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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWQCS00073_Remission Decision_20190307ROY COOPER Grave rrrW MtICHAEL S. REGAN secretary LINDA CULPEPPER In ren'm Dirrctor NOPMA CAROLINA Environmental Quality March 7, 2019 CERTIFIED MAIL #7016 2140 0000 4371 0882 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Steven Neuschafer City of Dunn PO Box 1065 Dunn, NC 28335 SUBJECT: CIVIL PENALTY REMISSION REQUEST City of Dunn Collection System Permit WQCS00073 Case DV-2019-0019 Harnett County Dear Mr. Neuschafer: The Division has considered the information submitted in support of your request for remission in the subject cases. In accordance with NCGS 143-215.6A(f), the Division has found no cause to remit the original civil penalty assessment of 8$ 66.95. If you choose to pay the penalty, send payment to the letterhead address within thirty (30) days of receipt of this letter. Please make the check payable to NC DEQ. If payment is not received within thirty (30) days of receipt of this letter, in accordance with NCGS § 143-215.6A (f), your request for remission of the civil penalty (with supporting documents) and my recommendation to deny the request will be delivered to the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission's (EMC) Committee On Civil Penalty Remissions (Committee) for final agency decision. If you desire to make an oral presentation to the Committee on why your request for remission meets one or more of the five statutory factors you were asked to address, you must complete and return the attached form within thirty (30) days of receipt of this letter. Please mail the completed form to: DipM,aq d lavtaf�cYS1 Oaftl� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources 512 North Salisbury Street 11617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617 919.707.9000 WQCS00073 Remission Decision Page 2 of 3 Ms. Deborah Gore NC DEQ / DWR / PERCS 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1617 Your request for an oral presentation and the documents in this matter will be reviewed by the EMC Chairman and, if it is determined that there is a compelling reason to require an oral presentation from you, you will be notified by certified mail of the date, time, and place that your oral presentation can be made. Otherwise, the final decision on your request for remission will be made by the Committee based on the written record. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. If you have any questions about this letter, please contact Deborah Gore at (919) 707-3624 or eborah.gore@ncdenr.gov. Sincerely, Doc-uSigned by: E E�9 Jn&,a, 14076A02DAAB498 for Linda Culpepper Director, Division of Water Resources cc: Enforcement File Fayetteville Regional Office Central Files WQCS00073 Remission Decision Page 3 of 3 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION COUNTY OF Harnett DWQ Case Number DV-2019-0019 IN THE MATTER OF ASSESSMENT OF ) CIVIL PENALTIES AGAINST: ) REQUEST FOR ORAL PRESENTATION City of Dunn I hereby request to make an oral presentation before the Environmental Management Commission's ,Committee on Civil Penalty Remissions in the matter of the case noted above. In making this request, I assert that I understand all of the following statements: • This request will be reviewed by the Chairman of the Environmental Management Commission and may be either granted or denied. • Making a presentation will require the presence of myself and/or my representative during a Committee meeting held in Raleigh, North Carolina. • My presentation will be limited to discussion of issues and information submitted in my original remission reouest, and because no factual issues are in dispute, my presentation will be limited to five (5) minutes in length. The North Carolina State Bar's Authorized Practice of Law Committee has ruled that the appearance in a representative capacity at quasi-judicial hearings or proceedings is limited to lawyers who are active members of the bar. Proceedings before the Committee on Remissions are quasi-judicial. You should consider how you intend to present your case to the Committee in light of the State Bar's opinion and whether anyone will be speaking in a representative capacity for you or a business or governmental entity. If you or your representative would like to speak before the Committee, you must complete and return this form within thirty (30) days of receipt of this letter. Depending on your status as an individual, corporation, partnership or municipality, the State Bar's Opinion affects how you may proceed with your oral presentation. See www.nebar.com/ethics, Authorized Practice Advisory Opinion 2006-1 and 2007 Formal Ethics Opinion 3. If you are an individual or business owner and are granted an opportunity to make an oral presentation before the Committee, then you do not need legal representation before the Committee; however, if you intend on having another individual speak on your behalf regarding the factual situations, such as an expert, engineer or consultant, then you must also be present at the meeting in order to avoid violating the State Bar's Opinion on the unauthorized practice of law. If you are a corporation, partnership or mumcipality and are granted an opportunity to make an oral presentation before the Committee, then your representative must consider the recent State Bar's Opinion and could be considered practicing law without a license if he or she is not a licensed attorney. Presentation of facts by non -lawyers is permissible. If you choose to request an oral presentation, please make sure that signatures on the previously submitted Remission Request form and this Oral Presentation Request form are: 1) for individuals and business owners, your own signature and 2) for corporations, partnerships and municipalities, signed by individuals who would not violate the State Bar's Opinion on the unauthorized practice of law. Also, be advised that the Committee on Civil Penalty Remissions may choose not to proceed with hearing your case if the Committee is informed that a violation of the State Bar occurs. This the SIGNATURE ADDRESS day of 20 TITLE (President, Owner, etc.) TELEPHONE ( ) DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES CIVIL PENALTY REMISSION FACTORS Case Number: DV-2019-0019 Region: Fayetteville County: Harnett Assessed Entity: City of Dunn Permit: WQCS00073 ❑ (a) Whether one or more of the civil penalty assessment factors were wrongly applied to the detriment of the petitioner: Permittee States: DWR Response: ® (b) Whether the violator promptly abated continuing environmental damage resulting from the violation: Permittee States: The discharge was the result of severe natural conditions. The O & M personnel took immediate action and the City is committed to resolving failing infrastructure issues: inspecting 1,300 LF of gravity mains; inspecting 154 manholes and repairing 4 found to have damage; $2.5 Mil loan to upgrade aeration piping and blowers at WWTP to reduce surcharging at manhole BR8; pursing monies for collection system rehab projects. DWR Response: Claiming a severe natural condition for 6.26 inches of rain over a one month period seems like an excessive claim. Even 4 inches of rain in a 12-hour period should not cause a collection system to spill 1,896,000 from one manhole. The City even mentions significant amounts of I&I. The FRO does not agree with any remissions. ❑ (c) Whether the violation was inadvertent or a result of an accident: Permittee States: DWR Response: ❑ (d) Whether the violator had been assessed civil penalties for any previous violations: Permittee States: DWR Response: ❑ (e) Whether payment of the civil penalty will prevent payment for the remaining necessary remedial actions: Perinittee States: DWR Response: DECISION (Check Qne) Request Denied Full Remission ❑ Retain Enforcement Costs? Yes ❑ No ❑ Partial Remission ❑ (Enter Amount) �- 3 Linda Culpepper Date