0M, maa. UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 3 REGIONS SZ : 1445 ROSS AVENUE, SUITE 1200 oe DALLAS TX 75202-2733 "1 eos DEC Og 2010 Mr. Mark R. Vickery, P.G. Executive Director Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Post Office Box 13087 Austin, TX 78711-3087 Dear Mr. Vickery: ‘There are a significant number of draft Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) permits which have not been issued, pending the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) resolution of various concems raised by the U.S. Environmental Protection ‘Agency (EPA). Please see the enclosed November 16, 2010, list of 80 facilities. A large number of these draft permits have been delayed due to issues regarding whole effluent toxicity (WET). ‘The majority of EPA’s concerns involve the reissue of permits that have been continued administratively but are expired. Beyond the obvious impact of these unresolved issues on ‘TCEQ’s permit backlog, there are significant environmental consequences to the continued authorization of discharges under administratively continued expired permits. In some cases, such as with the TPDES permit number TX0126098 for the Red River Redevelopment Authority (RRRA), EPA is concemed that the expired permit continues to authorize toxic discharges. ‘According to EPA's Online Tracking Information System (OTIS), since 2005 the RRRA facility failed 14 out of 18 WET tests for the C. dubia species at the lethal endpoint and 17 out of 18 tests at the sublethal endpoint. For the P, promelas species, the facility failed 10 out of 15 WET tests at both the lethal and sublethal endpoints. Accordingly, reissuing the RRRA permit with toxicity limits included must be expedited. Similarly, the TPDES permit number TX0057304 for the City of South Houston has been expired since September 2007, and must be reissued to include toxicity limits based on the facility’s extensive history of WET test failures (five failures out of 20 tests for the C. dubia species at both the lethal and sublethal endpoints and three failures out of 20 tests for the P. promelas species at the sublethal endpoint). EPA is concemed that the two facilities" discharges remain toxic and TCEQ is not effectively addressing the toxicity by not reissuing the TPDES permits with appropriate WET limits. ‘To ensure that TCEQ’s and EPA’s environmental goals and program commitments continue to be met, EPA requests that TCEQ take the necessary steps to resolve outstanding EPA juests for additional information, as well as TCEQ permit withdrawals for the specified 'PDES facilities, so that these permits may be expeditiously issued, In accordance with Chapter 1, L.A. of the Memorandum of Agreement Between the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6 Concerning the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, (Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission is now known as TCEQ), EPA is requesting that TCEQ provide EPA with revised draft permits which address EPA's concems for the specified facilities within six months of this request. EPA. will review the revised draft permits and formally withdraw its opposition to issuing the permit, as appropriate, so that TCEQ may proceed with its permitting process. emetAacess URL)» hpsiemevepa govreion, Recycled Recyetabe #Prifes sh vageab Oi Sued ks on 1008 Recyeed Pape Process Chern FreeLetter to Mr. Vickery Page 2 EPA recognizes that TCEQ may identify a few situations where resolution of the issues, will be complex and a revised draft permit cannot be provided within six months. For these, please provide EPA with an updated status of the situation and a brief explanation of the plans, including the timeframe, for resolution. We appreciate the continued cooperation and support from you and your staff in administering the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting program, and ‘your efforts to reach resolution of these matters. EPA is avaiable to assist TCEQ in anyway possible. If you have any questions, please contact me at (214) 665-2100, or your staff may contact Mr. Miguel Flores, Water Quality Protection Division Director, at (214) 665-7101. fegional Administrator Enclosure cc: L*Oreal W. Stepney, Deputy Director, Office of Water, TCEQTexas Municipal Permits Municipal Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET)* 1 Langham Creek MUD 2 Houston-Homestead 3 City of Garland 4 City of South Houston § Harris Co. Fresh Water Supply Distict No. 51 6 City of Georgetown 7 City of McGregor 8 City of Houston-Metro (also WQ0010495152)? 8 Praitie View A&M University 10 Memorial Villages Water Authority, 11 City of Bay City 12 City of Navasota 13 Cinco MUD No. 1 14 City of Humble 15 City of Houston-Southeast 46 City of El Campo NPDES ID Tx0064734 7X0063029 TX0024686 TX0057304 7X0025062 7X0022667 Tx0023914 TX0069736 TXOLI1201 7x0047457 TX0034461 TX0071790 TX0098957 ‘TX0034401 TX0035009 Tx0021474 17 North Texas Municipal Water District-Stewart Creek West TX0103501 18 Laguna Madre Water District: 19 City of Houston- Kingwood 20 Brazoria County MUD #3 21 City of League City 22 City of Corpus Christi- Greenwood 23 City of Copperas Cove * may have other issues cited also TX0023647 TX0066583 TXO086118 TXO085618 7x0047074 T™X0069850 State ID WQ001 1682001 WQ0010495023, WQ0010090002 'WQ0010287001 WQ0010032001 WQ0010489002 wWQ0010219002 WQ0010495136 WQ0011275002 WQ0010584001 WQ0010123004 WQ0010231001 WQ0013558001 WQ0010736002 WQ0010495079 WQ0010844001 WQ0014008001 WQ0010350001 WQ0010495146 WQ0012332001 WQ0010568005, WQ0010401003 WQ0010045004 Date of EPA objection or TCEQ withdrawal EPA-2/1/07 EPA-8/1/07 EPA-5/28/08 TCEQ-10/0208 TCEQ-10/02/08 EPA-1 1/20/08 TCEQ-4/3/09 EPA-7/1/09 EPA-7/6/08 EPA-7/8/09 EPA-9/9/09 EPA-9/25/09 EPA-10/20/09 EPA-10/29/09 EPA-11/12/09 EPA-11/6/09 EPA-3/10/10 EPA-4/13/10 EPA-6/8/10 EPA-8/23/10 EPA-9/8/10 EPA-9/30/10 EPA-10/21/10 Permit Expiration Date 5/1/07 9/1/07 511/08 9/1/07 5/1/08 12/1/08 12/1/08 9/1/08 71109 5/1/09 8/1/09 S/1/09 8/1/09 12/1109 91109 12/1/09 10/1/07 70 7no sino 90 61/0 20 updated 11/16/10Municipal Wet Weather* 4 City of Bridge City x0025500 ity of Port Neches 7x0022926 ty of Houston-Sims South & Scott St. WWE TX0105058 ty of Houston-FWSD No. 23 & Bretshire WWF TX0063053 5 City of Houston-69th St. & Northside WWE TX0096172 6 City of Houston-Sims North TX0062201 * may have other issues cited also Texas Industrial Permits Industrial - WET* NPDES ID 4 Texas Instruments Incorporated Tx0003824 2 Lubrizol Corporation, X0007048 3 Exxon Mobil Corporation (Mont Belvieu) TX0089125 4 Solvay Chemicals, Inc. TX0087971 5 Red River Redevelopment Authority 1X0126098 6 Huntsman Petrochemical Corporation 7x0005592 7 City of Bryan (Roland C. Dansby Steam Electtic Station) TX0073954 8 Shell Oil Company and Deer Park Refining ‘Tx0004871 9 NRG Texas Power LLC (W.A. Parish Steam Electric) TX0006394 10 WRB & ConocoPhillips Refinery (Borger) Tx0009148 11 LCY Elastomers. TX0128015 12 Valero Refining- Texas, L.P, (West Plant) 0063355 18 City Public Service of San Antonio (V.H. Braunig Steam) TX0063690 * may have other issues cited also State ID WQ0010051001 WQ0010477004 WQ0010495002 WQ0010495016 WQ0010495090 WQ0010495002 State ID WQ0001225000 WQ0000639000 WQ0002546000 wQo002544 WQ0004664000 wQ0000584000 WQ0002117000 wQ0000403000 WQ0001038000 WQ0001064000 WQ0004772000 WQ0001909000 WQ0001515000 Date of EPA objection or TCEQ withdrawal EPA-2/7/02 EPA-1/30/09 EPA-9/13/05 EPA-10/6/04 EPA-9/25/05 EPA-9/13/05 Date of EPA Objection or TCEQ withdrawal TCEQ-7/1 1/08 TCEQ-7/30/08 TCEQ-9/1 1/08 TCEQ-10/2/08 TCEQ-12/22/08 TCEQ-12/22/08 EPA-1/22/09 EPA-2/8/10 EPA-12/2/09 EPA-4/30/10 EPA-5/26/10 BPA- EPA-7/29/10 Permit Expiration Date BVO 8/1/06 5131/00 5/1/03 9/1/02 8/31/02 Permit Expiration Date 2/108 5/08 8/1/08 T08 1/1/08 TAB 12/1/08 TNO 7/09 1/30/10 Mod-8/1/13 6/0 3/1/10 updated 11/16/10Industrial - 346(b)* NPDES ID 1 Comanche Peak (Luminant) Tx0065854 2 Barney Davis TX0008826 3 Valley NG 7X0009067 4 Calhoun (ES Joslin) X0003573 § Sterling Chemicals, Inc. TX0005762 6 Luminant Generation Company LLC (Graham Steam Blec) TX0001163 7 Alcoa (Rockdale) TX0000876 8 GenTex Power Corporation (Lost Pines 1 Power Plant) TX0119661 @ LCRA (Sim Gideon Steam Elec & Lost Pines Unit 1) 70064378 10 City of Austin (Decker Cr. Power Plant) TX0058441 11 Southwestem Electric Power Company (Lone Star Power) TX0061999 12 South Texas Electric Cooperative,Inc (Sam Raybum Power) TX0005118 49 STP Nuclear Operating Company (South Texas Project) TX0064947 14 Luminant Generation Company, LLC (Monticello Steam) TX0000086 15 Lower Colorado River Authority(ThomasCFerguson Power, TX0057576 16 The Dow Chemical Company (Freeport) TX0006483 47 Victoria WLE, LP (Victoria Power Station) TX0003603 18 Lower Colorado River Authority (Fayette Power Plant) TX0073121 * may have ottier issues cited also State ID WQ0001854000 wWQ0001490000 WQ0000948000 WQ0001303000 wQ0000875000 WQ0000551000 WQ0000395000 wWQ0004155000 WQ0002052000 wQ0001887000 wQ0001464000 WQ0001521000 wWQ0001908000 WQ0001528000 WQ0001369000 ‘wQo000007000 WQ0001165000 WQ0002105000 Date of EPA Objection or TCEQ withdrawal EPA-2/28/08 EPA-1/9/08 EPA-1/8/08 EPA-1/8/08 EPA-4/27/09 EPA-9/10/09 EPA-9/16/09 EPA-11/4/09 EPA-1/12/10 EPA-1/12/10 EPA-L/27/10 EPA-1/28/10 EPA-2/25/10 BPA-3/10/10 EPA-4/7/10 EPA-7/8/10 EPA-8/19/10 EPA-8/19/10 Permit Expiration Date 3/1/08 12/5/06 12/1/07 1/108 11/1/08 5/1/09 5/1/09 9/1/09 9/109 9/1109 20 2nno 121/09 2 12/1/09 711109 2A Mod-6/11/12 updated 11/16/10Date of EPA Objection Permit Industrial - Other NPDESID —StateLD_ or TCEQ withdrawal Expiration Date 1 FPLE Fomey TX0124419 WQ0004359000 EPA-3/24/08 10/1/06 2 Exxon Mobil/PL Propylene ¥X0006068 WQ0000393000 EPA-11/5/08 9/1/07 3 Brazos Elec Power Coop TX0062189 WQ0001904000 EPA-4/14/09 LOB 4 Abitibi TX0001643, WQ0000368000 EPA-4/15/09 12/9/08 5 Luminant (Morgan Creek) TXO001171 WQ0000554000 EPA-522/09 12/1109 7 Oxy Vinyls, LP (Deer Park PVC Plant) TX0007412 WQ0000305000 10/1/08 8 OXEA Corporation (Bay City Plant) TX0006017 WQ0000455000 12/1/09 9 Alcoa World Alumina (Alcoa Point Comfort Operations) TX0004715 WQ0000394000 EPA-3/26/10 9/1/01 10 BASF(Freeport) TX0008788 WQ0003977000 EPA-4/14/10 T/09 11 Marathon Petroleum (Texas City) FX0003697 wQ0000990000 EPA 08 12 Premcor Refining Group Inc. (Valero Port Arthur Refinery) TX000599i WQ0000309000. EPA-6/10/10 lle Limited Partnership (Generating Facil TX0127841 WQ0004767000 EPA-7/7/10 ion Energy Center, LLC (Matagorda County) TX0131962_ WQ0004882000 EPA-7/29/10 15 Occidental Chemical Corporation (Ingleside Plant) TX0104876 WQ0003083000 EPA-8/5/10 ano 46 American Chrome & Chemicals, L.P. (Corpus Christi) TX0004685 WQ0000349000 EPA-8/10/10 6/0 17 United States Gypsum Company (Galena Park Plant) TX0007056 WQ0000353000 EPA-8/31/10 Mod-9/1/12 18 Laredo WLE, LP (Laredo Power Station) TX0001627 WQ0001200000 EPA.9/9/10 9Vt0 19 Georgia-Pacific Wood Products South LLC (Camden) TX0006076 WQ0001598000 EPA-9/15/10 Mod-5/1/11 20 Equistar Chemicals, LP (Corpus Christi Complex) TX0076996 WQ0002075000 EPA-9/22/10 eo updated 11/16/10