Test 2 Flashcards
Discharge
Addition of any pollutant to waters of the US
Pollutant
anything having an adverse affect
point source
any discernible, confined and discrete conveyance
Waters of US
navigable waters, tributaries, interstate waters, lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands
CWA- Regulation major elements
WQS, NPDES, stormwater permits, dredge and fill permit program, municipal wastewater treatment program, oil pollution prevention
Water Quality Standards
the states designate uses per body of water, states classify each body of water, states create wqs, wqs form basis for npdes permits, subject to EPA approval
NPDES (overview)
any point discharger of pollutants to waters must obtain a permit, includes point sources of stormwater associated with industrial activity
Stormwater permits
large sewer systems>250,000, medium >100,000 but less than 250,000
2003 small have to also comply
stormwater discharge associated with industrial activity
discharges from small construction sites btw 1 and 5 acres
Dredge and Fill
40 CFR 231-233 contains procedures for denying a new permit or withdrawing an existing one
Municipal Waste water treatment
era establishes tech-based EFFLUENT STANDARDS for POTW’s
POTW’s implement PRE-TREATMANT STANDARDS to industry discharges to its plant
Oil Pollution Prevention
Applies to non transportation facilities that could discharge to surface waters
total above ground capacity is >1320 gal
must create spcc plan
WQS
40 CFR 131
serves as basis for strategies beyond technology based controls(watershed planning)
WQS’ cover BOD, TSS, bacteria, toxics, thermal
- must ensure highest statutory and regulatory requirements for new/existing point sources
TMDL
allowable pollutant load (cap)
margin of safety
allocation of cap among sources
NPDES
Primary mechanism to keep pollution out of waters and meet was’s
- imposes limitations on discharges
- state enforces permit
- Regulates:conventional pollutants (BOD, pH, TSS) non conventional (phosphorous) and toxic (organics and metals)
BPT
Best predictable control technology
BAT
Best available control technology
BCT
for POTW’s usually secondary treatment
Phase 1 stromwater
Addressed sources of storm water runoff that had the greatest potential to negatively impact water quality
Phase 2 Stormwater
requires operators of small MS4s in urbanized areas to develop and implement a storm water management program which addresses six minimum control measures or BMP’s
BMP’s (Six minimum control measures)
- Public education and outreach on storm water impacts
- public involvement/participation
- illicit discharge detection and elimination
- post-constuction storm water management in new development and redevelopment
- pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operation
Public Participation
should inform individuals about the steps they can take to reduce storm water pollution
- septic system maintenance
- use and disposal of landscape chemicals
- properly disposing of household hazardous waste
Illicit discharge connection
this BMP (best management practice) involves identifying and eliminating illegal or inappropriate connections of industrial and business wastewater sources to the storm drain system
Pretreatment program
3 objectives
- protect operating POTW’s from upsets
- Prevent “pass through” of pollutants
- Improve opportunities for recycling/reclamation
POTW’s (Public Owned Treatment Works)
Handle domestic, commercial and industrial discharges
- harmful discharges
- metals from electro plating and metal finishing
- organics from pharmaceuticals, petroleum refineries, chemical facilities (cleaning solvents)
SPCC (Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure)
- requirements to prevent discharges of oil to the nations waters
- facilities with greater than 42,000 gal buried capacity
- not applicable to facilities under DOT
- Must include description of facility
- type of oil and container
- secondary containment-
- spill cleanup procedures and cleanup plan
- must be amended when change in design
- must be reviewed every 5 years
SDWA 1974
Goal: to provide safe drinking water to the public
- set safe standards of purity for drinking water
- require owners of water systems to comply with health-based standards
Threats to Drinking water
improper disposal of chemicals
- animal wastes
- pesticides
- human wastes
- wasyed injected deep underground
- naturally occurring substance
- imporper treatment of water
- inadequate disinfection
Drinking water standards (DWS)
primary and secondary, establishes maximum containment levels (MCL’s)
- public water supplies bus periodically test and report
Underground Injection Control
regulates/restricts/prohibits underground disposal of wastes vis Class I-V system
Sole Source Aquifer Protection
extra protection and limited development in designated area
Wellhead Protection Program
developed at local level
1996 amendment to SDWA
source water protection requirements
- operator training requirements
- funding for water system improvements
- enhancement of public information
SDWA rules and regulation
every public water system in the us must comply with this stature
-EPA, states, tribes, water systems, and the public work together to implement requirements
Public Water Systems
systems that have at least 15 service connections or serve atlas 25 ppl per day for 60 days out of the year
Community water system
public water system that serves the same people year round (55,000)
Non-transient system
public water system that serves the same people more than 6 months per year but not year round (20,000)
Transient water system
public water system that does not serve the same people for more than six months per year
Primary Standards
enforceable maximum contaminant levels for
particular contaminants in drinking water…treatment required if
exceeded. Health based, and enforceable. (protect against health risk, considering available technology and cost).
Secondary Standards
Aesthetic, non enforceable
no reporting except for fluoride exceedance
SDWA Critical components
-States/water suppliers must assess water supplies - Voluntary adoption of wellhead protection programs
- States must certify water system operators and ensure that new water systems have technical financial and managerial
capacity to provide safe drinking water.
- Underground Injection Control addresses the injection of wastes into ground water.
National Groundwater Policy
sound science and data collection
- risk based priorities
- community based programs
Laws that protect groundwater
SDWA, CWA, RCRA (has waste and UST’s), CERCLA, and pollution prevention
Subtitle 1 of RCRA(resource conservation and recovery act)
regulated UST’s that stope petroleum products and also and substance defined as hazardous under SUPERFUND
What are UST’s
- any tank that has atlas 10% of its volume buried below ground
- includes the piping attached to the tank
- can be made of steel, stainless steel or fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP)
UST’s that aren’t regulated
- farm and residential under 1,100 gallons or less
- holding heating oil
- tanks on or above the floor of underground areas, basements or tunnels
- septic tanks and storm wastewater
- tanks of 110 gallons or less capacity
- emergency spill and overfill tanks
3 Sections of the Federal UST Program
- Technical: prevent releases from spills, overfills or leaking UST’s to protect human health and the environment
- Financial: correct and clean up leaking UST’s
- State Program: development of strict state UST programs
Leak Detection
- secondary containment with interstitial monitoring
- automatic tank gauging
- monitoring for vapors in the soil
- monitoring for liquids on the groundwater
- statistical inventory reconsiliation
overfill protection
- catch basins or spill buckets
- Automatic shutoff
- ball float thing
Corrosion Protection
Applies to steel ust’s
- cathodic protection system
- interior lining
Reporting and Recordkeeping
- when installing a UST you have to fill out a notification form and submit it to your state or local agency
- new installations need a certificate of installation
- suspected releases need to be reported to the regulatory authority
Corrective action
a recovery well is an example of a way to capture leaking contaminants and removing them from groundwater for treatment
More Recordkeeping
- Inventory records
- leak detection system testing
- corrosion protection system testing
- records of any UST repair
- records of proper UST closure
UST CLosure
- must follow strict guidelines to prevent product from leaking out and contaminating the ground
- excavation must be examined and tested for signs of contamination
EPA’s priorities today(ust)
- using ustfields projects to clean up and potentially revitalize abandoned just sites
- improving compliance with just requirements
- improving cleanup pace and activities
- evaluating ust system performance
