Slug Discharge Permit – Groundwater Recovery and Treatment System

TO: Robert D. Fyke, Coordinator Environmental Programs, GE Canada, 107 Park St. North, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7B5
FROM: Patrick Devlin, Chief Environmental Officer, Environmental Protection Divsion, Utility Services Department, City of Peterborough
RE: SLUG Discharge Permit – Groundwater Recovery and Treatment System
DATE: May 12, 2004

Dear Robert,

In response to your request for a slug discharge permit, dated May 12, 2004. GE Canada (GE) is hereby authorized to discharge groundwater produced by the operation of a groundwater recovery and treatment system (GRTS), into the City of Peterborough’s Sanitary Sewer. The GRTS is part of a remediation program being undertaken by GE in the area of Park Street North and Albert Street, Peterborough, Ontario. The said groundwater discharge will result from the pumping activity from seven wells located along the southern property boundary of GE’ s manufacturing facility located at 107 Park Street North, Peterborough, Ontario. This permit is issued in conjunction with a Certificate of Approval for air emissions, a Permit to Take Water and Director’s authorization from the Ministry of Environment to carry out the above work.

This permit is conditional on the following:

1. All groundwater will be discharged to the City of Peterborough’ s Sanitary Sewer System at the designated location of the sanitary sewer discharge that extends from Building 14 (GRTS Monitoring Point) to the City sanitary main on Albert Street, located approximately 230 metres west of Park Street.
2. Technical details on the operation of the GRTS system: The GRTS includes a chemical sequestering system, air stripper, two liquid phase granular activated carbon (GAC) units, bag filters, and equalization tanks and is capable of treating up to 190 Lpm (42 Igpm). |t is expected, however, due to estimated sustainable pumping rates associated with the extraction wells, that the GRTS will operate at a rate of approximately 113.5 Lpm (25 lgpm).
3. The groundwater discharged to the Sanitary Sewer at the Monitoring Point must comply with the City of Peterborough’s by-law 1991-10 (By-Law), which governs, in part, all discharges to the Sanitary Sewers except that discharge of the specific parameters set out in Section 7 below shall be’ permitted subject to Section 7 and the not to exceed levels set out in Section 7.
4. A copy of any Director’s Orders, Permits and/or Certificates of Approval relating to the GRTS from the. Ministry of the Environment must be sent to the City of Peterborough -Environmental Protection Division (COP-EPD) prior to the start of any discharges.
5. The City of Peterborough reserves the right to enter the premises at any time deemed necessary for monitoring, sampling and inspection purposes.
6. Sampling and analysis of the contaminants of concern in Section 7 must be conducted upon commencement of pumping at the GRTS MONITORING POINT, as well as quarterly sampling at Raw Influent and Final Discharge points at the Peterborough Wastewater Treatment Plant. Sampling at the MONITORING POINT will be conducted by GE at its cost in accordance with the schedule below. Sampling at the Wastewater Treatment Plant will be conducted by plant staff. Sampling and analysis for PCB’s will be conducted at the MONITORING POINT annually. All analysis, at all points will be paid for by GE. GE will forward all analytical results to the City of Peterborough upon receipt.

7. The discharge from the MONITORING POINT shall not exceed the following limits:

8. The groundwater extraction and treatment system will be immediately shut down should any contaminant concentration exceed the respective specified ’Not to Exceed! limit at the MONITORING POINT. The City of Peterborough will be notified within 24 hours following shut down. GE may restart the GRTS provided that GE has carried out any corrective actions required so that the GRTS, when restarted, meets the “Not to Exceed” limits at the MONITORING POINT.
9. The City of Peterborough reserves the right to revoke this permit at any time deemed necessary immediately upon notice in writing if GE violates any provision set out in this permit or the discharge permitted hereunder will materially compromise the ability for the City of Peterborough to comply with its Certificate of Approval for the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
10. This permit will be valid from the date of commencement of operation of the GRTS until December 31, 2004, and be automatically renewed on January -1, 2005, and annually thereafter, pending the outcome of an annual review. if no changes or amendments are required by February 1°’ of each year the permit will be renewed, at no further cost to GE. Until such time as the review is completed, GE shall be permitted to operate the GRTS under the authority of this permit.

The associated flat fee for this permit is $1000.00 plus GST. The fee for treated groundwater discharge to sanitary sewer is $0.35 per cubic meter (as per City bylaw #91-11). GE will be invoiced quarterly based on meter readings conducted every quarter at the treatment system discharge point. GE will take the meter readings and forward them to the City of Peterborough.

Should you have any further questions regarding this matter, please contact Kent Keeling at 741-4910 or 740-3697.

Sincerely yours,
CITY OF PETERBOROUGH

Patrick Devlin HBSc. Chief Environmental Officer, Environmental Protection Division Utility Services Department

cc: Gerry Rye Director, Utility Services, City of Peterborough; Dave Arnott, Ministry of Environment