INTENT TO ISSUE WI POLLUNTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM PERMIT

Dec. 28, 2011

STATE OF WISCONSIN

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

PUBLIC NOTICE OF INTENT TO REISSUE A

WISCONSIN POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (WPDES) PERMIT No.WI-0022942-09-0

Permittee: Ellsworth Coop Creamery, 232 N Wallace St., Ellsworth, WI 54011

Facility Where Discharge Occurs: Ellsworth Coop Creamery, 232 N.

Wallace St., Ellsworth, WI

Receiving Water and Location: Isabelle Creek in the Trimbelle and

Isabelle Creek Watershed of the Lower Chippewa River Basin in Pierce County. Isabelle Creek is considered a disappearing stream (seeps to groundwater) at the discharge point

Brief Facility Description and Summary of Proposed Changes: This

facility receives approximately 1,825,200 pounds of milk each day

and processes approximately 1,550,000 pounds of milk per day into

cheddar cheese, whey powder and cream. Excess milk is transferred

to other dairy facilities. The Ellsworth Coop Creamery wastewater

treatment facility consists of a flow equalization tank, a spill control diversion tank, a bio-tower, intermittent clarification, three activated sludge aeration tanks, final clarification and chemical addition for phosphorus removal (ferric chloride and polymer). Ellsworth Coop discharged an average of 0.25 million gallons per day of effluent to Isabelle Creek in 2010. Solids removed during the treatment process are stabilized and stored in an aerobic sludge digester. A decant storage tank has been approved by the Department and will be constructed in 2011. Approximately 170 dry US tons of sludge are produced annually at the facility and are land applied on approved agricultural sites. Proposed changes in this permit include new phosphorus, ammonia, temperature, and chloride limits and associated compliance schedules to meet them. Also, surface Water Outfall 002 has been removed from the permit since it is no longer needed.

Permit Drafter: Angela Parkhurst, DNR, WCR Headquarters, 1300 W. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire, WI 54702, (715) 839-3836,

angela.parkhurst@wisconsin.gov

Basin Engineer: Peter Skorseth, DNR, 890 Spruce Street, Baldwin, WI 54002, (715) 684-2914, peter.skorseth@wisconsin.gov

The Department has tentatively decided that the above specified

WPDES permit should be reissued.

Persons wishing to comment on or object to the proposed permit

action, or to request a public hearing, may write to the Department

of Natural Resources at the permit drafter’s address. All comments

or suggestions received no later than 30 days after the publication

date of this public notice will be considered along with other information on file in making a final decision regarding the permit. Anyone providing comments in response to this public notice will receive a notification of the Department’s final decision when the

permit is issued. 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. If no comments are received on the

proposed permit from anyone, including U.S. EPA, the permit will be issued as proposed.

The Department may schedule a public informational hearing if

requested by any person and shall schedule a public informational

hearing if a petition requesting a hearing is received from 5 or more persons or if response to this notice indicates significant public interest pursuant to s. 283.49, Stats. Requests for a public informational hearing shall state the following: the name and address of the person(s) requesting the hearing; the interest in the proposed permit of the person(s) requesting the hearing; the reasons for the request; and the issues proposed to be considered at the hearing.

Information on file for this permit action, including the draft permit and permit information form (if required), may be inspected and copied at the permit drafter’s or basin engineer’s office, Monday through Friday (except holidays), between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Please call the permit drafter or basin engineer for directions to their office location, if necessary. Information on this permit action may also be obtained by calling the permit drafter at (715) 839-3836 or by writing to the Department. Reasonable costs (usually 20 cents per page) will be charged for copies of information in the file other than the public notice and permit information form. Permit information is also available on the internet at: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/ww/drafts/pubnot.htm. Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, will be made to qualified individuals upon request.

8803-52-1C

WNAXLP

Tags: public notices, general legals