DNR Notice
STATE OF WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES PUBLIC NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL HEARING AND INTENT TO REISSUE A WISCONSIN POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (WPDES) PERMIT No. WI-0060216-10-0 Permittee: Village of Stetsonville, PO Box 219, Stetsonville, WI, 54480 Facility Where Discharge Occurs: Village of Stetsonville, South Dunlin Street, Stetsonville, Wisconsin, NW1/4, SE1/4, SECTION 19, T30N-R2E, Town of Deer Creek Receiving Water And Location: A ditch tributary to the West Branch of the Big Eau Pleine River within the Upper Big Eau Pleine River in the Upper Wisconsin River Drainage Basin, Taylor County Brief Facility Description and Summary of Proposed Changes: The Village of Stetsonville wastewater treatment facility has an annual average design flow is 88,000 gallons per day with actual flows averaging 79,000 gallons per day over the past five years (2015 – 2019). The system consists of a mechanical screen followed by a pretreatment lagoon consisting of an aerated and settling zone. The wastewater then travels to a recirculating tank where water is mixed with treated wastewater (effluent). It is evenly distributed over one of eight zones of a filter bed constructed of layers of fine and course sand. The water from the filters is sent back to the recirculation tank and filtered again prior to discharge.
It is the Department’s intention to renew the permit for another term. The proposed new permit expiration date will be September 30, 2025. Appropriate discharge limitations, monitoring requirements, and reporting conditions will be included in the permit. Changes from the previous permit include: [1] Annual monitoring for Nitrate +Nitrite, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen and Total Nitrogen is required during the permit term. [2] A Checklist was prepared to determine the number of WET tests that are needed. As toxicity potential increases, more points accumulate, and more monitoring is required to assure toxicity is not occurring over the short (acute) and long (chronic) term. Based on the total points accumulated two Chronic WET Tests are required this permit term. [3] Currently in NR 217 Wis. Adm. Code there are three methods used to determine if a phosphorus limit is needed: a technology based effluent limit (TBEL), a water quality based effluent limit (WQBEL) determined by stream criteria and a WQBEL based on a Total Daily Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). ATBEL of 1 mg/L is not needed because the facility discharges less than the threshold of 150 pounds per month (NR 217.04(1)(a)1 Wis. Adm. Code). The WQBEL is not required this permit term because the Wisconsin River Basin TMDL Waste Load Allocation (approved April 26, 2019) is protective of the immediate receiving water. Based on current criteria, the approved TMDL Waste Load Allocation (WLA) for Total Phosphorus is 44 lbs per year, which equates to 0.41 lbs/day monthly average and 0.14 lbs/day 6-month average. The permittee determined that an upgrade to the current facility was needed to attain the TMDL WLA and is not financially feasible.
Proposed Phosphorus Variance: The Department has determined that a TMDL WLA for phosphorus is needed in this permit to protect water quality. As allowed under s. 283.15, Wis. Stats., Variance to Water Quality Standard the permittee has requested a variance to the phosphorus TMDL WLA. In support of this request, the permittee has submitted documentation intended to demonstrate eligibility for the variance based on applicable factors. The Department concurs with the demonstration; however, this concurrence is subject to US EPA approval before the variance limit may be included in the final reissued permit. In an effort to achieve phosphorus effluent reductions that are practically and economically achievable within the term of the proposed permit, the Department and permittee have mutually agreed upon specific permit conditions that include a variance limitation, monitoring of phosphorus at the frequency described in the permit and submittal of reports on source reduction measures oriented toward attainment of the phosphorus water quality standard. The designated use of the receiving water will not change as a result of the variance.
Permit Drafter’s Name, Address, Phone and Email: Sheri A. Snowbank, WDNR, 810 W Maple St, Spooner, WI, 54801, (715) 635-4131, Sheri.Snowbank@ wisconsin.gov Basin Engineer’s Name, Address, Phone and Email: Lonn Franson, WDNR, 10220 State Highway 27 South, Hayward, WI 54843, (715) 634-7434, Lonn. Franson@wisconsin.gov Virtual Hearing Date and Time: June 16, 2020, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Hearing Location (Virtual): In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency and the Governor’s Safer at Home mandate, the Department of Natural Resources will be hosting public hearings via a remote, virtual connection made available to the public via the options below. Virtual hearings will be recorded.
Remote Connection for public participation: Zoom Virtual Participation: https://zoom.us/j/93602067534 Meeting ID: 936 0206 7534 Zoom Conference Call Line: +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) If participating via conference call, participants will be prompted to enter the Meeting ID: 936 0206 7534.
For questions on how to connect remotely please contact: Stephen Nehring, DNR, 101 S. Webster St. PO Box 7921, Madison, WI, 53707-7921, (608) 261-6406 , Stephen.Nehring@wisconsin.gov The Department of Natural Resources, pursuant to Section 283.49, Wisconsin Statutes, has scheduled for the time and place listed above, a public hearing for the purpose of giving all interested persons an opportunity to make a statement with respect to the above announced permit action for this existing discharge.
A hearing officer will conduct the hearing in an orderly and speedy way and will use procedures specified in Subchapter II of ch. NR 203, Wis. Adm. Code, necessary to insure broad public participation in the hearing.
The hearing officer will open the hearing and make a concise statement of the scope and purpose of the hearing and shall state what procedures will be used during the course of the hearing. The hearing officer shall explain the method of notifi cation of the final decision to grant or deny the permit and the methods by which the decision may be reviewed in a public adjudicatory hearing.
The hearing officer may put limits on individual oral statements to insure an opportunity for all persons present to make statements in a reasonable period of time and to prevent undue repetition. The hearing offi cer may also limit the number of representatives making oral statements on behalf of any person or group.
Informational and clarifying questions and oral statements shall be directed through the hearing officer. Crossexamination shall not be allowed.
Persons wishing to comment on or object to the proposed permit action are invited to do so by attending the public hearing or by submitting any comments or objections in writing to the Department of Natural Resources, at the above named permit drafter’s address. Currently, DNR staff are working remotely and have very limited access to US mail. To ensure comments are received, the Department recommends that all comments be sent via email to the permit drafter listed in this notice. All comments or suggestions received from members of the public no later than 7 days following the date of this public hearing will be used, along with other information on file and testimony presented at the hearing, in making a final determination. Where designated as a reviewable surface water discharge permit, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is allowed up to 90 days to submit comments or objections regarding this permit determination.
Information on file for this permit action, including the draft permit, fact sheet and permit application, is accessible via e-mail by contacting the above named permit drafter’s e-mail address or the above named basin engineer’s e-mail during normal business hours Monday through Friday (except holidays). Note that DNR staff have limited access to permit hard copy files during this time as they are working from home, but much of the permit file is available electronically by e-mail request. Permit information is also available on the internet at: http://dnr.wi.gov/ topic/wastewater/PublicNotices. html. Pursuant to theAmericans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, will be made to qualified individuals upon request.
NAME OF PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER: The Star News ADDRESS OF PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER: PO Box 180, Medford, WI 54451-0180 (One ins. April 30)
88475 WNAXLP
