EPA v. GREENVILLE, MS, CITY OF

Case summary

12/6/2019 - ORDER ISSUED. The City violated: CWA 301(a) by discharging pollutants to navigable waters not in compliance with its Permit. CWA 402 by discharging pollutants into the MS River in excess of effluent limits established in its Permit for CBOD, CBOD percent removal, TSS, TSS percent removal, and fecal coliform. CWA 402 by failing to properly operate and maintain its WWTP as required by Section T-28 of its Permit. CWA 402 by discharging pollutants to navigable waters as a result of failing to properly manage and dispose of sewage sludge as required by Section S-1 of its Permit. Order Requires: Within 7 days, the City shall put a notification to the public of the presence of untreated wastewater in the MS River from the WWTP on the City's website. The City shall also post the daily and monthly effluent test results as described in Paragraph 19.E below on the City's website. The effluent test results shall be posted within 2 business days of analysis. Within 7 days, the City shall work with EPA and MDEQ to develop appropriate language for signage to alert the public of the presence of untreated wastewater along the MS River and to determine the appropriate number of signs upstream and downstream of the WWTP Outfall 001 location. The City shall regularly inspect the signs to ensure they are still posted and visible. Within 30 days, the City shall submit to the EPA for review and approval an Interim Corrective Action Plan (ICAP) that will, at a minimum, rehabilitate the WWTP to allow for full treatment, including disinfection, of the daily average dry weather flow of wastewater. The City shall include the data used to calculate the daily average dry weather flow in the ICAP submittal for EPA approval. The work under the ICAP shall be completed within 5 months of approval of the ICAP and the treated wastewater must comply with the Permit effluent limits included in the City's NPDES permit when the work is completed. Upon approval of the ICAP, the actions and timeframes set forth in the ICAP shall be enforceable under this Order. ASAP but no later than Feb 29, 2020, the City shall begin disinfecting wastewater using the interim disinfection method outlined in the ICAP before discharging to the MS River. For the duration of this Order, the City shall submit to EPA and MDEQ daily effluent test results for CBOD (mg/L), TSS (mg/L), total fecal coliform bacteria counts per 100 mL, and the daily average flow (MOD). The City shall also submit to the EPA and MDEQ the monthly effluent test results for total nitrogen (pounds/day). For the duration of this Order, the City shall provide monthly notification to the MS State Dept of Health, MS Dept of Agriculture, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Arkansas Dept of Environmental Quality, Louisiana Dept of Environmental Quality, and any other downstream user that could be affected by the WWTP discharge detailing the status of the City' s compliance with the approved ICAP, effluent data, and potential impacts to human health. These notifications shall be due ten (10) days after the end of the first full month after the effective date of this Order. Subsequent monthly notifications are due within ten (10) days after the end of the reporting month. For the duration of this Order, the City shall submit monthly progress reports to the EPA and MDEQ. Upon the effective date of the Order, the first monthly report shall be due 10 days after the end of the first full month. Subsequent monthly reports are due within 10 days after the end of the reporting month. The monthly progress report shall include: 1. A list of permit effluent limit exceedances that occurred during the month, and 11. A summary of all actions taken, and progress made in achieving the goals of the ICAP, once the EPA has approved the ICAP.

Defendants (1)

• GREENVILLE, MS, CITY OFNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• GREENVILLE POTW

  2900 TREATMENT PLANT ROAD, GREENVILLE, MS, 38701

  Registry ID: 110008515320

Statutes cited

• CWA 405 — Sewage Sludge Disposal
• CWA 301/402 — NPDES Permit Violations

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• GREENVILLE, MS, CITY OFentered 2019-12-06

  Primary law: CWA

Timeline (4 milestones)

• 2019-12-06Final Order Issued
• 2020-04-08Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2021-10-06NPDES Closed
• 2021-10-06Enforcement Action Closed