Correction Date: July 29, 2013

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) 

Notice of Water Discharge Permit Public Hearing

NPDES Permit IL0004057

Dynegy Midwest Generation, L.L.C.

Vermilion Power Station

Public Hearing

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

NPDES Hearing at 6:00 pm. 

Hebron United Methodist Church

20664 Newtown Road

Oakwood, Illinois 61858

The IEPA Bureau of Water has prepared a draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 

permit for the Vermilion Power Station for Midwest Generation L.L.C., 604 Pierce Boulevard

O’Fallon, Illinois 62269.

Illinois EPA is holding this hearing for the purpose of taking comments on the draft permit prior to taking final 

action on the permit application. Issues relevant to this proceeding include the applicant’s compliance with 

requirements of the federal Clean Water Act and Subtitle C and 35 Illinois Adm. Code. Because Illinois is 

mandated by state law to issue a permit if the applicant meets the requirements for obtaining a permit, those 

recommending denial of the permit application should be prepared to state the regulation that is the basis for 

their recommendation. 

The applicant operates the facility which was formerly utilized as a coal fired steam electric generating station 

(SIC 4911). Precipitation events may result in intermittent discharges from the North Ash Pond overflow referred 

to as Outfall 001, the Makeup Water Reservoir overflow referred to as Outfall 002, and the East Ash Pond 

overflow referred to as Outfall 003.

The following modifications have been proposed since the draft permit which was public noticed August 24, 

2011:

The Vermilion Power Station was retired November 17, 2011. As a result, all contributory waste streams, except 

stormwater runoff, have been eliminated. Discharges will only occur due to precipitation events which may 

cause overflows from the North Ash Pond, the Makeup Water Reservoir, and the East Ash Pond. The North and 

East Ash Ponds contain sludge which was previously generated from the treatment of the following waste 

streams: fly ash with mercury sorbent residues and bottom ash transport water, ash hopper overflow, 

demineralizer regenerant wastes, water treatment clarifier sludge, water filter backwash waste, coal pile runoff, 

non-chemical metal cleaning wastes, boiler room and dust collector area floor drains, pyrites from coal crushing, 

chemical tank cleaning sludge and rinse waters, reverse osmosis reject, and cooling tower overflow.

Special Condition 14 of the August 24, 2011 draft permit was modified to clarify that all discharges to the North 

Ash Pond, the Makeup Water Reservoir, and the East Ash Pond are limited to stormwater runoff free from any 

other waste streams. Discharges to Outfalls 001, 002, and 003 are limited to overflows caused by precipitation 

events, from the North Ash Pond, the Makeup Water Reservoir, and the East Ash Pond, respectively.
Monitoring frequencies for Outfalls 001, 002, and 003 have been reduced.

Oil and grease monitoring requirements have been removed from the permit.

Special Conditions 3, 5, 8, and 18 of the August 24, 2011 draft permit have been eliminated as cooling tower 

blowdown is no longer generated.

Outfalls A01 and A03, which were used strictly for the purposes of monitoring cooling tower blowdown, have 

been eliminated.

Special Condition 21 of the August 24, 2011 draft permit has been eliminated as the plant intake is no longer 

operational.

Special Condition 1 of the August 24, 2011 draft permit was modified to eliminate the language regarding 

continuous pH monitoring and Special Condition 7 of the August 24, 2011 draft permit was eliminated, because 

the monitoring frequency for pH has been reduced to once per month during months in which a qualifying 

discharge occurs.

Special Condition 19 of the August 24, 2011 draft permit was eliminated due to the facility’s retirement.

Outfalls B01, B03, C01, and C03 were previously eliminated due to the removal of chemical metal cleaning 

waste discharges and removal of the emergency activated carbon treatment system.

The NPDES permit and the public notice/fact sheet were public noticed on August 22, 2012. Documents for this 

proceeding can be viewed on the IEPA website: http://www.epa.state.il.us/public-notices/2012/dynegyvermilion/index.pdf

The draft permit, public notice/fact sheet, the regulations governing the conduct of the hearing and other 

documents can be reviewed and copied at the Illinois EPA, 1021 N. Grand Avenue East, Springfield, Illinois; 

217-782-0610. Please call ahead for an appointment.

Inquiries about the draft permit IL0004057 should be directed to Brian Cox, Permit Section, IEPA, 1021 N Grand 

Ave East, P.O.Box 19276., Springfield IL, 62794-9276, 217-782-0610, e-mail Brian. Cox@Illinois.gov.

The hearing will be held under the provisions of 35 Illinois Administrative Code 166, Procedures for Permit and 

Closure Plan Hearings, which can be obtained online at 

http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/documents/dsweb/Get/Document-11865. 

The hearing will be conducted in accordance with provisions of Sections 309.115 through 309.119. These 

documents can be obtained online at http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/documents/dsweb/Get/Document-33358

Requests for special needs interpreters must be made to the IEPA hearing officer by July 23, 2013.

The hearing record is a file containing the hearing transcript and written comments. Written comments must 

be postmarked or e-mailed by midnight, August 26, 2013, when the hearing record closes (e-mails with 

written comments must be sent to epa.publichearingcom@illinois.gov and should specify Dynegy-Vermilion

NPDES or IL0004057 in the subject line). Email comments originating on third party systems or servers 

intended for submittal of multiple emails of the same or nearly the same content will not be accepted without 

prior approval from the hearing officer. The IEPA welcomes substantive written comments. Comments need 

not be notarized and should be sent to:

Hearing Officer Dean Studer

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

1021 North Grand Avenue East

P. O. Box 19276

Springfield, IL 62794-9276

Phone 217-558-8280 TDD (hearing impaired) 217-782-9143

All other comments not pertaining to this permit can be emailed to the hearing officer at 

dean.studer@illinois.gov.