Public Notice: Public Notice of Intent to Terminate Class I Underground Injection Control Permit for Chalk Cliff Limited
Summary
The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, Groundwater Protection Section, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 (EPA) is providing an opportunity for the public to comment on its proposal to terminate a Class I Underground Injection Control (UIC) Permit for Chalk Cliff Limited (Permit No. R9UIC-CA1-FY17-4). The Permit authorizes one (1) Underground Injection Control (UIC) well under the authority of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations at (40 C.F.R.) Parts 124, 144, 146, and 147 to:
Permittee: Chalk Cliff Limited
Address: 29041 Hwy. 33 Maricopa, California 93252
EPA is proposing to terminate the Permit at the request of the permittee, Chalk Cliff Limited. The Permit authorizes injection of non-hazardous waste waters consisting of boiler blow down, cooling tower blow down, boiler feed water conditioning waste waters, and raw water filter backwash generated from the Chalk Cliff Power Plant operations into one injection well, named Chalk Cliff WD-2. In lieu of injecting, Chalk Cliff Limited is now managing these fluids through alternative disposal methods, which include using the facility's wastewater treatment systems and other authorized means. The Permit proposed for termination covers the UIC Class I non-hazardous injection well Chalk Cliff WD-2. Chalk Cliff ceased injecting into well WD-2 in May 2020, and the injection well has now been properly plugged and abandoned.
The Permit authorizes injection at the facility located at Section 31, Township 32 South, Range 24 East, Southeast ¼ Sec; Latitude 35 Deg, 5 Min, 47.1444 Sec; and Longitude 119 Deg, 25 Min, 53.3064 Sec in the Midway-Sunset Oil Field, approximately 3.6 miles southeast of the City of Taft, California.
EPA has made a preliminary decision to terminate Chalk Cliff’s UIC Permit, pending this public notice and comment. This notice of intent to terminate a UIC permit was drafted in accordance with the provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq., commonly known as SDWA), and EPA’s permit regulations at 40 CFR Part 124. A final decision of whether to terminate the Permit will be made by EPA after the close of the public comment period.
Supporting Materials
All data submitted by the applicant, including Chalk Cliff’s request for EPA to terminate their UIC Permit, is available as part of the administrative record for this proposed action. View this Notice, EPA’s Statement of Basis, and the Chalk Cliff Permit are available for public review online.
If you are unable to access these materials on the internet, please contact David Albright at the telephone number or email address listed above for assistance.
EPA Contact Information
During the public comment period, all written comments on the proposed permit termination can be mailed or emailed to David Albright, who is also available by phone, for any informational questions regarding the Permit’s conditions or procedures for commenting.
EPA Permit Contact: David Albright
EPA Street Address:
U.S. EPA Region 9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, California; 94105-3922
EPA Mailing Address:
U.S. EPA Region 9
Groundwater Protection Section (WTR 4-2)
ATTN: David Albright
75 Hawthorne Street,
San Francisco, California
94105-3922
EPA Phone Number: (415) 972-3971
EPA Email Address: albright.david@epa.gov
Final Permit Decision and Appeals Process
After the close of the public comment period, EPA will respond to comments, issue a final decision, and notify all commenters regarding the Agency’s decision regarding termination of the Permit. If the final decision is substantially unchanged from the proposed decision outlined above, the EPA will so notify all persons who submitted written comments or participated in the hearing, if any was held. If the final decision is substantially changed, the EPA will issue a public notice indicating the revised decision.
Within 30 days after the EPA serves notice of the above final permit decision, any person who filed comments or participated in the public hearing, if any, may petition the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) to review the permit decision or any condition therein. Any person who failed to file comments or failed to participate in the public hearing, if any, may petition for administrative review only to the extent of the changes from the draft to the final permit decision. Commenters are referred to 40 CFR §124.19 for procedural requirements of the permit appeal process.
Applicants or Respondents
Chalk Cliff Limited29041 Hwy. 33
Maricopa, CA 93252
United States