UPDATE: BVU says Bristol Virginia has violated terms of permit for landfill
Bristol Virginia Utilities has issued a $3,000 fine to the City of Bristol for a violation of benzene levels at its landfill.
A letter from BVU sent to City Manager Randall Eads made available to the press said the penalties were based on results compiled by an independent laboratory and by self-monitoring.
The testing was also a result of an agreement the city and BVU achieved on Dec. 3 for the ongoing treatment of benzene at the facility which is also under state review for ongoing violations related to the odors coming from the landfill.
Here is a copy of the letter:
Subject: Notice of Violation, Permit Number 013E – BENZENE
Dear Mr. Eads,
BVU Authority’s independent laboratory has completed sample testing as part of its industrial monitoring. BVU Authority has determined there is a violation of your referenced permit. This violation must be addressed in accordance with the Compliance Order, executed on December 3, 2021. The November data includes self-monitoring and authority data. Per your permit, no sample may contain more than 0.07 milligrams per liter (mg/L). The sampling test results (data) is summarized below:
Sample Date
Sample Collection Agency
Benzene Measurement (mg/L)
11/10/2021
City Landfill and BVU*
0.53 mg/L
11/17/2021
BVU
3.21 mg/L
11/30/2021
BVU
2.00 mg/L
*BVU collected the sample. The sample was analyzed at two different laboratories, one selected by the City and the other by BVU. The two results were combined to make the average shown. The results were comparable.
Within thirty (30) days of this Notice of Violation, please provide a written description of the actions the Bristol Virginia Sanitary Landfill will take to achieve compliance with their industrial wastewater discharge permit. Failure to respond is a violation of the permit. Please email your response to pking@bvua.com and keith.norris@inframark.com.
Per our Compliance Order, the City is fined $1,000.00 for each of the three (3) violations, totaling $3,000.00.
Sincerely,
Philip King, PE
Manager of Water and Wastewater Engineering
