An official website of the United States government.

Public Notice: Global Organics LLC d/b/a/ BioFlora; Proposed Settlement of Clean Water Act Class I Administrative Penalty

How to Comment

Comments accepted through: 05/07/2018

How to Comment

Please provide your full name and mailing address. Please submit your comment in writing stating that you are providing comments on the proposed assessment of a penalty pursuant to CWA § 309(g)(4) and intend to participate in the proceeding. Please include the following Docket Number (CWA-09-2018-0008) with your comments.

All comments must be submitted to the Regional Hearing Clerk (address below), within 30 days of the date of this public notice (see 40 C.F.R. § 22.45(b)). If the 30th day of the comment period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, the deadline shall be extended to the next business day. EPA will consider all comments received within this 30-day period before issuance of the final order.

Name, Mailing Address, Telephone Number, and Email of Regional Hearing Clerk
Steven Armsey (r9hearingclerk@epa.gov)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
75 Hawthorne Street (ORC-1)
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 972-3919

For More Information
Persons wishing to receive a copy of Part 22, or review the Consent Agreement and Proposed Final Order, may contact the Regional Hearing Clerk identified above. Please note the Code of Federal Regulations is available online at www.ecfr.gov. Unless otherwise noted the public record for the proceeding is located in the EPA Regional Office at 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105, and the file will be open for public inspection during normal business hours.

Publish Date: 04/05/2018

Summary

In the Matter of Global Organics LLC d/b/a/ BioFlora, Goodyear, Arizona

Docket Number CWA-09-2018-0008

In accordance with Section 309(g) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), 33 U.S.C. § 1319(g), and the Consolidated Rules of Practice at 40 C.F.R. Part 22, notice is hereby given of a proposed settlement, recorded in a Consent Agreement and Final Order (Proposed CA/FO), between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9 (EPA or Complainant), and Global Organics LLC, d/b/a BioFlora (Respondent) to resolve the following civil administrative penalty proceeding under Section 309(g).

On April 5, 2018, pursuant to 40 C.F.R. § 22.13(b) and 22.18(b)(2) and (3), Complainant and Respondent entered into a Proposed CA/FO to simultaneously commence and conclude this CWA Class I civil administrative penalty proceeding. The Proposed CA/FO requires Respondent to pay the United States a penalty of thirty-nine thousand (39,000) dollars. Payment of this penalty will resolve EPA’s allegations that Respondent violated CWA Section 307(d) on at least twenty-eight (28) days by operating a fertilizer manufacturing facility in violation of effluent standards and pretreatment standards established under CWA Section 307(b).

In the Matter of Global Organics LLC d/b/a/ BioFlora, Docket Number CWA-09-2018-0008

Complainant: Elizabeth Berg, Acting Assistant Director, Enforcement Division, U.S. EPA, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105.

Respondent: Global Organics LLC d/b/a/ BioFlora, 16121 W. Eddie Albert Way, Goodyear, Arizona 85338.

Description of Business or Activity Conducted by the Respondent: Global Organics LLC d/b/a/ BioFlora manufactures mixed and blend fertilizers.

Summary of Alleged Violations: BioFlora discharged wastewater to the City of Goodyear’s publicly owned treatment works while in violation of pretreatment regulations promulgated under CWA Section 307(b). BioFlora failed to submit a baseline monitoring report, periodic compliance reports, and comply with categorical pretreatment standards for 418 Subpart G Facilities (Ammonia as N and Total P) set forth in 40 C.F.R. Part 418.76 and with local limits for TSS, arsenic, and zinc.

Proposed Penalty: $39,000

Applicant or Respondent

Global Organics, LLC d/b/a/ BioFlora
16121 W. Eddie Albert Way
Goodyear, AZ 85338