10/29/13 - CONSENT AGREEMENT ISSUED, ASSESSING A PENALTY OF $70,800, DUE WITHIN 30 DAYS.
ALLEGATIONS:
THE POTW DISCHARGES POLLUTANTS AS A POINT SOURCE INTO HOLLIS CREEK, A NAVIGABLE WATER AS DEFINED IN SECTION 502(7) OF THE CWA. THE PERMIT BECAME EFFECTIVE ON FEB 24, 2010 AND EXPIRES ON JAN 31, 2015. THE PERMIT INCLUDES A REQUIREMENT, CONDITION NO. T-28, ISSUED PURSUANT TO SECTION 402 OF THE CWA TO PROPERLY OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THE POTW, INCLUDING THE WCTS WHICH TRANSPORTS WASTEWATER TO TEH WWTP.
ON OCT 23, 2012, EPA SENT AN INFO REQUEST LETTER TO RESPONDENT REQUESTING INFO RELATED TO SSOs TO EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE WWTP AND ITS ASSOCIATED WCTS, AND TO ASSESS THE CITY'S COMPLIANCE WITH THE PERMIT AND THE CWA. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS CAFO, A SSO IS DEFINED AS AN OVERFLOW, SPILL, RELEASE, OR DIVERSION OF WASTEWATER FROM RESPONDENT'S WCTS. SSOs INCLUDE OVERFLOWS OR RELEASES OF WASTEWATER THAT REACH NAVIGABLE WATERS; OVERFLOWS OR RELEASES OF WASTEWATER THAT DO NOT REACH NAVIGABLE WATERS; AND WASTEWATER BACKUPS INTO BUILDINGS THAT ARE CAUSED BY BLOCKAGES OR FLOW CONDITIONS IN A SANITARY SEWER OTHER THAN A BUILDING LATERAL. WASTEWATER BACKUPS INTO BUILDINGS CAUSED BY A BLOCKAGE OR OTHER MALFUNCTION OR A BUILDING LATERAL THAT IS PRIVATELY OWNED IS NOT A SSO.
ON JAN 30 AND 31, EPA AND THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI CONDUCTED A COMPLIANCE EVALUATION INSPECTION (CEI) OF THE WWTPs ASSOICATED WCTS TO FURTHER EVALUATE RESPONDENT'S COMPLIANCE WITH ITS PERMIT AND THE CWA. BAS