Auburn officials are investigating why the city landfill landed on a list of violators for the city's sewer use limits.
The city did not give out fines or penalties to the four violators that exceeded the limits of certain chemicals or materials in their water discharge.
Besides the landfill, the city reported issues with McQuay International, Nucor Steel, and TRW Automotive Electronics.
This year has a higher number of violations than the past few reports, said Bruce Ross, Auburn assistant civil engineer. The city has to monitor all industrial users tapping into its system as part of the federal clean water act.
“None of these have affected the treatment plant or the receiving stream,” Ross said.
Water runoff, or leachate, from the North Division Street landfill exceeded the maximum local limit for iron.
The city tests industries the first few months of the year, and monitors the three samples the companies provide during the rest of the year.
One liter of water has to have less than 10 milligrams of iron. The landfill's four samples failed during the year's first testing and two out of four narrowly failed during the second testing. The landfill's five samples passed for the year's two other tests.
Sanitation supervisor Michael Talbot said he is working with Ross to correct the situation.
“We're concerned but the liner is doing what it's supposed to,” Talbot said, which prevents the ground from absorbing the run-off water and sends it to the neighboring treatment plant. “We want to do the right thing.”
Iron occurs naturally in ground water, but they are going to explore what to do with the water. An option includes running it to a tank with bleach and remove the iron.
Companies have to correct the situations that lead to breaches.
“Sometimes they don't know they have a violation and in most cases they aren't that severe,” Ross said.
Most corporations respond by resampling. That's what Nucor Steel did when reports found it exceeded iron concentrations by 2.6 milligrams per liter. Resampling found no further problems with its iron discharge, environmental manager Stephen Green said.
Nucor only checked two samples, which complies with regulations but can skew numbers. If the industry only takes two samples, and the first sample is in violation, then they are in violation 50 percent of the time, Ross pointed out.
“So in this case, it's not that high,” he said of the contamination.
McQuay International workers discovered reusing its water in the pretreatment system was causing larger than usual concentrations of zinc in the wash water. Workers performed preventive maintenance on the system.
The city can fine industries $500 to $1,000 a day for exceeding limits. Representatives issue fines based on if the contamination would create problems with the city treatment plant's state-permitted pollution discharge elimination system.
However, most companies comply by correcting the problem, taking more samples, and finding a solution for the exceeding substance.
TRW Automotive was the only company with a violation for not providing a monitoring report. Ross says turnover with engineers was responsible for the late report, but he still had to report the misunderstanding.
“I tell the industries, 'If you don't report it, that's your bad, and if I don't report it, that's my bad.' The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) will report it,” he said.
The Cranebrook Drive company also had violations for the water's pH measurement exceeding the limits. Company spokesman Manley Ford said further testing found the pH measurement to be in the correct range.
The company also changed a worn filter after concentrations of oil and grease exceeded the local limit of 100 milligrams per liter. The automotive company's samples passed the level twice, once with 110 mg/l and once at 150 mg/l.
The fresh filter fixed the problem, Ford said. This was the company's first violation in the past four years.
“We take our environmental responsibility very seriously,” he said. “This is a high-tech plant making high-tech products. By its very nature, it's a clean plant.”
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
Besides the landfill, the city reported issues with McQuay International, Nucor Steel, and TRW Automotive Electronics.
This year has a higher number of violations than the past few reports, said Bruce Ross, Auburn assistant civil engineer. The city has to monitor all industrial users tapping into its system as part of the federal clean water act.
“None of these have affected the treatment plant or the receiving stream,” Ross said.
Water runoff, or leachate, from the North Division Street landfill exceeded the maximum local limit for iron.
The city tests industries the first few months of the year, and monitors the three samples the companies provide during the rest of the year.
One liter of water has to have less than 10 milligrams of iron. The landfill's four samples failed during the year's first testing and two out of four narrowly failed during the second testing. The landfill's five samples passed for the year's two other tests.
Sanitation supervisor Michael Talbot said he is working with Ross to correct the situation.
“We're concerned but the liner is doing what it's supposed to,” Talbot said, which prevents the ground from absorbing the run-off water and sends it to the neighboring treatment plant. “We want to do the right thing.”
Iron occurs naturally in ground water, but they are going to explore what to do with the water. An option includes running it to a tank with bleach and remove the iron.
Companies have to correct the situations that lead to breaches.
“Sometimes they don't know they have a violation and in most cases they aren't that severe,” Ross said.
Most corporations respond by resampling. That's what Nucor Steel did when reports found it exceeded iron concentrations by 2.6 milligrams per liter. Resampling found no further problems with its iron discharge, environmental manager Stephen Green said.
Nucor only checked two samples, which complies with regulations but can skew numbers. If the industry only takes two samples, and the first sample is in violation, then they are in violation 50 percent of the time, Ross pointed out.
“So in this case, it's not that high,” he said of the contamination.
McQuay International workers discovered reusing its water in the pretreatment system was causing larger than usual concentrations of zinc in the wash water. Workers performed preventive maintenance on the system.
The city can fine industries $500 to $1,000 a day for exceeding limits. Representatives issue fines based on if the contamination would create problems with the city treatment plant's state-permitted pollution discharge elimination system.
However, most companies comply by correcting the problem, taking more samples, and finding a solution for the exceeding substance.
TRW Automotive was the only company with a violation for not providing a monitoring report. Ross says turnover with engineers was responsible for the late report, but he still had to report the misunderstanding.
“I tell the industries, 'If you don't report it, that's your bad, and if I don't report it, that's my bad.' The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) will report it,” he said.
The Cranebrook Drive company also had violations for the water's pH measurement exceeding the limits. Company spokesman Manley Ford said further testing found the pH measurement to be in the correct range.
The company also changed a worn filter after concentrations of oil and grease exceeded the local limit of 100 milligrams per liter. The automotive company's samples passed the level twice, once with 110 mg/l and once at 150 mg/l.
The fresh filter fixed the problem, Ford said. This was the company's first violation in the past four years.
“We take our environmental responsibility very seriously,” he said. “This is a high-tech plant making high-tech products. By its very nature, it's a clean plant.”
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
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