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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20011381 Ver 1_Enforcement Package_20000504NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY May 4, 2000 MEMORANDUM TO Coleen Sullins, WQ Section Chief Division of Water Quality FROM Jennifer Frye, WQ -WSRO THROUGH Larry D Coble, Supervisor-- - WQ-WSRO SUBJECT Enforcement Package and Recommendation Stream Standard Violations SS 00 006 PTR, Inc. Forsyth County This enforcement recommendation is a result of the following investigation findings PTR, Inc culverted approximately 1510 linear feet of Leak Fork Creek and an unnamed tributary to Leak Fork Creek, Class "C" waters, Yadkin -Pee Dee River Basin This impact occurred prior to securing the appropriate 404 permits from the U S Army Corps of Engineers and a 401 Water Quality Certification from the Division of Water Quality Site inspections by DWQ staff on November 4, 1998, December 7, 1998, March 15, 2000, and April 7, 2000 confirmed that Leak Fork Creek and an unnamed tributary had been culverted and filled without benefit of the appropriate 401 Water Quality certification Accordingly, best usage, which includes aquatic life propagation and biological integrity, wildlife, and secondary recreation, had been removed because the stream has been illegally removed It is therefore the recommendation of the Winston -Salem Regional Office that PTR, Inc be assessed civil penalties in accordance with NCGS 143 -215 6A It is also recommended that enforcement cost incurred during the investigation be recovered in the amount of $ 1592 28 If you have any questions concerning this report, please advise Attached are the following for your consideration 1 Two copies of the Findings and Decision and Assessment of Civil Penalties detailing the violation 2 Two copies of the Enforcement Case Assessment Factors document 3 Photographs 4 One computer disk with electronic copies of #1 and #2 above 5 Copies of all correspondence between DWQ and PTR, Inc and other pertinent documentation cc Danny Smith, Central 401/Wetlands Unit WSRO_ azr9° vvly"_� State of North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Water Quality James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor Bill Holman, Secretary Kerr T. Stevens, Director CERTIFIED MAIL. RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Rocky Carter PO Box 1037 Kernersville, North Carolina 27285 Dear Mr Carter 1 • NCDENR!111- CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES August 22, 2000 R E C E l V ED N.C. Dept. of EMR SEP - 1 2000 Winston -Salem Reg:onai Office SUBJECT Assessment of Civil Penalties for Violations of 15A NCAC 2B 0211 (2) & 15 A NCAC 2H 0501 ForsythCounty File No SS 00 -006 This letter transmits notice of a civil penalty assessed against PTR, Inc in the amount of S10,592 28 including $1592 28 in investigative costs Attached is a copy of the assessment document explaining this penalty This action was taken under the authority vested in me by delegation provided by the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Any continuing violation(s) may be the subject of a new enforcement action, including an additional penalty Within thirty days of receipt of this notice, you must do one of the following Submit payment of the penalty: Payment should be made directly to the order of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (do not include waiver form) Payment of the penalty will not foreclose further enforcement action for any continuing or new violations) Mailing Address Telephone (919) 733 -5083 Location 1617 Mail Service Center Fax (919) 733 -0059 512 N Salisbury St Raleigh, North Carolina 27699 -1617 State Courier #52 -01 -01 Raleigh, NC 27699 -1617 An Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Emploi er 50% i ecycled / 10% post- consumer paper http 11h2o enr state nc us J Please submit payment to the attention of- Ms. Coleen Sullins NCDENR DWQ 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699 -1617 2. Submit a written request for remission or mitigation including a detailed justification for such request: A request for remission or mitigation is linuted to consideration of the reasonableness of the amount of the penalty and is not the proper procedure for contesting the accuracy of any of the statements contained in the assessment letter. Because a remission request forecloses the option of an adnnistrative hearing, such a request must be accompanied by a waiver of your right to an administrative hearing and a stipulation that there are no factual or legal issues in dispute. You must execute and return to this office the attached waiver and stipulation form and a detailed statement which you believe establishes whether (a) one or more of the civil penalty assessment factors in G S. 143B -282 1(b) were wrongfully applied to the detriment of the petitioner, (b) the violator promptly abated continuing environmental damage resulting from the violation; (c) the violation was inadvertent or a result of an accident, (d) the violator had been assessed civil penalties for any previous violations, (e) payment of the civil penalty will prevent payment for the remaining necessary remedial actions. Please submit this information to the attention of- Mr Steve Lewis NCDENR DWQ 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699 -1671 •• 3. Submit a written request for an administrative hearing: If you wish to contest any portion of the civil penalty assessment, you must request an administrative hearing. This request must be in the form of a written petition to the Office of Administrative Hearings and must conform to Chapter 150B of the North Carolina General Statutes You must file your original petition with the. Office of Administrative Hearings 6714 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699 -6714 AND r Mail or hand - deliver a Copy of the petition to: Mr. Dan McLawhorn NCDENR Office of General Counsel 1601 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699 -1601 Failure to exercise one of the options above within thirty days, as evidenced by a date stamp (not a postmark) indicating when we received your response, will result in this matter being referred to the Attorney General's Office with a request to initiate a civil action to collect the penalty. Please be advised that additional assessments may be levied for future violations which occur after the review period of this assessment. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Steve Lewis at (919) 733 -5083, ext. 539 or Mr. Jeff Poupart at (919) 733 -5083, ext. 527. Sincerely, Kerr T. Stevens ATTACi LVIENTS cc: Regional Supervisor w/ attachments Compliance/Enforcement File w/ attachments Central Files w/ attachments v Public Information Officer w/ attachments STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES COUNTY OF FORSYTH r� File No SS -00 -006 IN THE MATTER OF ) PTR, INC ) FINDINGS AND DECISION FOR VIOLATION OF ) AND ASSESSMENT OF 15A NCAC 2B 0211 (2) & ) CIVIL PENALTIES 15A NCAC 2H 0501 (b) ) Acting pursuant to delegation provided by the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, I, Kerr T Stevens, Director of the Division of Water Quality (DWQ), make the following I FINDINGS OF FACT• A PTR, Inc is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of North Carolina B PTR, Inc is the owner and developer of the tract known as the PTR, Inc /Larry's Homes located at 4060 North Patterson Avenue, Winston - Salem, Forsyth County C PTR, Inc. culverted and filled 850 linear feet of Leak Fork Creek and 660 linear feet of an unnamed tributary of Leak Fork Creek, of the Yadkin -Pee Dee River Basin D The discharge of fill material (culvert and soil) occurred without benefit of a North Carolina 401 Water Quality Certification E No application for a 401 Certification was received until February 4, 1999 F The U S Army Corps of Engineers issued a Notification of Unauthorized Activity to PTR, Inc on February 3, 1999 for the excavating, culverting and filling of Leak Fork and the unnamed tributary G DWQ inspected the site on November 7, 1998, December 15, 1998, March 15, 2000 and April 7, 2000 and observed that Leak Fork Creek and the unnamed tributary had been filled and culverted H The Division of Water Quality sent a Notice of Violation and Recommendation for Enforcement to PTR, Inc on February 18, 2000 fox, the unauthorized actiNLity I PTR, Inc removed the best usage of 1510 linear feet of Leak Fork and the unnamed tributary ` J Leak Fork and the unnamed tributary are located on the PTR, Inc /Larry's Homes property and are classified as "C" waters K The costs to the State of the enforcement procedures in this matter totaled $159228 Based upon the above Findings of Fact, I make the following II CONCLUSIONS OF LAW A PTR, Inc is a "person" within the meaning of G S 143 -215 6 pursuant to G S 143- 212(4) B Leak Fork Creek and the unnamed tributary are located along a tract known as PTR, Inc /Larry's Homes and constitutes waters of the State within the meaning of G S 143- 212(6) C PTR, Inc violated 15A NCAC 2B 0211 (2) by culverting and placing backfill material in a stream such that usage of surface waters was removed D PTR, Inc violated 15A NCAC 2H 0501 (b) by culverting and placing backfill material into a stream without benefit of a North Carolina 401 Water Quality Certification E The State's enforcement costs in this matter may be assessed against PTR, Inc pursuant to G S. 143 -215 3(a)(9) and G S 143B -282 1(b)(8) F The Director, Division of Water Quality, pursuant to delegation provided by the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, has the authority to assess civil penalties in this matter Based upon the above Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, I make the following III DECISION Accordingly, PTR, Inc is hereby assessed a civil penalty of !N. $ S O o o for violation of 15A NCAC 2B 0211 (2) by removal of surface water usage $ 159228 $ kO, Satz .Z43 for violation of 15A NCAC 2H 0501(b) for failure to secure a Water Quality 401 Certification TOTAL CIVIL PENALTY, which is 4_ percent of the maximum penalty authorized by G S 143- 215.6A Enforcement costs TOTAL AMOUNT DUE As required by G S 143 -215 6A(c), in determining the amount of the penalty I have considered the factors listed in G S 14313-282 1(b), which are (1) The degree and extent of harm to the natural resources of the State, to the public health, or to private property resulting from the violation, (2) The duration and gravity of the violation, (3) The effect on ground or surface water quantity or quality or on air quality, (4) The cost of rectifying the damage, (5) The amount of money saved by noncompliance; (6) Whether the violation was committed willfully or intentionally, (7) The prior record of the violator in complying or failing to comply with programs over which the Environmental Management Commission has regulatory authority, (8) The cost to the State of the enforcement procedures 8,-2-2--00 ��. (Date) Kerr T Stevens, Director Division of Water Quality �� i