NC0000396_Annual Report_20190529

ROY COOPER
Governor
MICHAELS.REGAN
Secretary
LINDA CULPEPPER
Director
May 29, 2019
Garry Whisnant
Asheville Plant Manager
ASVL PLT/ 200 CP&L Drive
Arden, North Carolina 28704
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
Subject: Review of Duke Progress Energy, Asheville Steam Electric Plant (NC 0000396) 2018
Mercury and Selenium Monitoring of Fish in the French Broad River.
Dear Mr. Whisnant:
Thank you for your submission of the 2018 fish tissue report for the subject facility. We appreciate DPE's
continued compliance with its NPDES permit requirements for the Asheville Steam Electric Plant.
Based on our review of the 2018 report, we agree that fish mercury and selenium accumulation patterns
in the French Broad River appear somewhat random, and do not seem to be attributable to the
operations of the Asheville Steam Plant. For mercury, this is confirmed by the fewest number of
elevated mercury concentrations seen below the plant (DN), as compared to upstream (UP) and at the
discharge pipe (DI). The 2018 fish mercury data are also comparable to the 2004 baseline data,
indicating that mercury levels have remained relatively stable in the French Broad River.
As of 2017, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) no longer publishes
fish consumption screening levels that are based on reference doses for recreational fishers. Therefore,
we are requesting that all future NPDES fish tissue reports for Duke Energy facilities reference the US
EPA recreational Screening Value for mercury (0.3 mg/kg) in replacement of or in addition to the historic
NC "action level" of 0.4 mg/kg. Please refer to Table 1 (below) for US EPA and NC DHHS fish
consumption screening criteria for use in future NPDES reports requiring mercury and selenium fish
tissue data.
D_EQ� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
512 North Salisbury Street 1 1634 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1634
NOAtHC gINA
919.7079000

Table 1. US EPA and NC DHHS Fish Consumption Screening Values for Hg and Se (mg/kg, ppm)
US EPA
NC DHHS
Recreational Subsistence Recreational Subsistence
Fishers Fishers Fishers* Fishers
Mercury (methylmercury) 0.3 0.049 0.0471
Selenium 20 2.457 2.35
*Historic fish consumption screening values based on a reference dose for recreational fishers (called "action levels', 0.4
mg/kg Hg, and 10 mg/kg Se) are no longer published by NC DHHS (as of 2017).
If you have any questions regarding these comments or requests, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Cyndi Karoly
Chief, Water Sciences Section
Cc: Linda Hickock, Duke Energy
Landon Davidson, Asheville Regional Office
Julie Grzyb, Complex Permitting Unit
Kennedy Holt, NC DHHS