No. 27021 (Amendment): R317-6. Ground Water Quality Protection  

  • DAR File No.: 27021
    Filed: 03/30/2004, 03:27
    Received by: NL

     

    RULE ANALYSIS

    Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

    The Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) recently enacted a rule governing the practice of geology. The proposed changes bring the ground water rules into agreement with the DOPL rule. (DAR NOTE: DOPL's Professional Geologist Licensing Act Rules is found at UT Administrative Code, Rule R156-76, and was effective September 5, 2002.)

     

    Summary of the rule or change:

    The rule changes include the definition of professional geologist and engineer in Subsections R317-6-1(1.31) and (1.32); and the requirement that the following submittals be performed under the direction, and bear the seal of, a professional geologist or engineer: a) ground water permit applications; b) ground water permit renewals with significant changes to the original permit; c) corrective action plans and contaminant investigations; and d) petitions for aquifer classification or reclassification.

     

    State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

    Section 19-4-104

     

    Anticipated cost or savings to:

    the state budget:

    The only cost associated with the change is the DOPL fee for registering qualified state employees as professional geologists.

     

    local governments:

    No costs or savings are anticipated, other than the possible addition of the DOPL fee for registering qualified local government employees as professional geologists.

     

    other persons:

    All of the documents that are required by the rule to be submitted by a professional geologist or engineer are usually submitted by firms or consulting practices with either a professional engineer or geologist on staff. Therefore, the proposed changes are expected to have a minimal financial impact.

     

    Compliance costs for affected persons:

    All of the documents that are required by the rule to be submitted by a professional geologist or engineer are usually submitted by firms or consulting practices with either a professional engineer or geologist on staff. Therefore, the proposed changes are expected to have a minimal financial impact.

     

    Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

    All of the documents that are required by the rule to be submitted by a professional geologist or engineer are usually submitted by firms or consulting practices with either a professional engineer or geologist on staff. Therefore, the proposed changes are expected to have a minimal financial impact on businesses.

     

    The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

    Environmental Quality
    Water Quality
    CANNON HEALTH BLDG
    288 N 1460 W
    SALT LAKE CITY UT 84116-3231

     

    Direct questions regarding this rule to:

    Dave Wham at the above address, by phone at 801-538-6052, by FAX at 801-538-6016, or by Internet E-mail at dwham@utah.gov

     

    Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

    05/17/2004

     

    This rule may become effective on:

    05/21/2004

     

    Authorized by:

    Don Ostler, Director

     

     

    RULE TEXT

    R317. Environmental Quality, Water Quality.

    R317-6. Ground Water Quality Protection.

    R317-6-1. Definitions.

    1.1 "Aquifer" means a geologic formation, group of geologic formations or part of a geologic formation that contains sufficiently saturated permeable material to yield usable quantities of water to wells and springs.

    1.2 "Background Concentration" means the concentration of a pollutant in ground water upgradient or lateral hydraulically equivalent point from a facility, practice or activity which has not been affected by that facility, practice or activity.

    1.3 "Best Available Technology" means the application of design, equipment, work practice, operation standard or combination thereof at a facility to effect the maximum reduction of a pollutant achievable by available processes and methods taking into account energy, public health, environmental and economic impacts and other costs.

    1.4 "Best Available Technology Standard" means a performance standard or pollutant concentration achievable through the application of best available technology.

    1.5 "Board" means the Utah Water Quality Board.

    1.6 "Class TDS Limit" means the upper boundary of the TDS range for an applicable class as specified in Section R317-6-3.

    1.7 "Community Drinking Water System" means a public drinking water system which serves at least fifteen service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least twenty-five year-round residents.

    1.8 "Comparable Quality (Source)" means a potential alternative source or sources of water supply which has the same general quality as the ground water source.

    1.9 "Comparable Quantity (Source)" means a potential alternative source of water supply capable of reliably supplying water in quantities sufficient to meet the year-round needs of the users served by the ground water source.

    1.10 "Compliance Monitoring Point" means a well, seep, spring, or other sampling point used to determine compliance with applicable permit limits.

    1.11 "Contaminant" means any physical, chemical, biological or radiological substance or matter in water.

    1.12 "Conventional Treatment" means normal and usual treatment of water for distribution in public drinking water supply systems including flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection and storage.

    1.13 "Discharge" means the release of a pollutant directly or indirectly into subsurface waters of the state.

    1.14 "Existing Facility" means a facility or activity that was in operation or under construction after August 14, 1989 and before February 10, 1990.

    1.15 "Economically Infeasible" means, in the context of a public drinking water source, the cost to the typical water user for replacement water would exceed the community's ability to pay.

    1.16 "Executive Secretary" means the Executive Secretary of the Utah Water Quality Board.

    1.17 "Facility" means any building, structure, processing, handling, or storage facility, equipment or activity; or contiguous group of buildings, structures, or processing, handling or storage facilities, equipment, or activities or combination thereof.

    1.18 "Gradient" means the change in total water pressure head per unit of distance.

    1.19 "Ground Water" means subsurface water in the zone of saturation including perched ground water.

    1.20 "Ground Water Quality Standards" means numerical contaminant concentration levels adopted by the Board in or under R317-6-2 for the protection of the subsurface waters of the State.

    1.21 "Infiltration" means the movement of water from the land surface into the pores of rock, soil or sediment.

    1.22 "Institutional Constraints" means legal or other restrictions that preclude replacement water delivery and which cannot be alleviated through administrative procedures or market transactions.

    1.23 "Lateral Hydraulically Equivalent Point" means a point located hydraulically equal to a facility and in the same ground water with similar geochemistry such that the ground water at that point has not been affected by the facility.

    1.24 "Limit of Detection" means the concentration of a chemical below which it can not be detected using currently accepted sampling and analytical techniques for drinking water as determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    1.25 "New Facility" means a facility for which construction or modification is initiated after February 9, 1990.

    1.26 "Permit Limit" means a ground water pollutant concentration limitation specified in a Ground Water Discharge Permit and may include protection levels, class TDS limits, ground water quality standards, alternate concentration limits, permit-specific ground water quality standards, or limits stipulated in the application and use of best available technology. For facilities permitted by rule under R317-6-6.2, a permit limit is a ground water pollutant concentration limitation specified in R317-6-6.2.B.

    1.27 "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, company or body politic, including any agency or instrumentality of the federal, state, or local government.

    1.28 "Point of Discharge" means the area within outermost location at which effluent or leachate has been stored, applied, disposed of, or discharged; for a diked facility, the outermost edge of the dikes.

    1.29 "Pollutant" means dredged spoil, solid waste, incinerator residue, sewage, sewage sludge, garbage, munitions, trash, chemical wastes, biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt and industrial, municipal and agricultural waste discharged into waters of the state.

    1.30 "Pollution" means such contamination, or other alteration of the physical, chemical, or biological properties of any waters of the State, or such discharge of any liquid, gaseous, or solid substance into any waters of the state as will create a nuisance or render such waters harmful or detrimental or injurious to public health, safety, or welfare, or to domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or other legitimate beneficial uses, or to livestock, wild animals, birds, fish or other aquatic life.

    1.31 "Professional Engineer" means any person qualified to practice engineering before the public in the state of Utah and professionally registered as required under the Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors Licensing Act rules (UAC 156-22).

    1.32 "Professional Geologist" means any person qualified to practice geology before the public in the State of Utah and professionally registered as required under the Professional Geologist Licensing Act rules (UAC R156-76).

    1.33[1] "Protection Level" means the ground water pollutant concentration levels specified in R317-6-4.

    1.34[2] "Substantial Treatment" means treatment of water utilizing specialized treatment methods including ion exchange, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis and other methods needed to upgrade water quality to meet standards for public water systems.

    1.35[3] "Technology Performance Monitoring" means the evaluation of a permitted facility to determine compliance with best available technology standards.

    1.36[4] "Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)" means the quantity of dissolved material in a sample of water which is determined by weighing the solid residue obtained by evaporating a measured volume of a filtered sample to dryness; or for many waters that contain more than 1000 mg/l, the sum of the chemical constituents.

    1.37[5] "Radius of Influence" means the radial distance from the center of a well bore to the point where there is no lowering of the water table or potentiometric surface because of pumping of the well; the edge of the cone of depression.

    1.38[6] "Upgradient" means a point located hydraulically above a facility such that the ground water at that point has not been impacted by discharges from the facility.

    1.39[7] "Vadose Zone" means the zone of aeration including soil and capillary water. The zone is bound above by the land surface and below by the water table.

    1.40[38] "Waste" see "Pollutant."

    1.41[39] "Water Table" means the top of the saturated zone of a body of unconfined ground water at which the pressure is equal to that of the atmosphere.

    1.42[40] "Water Table Aquifer" means an aquifer extending downward from the water table to the first confining bed.

    1.43[41] "Waters of the State" means all streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, water courses, waterways, wells, springs, irrigation systems, drainage systems, and all other bodies or accumulations of water, surface and underground, natural or artificial, public or private, which are contained within, flow through, or border upon this state or any portion thereof; except bodies of water confined to and retained within the limits of private property, and which do not develop into or constitute a nuisance or a public health hazard, or a menace to fish and wildlife, shall not be considered to be "waters of the state" under this definition.

    1.44[42] "Zone of Influence" means the area contained by the outer edge of the drawdown cone of a water well.

     

    R317-6-5. Ground Water Classification for Aquifers.

    5.1 GENERAL

    A. When sufficient information is available, entire aquifers or parts thereof may be classified by the Board according to the quality of ground water contained therein and commensurate protection levels will be applied.

    B. Ground water sources furnishing water to community drinking water systems with ground water meeting Class IA criteria are classified as Class IA.

    5.2 CLASSIFICATION AND RECLASSIFICATION PROCEDURE

    A. The Board may initiate classification or reclassification.

    B. A petition for classification or reclassification must be performed under the direction, and bear the seal, of a professional engineer or professional geologist.[Any person may petition the Board for classification and reclassification.]

    C. Boundaries for class areas will be delineated so as to enclose distinct ground water classes as nearly as known facts permit. Boundaries will be based on hydrogeologic properties, existing ground water quality and for Class IB and IC, current use. Parts of an aquifer may be classified differently.

    D. The petitioner requesting reclassification will provide sufficient information to determine if reclassification is in the best interest of the beneficial users.

    E. A petition for classification or reclassification shall include:

    1. factual data supporting the proposed classification;

    2. a description of the proposed ground waters to be classified or reclassified;

    3. potential contamination sources;

    4. ground water flow direction;

    5. current beneficial uses of the ground water; and

    6. location of all water wells in the area to be classified or reclassified.

    F. One or more public hearings will be held to receive comment on classification and reclassification proposals.

    G. The Board will determine the disposition of all petitions for classification and reclassification, except as provided in R317-6-5.2.H.

    H. Ground water proximate to a facility for which an application for a ground water discharge permit has been made may be classified by the Executive Secretary for purposes of making permitting decisions.

     

    R317-6-6. Implementation.

    6.1 DUTY TO APPLY FOR A GROUND WATER DISCHARGE PERMIT

    A. No person may construct, install, or operate any new facility or modify an existing or new facility, not permitted by rule under R317-6-6.2, which discharges or would probably result in a discharge of pollutants that may move directly or indirectly into ground water, including, but not limited to land application of wastes; waste storage pits; waste storage piles; landfills and dumps; large feedlots; mining, milling and metallurgical operations, including heap leach facilities; and pits, ponds, and lagoons whether lined or not, without a ground water discharge permit from the Executive Secretary. A ground water discharge permit application should be submitted at least 180 days before the permit is needed.

    B. All persons who constructed, modified, installed, or operated any existing facility, not permitted by rule under R317-6-6.2, which discharges or would probably result in a discharge of pollutants that may move directly or indirectly into ground water, including, but not limited to: land application of wastes; waste storage pits; waste storage piles; landfills and dumps; large feedlots; mining, milling and metallurgical operations, including heap leach facilities; and pits, ponds, and lagoons whether lined or not, must have submitted a notification of the nature and location of the discharge to the Executive Secretary before February 10, 1990 and must submit an application for a ground water discharge permit within one year after receipt of written notice from the Executive Secretary that a ground water discharge permit is required.

     

    . . . . . . .

     

    6.3 APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR A GROUND WATER DISCHARGE PERMIT

    Unless otherwise determined by the Executive Secretary, the application for a permit to discharge wastes or pollutants to ground water shall include the following complete information:

    A. The name and address of the applicant and the name and address of the owner of the facility if different than the applicant. A corporate application must be signed by an officer of the corporation. The name and address of the contact, if different than above, and telephone numbers for all listed names shall be included.

    B. The legal location of the facility by county, quarter-quarter section, township, and range.

    C. The name of the facility and the type of facility, including the expected facility life.

    D. A plat map showing all water wells, including the status and use of each well, topography, springs, water bodies, drainages, and man-made structures within a one-mile radius of the discharge. The plat map must also show the location and depth of existing or proposed wells to be used for monitoring ground water quality.

    E. Geologic, hydrologic, and agricultural description of the geographic area within a one-mile radius of the point of discharge, including soil types, aquifers, ground water flow direction, ground water quality, aquifer material, and well logs.

    F. The type, source, and chemical, physical, radiological, and toxic characteristics of the effluent or leachate to be discharged; the average and maximum daily amount of effluent or leachate discharged (gpd), the discharge rate (gpm), and the expected concentrations of any pollutant (mg/l) in each discharge or combination of discharges. If more than one discharge point is used, information for each point must be given separately.

    G. Information which shows that the discharge can be controlled and will not migrate into or adversely affect the quality of any other waters of the state, including the applicable surface water quality standards, that the discharge is compatible with the receiving ground water, and that the discharge will comply with the applicable class TDS limits, ground water quality standards, class protection levels or an alternate concentration limit proposed by the facility.

    H. For areas where the ground water has not been classified by the Board, information on the quality of the receiving ground water sufficient to determine the applicable protection levels.

    I. The proposed monitoring plan, which includes a description, where appropriate, of the following:

    1. ground water monitoring to determine ground water flow direction and gradient, background quality at the site, and the quality of ground water at the compliance monitoring point;

    2. installation, use and maintenance of monitoring devices;

    3. description of the compliance monitoring area defined by the compliance monitoring points including the dimensions and hydrologic and geologic data used to determine the dimensions;

    4. monitoring of the vadose zone;

    5. measures to prevent ground water contamination after the cessation of operation, including post-operational monitoring;

    6. monitoring well construction and ground water sampling which conform to A Guide to the Selection of Materials for Monitoring Well Construction and Ground Water Sampling, (1983) and RCRA Ground Water Monitoring Technical Enforcement Guidance Manual (1986), unless otherwise specified by the Executive Secretary;

    7. description and justification of parameters to be monitored.

    J. The plans and specifications relating to construction, modification, and operation of discharge systems.

    K. The description of the ground water most likely to be affected by the discharge, including water quality information of the receiving ground water prior to discharge, a description of the aquifer in which the ground water occurs, the depth to the ground water, the saturated thickness, flow direction, porosity, hydraulic conductivity, and flow systems characteristics.

    L. The compliance sampling plan which includes, where appropriate, provisions for sampling of effluent and for flow monitoring in order to determine the volume and chemistry of the discharge onto or below the surface of the ground and a plan for sampling compliance monitoring points and appropriate nearby water wells. Sampling and analytical methods proposed in the application must conform with the most appropriate methods specified in the following references unless otherwise specified by the Executive Secretary:

    1. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, eighteenth edition, 1992; Library of Congress catalogue number: ISBN: 0-87553-207-1.

    2. E.P.A. Methods, Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, 1983; Stock Number EPA-600/4-79-020.

    3. Techniques of Water Resource Investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey, (1982); Book 5, Chapter A3.

    4. Monitoring requirements in 40 CFR parts 141 and 142, 1991 ed., Primary Drinking Water Regulations and 40 CFR parts 264 and 270, 1991 ed.

    5. National Handbook of Recommended Methods for Water-Data Acquisition, GSA-GS edition; Book 85 AD-2777, U.S. Government Printing Office Stock Number 024-001-03489-1.

    6. Manual of Analytical Methods for the Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Humans and Environmental Samples, 1980; Stock Number EPA-600/8-80-038, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    M. A description of the flooding potential of the discharge site, including the 100-year flood plain, and any applicable flood protection measures.

    N. Contingency plan for regaining and maintaining compliance with the permit limits and for reestablishing best available technology as defined in the permit.

    O. Methods and procedures for inspections of the facility operations and for detecting failure of the system.

    P. For any existing facility, a corrective action plan or identification of other response measures to be taken to remedy any violation of applicable ground water quality standards, class TDS limits or permit limit established under R317-6-6.4E. which has resulted from discharges occurring prior to issuance of a ground water discharge permit.

    Q. Other information required by the Executive Secretary.

    R. All applications for a groundwater discharge permit must be performed under the direction, and bear the seal, of a professional engineer or professional geologist.

     

    . . . . . . .

     

    6.7 GROUND WATER DISCHARGE PERMIT RENEWAL

    The permittee for a facility with a ground water discharge permit must apply for a renewal or extension for a ground water discharge permit at least 180 days prior to the expiration of the existing permit. If a permit expires before an application for renewal or extension is acted upon by the Executive Secretary, the permit will continue in effect until it is renewed, extended or denied. Permit renewals with significant changes to the original permit must be performed under the direction, and bear the seal, of a professional engineer or professional geologist.

     

    . . . . . .

     

    6.15 CORRECTIVE ACTION

    It is the intent of the Board that the provisions of these regulations should be considered when making decisions under any state or federal superfund action; however, the protection levels are not intended to be considered as applicable, relevant or appropriate clean-up standards under such other regulatory programs.

    A. Application of R317-6-6.15

    1. Generally - R317-6-6.15 shall apply to any person who discharges pollutants into ground water in violation of Section 19-5-107, or who places or causes to be placed any wastes in a location where there is probable cause to believe they will cause pollution of ground water in violation of Section 19-5-107.

    2. Corrective Action shall include, except as otherwise provided in R317-6-6.15, preparation of a Contamination Investigation and preparation and implementation of a Corrective Action Plan.

    3. The procedural provisions of R317-6-6.15 shall not apply to any facility where a corrective or remedial action for ground water contamination, that the Executive Secretary determines meets the substantive standards of this rule, has been initiated under any other state or federal program. Corrective or remedial action undertaken under the programs specified in Table 2 are considered to meet the substantive standards of this rule unless otherwise determined by the Executive Secretary.

     

    TABLE 2
    PROGRAM


    Leaking Underground Storage Tank, Sections 19-6-401, et seq.

    Federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
    Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. Sections 9601, et seq.

    Hazardous Waste Mitigation Act, Sections 19-6-301 et seq.
    Utah Solid and Hazardous Waste Act, Sections 19-6-101 et seq.

     

    B. Notification and Interim Action

    1. Notification - A person who spills or discharges any oil or other substance which may cause pollution of ground waters in violation of Section 19-5-107 shall notify the Executive Secretary within 24 hours of the spill or discharge. A written notification shall be submitted to the Executive Secretary within five days after the spill or discharge.

    2. Interim Actions - A person is encouraged to take immediate, interim action without following the steps outlined in R317-6-6.15 if such action is required to control a source of pollutants. Interim action is also encouraged if required to protect public safety, public health and welfare and the environment, or to prevent further contamination that would result in costlier clean-up. Such interim actions should include source abatement and control, neutralization, or other actions as appropriate. A person that has taken these actions shall remain subject to R317-6-6.15 after the interim actions are completed unless he demonstrates that:

    a. no pollutants have been discharged into ground water in violation of 19-5-107; and

    b. no wastes remain in a location where there is probable cause to believe they will cause pollution of ground water in violation of 19-5-107.

    C. Contamination Investigation and Corrective Action Plan - General

    1. The Executive Secretary may require a person that is subject to R317-6-6.15 to submit for the Executive Secretary's approval a Contamination Investigation and Corrective Action Plan, and may require implementation of an approved Corrective Action Plan. A person subject to this rule who has been notified that the Executive Secretary is exercising his or her authority under R317-6-6.15 to require submission of a Contamination Investigation and Corrective Action Plan, shall, within 30 days of that notification, submit to the Executive Secretary a proposed schedule for those submissions, which may include different deadlines for different elements of the Investigation and Plan. The Executive Secretary may accept, reject, or modify the proposed schedule.

    2. The Contamination Investigation or the Corrective Action Plan may, in order to meet the requirements of this Part, incorporate by reference information already provided to the Executive Secretary in the Contingency Plan or other document.

    3. The requirements for a Contamination Investigation and a Corrective Action Plan specified in R317-6-6.15.D are comprehensive. The requirements are intended to be applied with flexibility, and persons subject to this rule are encouraged to contact the Executive Secretary's staff to assure its efficient application on a site-specific basis.

    4. The Executive Secretary may waive any or all Contamination Investigation and Corrective Action Plan requirements where the person subject to this rule demonstrates that the information that would otherwise be required is not necessary to the Executive Secretary's evaluation of the Contamination Investigation or Corrective Action Plan. Requests for waiver shall be submitted to the Executive Secretary as part of the Contamination Investigation or Corrective Action Plan, or may be submitted in advance of those reports.

    D. Contamination Investigation and Corrective Action Plan - Requirements

    1. Contamination Investigation - The contamination investigation shall include a characterization of pollution, a characterization of the facility, a data report, and, if the Corrective Action Plan proposes standards under R317-6-6.15.F.2. or Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limits higher than the ground water quality standards, an endangerment assessment.

    a. The characterization of pollution shall include a description of:

    (1) The amount, form, concentration, toxicity, environmental fate and transport, and other significant characteristics of substances present, for both ground water contaminants and any contributing surficial contaminants;

    (2) The areal and vertical extent of the contaminant concentration, distribution and chemical make-up; and

    (3) The extent to which contaminant substances have migrated and are expected to migrate.

    b. The characterization of the facility shall include descriptions of:

    (1) Contaminant substance mixtures present and media of occurrence;

    (2) Hydrogeologic conditions underlying and, upgradient and downgradient of the facility;

    (3) Surface waters in the area;

    (4) Climatologic and meteorologic conditions in the area of the facility; and

    (5) Type, location and description of possible sources of the pollution at the facility;

    (6) Groundwater withdrawals, pumpage rates, and usage within a 2-mile radius.

    c. The report of data used and data gaps shall include:

    (1) Data packages including quality assurance and quality control reports;

    (2) A description of the data used in the report; and

    (3) A description of any data gaps encountered, how those gaps affect the analysis and any plans to fill those gaps.

    d. The endangerment assessment shall include descriptions of any risk evaluation necessary to support a proposal for a standard under R317-6-6.15.F.2 or for an Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limit.

    e. The Contamination Investigation shall include such other information as the Executive Secretary requires.

    2. Proposed Corrective Action Plan

    The proposed Corrective Action Plan shall include an explanation of the construction and operation of the proposed Corrective Action, addressing the factors to be considered by the Executive Secretary as specified in R317-6-6.15.E. and shall include such other information as the Executive Secretary requires. It shall also include a proposed schedule for completion.

    3. The Contaminant Investigation and Corrective Action Plan must be performed under the direction, and bear the seal, of a professional engineer or professional geologist.

    E. Approval of the Corrective Action Plan

    After public notice in a newspaper in the affected area and a 30-day period for opportunity for public review and comment, the Executive Secretary shall issue an order approving, disapproving, or modifying the proposed Corrective Action Plan. The Executive Secretary shall consider the following factors and criteria in making that decision:

    1. Completeness and Accuracy of Corrective Action Plan.

    The Executive Secretary shall consider the completeness and accuracy of the Corrective Action Plan and of the information upon which it relies.

    2. Action Protective of Public Health and the Environment

    a. The Corrective Action shall be protective of the public health and the environment.

    b. Impacts as a result of any off-site activities shall be considered under this criterion (e.g., the transport and disposition of contaminated materials at an off-site facility).

    3. Action Meets Concentration Limits

    The Corrective Action shall meet Corrective Action Concentration Limits specified in R317-6-6.15.F, except as provided in R317-6-6.15.G.

    4. Action Produces a Permanent Effect

    a. The Corrective Action shall produce a permanent effect.

    b. If the Corrective Action Plan provides that any potential sources of pollutants are to be controlled in place, any cap or other method of source control shall be designed so that the discharge from the source following corrective action achieves ground water quality standards or, if approved by the Board, alternate corrective action concentration limits (ACACLs). For purposes of this paragraph, sources of pollutants are controlled "in place" even though they are moved within the facility boundaries provided that they are not moved to areas with unaffected ground water.

    5. Action May Use Other Additional Measures

    The Executive Secretary may consider whether additional measures should be included in the Plan to better assure that the criteria and factors specified in R317-6-6.15.E are met. Such measures may include:

    a. Requiring long-term ground water or other monitoring;

    b. Providing environmental hazard notices or other security measures;

    c. Capping of sources of ground water contamination to avoid infiltration of precipitation;

    d. Requiring long-term operation and maintenance of all portions of the Corrective Action; and

    e. Periodic review to determine whether the Corrective Action is protective of public health and the environment.

    F. Corrective Action Concentration Limits

    1. Contaminants with specified levels

    Corrective Actions shall achieve ground water quality standards or, where applicable, alternate corrective action concentration limits (ACACLs).

    2. Contaminants without specified levels

    For contaminants for which no ground water quality standard has been established, the proposed Corrective Action Plan shall include proposed Corrective Action Concentration Limits. These levels shall be approved, disapproved or modified by the Executive Secretary after considering U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level goals, health advisories, risk-based contaminant levels or standards established by other regulatory agencies and other relevant information.

    G. Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limits

    An Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limit that is higher or lower than the Corrective Action Concentration Limits specified in R317-6-6.15.F may be required as provided in the following:

    1. Higher Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limits

    A person submitting a proposed Corrective Action Plan may request approval by the Board of an Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limit higher than the Corrective Action Concentration Limit specified in R317-6-6.15.F. The proposed limit shall be protective of human health, and the environment, and shall utilize best available technology. The Corrective Action Plan shall include the following information in support of this request:

    a. The potential for release and migration of any contaminant substances or treatment residuals that might remain after Corrective Action in concentrations higher than Corrective Action Concentration Limits;

    b. An evaluation of residual risks, in terms of amounts and concentrations of contaminant substances remaining following implementation of the Corrective Action options evaluated, including consideration of the persistence, toxicity, mobility, and propensity to bioaccumulate such contaminants substances and their constituents; and

    c. Any other information necessary to determine whether the conditions of R317-6-6.15.G have been met.

    2. Lower Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limits

    The Board may require use of an Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limit that is lower than the Corrective Action Concentration Limit specified in R317-6-6.15.F if necessary to protect human health or the environment. Any person requesting that the Board consider requiring a lower Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limit shall provide supporting information as described in R317-6-6.15.G.3.

    3. Protective of human health and the environment

    The Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limit must be protective of human health and the environment. In making this determination, the Board may consider:

    a. Information presented in the Contamination Investigation;

    b. Other relevant cleanup or health standards, criteria, or guidance;

    c. Relevant and reasonably available scientific information;

    d. Any additional information relevant to the protectiveness of a Corrective Action; and

    e. The impact of additional proposed measures, such as those described in R317-6-6.15.E.5.

    4. Good cause

    An Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limit shall not be granted without good cause.

    a. The Board may consider the factors specified in R317-6-6.15.E in determining whether there is good cause.

    b. The Board may also consider whether the proposed remedy is cost-effective in determining whether there is good cause. Costs that may be considered include but are not limited to:

    (1) Capital costs;

    (2) Operation and maintenance costs;

    (3) Costs of periodic reviews, where required;

    (4) Net present value of capital and operation and maintenance costs;

    (5) Potential future remedial action costs; and

    (6) Loss of resource value.

    5. Conservative

    An Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limit that is higher than the Corrective Action Concentration Limits specified in R317-6-6.15.F must be conservative. The Board may consider the concentration level that can be achieved using best available technology if attainment of the Corrective Action Concentration Limit is not technologically achievable.

    6. Relation to background and existing conditions

    a. The Board may consider the relationship between the Corrective Action Concentration Limits and background concentration limits in considering whether an Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limit is appropriate.

    b. No Alternate Corrective Action Concentration Limit higher than existing ground water contamination levels or ground water contamination levels projected to result from existing conditions will be granted.

     

    . . . . . . .

     

    KEY: water quality, ground water

    [January 30, 2003]2004

    Notice of Continuation October 17, 2002

    19-5

     

     

     

     

Document Information

Effective Date:
5/21/2004
Publication Date:
04/15/2004
Filed Date:
03/30/2004
Agencies:
Environmental Quality,Water Quality
Rulemaking Authority:

Section 19-4-104

 

Authorized By:
Don Ostler, Director
DAR File No.:
27021
Related Chapter/Rule NO.: (1)
R317-6. Ground Water Quality Protection.