WQ0002264_Final Permit_19911127

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources
Division of Environmental Management
512 North Salisbury Street • Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
James G. Martin, Governor
William W. Cobey, Jr., Secretary
November 27, 1991
Mr. Ralph Messera, City Manager
City of Bessemer City
132 Virginia Avenue
Bessemer City, North Carolina 28016
George T. Everett, Ph.D
Director
Subject: Permit No. WQ0002264
City of Bessemer City
Land Application of Sludge
Gaston County
Dear Mr. Messera:
In accordance with your application for renewal of Permit Number WQ0002264 received August
21, 1991, we are forwarding herewith Permit No. WQ0002264, dated November 27, 1991, to the City of
Bessemer City for the continued operation of a land application of sludge program.
Issuance of this permit hereby voids Permit Number WQ0002264 issued February 7, 1990. This
permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until October 31, 1996, and shall be subject to the
conditions and limitations as specified therein. Please pay particular attention to the monitoring
requirements in this permit. Failure to establish an adequate system for collecting and maintaining the
required operational information will result in future compliance problems.
Sites BC-2 (Margaret Paysour, owner) and BC-3 (Frank Hood, owner) are not included in the
renewed permit because "Land Owner's Agreements" were not included in the renewal application
package.
If any parts, requirements, or limitations contained in this permit are unacceptable to you, you have
the right to request an adjudicatory hearing upon written request within 30 days following receipt of this
permit. This request must be in the form of a written petition, conforming to Chapter 150B of North
Carolina General Statutes, and filed with the Office of Administrative Hearings, P.O. Drawer 27447,
Raleigh, NC 27611-7447. Unless such demands are made this permit shall be final and binding.
Regional Offices
Asheville Fayetteville Mooresville Raleigh Washington Wilmington Winston-Salem
704/251-6208 919/486-1541 704/663-1699 919/733-2314 919/946-6481 919/395-39W 919/896-7007
Pollution Prevention Pays
P.O. Box 29535, Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535 Telephone [phone]
An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer

Mr. Ralph Messera, City Manager
November 27, 1991
Page Two
If you need additional information concerning this matter, please contact Mr. Dana Bolden at 919/
733-5083.
v
cc: Gaston County Health Department
Environmental Waste Recycling, Incorporated
Mooresville Regional Office
Groundwater Section
Training and Certification
Facilities Assessment Unit

NORTH CAROLINA
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND NATURAL RESOURCES
RALEIGH
SLUDGE LAND APPLICATION PERMIT
In accordance with the provisions of Article 21 of Chapter 143, General Statutes of North Carolina as
amended, and other applicable Laws, Rules, and Regulations
PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO
City of Bessemer City
Gaston County
Wr _: WIi
continued operation of a sludge land application program consisting of the application of sludge from the
sources listed in Condition H-4 to the sites listed in Condition VI-5 with no discharge of wastes to the
surface waters, pursuant to the application received August 21, 1991 and in conformity with the project
plan, specifications, and other supporting data subsequently filed and approved by the Department of
Environment, Health and Natural Resources and considered a part of this permit.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until October 31, 1996, shall hereby void
Permit Number WQ0002264 issued February 7, 1990, and shall be subject to the following specified
conditions and limitations:
1. The Mooresville Regional Office, phone no. [phone], and the appropriate local
governmental official (county manager/city manager) shall be notified at least twenty-four
(24) hours prior to the initial application of the sludge to any sites not previously receiving
sludge so that an inspection can be made of the application sites and application method.
Such notification to the regional supervisor shall be made during the normal office hours
from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday, excluding State Holidays.
Also the Gaston County Manager's office must be notified prior to the initial application to
any sites not previously receiving sludge so that they will be aware that the operation has
commenced.
2. This permit shall become voidable if the soils fail to adequately absorb the wastes and may
be rescinded unless the sites are maintained and operated in a manner which will protect
the assigned water quality standards of the surface waters and ground waters.
3. The land application program shall be effectively maintained and operated as a non -
discharge system to prevent the discharge of any wastes resulting from the operation of this
program.

4. The issuance of this permit shall not relieve the Permittee of the responsibility for damages
to surface or groundwaters resulting from the operation of this facility.
5. In the event that the land application program is not operated satisfactorily, including the
creation of nuisance conditions, the Permittee shall cease applying sludge to the sites and
take any immediate corrective actions, including the construction of additional or
replacement wastewater treatment or disposal facilities.
6. No crops for direct human consumption shall be raised on these sites for a period of 18
months following sludge application.
7. Maximum slope for sludge application shall be 10% for surface application and 18% for
subsurface applications.
8. The following buffers zones shall be maintained:
a) 400 feet from residences or places of public assembly under separate ownership for
surface application method; however, the buffer zone requirement may be reduced
to a minimum of 100 feet upon written consent of the owner,
b) 200 feet from residences or places of public assembly under separate ownership for
injection method; however, the buffer zone requirement may be reduced to a
minimum of 100 feet upon written consent of the owner,
c) 100 feet from "SA and SB" classified waters and public surface water supplies for
both methods,
d) 50 feet from "WS" classified waters and other streams, creeks, lakes, rivers, and
surface water drainage ways for injection method,
e) 100 feet from "WS" classified waters and other streams, creeks, lakes, rivers and
surface water drainage ways for surface application method,
f) 100 feet from property lines for both methods; however, this requirement may be
reduced upon written concurrence from the adjoining property owner,
g) 50 feet from public right of ways for surface application methods,
h) 25 feet from public right of ways for subsurface disposal methods,
i) 10 feet from upslope interceptor drains and surface water diversions for both
methods,
j) 25 feet from downslope interceptor drains, surface water diversions, groundwater
drainage systems and surface drainage ditches for both methods.
9. A copy of this permit shall be kept at the land application site when sludge is being applied
during the life of this permit. A spill prevention and control plan shall be kept in all sludge
transport and application vehicles.
10. All sludges included in this permit must be stabilized by a process to significantly reduce
pathogens (as described in 40 CFR Part 257, Appendix II) prior to application or
incorporation.
11. Specific sludge application area boundaries shall be clearly marked on each site prior to and
during sludge application.
12. No sludge at any time shall be stored at any application site.
WNW1 ' ' . lKIRI; INInu[:M►itN.WMII►INM�WBIII1J1I� u�► .�
1. The facilities and disposal sites shall be properly maintained and operated at all times.
2. A suitable vegetative cover as listed in condition II 3, shall be maintained in accordance
with the crop management plan approved by this Division.
2

3. The application rates shall not exceed the following for the specified crops:
Crops PAN Obs/acre/year)
Corn (grain)...............................................150
Corn (silage)...............................................220
Soybeans...................................................150
Grains (wheat, barley)...................................100
Fescue Hay/Pasture...................................... 150
Clover/Alfalfa Hay........................................250
4. No sludges other than the following are hereby approved for land application in accordance
with this permit:
Permit Estimated
Sourcen NumbQr Volume alln
Bessemer City WWTP....... Gaston ........NCO020826.............1,500,000
Bessemer City WTP .........Gaston.........01-36-025...............150,000
5. The lifetime heavy metal loadings shall not exceed the following for the corresponding
Cation Exchange Capacities (CEC):
Parameter (lbslacre) CEC <
Lead..........................................................500
Zinc.......................................................... 250
Copper.......................................................125
Nickel........................................................ 125
Cadmium......................................................4.5
6. Upon classification of the facility by the Certification Commission, the Permittee shall
employ a certified wastewater treatment plant operator to be in responsible charge of the
wastewater treatment facilities. The operator must hold a certificate of the type and grade at
least equivalent to the classification assigned to the wastewater treatment facilities by the
Certification Commission.
7. Adequate procedures shall be provided to prevent surface runoff from carrying any
disposed or stored sludge material into any surface waters.
8. Animals shall not be grazed on sludge applied land within a 30-day period following the
sludge application. Application sites that are to be used for grazing shall have fencing that
will be used to prevent access after each application.
9. Surface applied sludge will be plowed or disced within twenty-four (24) hours after
application on lands with no cover crop established.
10. For areas that are prone to flooding or within the 100-year flood elevation, sludge may be
applied only during periods of dry weather. The sludge must be incorporated into the soil
within twenty-four (24) hours of application.
11. Appropriate measures must be taken to control public access to the land application sites
during active site use and for the 12-month period following the last sludge application
event. Such controls may include the posting of signs indicating the activities being
conducted at each site.
12. Adequate provisions shall be taken to prevent wind erosion and surface runoff from
conveying pollutants from the sludge application area onto the adjacent property or into the
surface waters.
3

13. Sludge shall not be applied in inclement weather or until 24 hours following a rainfall event
of 1/2-inch or greater in 24 hours. Any emergency sludge disposal measures must first be
approved by the Division of Environmental Management.
14. The site shall be adequately limed to a soil pH of at least 6.5 prior to sludge application.
Sludge may be applied to sites with a pH of less than 6.5 provided a sufficient amount of
lime is also applied to achieve a final pH of the lime, sludge and soil mixture of at least 6.5.
Any monitoring (including groundwater, surface water, sludge, soil, or plant tissue
analyses) deemed necessary by the Division of Environmental Management to insure
protection of the environment will be established and an acceptable sampling and reporting
schedule shall be followed. If monitoring data indicates minimal or no concern to the
Division, reduction of monitoring requirements may be pursued after two annual reporting
periods.
2. Proper records shall be maintained by the Permittee tracking all disposal activities. These
records shall include, but are not necessarily limited to the following information:
a) source of sludge
b) date of sludge application
c) location of sludge application (site, field, or zone #)
d) method of application
e) weather conditions
f) soil conditions
g) type of crop or crop to be grown on field
h) volume of sludge applied in gallons/acre and dry tons/acre
i) annual and cumulative totals of dry tons/acre of sludge, annual and cumulative
pounds/acre of each heavy metal (which shall include, but not be Iimited to
lead,nickel, cadmium, copper and zinc), annual pounds/acre of plant available
nitrogen (PAN), and annual pounds/acre of phosphorus applied to each field.
3. A representative annual soils analysis (Standard Soil Fertility Analysis) shall be conducted
of each site receiving sludge in the respective calendar year and the results maintained on
file by the Permittee for a minimum of five years. The Standard Soil Fertility Analysis
shall include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following parameters:
Base Saturation
Manganese
Magnesium
Cation Exchange Capacity
Phosphorus
Sodium
Potassium
Nickel
Lead
Cadmium
Zinc
Copper
pH
Calcium
4. A quarterly sludge analysis and annual Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure
(TCLP) analysis shall be conducted by the Permittee and the results maintained on file by
the Permittee for a minimum of five years. If land application occurs at a frequency less
than quarterly, sludge analysis will be required for each instance of land application.
4

5.
The sludge analysis shall include but is not necessarily limited to the following parameters:
% total solids
Magnesium
Chlorides
Sulfate
Phosphorus
Potassium
Lead
Zinc
Copper
Nickel
Cadmium
Chromium
Sodium
Calcium
Total Nitrogen
Ammonia Nitrogen
Nitrate/Nitrite Nitrogen
pH
Plant Available Nitrogen (by calculation)
The TCLP analysis shall include the following parameters:
Arsenic
Barium
Benzene
Cadmium
Carbon tetrachloride
Chlordane
Chlorobenzene
Chloroform
Chromium
o-Cresol
m-Cresol
p-Cresol
Cresol
2,4-D
1,4-Dichlorobenzene
1,2-Dichloroethane
1, 1 -Dichloroethylene
2,4-Dinitrotoluene
Endrin
Heptachlor (and its hydroxide)
Hexachlorobenzene
Hexachloro- 1,3-butadiene
Hexachloroethane
Lead
Lindane
Mercury
Methoxychlor
Methyl ethyl ketone
Nitrobenzene
Pentachlorophenol
Pyridine
Selenium
Silver
Tetrachloroethylene
Toxaphene
Trichloroethyiene
2,4,5-Trichlorophenol
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol
2,4,5-TP (Silvex)
Vinyl chloride
Three copies of all monitoring and reporting requirements as specified in conditions III 1,
III 2, 1113 and M 4 shall be submitted annually on or before March 1 of the following year
to the following address:
NC Division of Environmental Management
Water Quality Section
Facility Assessment Unit
PO Box 29535
Raleigh, NC 27626-0535
Noncompliance Notification:
The Permittee shall report by telephone to the Mooresville Regional Office telephone no.
[phone], as soon as possible, but in no case more than 24 hours or on the next
working day following the occurrence or first knowledge of the occurrence of any of the
following:
a. Any occurrence with the land application program which results in the land
application of significant amounts of wastes which are abnormal in quantity or
characteristic.
.y

b. Any failure of the land application program resulting in a release of sludge material
to receiving waters.
C. Any time that self -monitoring information indicates that the facility has gone out of
compliance with the conditions and limitations of this permit or the parameters on
which the system was designed.
d. Any process unit failure, due to known or unknown reasons, that render the facility
incapable of adequate sludge treatment.
e. Any spillage or discharge from a vehicle or piping system transporting sludge to the
application site.
Persons reporting such occurrences by telephone shall also file a written report in letter
form within 15 days following fast knowledge of the occurrence. This report must outline
the actions taken or proposed to be taken to ensure that the problem does not recur.
s1 9 I OUKT4 I XMi '_DIZI
1. No land application of waste activities shall be undertaken when the seasonal high water
table is less than three feet below land surface.
2. Any groundwater quality monitoring as deemed necessary by the Division of
Environmental Management shall be provided
3. The Compliance BQundarX for the disposal system is specified by regulations in 15 NCAC
2L, Classifications and Water Quality Standards applicable to the groundwater of North
Carolina. An exceedance of Groundwater Quality Standards beyond the Compliance
Boundary is subject to penalty provisions applicable under General Statute 143-215.6(1)a.
The sale of property, by the Permittee, which is within or contiguous to the disposal
system site may alter location of the Compliance Boundary.
For facilities permitted on or after December 30, 1983, the Compliance Boundary is
established at the lesser of 250 feet from the perimeter of the land application area or 50 feet
within the property boundary.
If the title to any property which may affect the location of the Compliance Boundary is
changed, the permittee shall notify the Division Director within 14 days. The Director shall
then establish a modified Compliance Boundary which will be done as a modification to the
Permit.
The REVIEW BOUNDARY for the disposal system is specified by regulations in 15
NCAC 2L, Groundwater Classifications and Standards. A REVIEW BOUNDARY is
established around disposal systems midway between the Compliance Boundary and the
perimeter of the waste disposal area. When the concentration of any substance equals or
exceeds the maximum allowable concentration of that substance at the REVIEW
BOUNDARY, as determined by monitoring, the permittee shall either (i) demonstrate,
through predictive calculations or modeling, that natural site conditions, facility design and
operational controls will prevent a violation of standards at the Compliance Boundary; or,
(ii) submit a plan for the alteration of existing site conditions, facility design or operational
controls that will prevent a violation of standards at the Compliance Boundary, and
implement that plan upon its approval by the Director.
0

The Permittee or his designee shall inspect the sludge storage, transport, and disposal
facilities to prevent malfunctions and deterioration, operator errors and discharges which
may cause or lead to the release of wastes to the environment, a threat to human health, or a
nuisance. The Permittee shall keep an inspection log or summary including at least the date
and time of inspection, observations made, and any maintenance, repairs, or corrective
actions taken by the Permittee. This log of inspections shall be maintained by the Permittee
for a period of three years from the date of the inspection and shall be made available upon
request by the Division of Environmental Management or other permitting authority.
2. Any duly authorized officer, employee, or representative of the Division of Environmental
Management may, upon presentation of credentials, enter and inspect any property,
premises or place on or related to the disposal site and facility at any reasonable time for the
purpose of determining compliance with this permit; may inspect or copy any records that
must be kept under the terms and conditions of this permit; or may obtain samples of
groundwater, surface water, or leachate.
1. This permit shall become voidable unless the land application activities are carried out in
accordance with the conditions of this permit and in the manner approved by this Division.
2. This permit is effective only with respect to the nature and volume of wastes described in
the application and other supporting data.
3. This permit is not transferable. In the event there is a desire for the facilities to change
ownership or a name change of the Permittee, a formal permit request must be submitted to
the Division of Environmental Management accompanied by an application fee,
documentation from the parties involved, and other supporting materials as may be
appropriate. The approval of this request will be considered on its merits and may or may
not be approved.
4. This permit shall become voidable unless the agreements between the Permittee and the
landowners/lessees are in full force and effect
5. The following are approved sites for sludge application :
Site No. Owner/l,essee Application Areal acres
--
BC-1 ...........
Melvin L. Kiser..................................30.0
BC-4 ...........
J.T. Phillips......................................10.0
BC-5 ...........
S.C. Lovelace....................................80.0
BC-6 ...........
Paul Hager........................................33.6
BC-7 ...........
David Hager......................................25.0
BC-8 ...........
Lee Dameron, Sr.................................52.3
BC-9...........
Jackson Dixon....................................10.3
BC-10 .........
Adam Deck .......... .............................
37.1
BC-11 .........
Sam Kiser ....................................
BC-12
David Beattie .35.0
Total..............................................................
344.3
1 - Application Area excludes buffer areas.
7

6. Failure to abide by the conditions and limitations contained in this permit may subject the
Permittee to an enforcement action by the Division of Environmental Management in
accordance with North Carolina General Statute 143-215.6A to 143-215.6C.
7. The annual administering and compliance fee must be paid by the Permittee within thirty
(30) days after being billed by the Division. Failure to pay the fee accordingly may cause
the Division to initiate action to revoke this permit as specified by 15 NCAC 2H .0205
(c)(4).
8. The issuance of this permit does not preclude the Permittee from complying with any and
all statutes, rules, regulations, or ordinances which may be imposed by other government
agencies (local, state, and federal) which have jurisdiction.
9. A set of the previously approved documents for the subject project must be retained by the
applicant for the life of the permit.
10. The Permittee, at least six (6) months prior to the expiration of this permit, shall request its
extension. Upon receipt of the request, the Commission will review the adequacy of the
facilities described therein, and if warranted, will extend the permit for such period of time
and under such conditions and limitations as it may deem appropriate.
11. This permit may be modified, or revoked and reissued to incorporate any conditions,
limitations and monitoring requirements the Division of Environmental Management deems
necessary in order to adequately protect the environment and public health.
Permit issued this the 27th day of November, 1991
CAROLINA
-L George T. Every
Division of Envi
By Authority of
Permit No. WQ0002264
ir6etor
AL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Commission