WT002865_Gunpowder Creek WWTP NOV_20200309

STATE
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ROY COOPER
Governor _
MICHAEL S.REGAN M14 a
Secretary
BRIAN WRENN NORTH CAROLINA
Acting Director Environmental Quality
March 9,2020
CERTIFIED MAIL: 7019 0700 0000 8867 7347
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
City of Lenoir
Attention: Radford L. Thomas, Director of Public Utilities
Post Office Box 958
Lenoir,North Carolina 28645
Subject: NOTICE OF VIOLATION (NOV-2020-PC-0132)
Site Number: WT002865
Gunpowder Creek WWTP
Caldwell County
Dear Mr. Thomas:
On February 25,2020, Isaiah Reed from the Asheville Regional Office of the Division of Energy,
Mineral and Land Resources(DEMLR), visited the subject site located at 450 Pine Mountain Road in
Hudson, Caldwell County,North Carolina. The site visit and file review revealed that the Gunpowder
Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant has not maintained coverage under, an NPDES General Permit No.
NCG110000 (Treatment Works)for stormwater discharges from the site. The site currently discharges
stormwater affected by processes on site to receiving waters designated as Gunpowder Creek, a Class
WS-IV waterbody in the Catawba River Basin.
An NPDES permit is required to discharge stormwater to waters of the state in accordance with G.S. 143-
215.l(a)and Title 15A North Carolina Administrative Code(hereby known as NCAC)2H .0126.
Enclosed with the inspection report is a copy of Notice of Intent(NOI)that shall be filled out and
submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality within 30 calendar days of receipt of this Notice.
Submission information can be found in the NOI.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. This office requires that the violations,as detailed above,
be properly resolved. These violations and any future violations are subject to a civil penalty
assessment of up to $25,000 per day for each violation. Your efforts to undertake activities to bring the
subject site into compliance are not an admission, rather they are actions that must be taken in order to
begin to resolve ongoing environmental issues. The timeliness with which you submit an NOI, the degree
and extent of harm to the environment, and the duration and gravity of the violation(s)will be considered
in any civil penalty assessment process that may occur. Should you have any questions regarding these
matters, please contact Isaiah Reed or myself at(828)296-4500.
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Energy,Mineral and Land Resources
Asheville Regional Office 1 2090 U.S.Highway 70 1 Swannanoa,North Carolina 28778
828.296.4500
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Notice of Violation
City of Lenoir
March 6, 2020
Page 2 of 2
Sincerely,
Stanley E. Aike a
Regional Engineer
Land Quality Section
Enclosure:
Notice of Intent
ec: Alaina Morman,Environmental Specialist
Suzanne McCoy-Administrative Specialist