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CSPA requests meeting with State Board regarding Regional Board's failure to comply with NPDES regulations when issuing permits, Asks that EPA also attend meeting

January 29, 2009 -- In an attempt to improve the enforcement of pollution standards in the Central Valley, CSPA has requested a meeting with Mr. Michael Lauffer, Chief Counsel of the State Water Resources Control Board regarding Region 5's failure to uphold National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System [NPDES] standards.

CSPA's Executive Director, Bill Jennings pointed out that Region 5's permits regularly ignore/violate requirements pertaining to numerous pollutants, "antibacksliding, antidegradation, incomplete reports of waste discharge, mixing zones and other federal and state requirements." Further CSPA alleges that Region 5 personnel are changing and modifying permits after the public comment period is closed.

Of major concern is that the, "majority these regulations in recent permits issued by Region 5 starkly contrast with how they were implemented in recent decades under four previous Executive Officers. Cumulatively, these changes represent a significant backsliding in water quality protection at a time when the aquatic communities of the Central Valley are imploding."

Continuing on, the letter states, "As you are aware, CSPA has appealed upwards of forty Region 5 permits to the State Board over the last two years. In the last several months, the State Board has remanded or proposed to remand several permits back to Region 5, including permits for the Yuba City, Davis and Lodi wastewater treatment facilities. However, these orders have failed to evaluate ... (Continued) and discuss many, indeed most, of the issues appealed to the State Board.

Since many of the requirements are also regulated by federal codes, CSPA has requested that Region IX EPA representatives also attend.

CSPA's letter to the State Board