Culbertson v. Coats American, Inc.

913 F. Supp. 1572, 26 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 20875, 42 ERC (BNA) 1162, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20668, 1995 WL 789301
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedDecember 20, 1995
Docket2:94-cv-00135
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 913 F. Supp. 1572 (Culbertson v. Coats American, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Culbertson v. Coats American, Inc., 913 F. Supp. 1572, 26 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 20875, 42 ERC (BNA) 1162, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20668, 1995 WL 789301 (N.D. Ga. 1995).

Opinion

*1575 ORDER

O’KELLEY, District Judge.

The captioned case is before the court for consideration of defendant’s motion for summary judgment [37-1], plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment [39-1], and plaintiffs’ motion to supplement the record [59-1]. Plaintiffs’ motion to supplement the record is hereby GRANTED [59-1]. A hearing on the pending summary judgment motions was held before this court on Thursday, November 30,1995.

FACTS

Defendant Coats American, Inc. (“Coats American”) operates a textile facility in Stephens County, Georgia (the “Facility”). Coats American discharges treated wastewa-ter from the Facility into Eastanollee Creek in Toccoa, Georgia. Plaintiffs own land or maintain residences on Eastanollee Creek, downstream of the Facility.

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, popularly known as the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 to 1387 (the “CWA”), prohibits the discharge of any pollutant into the navigable waters of the United States except in compliance with applicable provisions of the CWA. Authority to discharge pollutants in compliance with the CWA may be granted through a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit (“NPDES” permit), issued by the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), or by a state under delegation of authority from EPA. The state of Georgia, through its Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division (“EPD”), has been delegated authority to issue NPDES permits in compliance with the applicable requirements of the CWA, the regulations issued thereunder, and applicable state law and state rules and regulations. The issuance of permits by the Director of EPD is authorized by the Georgia Water Quality Control Act, O.C.G.A. §§ 12-5-20 to 12-5-53 (the “GWQCA”). The rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the GWQCA are found in the Rules of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division, Water Quality Control, Chapter 391-3-6 (the “Georgia Rules”).

EPD issued to Coats American NPDES Permit No. GA 002038, effective December 30,1988 (the “1988 Permit”). The 1988 Permit authorized Coats American’s discharge into Eastanollee Creek, subject to the permit terms and conditions. The permit limited the concentration of copper in discharge from the Facility to 20.0 parts per billion (“ppb”) daily maximum, limited the concentration of zinc to 83 ppb daily maximum, and prohibited the discharge of foam or floating solids in other than trace amounts. The copper and zinc limitations were applicable for the period beginning January 1, 1990 through November 1, 1992. The permit contained a schedule of interim measures to be taken prior to January 1, 1990, including the development of engineering specifications for any necessary wastewater treatment equipment upgrades and the submission of periodic progress reports to EPD. The 1988 permit also prohibited the discharge of toxic wastes in concentrations or combinations which are harmful to humans, fish or aquatic life.

The CWA requires each state to develop water quality standards which include standards for all toxic pollutants for which EPA has published criteria. EPA’s list of toxic pollutants includes copper, zinc and lead. EPD has established water quality standards for copper, zinc and lead which are contained in Chapter 391-3-6.03 of the Georgia Rules. Section 304(1) of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. § 1314(£), requires each state to submit to EPA a list of waters within the state which, after application of certain effluent limitations, cannot reasonably, be anticipated to attain the state’s water quality standards due to toxic pollutants (the “304(Z) list”). Section 304(Z) then requires the state to identify point sources of toxic pollutants for each, water segment identified on the 340(0 list. For each identified point source, the state must establish an individual control strategy (“ICS”) which the state determines will produce a reduction in the discharge of toxic pollutants sufficient, in combination with existing controls on point and nonpoint sources of pollution, to achieve the applicable water quality standard as soon as possible, but not *1576 later than three years after the establishment of the ICS.

EPD listed Eastanollee Creek on Georgia’s 304(Z) list and identified the Coats American Facility as a source of copper and zinc which EPD believed to be impairing the water quality of the creek. EPD developed an ICS for the Coats American Facility which was embodied in a unilateral modification to the 1988 permit, effective February 2, 1990 (the “1990 Modification”). The discharge limit for copper was lowered to 9 ppb daily maximum, and the discharge limit for zinc was lowered to 82.8 ppb daily maximum for the period of December 31, 1991 to November 1, 1992. The 1990 Modification extended the final compliance deadline for copper and zinc from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1991, and adjusted the interim schedule to reflect the new compliance date.

On May 15, 1990, in Administrative Order ■No. EPD-WQ-1626, EPD modified the schedule for performance of the interim measures required by the 1990 Modification. Order No. EPD-WQ-1626 did not modify the December 31, 1991 effective date of the copper and zinc concentration limits in the 1990 Modification. On October 24, 1991, Coats American and EPD entered into Consent Order No. EPD-WQ-1807 which further modified, the schedule for performance of the interim measures contained in the 1990 Modification. Order No. EPD-WQ-1807 also set a new. deadline of November 1, 1992 for compliance with the copper and zinc limitations of the 1988 permit, as modified by the 1990 Modification.

On October 30, 1992, EPD issued NPDES Permit No. GA 0002038, effective October 30, 1992 through September 30, 1996 (the “1992 permit”), to replace the expiring 1988 permit. The 1992 permit does not contain effluent concentration limits relating to copper or zinc for the period from October 30,1992 through June 3, 1993. For the period from June 4, 1993 to September 30, 1996, the 1992 permit limits the concentration of lead in the Facility discharge to 10 ppb daily maximum and limits the concentration of zinc to 93 ppb daily maximum. The 1992 permit also requires Coats American to monitor the levels of lead in its discharge on a monthly basis, but does not contain a lead concentration limit. The permit continues the 1988 permit conditions relating to foam and to monthly monitoring and reporting to EPD. The 1992 permit contains a temperature limitation, prohibiting the discharge of wastewater warmer than 90°F or of wastewater which would increase the instream water temperature more than 5°F.

Like the 1988 permit, the 1992 permit prohibits the discharge of toxic wastes in concentrations which are harmful to humans, fish or aquatic life. The 1992 permit also requires Coats American to develop, upon EPD request, a program for “whole effluent biomonitoring” if EPD believes the Facility discharge includes toxic substances in concentrations or combinations harmful to humans, fish or aquatic life.

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913 F. Supp. 1572, 26 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 20875, 42 ERC (BNA) 1162, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20668, 1995 WL 789301, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/culbertson-v-coats-american-inc-gand-1995.