ENB Region 9 Completed Applications 06/14/2006

The applicant proposes to add 3.73 acres to the existing 4.95 acres Smith Gravel Pit located northwest of the Spring Valley Raod intersection with South Road.  The Smith Gravel Pit provides material for the reconstruction of Route I-86.  The addition will move the mine limits farther to the south and west. No changes in mine operations or reclamation (farming) are proposed.

The applicant proposes to add 8.36 acres of land to the Machias Deposit Mine, currently approved for 4.89 acres. The estimated life of the expanded mine is 19 years and the reclamation objective is a meadow suitable for agricultural use.  No changes in mining and reclamation operation methods,  are proposed.  The site is on the northwest side of NYS Route 16, with its entrance 300 feet southwest from the intersection of Broadbay Circle with Route 16.  The expansion area is on the north side of the existing mine.

The Department proposes an Environmental Benefit Permit Strategy (EBPS) modification with a score of 48 or an existing discharge of an average of 60,000 gallons per day of treated sanitary wastewater to Little Cherry Creek, a Class Ct waterbody, from the Village of Cherry Creek Sewage Treatment Plant located to the south of South Side Avenue and to the east of Route 83. This EBPS modification reduces the effluent limit of settleable solids from 0.3 ml/l to 0.1 ml/l for a daily maximum from November 1 to May 31; also from June 1 to October 31 a new effluent limit was established setting 15% as the maximum for influent concentration values for BOD5 and TSS.   The Department has made a tentative determination to issue a permit for a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit under Article 17 of the Environmental Conservation Law. This tentative determination indicates that the discharge regulated under this statute is considered to satisfy regulatory standards for permit issuance, based on information available to the Department at this time. The Department seeks comments on the proposed regulated activity prior to making a final decision on permit issuance. As such, this tentative determination does not signify Department approval for or endorsement of the activity for which a permit is sought or for the overall proposed project. In commenting, please refer to this application by application number listed above and SPDES number NY0204081.