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Home My WebLink AboutNC0005177_Compliance Evaluation Inspection_20170120Environmental Quality January 20; 2017 Mr. Rodney Willis, Environmental Engineer FMC Corporation/Lithium Division P.O Box 795 Bessemer, NC 28016 Dear Mr. Willis: ROY COOPER Governor MICHAEL. S. RRGAN Secretary S. JAY ZIIV MERMAN Director JAN 3 12017 Water Quality, Permitting Section Subject: Compliance Evaluation Inspection FMC Corporation/Lithium Division NPDES Permit No. NC0005177 Gaston County Enclosed is a copy of the Compliance Evaluation Inspection for the inspection conducted at the subject facility on January 17, 2017, by Ori Tuvia. Your cooperation during the site visit was much appreciated. Please advise the staff involved with this NPDES Permit by forwarding a copy of the enclosed repot. If you any questions, please contact Ori Tuvia at (704) 235-2190, or via email at ori.tuv iaa,ncdenr. ggov. .. Cc: NPDES MRO Files Sincerely, Ori Tuvia, Environmental Engineer Mooresville Regional Office Division of Water Resources, DEQ Mooresville Regional Office Location: 610 East Center Ave., Suite 301 Mooresville, NC 28115 Phone: (704) 663-16991 Fax: (704) 663-60401 Customer Service; 1-877-623-6748 Internet: www.ncwaterqualitv.orq 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 U 2 U 3 I. NC0005177 I11- 12 7101/18 117 18 [,j 19 I c I 201 2111111I IIIIIIIIII.11-IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII �6 Inspection Work Days Facility Self -Monitoring Evaluation Rating 131 QA — Reserved - 67 1.0 70 Id I 71 72 L73I74 75 1 1 1 1 1 80 I� El Section B: FacilityData Name and Location of Facility Inspected (For Industrial Users discharging to.POTW, also include Entry Time/Date Permit Effective Date POTW name and NPDES permit Number) 12:OOAM 17/01/18 11/02/01 Lithium Division Plant Exit Time/Date Permit Expiration Date NC Hwy 161 12:OOAM 17/01/18 15/08131 Bessemer City NC 28016 Name(s) of Onsite Representative(s)Ttles(s)/Phone and Fax Number(s) Other Facility Data 111 Rodney Stough Willis/ORC/704-868-7630/ Name, Address of Responsible Official/Titie/Phone and Fax Number Contacted Joe Vasco,PO Box 795 Bessemer City NC 28016/Plant Manager/704-868-0856/ No Section C: Areas Evaluated During Inspection (Check only those areas evaluated) Permit Flow Measurement Operations & Maintenance Records/Reports Self -Monitoring Program Sludge Handling Disposal Facility Site Review Effluent/Receiving Waters Laboratory , 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 Ori A Tuvia MRO WQ//704-663-1699/ Signature of Management Q A Reviewer Agency/Office/Phone and Fax Numbers Date W. Corey Basinger MRO WQ//704-235-2194/ EPA Form 3560-3 (Rev 9-94) Previous editions are -obsolete. gC p" MAO Page# C NPDES yr/mo/day Inspection Type ' 1 31 NC0005177 111 121 17/01/18 117 18 ICI Section D: Summary of Finding/Comments (Attach additional sheets of narrative and checklists as necessary) Page# 2 . Permit: NC0005177 Owner -Facility: Lithium Division Plant Yes No NA NE Are records kept and maintained as required by the permit? 0 ❑ Inspection Date: 01/18/2017 Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation ❑ Is all required information readily available, complete and current? ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Are all records maintained for 3 years (lab. reg. required 5 years)? ❑ ❑ Permit Yes No NA NE (If the present permit expires in 6 months or less). Has the permittee submitted a new 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ - application? - — 0• ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the facility as described in the permit? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ # Are there any special conditions for the permit? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ Is access to the plant site restricted to the general public? M ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the inspector granted access to all areas for inspection? " 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Comment: The subiect permit expired on 8/31/20.1.5. The facility has applied for renewal on 312/2015 and is operating under the expired permit until new permit will be issued. The facility has submitted additional documentation (location-, receiving stream, monitoring results, etc.) to the Division's Permitting Unit regarding the addition of a new discharge outfall. This outfall collects the discharge from the toe drainage system of the final treatment pond for Outfall 001 this oufall could be added under the new permit. Record Keeping Yes No NA NE Are records kept and maintained as required by the permit? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Is all required information readily available, complete and current? ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Are all records maintained for 3 years (lab. reg. required 5 years)? ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Are analytical results consistent with data reported on DMRs? ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the chain -of -custody complete? 0• ❑ ❑ ❑ Dates, times and location of sampling Name of individual performing the sampling Results of analysis and calibration Dates of analysis Name of person performing analyses Transported COCs Are DMRs complete: do they. include all permit parameters? ❑ ❑ ❑ Has the facility submitted. its annual compliance report to users and DWQ? ❑ ❑ M ❑ (If the facility is = or > 5 MGD permitted flow) Do they operate 24/7 with a certified operator ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ on each shift? Is the,ORC visitation log available and current? M ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the ORC certified at grade equal to or higher than the facility classification? M ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the backup operator certified -at one grade less or greater than the facility classification? M ❑ ❑ ❑ Is a copy of the current NPDES permit available on site? ❑ ❑ ❑ Facility has copy of previous year's�Annual Report on file for review? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ Page# 3 Permit: NC0005177 Owner- Facility: lithium Division Plant Inspection Date: 01/18/2017 Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Record Keeping Yes No NA NE Comment: The records reviewed during the insDection were organized and well maintained. DMRs COCs. Calibration logs and ORC lops were reviewed for the period March 2016 through ❑ ❑ 0 November 2016. Incorrect date was found for toxicity sampling done in October. ORC will Incubator (BOD) set to 20.0 degrees Celsius +/- 1.0 degrees? ❑ ❑ send an amended version. ❑ Comment: On-site field analyses (dissolved oxygen, DH, conductivity) are performed under the Laboratory Yes. No NA NE Are field parameters performed by certified personnel or laboratory? N ❑ ❑ ❑ Are all other parameters(excluding field parameters) performed by a certified lab? M ❑ ❑ ❑ # Is the facility using a contract lab? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ # Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at less than or equal to 6.0 degrees M ❑ ❑ ❑ Celsius)? Incubator (Fecal Coliform) set to 44.5 degrees Celsius+/- 0.2 degrees? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ Incubator (BOD) set to 20.0 degrees Celsius +/- 1.0 degrees? ❑ ❑ N ❑ Comment: On-site field analyses (dissolved oxygen, DH, conductivity) are performed under the Company's field laboratory certification #5023. Pace Analytical (BOD, TSS, chlorides, total nitrogen, total phosphorus) and R&A Laboratories (toxicity) have been contracted have also been 'contracted to provide analytical support. The laboratory instrumentation used for field analyses appeared to be properly calibrated/verified and documented. Effluent Sampling Yes No' NA NE Is composite sampling flow proportional? ❑ ❑ ❑ Is sample collected below all treatment units? ❑ ❑ ❑ Is proper volume collected? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the tubing clean? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ # Is proper temperature set for sample storage (kept at less than or equal to 6.0 degrees ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ Celsius)? Is the facility sampling performed as required by the permit (frequency, sampling type 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ representative)? Comment: The subject permit requires effluent grab'samples. Operations & Maintenance Yes No NA NE Is the plant generally clean with acceptable housekeeping? M ❑ ❑ ❑ Does the facility analyze process control parameters, for ex: MLSS, MCRT, Settleable M ❑ ❑ ❑ Solids, pH, DO, Sludge Judge, and other that are applicable? Comment: The.wastewater facility appeared to be properly operated and well maintained. Process control measurements are being properly documented and maintained on-site. All domestic wastewater and a small percentage of the industrial wastewater are connected to the City of Bessemer City's wastewater collection system. Page# 4 Permit: NC0005177 Owner _ Facility: Lithium Division Plant Inspection Date: 01/18/2017 Inspection Type: Compliance Evaluation Operations & Maintenance Yes No NA NE Chemical Feed Yes No NA NE Is containment adequate? ❑ ❑ ❑ Is storage adequate? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Are backup pumps available? 0 ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the site free of excessive leaking? M ❑ ❑ ❑ Comment: Sulfuric acid is added to the influent to maintain appropriate PH levels. Influent PH levels are monitored by an in-line monitoring system. Flow Measurement - Effluent Yes No NA NE #' Is flow meter used for reporting? N ❑ ❑ ❑ Is flow meter calibrated annually? N ❑ ❑ ❑ Is the flow meter operational? ❑ ❑ ❑ (If units are separated) Does the chart recorder match the flow meter?, ❑ ❑ ❑. Comment: The flow meter for Outfall 001 is calibrated annually and was last calibrated on 11/28/2016 by the Company's personnel. Effluent Pio e Yes No NA NE Is right of way to the outfall properly maintained? ❑ ❑ 0 ❑ Are the receiving water free of foam other than trace amounts and other debris? ❑ ❑ ❑ If effluent (diffuser pipes are required) are they operating properly? ❑ ❑ N ❑ Comment: The effluents from Outfalls 001 and 004 were clear with no floatable solids or -foam. _ The discharge from the toe drainage system (Outfall 001 pond) was also clear with no floatable solids or foam. The receiving stream did not appear to be negatively impacted. Page# 5