# METRO COUNCIL & WASTE CTRL COMM. - SENECA/BLUE LAKE
> **Judicial** · FY1988 · — · Final Order With Penalty
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `26804`
- **Case Number:** 05-1988-0093
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order With Penalty
- **Penalty assessed:** $395K
- **Cost recovery:** $0
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- METROPOLITAN COUNCIL (complaint) (settlement)
- METROPOLITAN WASTE CONTROL COMMISSION (complaint) (settlement)
- MINNESOTA, STATE OF (complaint) (settlement)
## Summary

DATE OPEN: 2/88; DATE VIOLATION DETERMINED: 12/01/84; DATE DOCUMENTS RECEIVED BY ORC: 03/24/88.                           THE COUNCIL AND COMMISSION OPERATE THE BLUE LAKE & SENECA    WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES IN THE MINNEAPOLIS-ST.       PAUL METROPOLITAN AREA.  THEY RECEIVED THEIR CURRENT PER-    MITS TO DISCHARGE INTO THE MINNESOTA RIVER IN 1987.  THESE   PERMITS SPECIFIED THAT THE COUNCIL AND COMMISSION WERE       PERMITTED TO OPERATE UNDER INTERIM EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS,     BY LAW, BECOME EFFECTIVE.  THE COMMISSION AND COUNCIL WILL   NOT MEET THEIR FINAL EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS ON JULY 1, 1988,   AND NOT INTEND TO ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE UNTIL 1992.             THE GENESIS OF U.S.EPA'S INTEREST IN THE MATTER WAS THE      COUNCIL'S AND COMMISSION'S LONGSTANDING DISPUTE WITH ITS     WATER QUALITY RELATED FINAL EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS.  THIS      DISPUTE RESULTED IN THE LAPSING OF THEIR 1977 PERMITS IN     1982.  WHILE RESEARCHING THE HISTORY OF THIS MATTER, OTHER   VIOLATIONS, INCLUDING BYPASS, FAILURE TO TIMELY NOTIFY OF    BYPASS, TSS EFFLUENT LIMITATION VIOLATIONS, AND MITIGATION   VIOLATIONS WERE DISCOVERED.  THESE LATTER VIOLATIONS RE-     LATE TO THE 1977 PERMITS AND HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO     THIS REFERRAL.                                               THE STATE OF MINNESOTA ENTERED INTO A CONSENT DECREE WITH    THE COUNCIL AND COMMISSION UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE     RAMSEY COUNTY DISTRICT COURT ON FEBRUARY 16, 1988, AS DE-    TAILED IN THE LITIGATION REPORT.  WE

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