ENB Region 9 Completed Applications 11/05/2003

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation proposes to modify State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit No. NY-0024431 for an existing discharge of 0.28 million gallons per day of treated sanitary wastewater to the Genessee River from a trickling filter treatment system located at the Houghton Sewer District Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF).   The draft permit modification contains final effluent limitations that are more restrictive for BOD, Suspended Solids, and Fecal Coliform than in the previous permit.  The WWTF consistently achieves greater than secondary treatment requirements as a result of improved trickling filter media and performance.  A compliance schedule is also included in the draft permit modification requiring monitoring for the parameters copper (total), zinc (total), cyanide (total), phenols (total), silver (total) nickel (total), lead (total), chromium (total), cadmium (total), and berylium (total) in the final effluent at a once per month frequency for a twelve month duration.  The Houghton Sewer District WWTF is located east of NYS Route19 opposite Chamberlain Street.  The draft permit modification resulted from full technical review under the Department's Environmental Benefit Permit Strategy.  The Draft Permit, Fact Sheet, and supporting documents are available for review at the address below.  

The applicant proposes to add 12.2 acres to the existing 4.5 acre gravel mine.  No changes in operation methods are proposed.  The reclamation objective for the new area is to return it to its current use as a pasture.  The mine site is north of Allegany County Route 3, approximately 1,700 feet east of Hodnett Road and the proposed expansion area extends north from the current north mine limits.

See Project Description for Application ID 9-0438-00004/00014

The applicant proposes to construct and operate a solid waste management facility consisting of a 133.7 acre landfill for mixed municipal solid wastes, a drop-off center for waste and source-separated recyclables, a yard waste composting area, support and ancillary facilities, on approximately 217.54 acres of a 430 acre site.  The landfill portion of the facility is proposed to have a waste receipt capacity of 3,000 tons per day (TPD), a design life of approximately 21.2 years and to serve a waste-shed within a 300 mile radius of Buffalo NY.  The application requests a variance from regulatory standards at §360-2.13(d), Groundwater Separation, by substituting a pore water collection system; from §360-13(q)(2)(iii) for the thickness of the barrier protection layer to be less than the required 24 inches in some locations (under downchutes and sideslope swales), and from §360-1.2(b)66, Final cover System, by placing an “interim” cover consisting of 12 inches of  low permeability soil and 6 inches of topsoil with vegetation over those areas that reach final elevation when no capping is scheduled and waste will not be placed within 12 months.  The purpose of the temporary “interim” cover is to allow for settlement of the waste in order to prevent compromise of the integrity of the final geomembrane cover and to minimize leachate generation and odors, while waiting for sufficient areas to reach final grade for final cap installation.

The Department granted a site selection and conceptual plan approval with conditions, by Commissioner’s decision in May, 1996, after public hearings on the site selection, conceptual design and Environmental Impact Statement.  Notable changes from that conceptual approval in the pending application for construction and operation permits, include a smaller landfill and smaller overall facility acreage.  Also of note, the current proposal includes changing the waste-shed definition to include New York City, which the applicant had specifically excluded from the waste-shed definition in the approved conceptual plan.  The reasons for these proposed changes from the Conceptual Approval are explained in the application’s Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS).  The DSEIS, required by the 1996 Conceptual Approval, includes assessments and mitigation plans  also required by that Conceptual Approval.  The application  plans and designs accepted as complete via this Notice, have been revised from an original 100% design application received in October, 1998, as a result of Department staff reviews (managed by Region 9) and revision of the Town of Farmersville’s landfill ordinance.

The Department has prepared draft Solid Waste Management, Air State Facility, SPDES and Water Quality Certification Permits for the proposed facility.  The draft Solid Waste Management Permit will allow for the construction and operation of the landfill and associated facilities for a period of ten years.  This draft permit includes conditions to assure that the facilities will be built in accordance with 6 NYCRR Part 360 regulations and the Engineering Report, Plans and Specifications prepared for this project. The draft Air State Facility Permit is for a preconstruction permit for the installation and operation of a landfill gas collection and control system.  This draft permit includes air pollutant emission limitations to insure and verify that New Source Review applicability regulatory thresholds in 6NYCRR Part 231-2 and 40 CFR 52.21 are not exceeded.   The draft SPDES permit is for the discharge of 1,225 gallons per day of treated (septic tank, sand filter and tile field) sanitary waste to groundwater.  The draft Water Quality Certification is combined with the draft Solid Waste Management permit and is for the loss of Federally jurisdictional waters including wetlands, and for related compensatory mitigation.  The draft permits represent tentative determinations and do not signify Department approval for or endorsement of the proposed project.

The Department has made a preliminary determination, based on plans in the application, that the project is eligible to be covered under SPDES General Permits, i.e. GP-02-01 for storm water discharges from construction activity, and GP-98-03 for storm water discharges from industrial activity except construction.

The permit applications with supporting documents including the DSEIS, and the Draft Air State Facility and Draft Solid Waste Management Facility Permits, may be reviewed at the following locations:

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation proposes to modify the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit for the existing discharges from the Village of Fredonia Wastewater Treatment Plant in accordance with its Environmental Benefit Permit Strategy.  A Short Term Monitoring Schedule for Beryllium, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Aluminum, and Phenols has been added to the permit. The facility is located at 4700 West Lake Road in Dunkirk. Refer to this application by the application number listed above and by SPDES Number NY0026409. A Draft Permit (NY0026409), Fact Sheets and supporting documents are available for review and comment at the address below.

The applicant proposes to dredge an area along 813 feet of the Buffalo River shoreline, removing approximately 11,184 cubic yards of sediment.  The dredging site is locate at 201 Ganson Street in the City of Buffalo.

The Department has made a tentative determination to approve this renewal application for a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for an existing 25,000 gpd discharge of treated sanitary wastewater into Cazenovia Creek from an activated sludge sewage treatment plant serving the golf course club house and a 45 lot residential subdivision.  Tha facilty is located on North Davis Road in the Town of Elma, Erie County.  The SPDES Number is NY-0104906.  A Draft Permit is available for inspection and comment at the DEC Region 9 Office.