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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and Imperial Irrigation District (“IID”) entered into an April 11th Consent Agreement and Final Order (“CAFO”) addressing alleged violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act Underground Injection Control (“UIC”) program requirements. See Docket No. UIC-09-2023-0020.
The CAFO provides that IID operates the El Centro Generating Station (“Station”) located in El Centro, California.
The Station is stated to operate two Safe Drinking Water Act Class I non-hazardous injection wells. The injection wells are permitted according to EPA’s UIC program regulations for the disposal of facility processed wastewater.
EPA is stated to have performed a virtual inspection of the Station in December 2020. Such inspection is stated to have determined that wells were out of compliance with three permit conditions which included:
- Failure to maintain required pressure
- Failure to report pressure drops to EPA
- Failure to provide continuous monitoring data
The CAO assesses a civil penalty of $67,110. Further, the Station is required to undertake the following:
- Submit an inventory of all devices or gauges used at the facility
- Calibrate or replace monitoring equipment which has not been calibrated or replaced in more than 12 months
- Identify and repair any outstanding deficiencies at the facility
A copy of the CAFO can be downloaded here.
