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NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

BUREAU OF WASTEWATER POLLUTION CONTROL

FY2001 EXPENSE BUDGET REQUEST (New Need

(Section/Program Name) Office of SPDES Compliance

(Contact Name and Telephone #) Mary L. Keating, R.E.M. (718)595-5062

Project Description: Designs, develops and implements a Wastewater Compliance Plan to be in compliance with relevant environmental laws and regulations affecting water quality and the City's SPDES discharge permits for the fourteen water pollution control plants and over 90 pumping stations as well as the milestones in the Consent Orders. Develops Bureau and inter/intra agency teams to accomplish compliance objectives, drafts SPDES permit language, assists in negotiations of SPDES permits, other water quality permits and Consent Orders with DEC, EPA, and Army Corps of Engineers, closely monitors milestones in SPDES permits and Consent Orders, responds to DEC's inspection letters and Notices of Violation(NOVs), audits plants to identify areas of weakness, corrective action or further training. The Office will modify the Wastewater Compliance Plan based on audit information, team recommendations, plant stabilizations, TMDL development in Long Island Sound and New York Harbor, changes in laws and regulations and evolving conditions.

Mandate/Justification: Mandates under NYSDEC SPDES discharge permits for the 14 water pollution control plants as well as various Federal and State laws and regulations including Clean Water Act, USEPA Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 121-125 NPDES Regulations and NYSDEC SPDES Regulations Subparts 750-1 and 750-2 as well as mandates under several Consent Orders, e.g. Newtown Creek, CSO Abatement, Omnibus IV, etc.

Compliance Status: DEC has issued numerous NOVs for SPDES permit and Consent Order violations at several of the plants. Some plants have been in Significant Non-Compliance in EPA's Permit Compliance System.

Impact: SPDES permits and Consent Orders are enforceable documents with critical milestones. NYSDEC issues NOVs for non-compliance. NOV's carry fines and administrative and criminal penalties. SPDES violations are punishable by a maximum penalty or fine of $25,000/day. SPDES violations have been the subject of lawsuits and administrative proceedings governed by an Administrative Law Judge, outcomes may significantly impact SPDES permits and require additional mandates. To date, negotiated Omnibus fines have resulted in payments of $2,200,000 in violation penalties.

Staffing (PS) Request: FY Title # Salary $ Function

01 Administrative 1 $70,000 $70,000 Chief Staff Analyst

OTPS Request Total Dollar Amount: $30,000

Summary Description: Vehicle for field visits to plants to oversee implementation of the Wastewater Compliance Plan, for audits and for preparation of responses to DEC's inspection letters and NOVs.

NYC-WTC 000137497