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Home My WebLink AboutNCG500609_NOV2022PC0652_20221019ROY COOPER Governor ELIZABETH S. BISER Secretary RICHARD E. ROGERS, JR. Director New South Lumber Company Inc. Attn: Mark Blalock, General Manager 4408 Mount Hermon Rock Creek Road Graham, NC 27253-8909 NORTH CAROLINA Environmental Quality October 19th, 2022 Subject: Compliance Evaluation Inspection & Notice of Violation NOV Tracking #: NOV-2022-PC-0652 New South Lumber Company Inc, Graham Plant NPDES General Permit: NCG500000, Certificate of Coverage: NCG500609 Alamance County Dear Mr. Blalock: Ron Boone of the North Carolina Division of Water Resources (NCDWR), Winston-Salem Regional Office (WSRO), conducted a compliance evaluation inspection of the New South Lumber Company Inc, Graham Plant on September 29th, 2022. Kristie Hill was present for the inspection. The determined permit violations are listed below, and inspection findings are detailed in the attached Water Compliance Inspection Report. PERMIT VIOLATIONS 1. The boiler blowdown discharges are NOT being monitored as required in Part I, Section B.(1.) of the NCG500000 general permit. Please be aware that the Division may take enforcement action against any individual who fails to comply with the requirements of all applicable permits, regulations, and/or statutes. Pursuant to NC General Statute (NCGS) 143-215.6A, a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) may be assessed against any person who violates or fails to act in accordance with the terms, conditions, or requirements of any permit, or applicable regulations, issued pursuant to G.S. 143-215.1. You are required to develop and implement processes to capture representative samples from each of the separate on -site discharges within 90 days of receiving this notice. You then must start collecting semi-annual samples for analysis as specified in the NCG500000 permit. Mr. Boone will follow up after 90 days to check on your progress. Failure to accomplish the above requirements within the specified timeframe will result in further enforcement actions. DffNorth Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources oan caaouNn Winston-Salem Regional Office 1 450 W. Hanes Mill Rd, Suite 300 I Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27105 M336.776.9800 oep.m.m or em�nmen� ouaim, If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Boone by phone at 336-776-9690, or by email at ron.boone@ncdenr.gov. Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter. Sincerely, DocuSiTgned by: %A. l . c%n.1�Cr 945B49E225C94EA... Lon T. Snider, Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Winston-Salem Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ Attachments: 1. Water Compliance Inspection Report, NCG500609 REQ� North Carolina Department ofEnvironmental Quality I Division ofWater Resources Winston-Salem Regional Office 1 450 W. Hanes Mill Rd, Suite 300 1 Raleigh, North Carolina 27105 NORTH CAROLINA 336.776.9800 naparMeM of EmironmanW 9uallly United States Environmental Protection Agency Form Approved. EPA Washington, D.C. 20460 OMB No. 2040-0057 Water Compliance Inspection Report Approval expires 8-31-98 Section A: National Data System Coding (i.e., PCS) Transaction Code NPDES yr/mo/day Inspection Type Inspector Fac Type 1 IN 2 u 3 I NCG500609 111 121 22/09/27 I17 18 [� ] 19 L S j 201 21111I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I r6 Inspection Work Days Facility Self -Monitoring Evaluation Rating B1 QA ---------------------- Reserved ------------------- 67 I 72 I ni I 73 � I 74 79 I I I I I I I80 70 I I 71 I LL -1 I I LJ Section B: Facility Data Name and Location of Facility Inspected (For Industrial Users discharging to POTW, also include Entry Time/Date Permit Effective Date POTW name and NPDES Dermit Number) 01:OOPM 22/09/27 21/01/04 Graham Plant 4408 Mt Hermon Rock Creek Rd Exit Time/Date Permit Expiration Date Graham NC 272538909 02:OOPM 22/09/27 25/11/30 Name(s) of Onsite Representative(s)/Titles(s)/Phone and Fax Number(s) Other Facility Data Name, Address of Responsible Official/Title/Phone and Fax Number Contacted Kristie Hill, //336-376-5803/ No Section C: Areas Evaluated During Inspection (Check only those areas evaluated) Other Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) (See attachment summary) Name(s) and Signature(s) of Inspector(s) Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date R nDIcQ�f��red by: DWR/WSRO WQ/336-776-9690/ osiaecl Boo., 10/19/2022 B20F8DDF)"AI.0... Signature of Management Q A Reviewer Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date DocuSigned by:10/19/2022 - -T. 5,,d r FL EPA Form 66'T(ffev 9-94) Previous editions are obsolete. Page# NPDES yr/mo/day Inspection Type NCG500609 I11 12I 22/09/27 117 18 i „ i (Cont.) Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) Ron Boone, of the NC Division of Water Resources (DWR), Winston-Salem Regional Office (WSRO), conducted a compliance evaluation inspection of New South Lumber Company's Graham plant on September 29th, 2022. Kristie Hill was present for the inspection. Inspection findings are detailed below and in the following inspection checklist: The Graham plant has a certificate of coverage (COC), COC #NCG500609, under NC general wastewater permit NCG500000. The Graham plant discharges boiler blowdown from three separate boiler units. The units discharge from pipes onto the concrete and asphalt ground surfaces within the plant. The discharge then flows across the ground surface to a small pond on the east side of the plant and immediately south of the fire pond. Part I, Section B.(1.) of the NCG500000 permit, requires that the permittee sample all such discharges semi-annually. Ms. Hill provided some monitoring data but it appears to be data for the plant's stormwater permit, not the wastewater permit. Ms. Hill, and Chad, the plant manager, were unclear as to what permits the plant has and what monitoring is required for each. It appears that no monitoring for the wastewater permit has been completed. Once the boiler blowdown discharges, it flows approximately 400 to 500 feet over the concrete and asphalt ground surface to the pond where it commingles with some stormwater. Of course, it also picks up various solids and wood chips and dust along the way. The water in the pond is coffee -colored and has a foul odor, indicating the presence of tannins and lignins, compounds often imparted to water from wood waste products. Chad indicated during the inspection that this pond only discharges under heavy rain conditions, but it was discharging while we were onsite. It was not raining during the inspection. New South Lumber is therefore not compliant with permit requirements and must start sampling. It is critical that a method to obtain representative samples be developed. Sampling from the pond would NOT be representative. At this time, representative samples could only be obtained at the end of the discharge pipes before the water hits the ground. This would necessitate three separate samples, one for each discharge. Page# Permit: NCG500609 Inspection Date: 09/27/2022 Other Comment: Refer to summary. Owner -Facility: Graham Plant Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Yes No NA NE Page#