9/24/14 - CONSENT AGMT ISSUED, ASSESSING A PENALTY OF $18,000 DUE WITHIN 30 DAYS.
ALLEGATIONS:
THE STATE OF GA, THRU THE DEPT OF OF NATURAL RESOURCES EPD ISSUED AN NPDES PERMIT TO RESPONDENT FOR THE POTW FOR THE DISCHARGE OF TREATED DOMESTIC/SANITARY AND COMMERCIAL WASTEWATERS INTO NAVIGABLE WATERS SUBJECT TO SPECIFIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS. THE WWTP DISCHARGES POLLUTANTS FROM A POINT SOURCE INTO THE OCONEE RIVER, A NAVIGABLE WATER AS DEFINED AT SECTION 502(7) OF THE CWA. THE PERMIT BECAME EFFECTIVE ON OCT 15, 2012, AND EXPIRES ON OCT 14, 20167. THE PERMIT INCLUDES A REQUIREMENT TO PROPERLY OPERATE AND MAINTAIN ALL TREATMENT OR CONTROL FACILITIES AND RELATED EQUIPMENT INSTALLED OR USED BY THE PERMITTEE, WHICH INCLUDES THE WCTS WHICH TRANSPORTS WASTEWATER TO THE POTW. ON OCT 23, 2012, EPA SENT AN INFO REQUEST TO THE RESPONDENT REQUESTING INFO RELATED TO SSOs IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE POTW AND TO ASSESS RESPONDENT'S COMPLIANCE WITH THE PERMIT AND THE CWA. RESPONDENT SUBMITTED A RESPONSE TO EPA ON NOV 26, 2012. BASED ON ITS REVIEEW OF THE INFO IN THE RESPONDENT'S RESPONSE, EPA FOUND THAT RESPONDENT HAS HAD 42 TOTAL SSOs, INCLUDING SSOs THAT REACHED NAVIGABLE WATERS AND SSOs THAT DID NOT REACH NAVIGABLE WATERS, FROM SEPT 29, 2009 TO NOV 15, 2012.