(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the City may issue an order to immediately suspend the wastewater treatment service and/or a wastewater contribution permit of any user whenever such suspension is necessary to stop an actual or threatened discharge which presents or may present an imminent or substantial endangerment to the health or welfare of persons or to the environment, may cause interference to the Wastewater Pollution Control Plant or may cause the City to violate any condition of its NPDES permit.
(b) Any user receiving an emergency suspension order shall immediately stop or eliminate all discharges within the time specified in the emergency suspension order. In the event of a user's failure to immediately comply voluntarily with the emergency suspension order, but subject to subsection (d) hereof, the City shall take such steps as are deemed necessary, including immediate severance of the sewer connection, to prevent or minimize damage to the sewer system and its receiving stream or the endangerment of any individuals. The City shall allow the user to recommence discharge when the endangerment has passed, unless the termination proceedings set forth in Section 932.25 are initiated against the user.
(c) A user who is responsible, in whole or in part, for an imminent endangerment shall submit to the City, within fifteen days of the date of the occurrence, a detailed, written statement describing the causes of the harmful contribution and the measures taken to prevent any future occurrence.
(d) An emergency suspension order issued by the City under this section may be immediately appealed on an expedited basis pursuant to Section 932.28(c). If an emergency suspension order is immediately appealed by the user, then no final action may be taken by the City under this section until the administrative law judge issues a final written decision under Section 932.28(b), unless the Water Pollution Control Board, through its appropriate officials, obtains injunctive relief from the Court of Common Pleas pursuant to Section 932.29. If an emergency suspension order is not immediately appealed by the user, or if the emergency suspension order is affirmed by the administrative law judge on appeal, then the City may take final action under this section.
(Ord. 93-293. Passed 12-20-93.)