock Sub-Basin Investigation Area to its full beneficial use, and provide a community relations plan. The work specified in the SOW is a necessary step to restore the drinking water supply at the Charnock Wellfields. Per the agreement, Shell’s consultant has completed the fieldwork as specified in the scope of work. On November 19, 2001, the final reports for regional investigation results and recommendations for selection of remedy were submitted. Currently, Regional Board and USEPA staffs are evaluating the reports.
Arcadia
Wellfield Restoration from MTBE Contamination
Jay Huang
Three aquifers were impacted by MTBE contamination. Two groundwater aquifers, the shallow aquifer and the production aquifer are located north of the Brentwood fault; the lower aquifer is located south of the fault. The shallow aquifer and lower aquifer in the vicinity of the former Mobil Station 18-LDM have been treated with a pump and treat system since October 1997. Currently approximately 10 gallons per minute (GPM) of groundwater are being pumped from 16 groundwater extraction wells of the shallow and lower aquifers and treated at the Mobil facility. To date (November 28, 2001) the treatment system has pumped 24.2 million gallons of groundwater and removed an estimated amount of 80.6 pounds of TPH and 210.9 pounds of MTBE. The average MTBE concentration in the shallow aquifer influent has been decreased from over 2,000 mg/L in 1998 to 47 mg/L in December 2001. The impacted soil in the vadose zone has been treated with a vapor extraction system (VES). The cumulative VOC mass removed is 13,1 pounds since May 1999. The VES has been shutdown since September 2001 due to low influent concentrations.
A Production Aquifer Remediation System (PARS) using activated carbon filtering to clean up the production aquifer has been in operation since May 17, 2000. Currently groundwater from Arcadia Well No.5 are being pumped at 300 GPM and discharged to a storm drain. To date (November 1, 2001), PARS has pumped approximately 209.2 million gallons of groundwater and removed 0.51 pounds of MTBE. The average daily influent concentration of MTBE was less than 0.5 mg/L.
A Demonstration Test Report dated July 2, 2001 has been submitted and reviewed by the California Department of Health Service (CDHS). CDHS has decided that no public hearing will be held prior to issuance of the permit amendment for the PARS treatment facility. CDHS has completed a draft permit amendment and is expected to issue a formal permit amendment to City of Santa Monica in mid-January 2002. The City of Santa Monica is then allowed to resume its distribution of treated groundwater water extracted from the Arcadia Wellfield to the resident of City of Santa Monica.
Methyl
Tertiary Butyl Ether Investigation of Southern
California Water Company’s Harrison Well No. 2
John Chiang
During May 2001, the Regional Board staff was notified of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) pollution in Southern California Water Company’s (SCWC) Harrison Well No. 2, located at 673 West Harrison Avenue, Claremont. Groundwater sampling of Harrison Well No. 2 during November 2000, detected MTBE ranging from 4.0 to 7.0 µg/L. Harrison Well No. 2 remains off-line because the MTBE has exceeded the secondary drinking water standard of 5 µg/L.
During June 2001, Regional Board informed the SCWC that Regional Board staff would conduct an area-wide reconnaissance to identify potential source sites within an approximate one-mile radius of Harrison Well No.2. During July 2001, the Regional Board staff conducted site inspections and completed records searches, and identified fifteen (15) potential responsible parties (PRP’s) within the one mile radius of the Harrison Well No. 2.
On October 26, 2001, the Regional Board issued directive letters to the 15 PRP’s notifying them of the MTBE problem and requiring site specific information pertaining to their underground storage tank operations and assessment work completed. The information from the PRP’s is due to the Regional Board by January 15, 2002. On the same day, the Regional Board sent a letter to SCWC requesting that they provide well construction, production, and hydrogeologic information in the area surrounding the Harrison Well No.2, to assist in determining the source(s) and cause(s) for the pollution in their well. The information from Southern California Water Company is also due to the Regional Board by January 15, 2002.
Site information was provided by two of the fifteen PRP’s for their underground storage tanks as per our October 26, 2001 letter. Two letters were returned and resent to new address on November 16 and 29, 2001, respectively. One letter regarding ownership clarification was received on December 28, 2001, and a contact letter will be resent to the new owner. Regional Board staff will review and evaluate of the information provided from the PRP’s and SCWC.
SB
592 MTBE Reporting
Nhan Bao
On January 15, 2002, Regional Board staff sent the MTBE quarterly report, as required under SB 592, to all public water system operators, Local Oversight Program, Local Implementing Agencies, and interested parties within the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles Region. The report lists discharges of MTBE and the locations where MTBE was detected in surface water, soil and/or groundwater and covers the period from July 19, 2001, to October 23, 2001. This report is being generated on a quarterly basis and can be downloaded from our web page at http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/~rwqcb4.
Implementation
of Final Draft Guidelines for Investigation and
Cleanup of MTBE and Other Oxygenates
David Bacharowski
Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) has been used as an octane booster in the United States since the late 1970’s and added to gasoline to comply with Clean Air Act mandates since 1979. The use of MTBE increased dramatically in the early 1990’s as a result of Clean Air Act Amendment requirements for reformulated gasoline. Although MTBE in gasoline may help lessen air pollution, it has become a significant contaminant in groundwater. Relative to other fuel hydrocarbons, MTBE has a high solubility in water, a low retardation rate in groundwater aquifers, and is slow to biodegrade. These properties, combined with its high percentage in gasoline (11% to 15%), cause the potential for high source area concentrations, long plumes in groundwater, and long residence times in the subsurface environment. MTBE also has taste and odor characteristics that can impair water quality at very low concentrations. There have been impacts on drinking water wells at dozens of sites throughout California. Most notably, in the greater Los Angeles area, within the Charnock Sub-Basin, a primary local source of drinking water for the City of Santa Monica and the Southern California Water Company.
The Final Draft Guidelines provide a framework for prioritizing resources to work on sites with MTBE or other fuel oxygenate contamination. A complete description of the seven-step process is contained within the Final Draft Guidelines (Pages 6 through 11). Copies of the Final Draft Guidelines can be obtained by calling Ms. Alyse Washington at (213) 576-6621 or on the internet at http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/html/news.html. The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB) is conservatively interpreting the Final Draft Guidelines, which will result in certain Underground Storage Tank (UST) leak cases being included within higher priorities for investigation and cleanup. During March 2001, the LARWQCB issued directive letters to approximately 115 sites identified with an investigation and cleanup priority of A1 [i.e., all sites less than 1,000 feet to a receptor, sites less than 3,000 feet to a receptor that have failed to provide required test results for MTBE and other fuel oxygenates, selected free product sites, and sites in close proximity to sensitive receptors (i.e., schools)]. All but two of the A1 sites have complied with Regional Board directives. Of the two non-compliant sites, one site was issued an Administrative Civil Liability Complaint and the other site was granted one final extension until January 31, 2002, to submit the required technical report. We have reviewed the information contained in the case files and have identified approximately 165 sites that are assigned an initial investigation and cleanup priority of B1 [i.e., all sites greater than 1,000 feet and less than 3,000 feet from a receptor, selected free product sites, sites in close proximity to sensitive receptors, and/or sites containing high concentrations of fuel oxygenates. The responsible parties for these sites have been directed to perform the following corrective action steps with the first technical report to be submitted by April 15, 2002:
- Develop a Preliminary Site Conceptual Model;
- Develop a technical report detailing the results of all soil and groundwater assessment completed and submit a workplan to complete any remaining soil and/or groundwater investigations necessary to fully define the lateral and vertical extent of any free product or dissolved petroleum hydrocarbon plume(s), to include MTBE or other fuel oxygenate contamination onsite and offsite;
- Develop a technical report detailing the results of any corrective actions completed and submit a workplan to perform any interim cleanup necessary to contain or control the spread or migration of any residual contamination;
- Complete an evaluation to estimate plume travel time;
- Determine a final cleanup remedy;
- Perform quarterly groundwater monitoring and provide updates to the Site Conceptual Model; and
- Perform a verification-monitoring program.
All steps are to be developed and performed on an expedited schedule to reduce any adverse impacts to water quality resulting from UST system leaks that have resulted at the sites.
Completion of Corrective Action at Leaking Underground Fuel Storage Tank Sites
Regional Board staff have reviewed corrective actions taken for soil and/or groundwater contamination problems from leaking underground storage tanks for the time of November 5, 2001 through December 31, 2001, and determined that no further corrective actions are required:
ARCO
Petroleum Products Service Station No. 1602, Long
Beach (908080125)
Long Beach Building Materials, Long Beach (908061034)
Former Halliburton Energy Services Facility, Montalvo
(930050016)
Enterprises Incorporated, Burbank (915040134)
Aircraft Services International Group, Burbank
(915050198)
George Tahanian Service Center, Burbank (915040116)
Former Texaco/California Petroleum Exchange, Burbank
(915040125)
76 Service Station No. 4188, Burbank (R-10010)
Queen City Steel, Burbank (915040143)
Chevron Service Station No. 9-5538, Burbank (915020143)
Al Sal Oil Company, Burbank (915060089)
Former Shell Service Station, Burbank (915050098)
Chevron Service Station No. 9-0839, Burbank (915040089)
Chuck’s Mobil Service & Mart, Burbank (915040234)
76 Service Station No. 1999, Burbank (915040189)
Bay Cities Laundry, Inc., Venice (902910225)
S & J Service, Pomona (R-26716)
Former Prato Textile Dyeing Company, Long Beach
(908050734)
Home Depot, Los Angeles (900170207)
Pozas Brothers Trucking Company, South Gate (I-11588)
Former Shell Service Station, Palos Verdes (R-36348)
Chemoil Marine Terminal, Long Beach (908020325)
76 Service Station No. 5817, West Covina (I-11051)
UST
Program- Local Oversight Program (LOP)/Local Implementing
Agency (LIA) Meeting
David Bacharowski
On January 10, 2002, the UST Program held it’s quarterly UST Program LOP/LIA meeting. The LOP/LIA’s consists of 15 Agencies within the Los Angeles Region that implement Underground Storage Tank/Leaking Underground Storage Tank (UST/LUST) Programs. There is one LOP (Ventura County Environmental Health Department) within the Los Angeles Region. The LOP is a local governmental agency with UST/LUST Program that have entered into a contract with the SWRCB to oversee fuel leak investigation and cleanup of soil and groundwater. There are 14 LIA’s (City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, Burbank, El Segundo, Santa Monica, Signal Hill, Torrance, Vernon, Santa Fe Springs, Long Beach, Glendale, Pasadena, Oxnard, Ventura). These are also local governmental agencies with UST/LUST Programs that are responsible for UST permitting, leak detection monitoring, and may oversee soil assessment and cleanup. Any sites with potential groundwater impacts are referred to the Regional Board UST Program for oversight. The focus of this quarterly meeting was reconciliation of UST sites managed by the various UST programs in order to update the GeoTracker database and a questions and answer period on problems and experiences the implementation of AB 2886.
|
SURFACE WATER DIVISION |
General
NPDES Permits
A
list of General NPDES Permit Authorization/Revision
and Termination for December 2001 can be found
on "Attachment B".
REGIONAL PROGRAMS
STANDARDS
AND TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS (TMDLs)
Santa
Clara River – Nutrient TMDL
Elizabeth Erickson
Public forums were held on November 15 and December 17, 2001 in Ventura to discuss stakeholder views on the method of public involvement for the nutrient TMDL of the Santa Clara River. The two meetings were attended by more than thirty participants who discussed public involvement methods including periodic review of staff work and participation in and funding of additional modeling of the technical issues. The group agreed to meet quarterly and formed a steering committee. The scope of work to be completed by the committee, facilitator and contractors to be identified by them will also be discussed.
A chemical, habitat and benthic invertebrate sampling program was completed during October, a critical period, along the Santa Clara River. The work characterized nutrient species in the stream associated with various land use types, including agriculture, residential, waste discharge, rural, and reference. A complete interpretation, including the influence of land use types on nutrient loading in adjacent watersheds is expected to be completed this spring.
For further information, please call Samuel Unger at (213) 576-6784 or Elizabeth Erickson at (213) 576-6683. To be placed on the mailing list, call Sandra Kelley at (213) 576 6619.
McGrath
Beach Coliform TMDL
Lisa Carlson
Work began on the McGrath Beach Coliform TMDL in December, 2001. This TMDL will cover McGrath Beach and Lake, Surfer's Knoll, the Santa Clara River Estuary, and Mandalay Beach for fecal and total coliform and their effects, such as beach closures. Staff is presently reviewing available data and setting forth plans for additional data gathering, if required. Staff is interacting with stakeholder groups and contacting other agencies to this end. Staff met with the McGrath Lake Watershed Group in October and December. The discussion included data gathered by a contractor hired by the Group on the McGrath Lake Watershed and information on the future TMDL.
For further information, please call Lisa Carlson at (213) 576-6690.
Ballona
Creek Watershed Task Force
Ginachi Amah
TMDL staff made a presentation to the Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force on "TMDLs in the Ballona Creek Watershed," at their meeting on January 9, 2002. The presentation provided an introduction to TMDL development and adoption processes, and presented upcoming TMDLs for the watershed - including Marina del Rey. The audience included approximately 25 representatives from various organizations, including City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, Culver City, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, Heal the Bay, Santa Monica BayKeeper, and Ballona Creek Rennaissaince. For further information contact Ginachi Amah at (213) 576-6685.
Surface
Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) Sampling
Tracy Patterson
Regional Board sampling was conducted by the California Department of Fish and Game for the SWAMP sampling efforts December 4-6, 2001, in the Calleguas Creek and Santa Clara watersheds. Sampling varied between sites and watersheds, but included analyses such as bioassessment, toxicity, nutrients, phosphate, nitrate, chloride, nitrite, sulfate, boron, total dissolved solids, chlorophyll a, ammonia, dissolved oxygen, pH, depth, temperature, conductivity, turbidity, flow, bioaccumulation, metals chemistry in water and sediment, sediment grain size analysis, trace organic chemistry, ELISA for chlorpyrifos and diazinon, and organophosphate chemistry. Sampling is 95 % complete for FY 00/01; remaining sampling includes follow-up studies to be determined based on results from the initial sampling effort. For further information, please contact Tracy Patterson at (213) 576-6661.
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
Calleguas Creek Watershed
The Calleguas Creek Watershed Management Plan Committee was convened in 1996 to initiate development of a comprehensive watershed management plan. A large group of stakeholders, including federal, state, and local agencies, landowners, businesses, and nonprofit organizations are represented. An Executive Steering Committee, consisting of a much smaller group of stakeholders, guides the day-to-day activities of the watershed group. Subcommittees have changed through time but currently target Water Resources/Water Quality, Flood Protection and Sediment Management, Habitat/Open Space/Recreation, Land Use, and Public Outreach/Education. Subcommittees generally meet monthly or bimonthly. Information about the management committee and its subcommittees can be found at http://www.calleguas.com/cc.htm.
The Executive Steering Committee last met on December 5.
The Water Quality/Water Resources Subcommittee last met on December 5 and had discussions on the status of the Board’s chloride TMDL as well as on the status of surface water modeling. A public review draft of the Calleguas Creek Nutrient TMDL report can be found at http://www.calleguas.com/.
The Flood Protection/Sedimentation Subcommittee last met on September 10. They are currently involved with modeling the watershed’s hydrology as well as erosion and sedimentation.
The Public Outreach/Education Subcommittee last met on October 4.
A Land Use Subcommittee includes representatives from local planning agencies. This subcommittee is last met on December 4 as a joint meeting with the Habitat Subcommittee. The next meeting is scheduled for January 7.
The Habitat/Recreation Subcommittee met on December 4 and continues oversight of the vegetation mapping component of a wetlands study.
An update on the status of the project was provided by the consultant. A previous work product, funded by the California Coastal Conservancy, is the Watershed Wetlands Restoration Plan available at http://www.calleguas.com/cc.htm. Prioritization of sites identified in the Restoration Plan will be the next step and a Request for Proposals has been prepared to contract out this work. The next meeting is scheduled for January 8.
Los Angeles River Watershed
The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council meets on the third Wednesday of each month. The Watershed Council is a consortium of government agencies, community and environmental groups, business and academia who organized both to resolve and prevent problems in the watershed in a cooperative, collaborative manner.
Formation of the Watershed Council grew out of a conference held in 1995 to discuss how to initiate and/or implement watershed management objectives in the greater Los Angeles Area. Stakeholders in attendance agreed to continue meeting and begin a multi-purpose cooperative watershed management process that is open to the public. The Council’s website is at http://www.lasgrwc.org.
The Watershed Council has recently published a document entitled, "Beneficial Uses of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers." Copied may be obtained by contacting the Watershed Council’s offices at 213-367-4111.
The Friends of the LA River has a Los Angeles River e-mail discussion forum. To subscribe, e-mail to la-river-discuss-subscribe@makelist.com. To view archives of past Los Angeles River discussions on the Internet, go to http://www.egroups.com/list/la-river-discuss.
San Gabriel River Watershed
A "State of the Watershed" report is available for the San Gabriel River Watershed which was prepared by Regional Board staff in 2000. The report describes the watershed, with its many diversion structures and recharge areas, and summarizes available water quality data in a manner easily understood by the layperson. The complete set of data evaluated for the report (as well as the report itself) is available electronically by contacting Shirley Birosik at sbirosik@rb4.swrcb.ca.gov. Hardcopies of the report are also available.
There are ongoing meetings being held for planning of a San Gabriel River Education Center which may be built in the Whittier Narrows area. Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 3:00 PM at the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District offices.
In 1999, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors directed the Department of Public Works (in cooperation with the County Departments of Parks and Recreation and Regional Planning) to prepare a San Gabriel River Master Plan. The National Park Service through its Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program will assist in the development effort. All river stakeholders have been invited to participate. The Master Plan will be a consensus-based document that will recognize and address River issues and concerns of the stakeholders. It will include areas within existing rights of way from Morris Dam in the San Gabriel Mountains to the River’s outlet in Seal Beach. The Master Plan will identify project opportunities for: enhancements for recreation, open space, and habitat areas; restoration; preservation of the River’s natural resources; maintaining flood protection and existing water rights. The Master Plan effort will be coordinated with the activities of the recently formed San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountain Conservancy. The final Master Plan is expected to be ready for approval in 2003. Information on the Master Plan effort may be found at http://ladpw.org/pln/sgrmp/.
The San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy has produced a draft Guiding Principles Watershed and Open Space Plan which may be obtained at http://www.rmc.ca.gov/. The Conservancy is an independent State agency within the Resources Agency of the State of California established by state law in 1999. Its jurisdiction includes the San Gabriel River and its tributaries, the Lower Los Angeles
River and its tributaries, and the San Gabriel Mountains, Puente Hills, and San Jose Hills. It was established to preserve urban open space and habitats in order to provide for low-impact recreation and educational uses, wildlife and habitat restoration and protection, and watershed improvements within its jurisdiction.
The Friends of the San Gabriel River is an active stakeholder in the watershed and their website is at http://www.sangabrielriver.org/.
Santa Monica Bay Watershed Management Area – Malibu Creek Watershed
The Malibu Creek Watershed Executive and Advisory Council have met on a bimonthly basis for many years and is concerned with a variety of human health and habitat issues. Current active committees/task forces under the Council include those focusing on lagoon water level management, exotic species, steelhead trout recovery, human health, education/outreach, flow reduction, and volunteer monitoring.
The Watershed Council last met on November 20 and included a report on subcommittee activities and a presentation on a priority list of wetlands restoration options as well as general Best Management Practices for the watershed previously developed by the Malibu Lagoon Task Force. The Task Force continues to address Lagoon water level management issues but for now meets sporadically. The Council’s next meeting is scheduled for January 29. A website for the group is being developed.
Santa Monica Bay Watershed Management Area – Topanga Creek Watershed
A watershed committee has been meeting in the Topanga Creek Watershed since 1998. This group was formed as a follow-up to the Topanga Canyon Floodplain Management Citizens’ Advisory Committee which produced a draft Topanga Creek Watershed Management Plan in 1996. A major goal of the watershed committee is to prioritize potential watershed protection actions previously identified, participate in a coordinated resource management planning (CRMP) process, and finalize the draft watershed management plan. The Committee last met on January 24 and the agenda included a review of work to date on the lagoon feasibility study. Their website address is http://www.TopangaOnline.com/twc/.
The group’s Technical and Landowners Advisory Committee provides oversight for the feasibility study, mentioned in the previous paragraph, that will help develop design parameters for possible restoration of the Topanga Lagoon. The Committee last met on December 6 to review the consultant’s work to date. The next meeting is scheduled for February 15.
Dominguez Channel Watershed
A Dominguez Channel Watershed Advisory Committee was formed in February 2001 and meets on a monthly basis to conduct a variety of tasks including development of a Watershed Management Master Plan aimed at protecting and improving the environment and beneficial uses of the watershed. Proposition 13 funding ($200,000) was approved by the State Water Resources Control Board for the LA County Department of Public Works to work on a watershed plan. The complete list of issues to be addressed are still being developed. Many members of the group are interested in participating in Regional Board TMDL work in the watershed. Monitoring will be a major early activity. Subcommittees have been formed to concentrate on selecting a consultant to begin writing the watershed plan, deal with detailed technical issues, and pursue additional funding. Meetings are generally held on the first Wednesday of each month. A website for the group is in development at http://ladpw.org/wmd/watershed/dc/.
Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project
The Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project is a partnership of public agencies working cooperatively to acquire, restore, and enhance coastal wetlands and watersheds between Point Conception and the International border with Mexico. Using a non-regulatory approach and an ecosystem perspective, the Wetlands Project works to identify wetland acquisition and restoration priorities, prepare plans for these priority sites, pool funds to undertake these projects, implement priority plans, and oversee post-project maintenance and monitoring.
The Wetlands Project is headed by Board of Governors comprised of top officials from each of the participating agencies. The Southern California Wetlands Managers Group and the Public Advisory Committee serve as advisory committees to the Board. The Wetlands Managers Group is responsible for drafting the regional restoration plan and advising the Governing Board on regional acquisition, restoration, and enhancement priorities. The Wetlands Project has also established a panel of scientists to advise on regional goals, specific objectives, project criteria, and priorities. Governing Board meetings are public and are noticed at least 10 days prior to each meeting. If you sign up on the Wetlands Project email list, you will receive email notification of all board meetings.
Minutes from previous meetings and other information about the group may be found on their website at http://www.coastalconservancy.ca.gov/scwrp/index.html. The last Board of Governors meeting was held on November 29 as part of a two-day forum on wetlands.
Meetings with the Los Angeles County and Ventura County Task Forces will occur in January 2002 to hear about specific wetlands restoration proposals. The deadline for applying for funding is February 15. More information on the application process may be found on the Recovery Project’s website.
Watershed Management Initiative Chapter
Each Regional Board updates a "chapter" on an annual basis which describes how that Board is implementing watershed management. The last update occurred at the end of December 2001. The consolidated statewide document is the basis for many funding decisions including allocating money for monitoring, TMDL development, and grant monies disbursement. Copies of this Region’s current Chapter (as well as Appendices) may be obtained by contacting the Regional Board office, Regional Programs Section secretary at 213-576-6619. The updated document may also be sent out electronically (in MSWord97) and will be available shortly on the Regional Board’s webpage.
Funding
Information on a wide variety of funding sources is available on the Regional Board webpage at http://wwwwww.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/html/fundings.html under "Grant Funding Sources" as both a Word97 document and Adobe Acrobat file.
Proposition 13 Funding: The Request for Proposals (RFPs) for Phase II funding has been released by State Board; concept proposals are due by February 1. Applications may be submitted electronically. More information may be found on the State Board’s website at http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/prop13/index.html.
NONPOINT SOURCE
Ahmanson
Ranch Pubic Workshop
Anthony Klecha
On December 3, 2001, the Regional Board hosted a public workshop to receive testimony of interested persons concerning possible reconsideration of the January 1996 Water Quality Certification for the Ahmanson Ranch Development Project. The workshop was held at UCLA’s Bradley International Hall and attracted approximately 100 participants, including representatives for City of Los Angeles Councilman Dennis Zine, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Assemblymember Fran Pavley, the City of Calabasas, the City of Thousand Oaks, Santa Monica BayKeeper, Ventura CoastKeeper, Heal the Bay, Natural Resources Defense Counsel, Rally to Save Ahmanson Ranch, and Save Open Space. Supporters of a reconsideration provided testimony on several issues including the discovery of the California red-legged frog, impacts on southern steelhead trout and tidewater goby, storm water runoff, TMDLs, and the Tapia Water Reclamation Plant discharge prohibition. Representatives for Ahmanson established that changes in the project design will result in lesser impacts, that the water quality leaving the ranch at the Las Virgenes Creek will be equal to or better than the water quality that is occurring there today, and that an amended application would be submitted to the Board around February of 2002. The workshop was scheduled as an information meeting only. The Board took no action.
Section 401 Water Quality Certification Program
Certification
Actions
Anthony Klecha
The following Section 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) actions have been issued since October 2, 2001:
|
DATE OF ISSUANCE |
APPLICANT |
PROJECT |
ACTION |
|
October 3, 2001 |
City of Rancho Palos Verdes |
San Ramon Storm Drain and Landslide Stabilization Project |
Conditional WQC |
|
October 4, 2001 |
Casitas Municipal Water District |
Restoration of Robles Diversion Dam |
Standard WQC |
|
October 9, 2001 |
Department of the Navy |
Auto Hobby Shop |
Conditional WQC |
|
October 11, 2001 |
Canyon Irrigation Company |
Santa Paula Creek Fish Ladder/Diversion at Mud Creek |
Conditional WQC |
|
October 11, 2001 |
Caltrans, District 7 |
Sierra Highway/Route 14 Placerita Canyon Drainage Clearing |
Conditional WQC |
|
October 12, 2001 |
City of Long Beach |
Low-Profile Sand Groin Installation |
Standard WQC |
|
October 12, 2001 |
Southern California Edison |
Southern California Edison Mandalay Marine Terminal Decommissioning Program |
Conditional WQC |
|
October 16, 2001 |
Seventh Day Adventists |
The Village at Newberry Park |
Conditional WQC |
|
October 22, 2001 |
Brae, LLC |
12 Single Family Homes on 12 Lots |
Standard WQC |
|
October 24, 2001 |
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works |
Charter Oak Wash – Invert Access Ramp |
Standard WQC |
|
October 26, 2001 |
Ventura County Sheriff’s Department |
Todd Barranca Flood Mitigation |
Conditional WQC |
|
DATE OF ISSUANCE |
APPLICANT |
PROJECT |
ACTION |
|
October 26, 2001 |
Lennar Homes |
Carlsberg Ranch Project |
WQC Amendment |
|
October 26, 2001 |
Los Angeles Department of Public Works |
Dominger Drain and Pump Station |
Standard WQC |
|
October 26, 2001 |
Los Angeles Department of Public Works |
Triunfo Creek/PDT 728 – Invert Access Ramp |
Standard WQC |
|
October 31, 2001 |
Caltrans, District 7 |
Highway 101/Santa Clara River |
Conditional WQC |
|
November 3, 2001 |
Caltrans, District 7 and Ventura County Transportation Commission |
Haun Creek Sediment Debris Removal on State Route 126 |
Conditional WQC |
|
November 7, 2001 |
Port of Los Angeles |
Maintenance of Stormdrain Outfall at Berth 36 |
Standard WQC |
|
November 8, 2001 |
City of San Buenaventura |
Extended Surfer’s Point Cobble Nourishment |
Conditional WQC |
|
November 9, 2001 |
City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works |
Grand Canal Rehabilitation |
Conditional WQC |
|
November 9, 2001 |
Craig Underwood |
Long Canyon Restoration - Somis |
Standard WQC |
|
November 14, 2001 |
American Beauty Development |
Wes Thompson Ranch |
Conditional WQC |
|
November 14, 2001 |
Trimark Pacific Newbury, LLC |
Ventu Park Road Project |
Conditional WQC |
|
November 19, 2001 |
Carla and Peter Brooks |
Brooks Residence |
Standard WQC |
|
November 26, 2001 |
SunCal Companies |
SunCal Tract 5130 |
Conditional WQC |
|
November 26, 2001 |
Morrison-Foutainwood-Agoura |
Moorpark Highland Specific Plan No. 2 |
Conditional WQC |
|
December 3, 2001 |
Ventura County Flood Control District |
Edgemore Debris Basin Cleanout |
Conditional WQC |
|
December 3, 2001 |
Ventura County Flood Control District |
Sespe Creek Bank Repair Project |
Conditional WQC |
|
December 4, 2001 |
Ventura County Flood Control District |
Fox Barranca Debris Basin Cleanout |
Conditional WQC |
|
December 7, 2001 |
Zephyr Newhall, LP |
VTTM 48892-Newhall Estates Residential Development |
Conditional WQC |
|
December 14, 2001 |
County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works |
Termino Avenue Drain |
Conditional WQC |
|
December 14, 2001 |
City of Camarillo |
Camarillo Hills Drain |
Conditional WQC |
|
December 19, 2001 |
EZ Access Self Storage, LLC |
Tentative Tract Map 53114 |
Conditional WQC |
|
January 3, 2002 |
County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works |
Project Number 554 |
Standard WQC |
|
January 3, 2002 |
Naval Base Ventura County |
Quaywall Repair Project -- Surface Craft Berth, Port Hueneme, NBVC |
Conditional WQC |
|
January 3, 2002 |
Conejo Recreation & Park District |
Old Meadow Park Soccer Field & Paige Lane Trail |
Conditional WQC |
|
January 3, 2002 |
Caltrans, District 7 |
Bank Stabilization with Routine Maintenance Drain Clearing Activities for Winter 2001 |
Conditional WQC |
Certification actions recently issued and project descriptions for applications currently being reviewed can be viewed from our Web Site located at http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/html/meetings/401wqc.html. For additional information regarding our Section 401 Program, please contact Anthony Klecha at (213) 576-6785, Jason Lambert at (213) 576-5733 or Valerie Carrillo at (213) 576-6759. Any petitions for the appeal of a Section 401 WQC action must be filed within 30 days of the date of its issuance. We encourage public input during the certification process.
The following Section 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) actions have been issued since the preparation of the last Executive Officers Report:
|
DATE OF ISSUANCE |
APPLICANT |
PROJECT |
ACTION |
|
August 20, 2001 |
Gordon Group Holdings, Ltd. |
Sweetwater Creek Bridge |
Standard WQC |
Certification actions recently issued and project descriptions for applications currently being reviewed can be viewed from our Web Site located at http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/html/meetings/401wqc.html. For additional information regarding our Section 401 Program, please contact Anthony Klecha at (213) 576-6785. Any petitions for the appeal of a Section 401 WQC action must be filed within 30 days of the date of its issuance. We encourage public input during the certification process.
OUTREACH
ACTIVITIES
International
Caulerpa taxifolia Conference
Michael Lyons
A conference to discuss the invasive marine algae, Caulerpa taxifolia (Mediterranean strain) is scheduled to be held at the Holiday Inn Bayside in San Diego, California, on January 31 and February 1, 2002. The goal of the conference is to foster collaboration and information exchange to develop research, management and education priorities for this problematic species. This international conference will feature speakers from France, Italy, Netherlands, Croatia and Australia, as well as the United States. The Thursday session (January 31st) will present a research overview, while the Friday session (February 1st) will focus on discussions of management and education strategies. The conference is funded by the California Department of Fish and Game and California Sea Grant College Program, with assistance provided by DANR Coastal and Marine Resource Workgroup. To register for the conference, contact Erin Williams, UC Davis, at (530) 752-3419. More information may be obtained via the Internet by visiting www.ridnis.ucdavis.edu/WorkshopInformation.html.
The invasive algae, Caulerpa taxifolia, was discovered in San Diego County’s Agua Hedionda Lagoon on June 12, 2000, and subsequently in Huntington Harbor. The algae probably was released by an aquarist illegally dumping material into a storm drain near the lagoon. The Southern California Caulerpa Action Team (SCCAT) was established to respond quickly and effectively to the discovery of this algae in Southern California. SCCAT includes representatives from several state, federal, local and private entities (including California Department of Fish and Game, National Marine Fisheries Service, and San Diego, Santa Ana and Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Boards). The goal of SCCAT is to completely eradicate all known Caulerpa infestations and prevent the spread of this algae to new areas.
Additional information about Caulerpa taxifolia and ongoing eradication and control activities is available via the Internet at:
http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/hcd/caulerpa.htm and
http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb9/programs/caulerpa/caulerpa.html
Facilitation
led by US EPA
Wendy Phillips
At the request of the Coalition for Practical Regulation, the US EPA requested that Regional Board staff participate in two day-long facilitation sessions on November 9th and 29th, prior to adoption of the Municipal Storm Water Permit for Los Angeles County. Representatives from the coalition included city managers, attorneys, public works directors, and other staff from several cities and the county. Heal the Bay, NRDC, and the Santa Monica Bay Keeper represented the environmental community. Most of the effort was spent proposing ways to reach consensus on an inspection program to control runoff from industrial and commercial facilities.
Construction
- Infiltration Presentation at Caltrans Storm
Water Workshop
Matt Yeager
On December 6, 2001, Regional Board staff gave a presentation, entitled "The Regulatory Perspective on Infiltration BMPs," at a Caltrans workshop for storm water treatment technologies in Ontario. The workshop focused on structural BMPs for storm water, including proper siting, design, and maintenance of infiltration devices. BMPs for the infiltration of storm water are currently used in many areas, including southern California, and are being considered for more widespread use in future developments. The benefits of infiltration include pollutant removal, reduced runoff volume, and groundwater recharge. The Regional Board currently requires best management practices, such as storm water infiltration. through municipal storm water permits. These permits encourage infiltration where it will not contaminate groundwater, but siting and approval procedures are carried out by local implementing authorities. The potential for groundwater contamination from storm water infiltration devices is being evaluated by ongoing studies in our region. Several Regional Board Staff participated in the training.
Construction
Session With City Of Thousand Oaks Public Works
Staff
Ejigu Solomon
On December 14, 2001, Regional Board staff led a question and answer session with the City of Thousand Oaks Public Works staff on storm water management. The questions ranged from non-rainy season best management practices (BMPs) to the need to enforce storm water pollution control plans (SWPCPs). Most of the questions and the answers will be published in the next issue of our newsletter, Storm Report.
Construction
- Public Outreach
Yi Lu
On December 13, 2001, Regional Board staff gave a speech to a workshop hosted by the Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association. The speech was focused on the Storm Water enforcement policy and activities at the Los Angeles Regional Board.
Environmental
Symposium - Southern California Edison
Wendy Phillips
At the invitation of Southern California Edison, Regional Board staff participated in a multi-agency presentation to managers and safety environmental specialists in November. The goal of the symposium was to broaden the knowledge of the company's environmental compliance issues across all levels of personnel.
California
Small Business Alliance
Wendy Phillips
The California Small Business Alliance is a coalition of trade associations that represents small business on air quality and water quality regulations. Regional Board staff presented information about requirements in the new municipal storm water permit for the County of Los Angeles to this group on January 9th. Members were interested in learning about impacts to local businesses, in particular the cost of compliance with urban runoff requirements.
San
Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority
Dixon Oriola
Regional Board staff attended a public meeting hosted by the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority (WQA). The meeting was called to determine what negotiation progress had been made towards obtaining agreement by December 17, 2001, under Superfund on the estimated $200 million groundwater cleanup effort in San Gabriel Valley. This meeting water attended by representatives of the Superfund Remediation Group of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Congresswoman Hilda Solis of the U. S. House of Representatives, California Senator Bob Margett, staff of local Legislative Assembly members, water supply companies, the Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster, responsible parties (like Aerojet) and members of the public.
Presentation
on Risk-based Screening Levels for Soil and Groundwater
Rebecca Chou
Regional Board staff presented "Risk-based Screening Levels for Soil and Groundwater" to the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and various county agencies on December 11, 2001 and December 18, 2001 at DTSC’s Glendale and Cypress offices, respectively. The presentation included Regional Board’s regulations, policies, guidelines, and permitting requirements for soil and groundwater investigations and cleanups. A detailed discussion for determining soil and groundwater screening levels per Regional Board’s guidebook was also presented.
Presentation
at Lunada Bay Elementary School
T. Don Tsai
On December 14, 2001, Regional Board staff participated as the guest speaker at the Science class in Lunada Bay Elementary School at Palos Verdes Estates, California. Staff presented the concepts and importance of recycle, reuse, and reduce, with reference to water quality and solid waste management, towards protecting the environment from contamination and natural resources from overexploitation. He encouraged the attendants to recycle and reuse useful materials and not to waste precious natural resources. He also introduced the functions and the programs the State Board and Regional Boards are undertaking to protect the water quality of California waters. For further information, Regional Board staff referred the attendants to the State Board and the Los Angeles Regional Board web sites. He also encouraged attendants to join the Citizen Water Citizen Water Quality Monitoring programs to help government agencies monitor water quality.
STAFF
DEVELOPMENT
Industrial
- SWIM 2 Implementation
Yi Lu
The State Board has dedicated resources to implement the second generation of the System for Water Information Management (SWIM 2) computer database over the next several years. Once implemented and in full function, SWIM 2 will enhance Regional Board’s capacity and capability to manage and share information regarding water quality. During the month of December 2001, storm water staff was actively involved in meetings, tele-conferences, and discussions on the design of SWIM 2 database development and management for the Storm Water and Enforcement Programs.
Personnel Report
As of January 24, 2002 our staff total is 171; 151 technical staff (including 4 part-time staff), 9 permanent analytical staff and 11 permanent clerical staff.
Staff is currently taking steps to fill our vacant CEA positions, 1 Unit Chief position, 3 technical positions and 1 clerical position.
The following appointments were made:
Lilia Martinez, Environmental Scientist, Stormwater LA/LB Coastal Unit, appointed 10/31/01.
Steve Berger, Research Analyst I (GIS), Site Cleanup III Unit, appointed 11/07/01.
Jason Lambert, Environmental Scientist, Nonpoint Source Unit, appointed 11/07/01.
Deborah Neiter, Environmental Scientist, Standards and TMDL Unit, appointed 11/26/01.
Tanya Bilezikjian, Water Resource Control Engineer, Enforcement Unit, appointed 01/09/02.
The following promotion was made:
Weindy Abarquez, from Office Technician (T) to Staff Services Analyst, effective 11/30/01.
The following separated from Region 4:
Karen Caesar, Public Information Officer, transferred to Department of Commerce, effective 11/02/01.
Dennis Dasker, Assistant Executive Officer, retired effective 12/30/01.
Attachment "A"
Enforcement Unit NPDES Facility Inspections December 2001
|
Discharger |
Facility Name |
Address |
City |
Date of Inspection |
Type of Inspection |
|||
|
Arden Realty, Inc. |
Tank Leak-Arden Realty Inc. |
8383 Wilshire Blvd |
Beverly Hills |
12/4/01 |
"B" type compliance - A routine non-sampling inspection |
|||
|
Anti-Defamation League |
Office Building |
10495 S. Santa Monica Blvd |
Los Angeles |
12/4/01 |
"B" type compliance - A routine non-sampling inspection |
|||
|
LACnty. FairHotel&Expo Complex |
Fairplex |
1101 W. McKinley Ave Ave |
Pomona |
12/5/01 |
"B" type compliance - A routine non-sampling inspection |
|||
|
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. |
Carson Hydrogen Plant |
23300 S. Alameda St |
Carson |
12/7/01 |
"B" type compliance - A routine non-sampling inspection |
|||
|
LA City Bureau of Sanitation |
Hyperion WWTP, NPDES |
12000 Vista Del Mar Blvd |
Playa Del Rey |
12/10/01 |
"A" type compliance - Comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken |
|||
|
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. |
El Segundo Refinery |
324 W. El Segundo Blvd |
El Segundo |
12/11/01 |
"A" type compliance - Comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken |
|||
|
LA City Bureau of Sanitation |
L.A.-Glendale WWRP, NPDES |
4600 Colorado Blvd |
Los Angeles |
12/13/01 |
"A" type compliance - Comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken |
|||
|
Los Angeles County San Dist |
San Jose Creek WWRP, NPDES |
1965 S. Workman Mill Rd |
Whittier |
12/17/01 |
"A" type compliance - Comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken |
|||
|
Los Angeles City of DWP |
Haynes Generating Station |
6801 Westminster Ave |
Long Beach |
1217/01 |
"A" type compliance - Comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken |
|||
|
Los Angeles County San Dist |
Los Coyotes WWRP, NPDES |
16515 Piuma Ave |
Cerritos |
12/18/01 |
"A" type compliance - Comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken |
|||
|
LA City Bureau of Sanitation |
Tillman WWRP, NPDES |
6100 Woodley Ave |
Van Nuys |
12/19/01 |
"A" type compliance - Comprehensive inspection in which samples are taken |
|||
Attachment "B"
General Permitting Unit
General NPDES Permit Authorization/Revision and Termination – December 2001
|
General Permit type and Facility name & Location |
Date of Coverage |
Date of Revision |
Date of Termination |
||
|
A. |
NPDES CAG994001 (Order No. 97-045) Dewatering (no treatment) |
||||
|
1 |
Santa Clarita Water Company, Well 5B, Santa Clarita River at Humphreys, Santa Clarita |
12/13/01 |
|||
|
2 |
County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Hollyhills Unit 5 Storm Drain Project, San Vincente Boulevard and Beverly Boulevard, Beverly Hills |
12/18/01 |
|||
|
3 |
City of Arcadia Public Works Services Department, Anokia Water Supply Well Testing Project, 778 Anoakia Lane, Arcadia |
12/18/01 |
|||
|
4 |
Newhall Land and Farming Company, Agricultural Supply NLF Well 163, 27600 Live Oak Canyon Road, Castaic |
12/20/01 |
|||
|
5 |
HBI, Inc, Home Depot Store Construction Project, 401 West Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo |
12/21/01 |
|||
|
B |
NPDES CAG994002 (Order No. 97-043) Dewatering (treatment required) |
||||
|
1 |
The Center for Early Education, 8494 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood |
12/14/01 |
|||
|
2 |
U.S. Geological Survey, Los Angeles Coastal Hydrologic Basin, Los Angeles River Watershed |
12/19/01 |
|||
|
3 |
U.S. Geological Survey, Los Angeles Coastal Hydrologic Basin, Dominguez Channel Watershed |
12/19/01 |
|||
|
4 |
U.S. Geological Survey, Los Angeles Coastal Hydrologic Basin, San Gabriel River Watershed |
12/19/01 |
|||
|
C. |
NPDES CAG674001 (Order No. 97-047) Hydrostatic Test Water |
||||
|
1 |
ExxonMobil Corporation, Newhall Station, 25500 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valenica |
12/05/01 |
|||
|
D. |
NPDES CAG994003 (Order No. 98-055) Nonprocess |
||||
|
E. |
NPDES CAG834001 (Order No. 97-046) – Cleanup of Petroleum Fuel Pollution |
||||
|
1 |
Defense Fuel Support Point Norwalk Facility, 15306 Norwalk Boulevard, Norwalk |
12/19/01 |
|||
|
F. |
NPDES CAG914001(Order No. 97-044) – Cleanup of Volatile Organic Compounds Contaminated Groundwater |
||||
Attachment "C"
Monthly Summary of Regional Board Enforcement Actions
December 2001
|
13267 Letters |
Notice of Non Compliance |
NOVs |
NTCs |
CAOs |
TSOs |
CDOs |
Administrative Civil Liability Penalty Complaints |
Program Total |
||||
|
Migden Mandatory |
Storm-water related |
All others |
Total ACLs |
|||||||||
|
Enforcement |
6 |
- |
6 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
12 |
|
NPDES |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Stormwater |
- |
- |
22 |
26 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
48 |
|
Underground Tanks |
10 |
- |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
12 |
|
Site Cleanup I & II |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
|
WDRs |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
WIP |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Landfills |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Other (401, NPS) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
TOTAL |
18 |
- |
30 |
26 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
74 |
|
YTD Total |
851 |
502 |
87 |
182 |
2 |
- |
- |
24 |
34 |
10 |
68 |
2212 |
|
13267 Letter – Requirement to Submit Information |
|
Level 1 enforcement - Notice of Non Compliance |
|
NOV - Notice of Violation |
|
NTC - Notice to Comply |
|
CAO - Clean up and Abatement Order |
|
TSO - Time Schedule Order |
|
CDO - Cease and Desist Order |
|
ACL – Administrative Civil Liability |
|
NPDES – National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System |
|
WIP – Well Investigation Program |
|
NPS – Nonpoint Source |
|
WDR – Waste Discharge Requirement |
|
|