Source: https://ecode360.com/6774042
Timestamp: 2020-07-16 14:20:03
Document Index: 308604006

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 130', '§ 130', '§ 130', '§ 130', '§ 130', '§ 130', '§ 130', '§ 130', '§ 130', '§ 1317', '§ 1292', 'arts 405', 'art 403', 'art 136', 'art 136', '§ 101']

Township of Lower Saucon, PA Industrial Waste
Ch 130 Art VI Industrial Waste
§ 130-48 Definitions.
§ 130-49 Discharge regulations.
§ 130-50 Fees.
§ 130-51 Permits.
§ 130-52 Holding tank waste.
§ 130-53 Enforcement.
§ 130-54 Repealer.
§ 130-55 Severability.
§ 130-56 Violations and penalties.
Township of Lower Saucon, PA / Part II, General Legislation / Sewers
Article VI Industrial Waste
[Adopted 9-4-2008 by Ord. No. 2002-07[1]]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Art. VI, Industrial Waste, adopted 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-7.
The following abbreviations, acronyms, words, terms and phrases when used in this article shall have the meaning ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicated a different meaning.
Biochemical oxygen demand (5-day)
Carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (5-day)
The Regional Administrator of EPA Region III as defined in 40 CFR 403.3(c).
[Amended 12-2-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-12]
A president, secretary, treasurer, or vice president of the corporation in charge of a principal business function, or any other person who performs similar policy or decision-making functions for the corporation;
A duly authorized representative of the individual identified in Subsections (1) through (3) above, if such representative is responsible for the overall operation of the facilities from which the indirect discharge originates and a written request for designation of an alternate representative is approved by the City.
Schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices to implement the prohibitions listed in 40 CFR 403.5(a)(1) and (b). BMPs also include treatment requirements, operating procedures, and practices to contract plant site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste disposal, or drainage from raw materials storage.
[Added 12-2-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-12]
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure, five days at 20° C. expressed as a concentration [milligrams per liter (mg/l)], and determined in accordance with EPA test methods referenced in 40 CFR 136.
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of carbonaceous organic matter expressed as concentration (mg/l - milligrams per liter), and determined in accordance with EPA test methods referenced in 40 CFR 136.
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the chemical oxidation of organic matter which is susceptible to conversion to carbon dioxide and water and expressed as a concentration (mg/l - milligrams per liter), and determined in accordance with EPA test methods referenced in 40 CFR 136.
Liquid- or water-carried waste generated from sanitary conveniences of campers, trailers, dwellings, office buildings, factories or institutions, and from household laundry operations, washing and cooking foods and dishwashing, but does not contain industrial waste.
Any source of discharge, the construction or operation of which commenced prior to the publication by EPA of proposed categorical standards, which will be applicable to such source if the standard is thereafter promulgated in accordance with Section 307 of the Act.
A sample which is taken from a waste stream on a one-time basis, with no regard to the flow in the waste stream and taken over a period of time which does not exceed 15 minutes.
The Board appointed according to provisions of Section 923.05 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance.
Any waste from holding tanks such as, but not limited to, treatment units, vessels, chemical toilets, campers, trailers, septic tanks and vacuum-pump trucks.
The discharge or the introduction of pollutants from any nondomestic source regulated under Section 307(b) or (c) or (d) of the Act (33 U.S.C. § 1317), into POTW (including holding tank waste discharged into the system).
The person designated by the City to supervise the operation of its industrial pretreatment program, who is charged with certain duties and responsibilities by Section 923 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923, or a duly authorized representative as delegated by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator.
A permit as set forth in Section 923.04 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Is a cause of a violation of any requirement of the POTW's NPDES permit (including an increase in the magnitude or duration of a violation) or of the prevention of sewage sludge use or disposal in compliance with the following statutory provisions and regulations or permits issued thereunder (or more stringent state or local regulations): Section 405 of the Clean Water Act, the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA) [including Title II, more commonly referred to as the "Resource Conservation and Recovery Act" (RCRA), and including state regulations contained in any State Sludge Management Plan prepared pursuant to Subtitle D of the SWDA], the Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substance Control Act and the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act.
The Municipal Authority established under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Act of 1945[1] by the Township of Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County.
Standard specifying quantities or concentrations of pollutants or pollutant properties which may be discharged to the POTW by existing or new industrial users in specific industrial subcategories, as established as separate regulations under 40 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter N.
Any regulation containing pollutant discharge limits promulgated by the EPA in accordance with Section 307(b) and (c) of the Act, which applies to industrial users. This term includes categorical standards and the prohibitive discharge standards or local limits established pursuant to 40 CFR 403.5.
The production or wastewater-generating processes of the building, structure, facility or installation is substantially independent of an existing source at the same site. In determining whether these are substantially independent, factors such as the extent to which the new facility is integrated with the existing plant and the extent to which the new facility is engaged in the same general type of activity as the existing source should be considered.
Any individual, partnership, copartnership, firm, company, corporation, association, joint-stock company, trust, estate, governmental entity or any other legal entity, or their legal representatives, agents or assigns. The masculine gender shall include the feminine, and the singular shall include the plural, where indicated by the context.
Any dredged spoil, solid waste, incinerator residue, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions, chemicals, biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discharged equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt, and industrial, municipal and agricultural waste discharged into the environment.
The man-made or man-induced alteration of the chemical, physical, biological, and radiological integrity of the environment.
The reduction of the amount of pollutants, the elimination of pollutants or the alteration of the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater to a less harmful state prior to or in lieu of discharging or otherwise introducing such pollutants into a POTW. The reduction or alteration can be obtained by physical, chemical or biological processes or process changes by other means, except as prohibited by 40 CFR 403.6(d).
Any substantive or procedural requirement related to pretreatment, other than a national pretreatment standard, imposed on a industrial user.
A treatment works, as defined by Section 212 of the Act (33 U.S.C. § 1292), which is owned in this instance by the Lower Saucon Authority and by the City. This definition includes any devices or systems used in the storage, treatment, recycling, and reclamation of municipal sewage or industrial wastes of liquid nature and any manholes, sewers, pumping stations, force mains, siphons or other facilities or appurtenances which are part of the system utilized to convey wastewater to a POTW treatment plant. The POTW shall also include any collection and conveyance systems which convey wastewater to the City's POTW from persons outside the City who are, by contract or agreement with the City, users of the City's POTW.
Discharges an average of 25,000 gallons per day or more of process wastewater to the POTW (excluding sanitary, noncontact cooling and boiler blow-down wastewater) or contributes a process waste stream which makes up 5% or more of the average dry-weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the POTW treatment plant; or is designated as such by the City on the basis that the industrial user has a reasonable potential for adversely affecting the POTW's operation or for violating any pretreatment standard or requirement.
Any pollutant released in a discharge at a flow rate or concentration which will cause a violation of the specific discharge prohibitions in 40 CFR 403.5(b) and/or any discharge of nonroutine nature, episodic nature, including but not limited to accidental spills or noncustomary batch discharges, or which could cause a violation of the prohibited discharge standards of Section 923.02 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Numeric quantities or concentrations of pollutants which may be discharged to the POTW by existing or new industrial users developed by the City in accordance with 40 CFR 403.5(c) and defined in Section 923.02(d) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
A classification pursuant to the Standard Industrial Classification Manual issued by the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, 1972 (as amended).
The person designated by the City to supervise the operation of the publicly owned treatment works and who is charged with certain duties and responsibilities by the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923, or the Superintendent's duly authorized representative.
TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (TSS) or SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
The total suspended matter that floats on the surface of or is suspended in water, wastewater or other liquids and which is removable by laboratory filtering and determined in accordance with EPA test methods referenced in 40 CFR 136.
The Township of Lower Saucon, County of Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Any pollutant or combination of pollutants as listed in the City's Industrial Pretreatment Program, Appendix D, Priority Pollutants and Categorical Industry Information, including all amendments thereto.
The liquid- and water-carried industrial wastes and/or domestic sewage from dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial facilities or institutions, whether treated or untreated, which are contributed into or permitted to enter the POTW.
The arithmetic mean of the values for the users collected over a seven-day calendar week.
No user shall contribute or cause to be contributed, directly or indirectly, any pollutant or wastewater which will cause pass-through or interference with the operation or performance of the POTW. These general prohibitions apply to all such users of a POTW, whether or not the user is subject to National Categorical Pretreatment Standards or any other national, state or local pretreatment standards or requirements.
A user may not contribute the following substances to any POTW:
Quantities of liquids, solids, or gases (including but not limited to gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, benzene, toluene, xylene, ethers, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, peroxides, chlorates, perchlorates, bromates, carbides, hydrides and sulfides) which by reason of their nature or quantity are, or may be, sufficient either alone or by interaction with other substances to cause fire or explosion or be injurious in any way to the POTW or to the operation of the POTW, including but not limited to any discharge with a closed-up flash point of less than 140° F. (60° C.) using the test methods specified in 40 CFR 261.21. At no time shall any wastewater cause two successive readings on an explosion hazard meter, at the point of discharge into the system (or at any point in the system), to be more than 5% nor any single reading to be over 10% of the lower explosive limit (LEL) of the meter.
Solid or viscous pollutants in amounts which will cause obstruction to the flow in the POTW resulting in interference, including but not limited to grease, garbage, solids greater than three inches in any dimension, animal guts or tissues, paunch manure, bones, hair, hides or fleshings, entrails, whole blood, feathers, ashes, cinders, sand, spent lime, stone or marble dust, metal, glass, straw, shavings, grass clippings, rags, spent grains, spent hops, wastepaper, wood, plastics, gas, tar, asphalt residues, residues from refining or processing of fuel or lubricating oil, mud or glass grinding or polishing wastes.
Pollutants which will cause any damage to the POTW, but in no case may pollutants being discharged have a pH lower than five nor greater than 11.5.
Noxious or malodorous liquids, gases, or solids which, either alone or by interaction with other wastes, cause a public nuisance or hazard to life or prevent entry into the POTW for maintenance and repair.
Pollutants, including oxygen-demanding pollutants released in a discharge at a flow rate and/or concentration which will cause interference with the POTW.
Substances which will cause pass-through and cause the POTW to violate its NPDES and/or state solid waste disposal system permit(s) or the air quality and/or the receiving water quality standards.
Wastewater with excessive discoloration not removed in the POTW treatment process, including but not limited to dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions, which cause or contributes to interference, pass through, or any violations at the POTW treatment plant.
Slug loads as defined in Section 923.01 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Wastewater containing any radioactive material or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may cause pass through or interference in the POTW or exceed limits established by the Superintendent in compliance with applicable Delaware River Basin Commission, state, or federal regulations.
Discharge of holding tank waste or septage, except as provided for in Section 923.08 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Discharge which, if otherwise disposed of, would be considered a hazardous waste as defined under 40 CFR 261, without prior notification by the user in writing to the POTW, the state and EPA in accordance with 40 CFR 403.12(p)(1) and written approval by the Superintendent.
Stormwater, surface water, ground water, artesian well water, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, unpolluted industrial process water, unpolluted cooling water (also refer to Article 915), or swimming pool drainage (also refer to Article 921), unless specifically authorized by the Superintendent.
Sludges, screenings or other residues from the pretreatment of industrial wastes, unless specifically authorized by the Superintendent.
Wastes generates in the diagnosis, treatment, immunization or autopsy of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the preparation of human or animal remains for burial or cremation, unless specifically authorized by the Superintendent.
When the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator determines that a user is contributing to the POTW any of the above-enumerated substances in such amounts as to cause pass through or interference with the operation of the POTW and/or POTW treatment plant, the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator shall:
Develop effluent limitation(s), as needed, for the user to correct the pass through or interference with the POTW and/or POTW treatment plant; and
Proceed with enforcement pursuant to the provisions of Section 923.05 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Pollutants, substances or wastewater prohibited by this section shall not be processed or stored in such a manner that they have a reasonable potential to be discharged to the POTW.
National pretreatment standards and national categorical standards. All industrial users are subject to the National Pretreatment Standards. The National Categorical Standards found at 40 CFR Chapter 1, Subchapter N, Parts 405-471 are hereby incorporated into this article by reference as though set forth in full. Industrial users must comply with all applicable categorical standards and other requirements promulgated by EPA. Any categorical standard, if more stringent than the limitations imposed by the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923, shall immediately supersede the limitations imposed under the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
An industrial user may obtain a variance from a categorical standard from EPA if the industrial user can prove, pursuant to the procedural and substantive provisions in 40 CFR 403.13, that factors relating to its discharge are fundamentally different from the factors considered by EPA when developing the categorical standard. If a variance is obtained, the City reserves the right to modify the industrial user's permit to incorporate the revised standards and requirements.
Modification of national categorical standards. Where the City's POTW treatment plant achieves consistent removal of pollutants limited by National Categorical Standards, the City may apply to the approval authority for modification of specific limits in the National Categorical Standards. "Consistent removal" is defined by EPA in 40 CFR 403.7(b). The City may then modify pollutants discharge limits in the National Categorical Standards if the requirements contained in 40 CFR, Part 403, Section 403.7 are fulfilled and prior approval from the approval authority is obtained.
Specific pollutant discharge limitations.
Local limits. In accordance with 40 CFR 403.5(c), the City of Bethlehem imposes the following local specific pollutant discharge limitations for all industrial users:
The City reserves the right to establish alternate specific pollutant discharge limitations in individual industrial waste discharge permits, but only in accordance with regulatory requirements. In no event shall any alternate limit allow the total loading allocated to all industrial users for any pollutant to exceed the maximum allowable industrial headworks loading as determined in the City’s most recent local limits evaluation approved by the approval authority. The specific pollutant discharge limitations, if more stringent than the National Categorical Standards, shall immediately supersede the National Categorical Standards.
State requirements. State requirements and limitations on discharges shall apply in any case where they are more stringent than federal requirements and limitations or those in the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance.
Excessive discharge. No user shall increase the use of process water solely for the purpose of complying with the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance or in any way attempt to dilute a discharge as a partial or complete substitute for adequate treatment to achieve compliance with the limitations contained in the National Categorical Standards, or in any other pollutant-specific limitation developed by the City or state. The Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator may impose mass limitation on users who are using dilution to meet applicable National Categorical Standards, or in any other pollutant-specific limitations or requirements, or in other cases when the imposition of mass limitations is appropriate.
Accidental discharges/slug load. Each industrial user shall provide protection from accidental discharges/slug loads of prohibited materials or other substances regulated by this article. Where facilities are provided to prevent accidental discharges/slug loads of prohibited materials, these facilities shall be provided and maintained at the industrial user's own cost and expense. In the case of an accidental discharge/slug loads, it shall be the responsibility of the industrial user, upon discovery, and after assessing the situation and taking initial corrective action, to immediately telephone and notify the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator of the incident. The notification shall include location of discharge, type of waste, estimated concentration and volume if known, and initial corrective actions by the industrial user.
Written notice. Within five days following an accidental discharge/slug load, the industrial user shall submit to the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator a detailed written report including the date, time, duration of the discharge as well as describing the cause of the discharge, all corrective measures implemented or attempted, and measures to be taken by the industrial user to prevent similar future occurrences. Such notification shall not relieve the industrial user of any expenses, loss, damage, or other liability which may be incurred as a result of damage to the POTW, fish kills, or any other damage to person or property; nor shall such notification relieve the industrial user of any fines, civil penalties, or other liability which may be imposed by this article, the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923, or other applicable articles or laws.
Notice to employees. A notice shall be permanently posted on the industrial user's bulletin board or other prominent place advising employees whom to call in the event of an accidental discharge/slug load. Employers shall insure that all employees are advised of the emergency notification procedures.
Accidental discharge/slug control plans. An accidental discharge or slug control plan, as prescribed under 40 CFR 403.8(f)(2)(v), shall be required:
Contents of accidental discharge/slug control plan.
Procedures for immediately notifying the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator of any accidental or slug discharge, as required by Section 923.02(h) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923; and
When an existing industrial user is required by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator to provide and/or modify an accidental discharge/slug control plan, the industrial user shall provide the plan within 60 days of notification. Should the plan require construction or implementation of measures to meet compliance, the plan shall provide a schedule for those actions. After initial review, should additional information be required to provide a complete plan, it shall be furnished to the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator within 30 days of the date of notification. Failure to submit a revised plan and/or failure to provide a complete plan after the 30 days' submission period may render the industrial waste discharge permit void.
The City's review and approval of accidental discharge/slug control plans shall not relieve the industrial user from the responsibility to modify the industrial user's facility as necessary to meet the requirements of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
If not specifically required by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator, the information, requirements, etc., called for in a plan are not waived by the City and the industrial user shall provide all necessary items, procedures, etc., to prevent any accidental discharge and/or slug discharge to the POTW.
Each nonindustrial user shall be regulated by the Township Ordinance and the Lower Saucon Authority rates, rules, and regulations. Each industrial user shall be regulated by the applicable rates, rules, regulations and ordinances of the Township, the Lower Saucon Authority, and of the City. This article hereby allows appropriate City rates, rules, regulations and/or ordinances to apply to industrial users of the City of Bethlehem POTW.
Every industrial user shall comply with all regulatory requirements, permit conditions, discharge report requirements, records and monitorial requirements and inspection, sampling and analysis requirements of the City as though these requirements were requirements of the Township and Lower Saucon Authority.
All direct communications, applications, directives, reporting, permitting and enforcement of compliance of industrial users shall be undertaken through the City. All industrial users, however, are hereby obligated to keep the Lower Saucon Authority fully informed of all such communications, applications, directives and reporting, permitting and enforcement when so requested, in writing, by the Lower Saucon Authority.
It is noted that there are or may be sanitary sewer or industrial users located within the City of Bethlehem limits and discharging sanitary sewage or industrial waste to sanitary sewer pipes owned and maintained by Lower Saucon Authority. Inasmuch as these customers are direct City customers and not Lower Saucon Authority customers, they shall be regulated strictly by the City of Bethlehem Industrial Waste Ordinances and not this article (for the purposes of industrial waste discharge). Other City of Bethlehem customers which may be located partly or wholly within Lower Saucon Township are also hereby exempted from the regulations of this article.
Municipal Solid Waste Landfill PA DEP Permit ID No. 100020 is located in Lower Saucon Township, but by agreement between the Township and the City, is a direct sewer service customer of the City. This landfill and its leachate collection systems are and shall be deemed to be City of Bethlehem customers for the purposes of sanitary sewer and industrial waste collection, disposal and treatment. Since it is a direct City customer tying directly to a City system, it is not regulated by either this article or other sanitary sewer rates, rules and regulations of the Township or the Lower Saucon Authority. Further, industrial waste or sanitary sewer flows generated by this facility will not be counted or charged against capacity being reserved for Lower Saucon Township at the City of Bethlehem treatment plant.
Fees required. It is the purpose of this section to provide for the recovery of costs from users of the City's POTW for the implementation of the industrial pretreatment program established herein. The applicable charges or fees are set forth below:
Fees for monitoring, inspections and surveillance procedures completed by the City, the Lower Saucon Authority, or the Lower Saucon Authority's or City's contract laboratory to be billed at 1.15 times the actual cost.
Fees for IWD permit application: $250 or other fee as may be established from time to time by the City of Bethlehem.
Fees for filing appeals: $200 or other fee as may be established from time to time by the City of Bethlehem.
The City reserves the right to develop and institute a program fee to recover operating costs associated with implementation of the industrial pretreatment program which are separate from or in lieu of those costs identified in Section 923.03(a) or 923.03(c) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923. The program fee will be charged to all users included in the industrial pretreatment program and will be billed and updated at a frequency determined by the City.
The above fees relate solely to the matters covered by the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 and are separate from all other fees chargeable by the Lower Saucon Authority or the City.
When approval is granted by the City to a user to discharge industrial waste into the POTW, the user's sewer rental will be based on the prevailing Lower Saucon Authority rate for normal domestic sewage plus a City of Bethlehem quarterly surcharge based on the relative strength of said industrial waste contribution and calculated as follows:
Surcharge = 0.00834 x Flow x {((BOD5 — 300) x BOD5 Cost) + ((TSS — 350) x TSS Cost) + ((NH3-N-50) x NH3-N — Cost)}
Surcharge calculated quarterly
Constant to convert industrial waste strength from mg/l to thousand pounds
Total quarterly discharge flow of the industrial waste in million gallons
Biochemical oxygen demand (5-day) of the industrial waste in mg/l
Value expressing the BOD5 of normal domestic sewage in mg/l
Annual City treatment per thousand pounds of BOD5
Total suspended solids of the industrial waste in mg/l
Value expressing the TSS of normal domestic sewage in mg/l
Annual City treatment cost per thousand pounds of TSS
NH5-N
Ammonia-nitrogen of the industrial waste in mg/l
Value expressing the NH3-N of normal domestic sewage in mg/l
Annual City treatment cost per thousand pounds of NH3-N
Surcharge = 0.00834 x Flow x {((COD — 600) x COD Cost) + ((TSS — 350) x TSS Cost) + ((NH3-N-50) x NH3-N Cost)}
Chemical oxygen demand of the industrial waste in mg/l
Value expressing the COD of normal domestic sewage in mg/l
Annual City treatment cost per thousand pounds of COD
The annual City treatment costs per thousand pounds of BOD5, COD, TSS and NH-3-N shall be determined at the beginning of each calendar year, based upon the City sewer fund's actual operating costs from the previous year.
In no instance shall the sewer rental for industrial waste be less than the prevailing rate for normal sewage.
In order to ascertain the strength of an industrial waste requiring a surcharge, the City shall cause appropriate analysis (BOD5, COD, TSS and NH3-N) to be made quarterly, the average of which shall be used to establish the surcharge for the ensuing quarter. A more extensive analysis may be required under Section 923.04 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923. All sampling and analysis shall be completed in accordance with the provisions of City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923. All expenses for these analyses shall be borne by the user.
The City reserves the right to recalculate and adjust the surcharge of any user at any time during the year due to the introduction of new wastewater constituents or any substantial increase in the strength of the wastewater. A "substantial increase" shall mean 15% or greater.
It shall be unlawful for any significant and/or categorical industrial user to discharge to the POTW tributary to the City's POTW treatment plant without having first obtained a City Industrial Waste Discharge Permit (IWDP), except as authorized by the Director of Water and Sewer Resources in accordance with the provisions of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923, subject to state and federal laws and regulations.
In addition to the IWDP, the industrial user shall obtain such additional permits as required by the Lower Saucon Authority and by applicable sections of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem.
When requested by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator, any user must submit information on the nature and characteristics of its wastewater within 30 days of the request unless additional time is approved, in writing, by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator. The Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator is authorized to prepare a form for this purpose and may periodically require users to update information.
The Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator may require other users to obtain an IWDP as necessary to carry out the purposes of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Any violation of the terms and conditions of an IWDP shall be deemed a violation of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 and shall subject the user to the enforcement under this article and under Section 923.05 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923. Obtaining an IWDP does not relieve a user of its obligation to comply with all federal and state pretreatment standards or requirements or with any other requirements of federal, state, and local law.
Permit application. Users required to obtain an IWDP shall complete and file with the City an application in the form prescribed by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator, and accompanied by a fee this article and as listed in Section 923.03(a) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923. Existing users shall file a completed application in accordance with Section 923.04(1) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923. Proposed new users shall file a completed application at least 90 days prior to connecting to or contributing to the POTW or within 60 days of receipt of the application from the City, whichever is sooner. In support of the application, the user shall submit, in units and terms appropriate for evaluation, the following information:
Wastewater constituents and characteristics, including but not limited to those referenced in Section 923.02 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 or any pollutants in the discharge which are limited by city, state or national pretreatment standards as determined by a City-approved analytical laboratory. Sampling and analysis shall be performed in accordance with procedures established by the EPA pursuant to Section 304(g) of the Act and contained in 40 CFR, Part 136, as amended.
Plans to show all sewers, sewer connections and appurtenances by the size, location and elevation.
A certification statement regarding whether or not the national standards are being met on a consistent basis and if not, whether additional operation and maintenance (O&M) and/or additional pretreatment is required for the user to meet applicable national standards.
All IWDP applications and user reports must be signed by an authorized representative of the user. Incomplete or inaccurate IWDP applications will not be processed and will be returned to the user for revision. All site plans, floor plans, mechanical and plumbing plans, all other types of construction plans, and process diagrams, which are subject to the requirements of this article, shall be signed by an authorized representative of the user that is familiar with the information and its accuracy. It is recommended that the above information be signed and sealed by a professional engineer, who is licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to ensure compliance with sound engineering and all applicable federal, state, and local codes and statutes.
The Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator will evaluate the data furnished by the user and may require additional information. Within 60 days of receipt of a complete IWDP application, the City will determine whether or not to issue and IWDP. The City may deny any application for an IWDP, if the applicant or discharge does not comply with the requirements of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 or applicable federal and state laws and regulations. In the event that at timely and complete IWDP renewal application has been submitted and the IWDP can not be reissued, through no fault of the user, before the expiration date, the terms and conditions of the existing IWDP will be automatically continued and will remain fully effective and enforceable pending the granting or denial of the applicant for IWDP renewal.
Modification of IWDP.
The City may modify an IWDP for good cause, including but not limited to the following reasons:
To address significant alterations or additions to the user's operation, processes or wastewater volume or character since the time of IWDP issuance;
Violation of any terms and conditions of the IWDP;
Revision of or a grant variance from categorical standards pursuant to 40 CFR 403.13;
The user shall be informed of any proposed changes in the IWDP at least 30 days prior to the effective date to change. Any changes or new conditions in the IWDP shall include a reasonable time schedule for compliance.
Permit conditions. IWDPs shall be expressly subject to all provisions of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 and all other applicable regulations. User charges and fees established by the City IWDPs may contain the following:
The unit charge or schedule of the City of Bethlehem IWDP portion of the user charges and fees for the wastewater to be discharged to the POTW.
Requirements for submission of technical reports or discharge reports. All baseline monitoring reports, ninety-day compliance reports and periodic compliance report must be certified by a qualified professional and must be signed by an authorized representative of the user and must contain the certification statement in 40 CFR 403.6(a)(2)(ii). The periodic compliance reports will be required a minimum of twice a year, indicating the nature and concentration of pollutants in the discharge as well as a record of flows.
Requirements for maintaining and retaining plant records relating to wastewater discharge as specified by the City, and affording City access thereto. As required by 40 CFR 403.12(o), users must keep records for a minimum of three years or longer in case of unresolved litigation or when requested by the approval authority. The user shall make such records available for inspection and copying.
Requirements for prior notification of the City of any new introduction of wastewater constituents or any substantial change in the volume or character of the wastewater constituents being introduced into the wastewater treatment system, including the listed or characteristic hazardous wastes for which the user has submitted initial notification under 40 CFR 403.12(p). "Substantial" shall mean 15% plus or minus.
Requirements for notification of accidental discharges/slug loads as per Section 923.02(h) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Statements regarding permit duration or transfer as per Sections 923.04(h) and (i) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Statements associated with enforcement in accordance with Section 923.05 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Requirements the installation of pretreatment technology, pollution control or construction or appropriate containment devices, designed to reduce, eliminate or prevent the introduction of pollutants into the POTW.
[Added 12-2-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-12[1]]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also redesignated former Subsection B(16) as Subsection B(18).
Other pertinent conditions required by the City to ensure compliance with the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Permits duration. IWDPs shall be issued for a specified time period, not to exceed five years. An IWDP may be issued for a minimum period of a year, and shall be stated to expire on a specific date.
Permit transfer. IWDPs are issued to a specific user of a specific operation. An IWDP shall not be reassigned or transferred or sold to a new owner, new user, different premises or a new or changes operation without the approval of the City. Any succeeding owner or user shall also comply with the terms and conditions of the existing IWDP.
Permit comments. The user may petition the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator to reconsider the terms of an IWDP within 30 days of receipt of the IWDP. This petition must be made in writing and shall indicate the IWDP provisions objected to, the reasons for this objection, and the alternative condition, if any, it seeks to place in the IWDP. The Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator will review the comments and make the final decision on the matter. If the user objects to the industrial pretreatment coordinator's final decision, the user may appeal the matter in accordance with Section 923.05(m) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923. Failure to submit written comments within 30 days shall indicate acceptance of the IWDP.
The City may, in accordance with the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923, revoke an IWDP for good cause, including, but not limited to, the following reasons:
Misrepresentation of failure to fully disclose all relevant facts in the IWDP application;
Failure to pay sewer charges, fees, or costs as required by this article;
Violation of any pretreatment standard or requirement, or any terms of the IWDP or the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
IWDPS shall be voidable upon cessation of operations for a period exceeding six months or transfer of business ownership, unless approved by the City. All IWDPS issues to a particular user are void upon the issuance of a new or modified IWDP to that user.
Permit reissuance. A user with an expiring IWDP shall apply for IWDP reissuance by submitting a complete IWDP application, in accordance with Section 923.04(d) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923, a minimum of 120 days prior to the expiration of the user's existing IWDP or within 60 days of receipt of the application from the City, whichever is sooner. It is the responsibility of the user to request an IWDP application form no less than the 150 days prior to the expiration of the existing IWDP.
Within 180 days after either the effective date of a categorical standard, or the final administrative decision on a category determination under 40 CFR 403.6(a)(4), whichever is later, existing industrial users currently discharging to or scheduled to discharge to the POTW, subject to the new or revised categorical standard, shall submit to the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator a report which contains the information listed in Subsection H(1)(c) below.
At least 90 days prior to commencement of their discharge, new sources, and sources that become industrial users subsequent to the promulgation of an applicable categorical standard, shall submit to the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator a report which contains the information listed in Subsection H(1)(c) below. A new source shall report the method of pretreatment it intends to use to meet applicable standards. A new source also shall give estimates of its anticipated flow and quantity of pollutants to be discharged.
Description of operations. A brief description of the nature, average rate of production, and Standard Industrial Classifications of the operation(s) carried by such industrial user. This description shall include a schematic process diagram which indicated points of discharge to the POTW from the regulated processes.
Flow measurement. Accurate information from properly designed, installed and maintained flow metering devices showing the measures average and maximum daily flow, in gallons per day, to the POTW from regulated process streams and other streams, as necessary, to allow use of the combined waste stream formula set out in 40 CFR 403.6(e).
Measurement of pollutants. The results of sampling and analysis identifying the nature and concentration, and/or mass, where required by the standard or by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator, of regulated pollutants in the discharge from each regulated process. Instantaneous, daily maximum and long-term average concentrations, or mass, where required, shall be reported. The sample shall be representative of daily operation and shall be collected analyzed in accordance with 40 CFR, Part 136, as amended.
[Added 12-2-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-12[2]]
Editor’s Note: This ordinance also redesignated former Subsection H(1)(c)[6] through [8] as Subsection H(1)(c)[7] through [9], respectively.
Compliance schedule. If additional pretreatment and/or O&M will be required to meet the pretreatment standards, the shortest schedule by which the industrial user will provide such additional pretreatment and/or O&M. The completion date is this schedule shall not be later than the compliance date established for the applicable pretreatment standard. A compliance schedule pursuant to this section must meet the requirements set out in Section 923.04(m)(2) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Compliance schedule progress reports. The following conditions shall apply to the compliance schedule required by Section 923.04(m)(1)(c) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923:
The compliance schedule shall contain progress increments (milestones) in the form of dates for the commencement and completion of major events leading to the construction and operation of additional pretreatment required for the industrial user to meet the applicable pretreatment standards (such events include, but are not limited to, hiring an engineer, completing preliminary plans and final plans, executing contracts for major components, commencing and completing construction, and beginning and conducting routine operation);
The industrial user shall submit a progress report to the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator no later than 14 days following each date in the compliance schedule and the final date of compliance including, at a minimum, whether or not it complied with the increment of process, including the overall completion date, the reason for any delay, and, if appropriate, the steps being taken by the industrial user to return to the established schedule; and
Reports on compliance with pretreatment standard deadline. Within 90 days following the date for final compliance with applicable categorical standards, or in the case of a new source following commencement of the introduction of wastewater into the POTW, any industrial user subject to pretreatment standards and requirements shall submit to the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator a report on the status of compliance. This report must contain all the information described in Section 923.04(m)(1)(c) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923. For industrial users subject to equivalent mass or concentration limits established in accordance with the procedures in 40 CFR 403.6(c), this report shall contain a reasonable measure of the industrial user's long-term production rate. For all other industrial users subject to pretreatment standards expressed in terms of allowable pollutant discharge per unit of production (or other measure of operation), this report shall include the industrial user's actual production during the appropriate sampling period. All compliance reports must be signed by the industrial users' authorized representative.
As part of these reports, the user may be required to provide manifests, certifications or any other information deemed necessary by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator to ensure compliance with the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
If a user subject to the reporting requirement in this section monitors any pollutant more frequently than required by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator, using EPA approved procedures, the results of this monitoring shall be included in the report.
The Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator may waive some or all of the reporting requirements described in Subsection H(4)(a) and (b) if it is determined that the City will complete discharge monitoring on the user's behalf.
For purposes of this requirement, significant changes include but are not limited to average flow increases of 15% or greater, and the discharge of any previously unreported pollutants at levels that may cause pass-through or interference or otherwise violate the provision of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Reports of potential problems. In the case of any discharge, including but not limited to accidental discharges, discharges that violate the prohibitions of Section 923.02 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923, or any discharge that could cause potential problems for the POTW, the user upon discovery shall follow the reporting procedures identified in Section 923.02(h) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Reports from unpermitted users. All users not required to obtain an IWDP may be required to provide appropriate reports, certifications, laboratory analyses, manifests or any other information to the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator as the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator shall require to ensure compliance with the requirements of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923.
Where the user believes the first reported result(s) indicating a violation(s) maybe in error, the user may submit additional data to support its position with the repeat sampling results.
All reports described in Subsection H(1) through (8) must include the certification statement listed in 40 CFR 403.6(a)(2)(ii).
Sample collection. Wastewater samples collected to comply with any provision of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 shall meet the following requirements:
Samples should be collected using twenty-four-hour flow proportional composite collection techniques. In the event that flow proportional sampling is infeasible or not warranted in the opinion of the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator, the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator may authorize the use of time proportional sampling, a minimum of four grab samples where the user demonstrates that this will provide a representative sample of the effluent being discharged, or a frequency of grab samples acceptable to the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator. The Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator may allow grab samples to be composited prior to analysis.
Samples for oil and grease, temperature, pH, cyanide, phenols, sulfides and volatile organic compounds must be obtained using standard grab collection techniques.
Sampling facilities shall be properly operated, kept clean and maintained in good working order at all times. The failure of a user to keep its sampling location or facility in good working order shall not be grounds for the user to claim the sample results are unrepresentative of its discharge.
All sampling locations utilized to meet the discharge monitoring provisions of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 shall be approved by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator.
Analytical requirements. Wastewater pollutant analyses completed to comply with any provision of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 shall meet the following requirements:
Flow measurement. All wastewater flow monitoring data obtained to comply with any provision of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 shall meet the following requirements:
All new, required flow measuring devices shall be approved by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator prior to installation. The flow measuring device(s) shall be properly designed, compatible with the process involved and accurate. The flow measuring device(s) shall be calibrated at least semiannually.
If a discrepancy in reported flow data is identified, the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator may require that existing flow measuring devices be serviced by a certified technician or replaced at the expense of the user.
Flow monitoring facilities shall be properly operated, kept clean and maintained in good working order at all times. The failure of a user to keep its flow monitoring facility in good working order shall not be grounds for the user to claim that the measurements are unrepresentative of its volume of flow to the POTW.
If a user does not properly calibrate or maintain its flow monitoring equipment of if flow measurements are deemed inaccurate by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator, the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator shall utilize the user's metered water records to determine the volume of wastewater flow to the POTW. In this case, all claims of product uptake, evaporation or other water losses shall be precluded.
If a user does not have a flow measurement device, the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator may:
Require installation of flow monitoring facilities in accordance with the provisions of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923; or
Rely on the user's metered water usage records to determine the volume of wastewater flow to the POTW. In this case, metered water losses may be considered by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator. Unmetered claims of product uptake, evaporation, or other losses shall be precluded unless appropriate documentation can be provided by the user.
The City shall require to be provided and operated, at the user's own expense, sampling manholes or any other device or facility suitable and appropriate to enable inspection, sampling and flow measurement of the building sewer and/or internal drainage systems. Such manhole device or facility should normally be situated on the user's premises in the user's possession; but the City may, when a location would be impractical or cause undue hardship on the user, allow the facility to be constructed in the public street or sidewalk area and located so that it will not be obstructed by landscaping or parked vehicles.
There shall be ample room in or near such sampling manhole or facility to allow accurate sampling and preparation of sample for analysis. The facility, sampling and measuring equipment shall be maintained at all times in a safe and proper operating condition at the expense of the user.
The City shall inspect, at a minimum annually, the facilities of any user to ascertain whether the purpose of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 is being met and all requirements are being complied with. Persons or occupants of premises connected to the sewage collection system shall allow the City or its representative ready access at all reasonable times to all parts of the premises for the purpose of inspection, sampling or in the performance of any duties. The user's records of monitoring activities and results shall be available for inspection and copying. The City shall have the right to set up on the user's property such devices as are necessary to conduct sampling inspection, compliance monitoring and/or metering operations without notification to the user.
Where a user has security measures in force which would require proper identification and clearance before entry into their premises, the user shall make necessary arrangements with their security guards so that upon presentation of suitable identification, personnel from the City will be permitted to enter, and to perform their specific responsibilities within 10 minutes of their initial time to arrival. Delaying City personnel for more than 10 minutes for any reason or to complete process changes or to alter wastewater constituency prior to sample collection shall be a violation of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923 and shall subject the user to the sanctions set forth in the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923.
Search warrants. If the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator has been refused any records or access to a building, structure or property, or any part thereof, or if the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator believes that there is a need to inspection and/or sample as part of a routine or specific inspection and sampling program of the City, designed to verify compliance with the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 or any permit or order issued hereunder, or to protect the overall public health, safety and welfare of the community, then the Director of Water and Sewer Resources may seek issuance of a search warrant from the appropriate judicial authority.
Users shall provide necessary wastewater treatment as necessary to comply with the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923 and shall achieve compliance with all applicable pretreatment standards, local limits and the prohibitions set out in Section 923.02 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923 within the time limitations specified by the agency issuing the standards. Any facilities necessary for compliance shall be provided, operated and maintained at the user's expense. Detailed plans describing such facilities and operating procedures shall be submitted to the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator for review, and shall be acceptable to the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator before such facilities are constructed. The City's review of such plans and operating procedures shall in no way relieve the user from the responsibility of additional or future modifications of such facilities as necessary to produce a discharge acceptable to the City under the provisions of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923.
Whenever deemed necessary, the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator may require users to restrict their discharge peak flow periods, designate that certain wastewater be discharged only at specific points of the POTW, relocate and/or consolidate points of discharge, separate domestic sewage waste streams from industrial waste streams, and/or such other conditions as may be necessary to protect the POTW and determine the user's compliance with the requirements of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923.
The Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator may require any person discharging into the POTW to install and maintain, on their property and at their expense, a suitable storage and flow control facility to ensure equalization of flow. An IWDP may be issued solely for flow equalization.
Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when they are necessary for the proper handling of wastewater containing excessive amounts of grease and oil, or sand; except that such interceptors shall not be required for residential sources. All interception units shall be of type and capacity approved by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator and shall be so located to be easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. Such interceptors shall be inspected, cleaned and repaired regularly, as needed, by the user at their expense.
Publication of users in significant noncompliance. The City shall annually publish, in a newspaper of general circulation that provides meaningful public notice within the jurisdictions served by the POTW, all users which at any time during the previous twelve months were in significant noncompliance with applicable pretreatment standards or requirements. For the purpose of this provision, a user is in significant noncompliance if its violation meets one or more of the following criteria:
Chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits, defined here as those in which 66% or more of all of the measurements taken during a six-month period exceed (by any magnitude) a numeric pretreatment standard or requirement, including instantaneous limits, as defined by 40 CFR 403.3 (1);
Technical review criteria (TRC) violations, defined here as those in which 33% or more of all of the measurements for each pollutant parameter taken during a six-month period equal or exceed the product of a numeric pretreatment standard or requirement, including instantaneous limits, as defined by 40 CFR 403.3 (1) multiplied by the applicable TRC (TRC = 1.4 for BOD5, CBOD5, TSS, fats, oil, and grease, and 1.2 for all other pollutants except pH.);
Any discharge of a pollutant that has caused imminent endangerment to human health, welfare or to the environment or has resulted in the POTW's exercise of its emergency authority under 40 CFR 403.8(f) (1) (vi) (B) to halt or prevent such a discharge;
Any other violation or group of violations which may include violations of BMPs that the City determines will adversely affect the operation or implementation of the City’s pretreatment program.
Information and data on a user obtained from reports, questionnaires, permit applications, permit and monitoring programs and from inspections shall be available to the public or other governmental agency without restriction, unless the user specifically requests and is able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the City that the release of such information would divulge information, processes or methods of production entitled to protection as trade secrets or other confidential business information of the user.
When requested by the person furnishing a report, the portions of a report which might disclose trade secrets or secret processes shall not be made available for inspection by the public but shall be made available upon written request to governmental agencies for uses related to this article, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, the state disposal system permit and/or the pretreatment programs; provided, however, that such portions of a report shall be available for use by the EPA or the state in judicial review or enforcement proceedings involving the person furnishing the report. Effluent data as defined in 40 CFR 2.302(a)(2) will not be recognized as confidential information.
User shall maintain records of all information resulting from any discharge monitoring activities completed by the user. At a minimum, such records must include:
Users shall retain and preserve for no less than three years, any records, reports chemical analyses, etc., made by or on behalf of the user in connection with its discharge, records associated with implementation of BMPs, and any other records required by the City related to the MIPP. In addition, any records that pertain to matters that are subject to special orders or any other enforcement or litigation activities brought by the City shall be retained and preserved by the user until all enforcement activities have concluded and all periods of limitation with respect to any and all appeals have expired. The user shall, upon request and within the time frame specified by the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator, furnish to the City copies of any records required to be kept by the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923.
Holding tank waste. The City may accept discharged, trucked, or hauled waste exclusively from holding tanks for treatment. The decision for approval shall be based on, but not limited to, the source, characteristics, and volume of waste to be discharged. In no instance shall holding tank waste be discharged to the POTW without prior approval by the Superintendent. All holding tank waste discharges shall be regulated through the City's industrial pretreatment program.
Septage. The City may accept for treatment, trucked and hauled septage which originated from chemical toilets, campers, trailers or residential, commercial or industrial septic tanks/cesspools containing domestic sewage only. The decision for approval shall be based on, but not limited to, the characteristics of the septage in conjunction with the volume of septage to be discharged. In no instance shall septage be discharged to the POTW without prior approval by the Superintendent. All septage discharges shall be regulated in accordance with the City's industrial pretreatment program and/or septage management plan.
Application for discharge. The City may require that some or all of the information listed in Section 923.05(d) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 be submitted to the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator for review as part of the decision making process for approval to discharge holding tank waste or septage.
Approval to discharge. The City may issue a letter of approval for limited frequency discharges or may require that a permit be obtained for the proposed discharge. Permits will be obtained in accordance with Section 923.04 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 and/or the City's septage management plan.
Enforcement. Users will adhere to and obey all terms and conditions stated in their individual approval letters or permits and the requirements of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923. Any violation of the terms and conditions of individual approval letters or permits or the requirements of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923 shall subject the user to the sanctions set out in the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923. Obtaining an approval to discharge holding tank waste or septage from the City does not relieve a user of their obligation to comply with any other requirements of federal, state and local law.
Fees. A fee based on the City's current fee schedule will be levied on all holding tank waste or septage discharged to the City's POTW. Holding tank waste and septage may also be subject to surcharge fees as described in Section 923.03 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923. This fee shall be charged by the City and is subject to amendment from time to time by the City of Bethlehem.
Suspension. The City may suspend the wastewater treatment service to any user and/or an IWDP without prior notice when such suspension is necessary in order to stop an actual or threatened discharge which presents or may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to the health or welfare of persons, to the environment, causes interference to the POTW or causes the City to violate any condition of its NPDES permit. In the event of a failure of the person to comply voluntarily with the suspension order, the City shall take steps as deemed necessary, including immediate termination of water service and/or immediate severance of the sewer connection, to prevent or minimize damage to the POTW system or endangerment to any individuals. The service and/or IWDP shall be restored within five working days after, in the opinion of the City, the actual or threatened cause for the suspension has been removed. The above actions shall be taken only as ordered by the Director of Water and Sewer Resources.
In the event that the City decides it is necessary to suspend its wastewater treatment service for reasons other than as described above, the user shall be given a fifteen-day notice of such suspension. Any person notified of a suspension of the wastewater treatment service and/or IWDP shall stop or eliminate the contribution as required in the suspension notice. Between the time of the notice of suspension of services and the date services are terminated, the user shall have the right to have a show cause hearing with the Hearing Board regarding the cause of the suspension.
The City shall reinstate the IWDP and/or wastewater treatment service within five working days upon proof of the elimination of the noncomplying discharge or in compliance with instructions of the Hearing Board. A detailed written statement submitted by the user describing the causes of the harmful contributions and the measures taken to prevent any future occurrence shall be submitted to the City within five days of the date of occurrence. In the event of failure of the user to comply with the suspension notice, the City may take such steps as deemed necessary to terminate the service.
Revocation of permit. Any user who violates the conditions of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Article 923, or applicable state and federal regulations, is subject to having the user's permit revoked as described in Section 923.04(k) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923.
Notification of violation. Whenever the City finds that any user has violated or is violating the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923, an industrial waste discharge permit, or any prohibition, or limitation or requirements contained herein, the City may serve upon such person a written notice of violation stating the nature of the violation. Within 30 days of the date of the notice, a plan for the satisfactory correction thereof shall be submitted to the City by the user.
A Hearing Board shall be appointed by the Mayor of the City of Bethlehem as needed for the purpose of hearing and deciding appeals between the City and users on matters concerning interpretation and execution of the provisions of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923. Cost of appeals shall be borne by the user requesting an appeal.
The Chairperson of the Board shall be a member of City Council's Public Works Committee, one member shall be a professional engineer skilled in practice of sanitary engineering; one member shall be a representative of industry or manufacturing enterprise; one member shall be representative of a local environmental organization; and one member shall be selected at large for that member's interest in accomplishing the objectives of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923.
Terms on the Board shall be for a period of five years. The Mayor shall appoint representatives to fill vacancies on the Board to complete unexpired terms. Interim appointments may be permitted to serve an additional full term on the Board. Hearing Boards may be appointed as standing panels, or on a case-by-case basis, as determined from time to time, in the sole discretion of the Mayor.
The City may order any user who causes or allows an unauthorized discharge to enter the POTW to show cause before the Hearing Board why the proposed enforcement action should not be taken. A notice shall be served on the user specifying the time and place of a hearing to be held by the Hearing Board regarding the violation, the reasons why the action is to be taken, the proposed enforcement action, and directing the user to show cause before the Hearing Board why the proposed enforcement action should not be taken. The notice of the hearing shall be served personally or by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested) at least 10 days before the hearing. Service may be any agent or officer of a corporation.
The Hearing Board may itself conduct the hearing and take the evidence, or may designate any one or more of its members, or any officer of employee of the assigned department to:
Issue in the name of the Hearing Board notices of hearings requesting the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of evidence relevant to any matter involved in such hearings.
At any hearing pursuant to this section, testimony taken must be under oath and recorded stenographically. The transcript, so recorded, will be made available to any member of the public or any party to the hearing upon payment of the usual charges thereof.
After the Hearing Board has reviewed the evidence, it may issue an order to the user responsible for the discharge directing that, following a specified time period, the sewer service be discontinued unless adequate treatment facilities, devices or other related appurtenances shall have been installed on existing treatment facilities, devices or other related appurtenances are properly operated. Further and/or other orders and directives as are necessary and appropriate may be issued.
Compliance orders. When the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator finds that a user has violated, or continues to violate, any provision of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923, an IWDP or order issued hereunder, or any other pretreatment standard or requirement, the City may issue an order to the user responsible for the discharge directing that the user come into compliance within a specified time. If the user does not come into compliance within the time provided, wastewater service may be discontinued unless adequate treatment facilities, devices or other related appurtenances are installed and properly operated. Compliance orders also may contain other requirements to address the noncompliance, including additional self-monitoring and management practices designed to minimize that amount of pollutants discharged to the POTW. A compliance schedule contained in any compliance order shall not be construed as an extension of the deadline for compliance established for any pretreatment standard or requirement, nor does a compliance order relieve the user of liability for any violation, including any continuing violation.
Cease-and-desist orders. When the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator finds that a user has violated, or continues to violate, any provision of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923, an IWDP or order issued hereunder, or any other pretreatment standard or requirement, or that the user's past violations are likely to recur, the City may issue an order to the user directing it to cease and desist all such violations and directing the user to:
Take such appropriate remedial or preventive action as may be needed to properly address a continuing or threatened violation, including halting operations, terminating the discharge or hauling non-complaint discharges off site for proper disposal.
When the Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator finds that a user has violated, or continues to violate, any provision of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923, an IWDP or order issued hereunder, or any other pretreatment standard or requirement, the City may fine such user in an amount not to exceed the amount set forth in the Section 923.99 of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923 for each violation regardless of jurisdictional boundaries. Such fines shall be assessed in accordance with the terms set forth in the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923 and/or the City's enforcement response plan. In the case of weekly, monthly or other long-term average discharge limits, fines shall be assessed for each day during the period of violation.
Users desiring to dispute such fines shall file a written request for the City to reconsider the fine along with the full payment of the fine amount within 30 days of being notified of the fine. The Hearing Board may convene to deliberate on the matter. In the event the appeal is successful, the payment, together with any interest accruing thereto, shall be returned to the user. The City may add the costs of preparing administrative enforcement actions, such as notices and orders to the fine when the fine and/or portion of same, is substantiated.
Legal action. The City shall be able to seek injunctive relief for noncompliance by users with pretreatment standards or requirements. Injunctive relief is available for violations of any requirement stated in the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923 or industrial waste discharge permits, including but not limited to wastewater discharge violations, failure to allow access by the City to a user's facility, failure to submit reports by a specified deadline or any violation of any order of the City. The City Solicitor may commence an action for appropriate legal and/or equitable relief in the local Court of Common Pleas.
Remedies nonexclusive. The remedies provided for in the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923 are not exclusive. The City may take any, all, or any combination of these actions against a noncompliant user. Enforcement of industrial pretreatment program violations will be in accordance with the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923 and/or the City's enforcement response plan. However, the City may take other action against any user when the circumstances warrant. Further, the City is empowered to take more than one enforcement action against a noncompliant user. Where the enforcement response plan does not provide guidelines on enforcement action for a specific instance of noncompliance, the City may impose other appropriate enforcement action to address the noncompliance.
Appeals. A user may appeal the terms of an IWDP, administrative fine or any administrative action within 30 days of notice of its issuance. The written appeal request shall provide the name, address and telephone number of the appellant as well as the date that the City took the action which is the subject matter of the appeal. In its petition, the appealing party shall also indicate the provisions objected to, the reasons for this objection, and the alternative condition, if any.
The City shall respond with its position within 60 days of filing of an appeal.
The user must file its appeal with the Hearing Board, described in Section 923.05(e) of the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923, to conduct a hearing and decide an appeal on the matter.
Conference option. At the time an appeal is requested, the user may also request a conference with the City prior to the scheduling of a Hearing Board hearing. Said conference will include appropriate members of the City staff and its agents. Violations and penalties will be explained and discussed. Electing this option does not foreclose and/or affect the user's right to a hearing provided that the written request for the hearing was filed within 30 days of service as noted above. The purpose of this option is to provide the user with an informal forum within which to discuss the alleged violations and expedite conclusion and/or resolution of outstanding enforcement actions. If resolution is not reached within 90 days of the scheduled conference, the City shall schedule the matter for the Hearing Board. In any event, either party may request a Hearing Board at any point during the conference proceedings.
All ordinances and parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith be, and the same are, repealed.
If any court of competent jurisdiction declares any provision of this article to be unconstitutional or invalid, that decision shall only affect the provision so declared. The declaration shall not affect any other portion of this article as a whole.
Criminal penalties. A user who willfully or negligently violates any provision of this article, the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923, an IWDP or order issued hereunder, or who willfully or negligently introduces any substance into the POTW which causes personal injury, property damage, pass through, interference or any user who knowingly makes any false statements, representations or certificates in any application, record, report, plan or other document filed or required to be maintained pursuant to this article, the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923, an IWDP or order issued under the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923 or who falsifies, tampers with or knowingly renders inaccurate any monitoring device or method required under the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923, may be subject to criminal prosecution in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et seq.
In accordance with PA Act 9,[1] any user who has violated, or continues to violate, any provision of this article, the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923, an IWDP, or order issued hereunder, or any other pretreatment standards or requirement shall be liable to the Lower Saucon Authority and, separately, to the City for a maximum civil penalty of $25,000 per violation, per day.
In determining the amount of civil liability, there shall be taken into account all relevant circumstances, including but not limited to the extent of harm caused by the violation, the magnitude and duration of the violation, any economic benefit gained through the user's violation, corrective actions by the user, the compliance history of the user and any other factor as justice requires. All penalties shall be assessed in accordance with this article, the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923, and the City's enforcement response plan.
Filing a suit for civil penalties shall be a bar against, or prerequisite for, taking any other action against a user.
In the event any user violation(s) results in the imposition of a fine or other penalty on the Lower Saucon Authority and/or the City by EPA, the state, or any other agency, such violation(s) shall be punishable by a civil penalty at least equal to the dollar amount imposed upon the Lower Saucon Authority and/or City plus its administrative, legal, engineering costs, and expenses, but not more than $25,000, per day, per violation.
Continuing penalties. Pursuant to 40 CFR 403.8(f)(1)(vi)(A), any penalties required under this section will apply per violation per day. Each day on which a violation shall occur or continue shall be deemed a separate and distinct offense. In the case of weekly, monthly or other long-term average discharge limits, penalties shall accrue for each day during the period of the violation. In addition to the penalties provided herein, the Lower Saucon Authority and the City may recover reasonable costs for any loss, damage, cleaning, repair or replacement work caused by the violation, attorney's fees, court costs, court reporters' fees and other expenses of litigation by appropriate suit at law against the person found to have violated this article, the City of Bethlehem Codified Ordinance Section 923, or the orders, rules, regulations and permits issued hereunder.