ENB Region 5 Completed Applications 02/05/2003

The applicant proposes expanding the existing sand and gravel pit by .85 acres to the north, for a total Life of Mine boundary of 8.0 acres.  The site, owned by Benjamin Straight, is located .4 mile south of the Valley Road and Straight Road intersection.

The applicant has an existing State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit authorizing the discharge of 3.3 million gallons per day (MGD) of treated sanitary wastewater to the Salmon River, and 1.76 MGD to groundwater via infiltration basins, from a municipal secondary wastewater treatment plant located at Lane Street, in the Village of Malone.  The applicant requests a modification to the permit to delete the action level limit for phenols, delete the infiltration & inflow program, delete the mini pre-treatment program, and delete the monitoring requirements for totat kjeldahl nitrogen. And, the Department is initiating a modification to the permit to increase the sampling requirements for effluent nitrate for outfall 002 from 1 grab sample per month to 1 grab sample per week.

The Department has made a tentative determination to modify the SPDES permit under Article 17 of the Environmental Conservation Law.  This tentative determination indicates that the discharge rgulated under this statute is considered to satisfy regulatory standards for permit issuance, based on information available to the Deparmtent at this time.  As a tentatvie determination, the Department seeks comments on the proposed modifications prior to making a final decision.  As such, this tentative determination does not signify Department approval for or endorsement of the actifity for which the modification is sought.