AS-29509_48647_G_NORR_20230802

ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S. BISER
Secretary
MICHAEL SCOTT NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality Director
Tom Neal, CEO
MH Highlands-Cashiers Medical Center, LP
190 Hospital Drive
Highlands, NC 28741
Re: Notice of Regulatory Requirements
August 2, 2023
!SA NCAC 02L .01 I0(c) [High Risk]
Risk-based Assessment and Corrective Action
For Petroleum Underground Storage Tanks
Highlands-Cashiers Medical Center
190 Hospital Drive, Highlands
Macon County
Incident Number: 48647
Risk Classification: High
Ranking: I-I-275-D
Dear Mr. Neal:
The report received on July 29, 2023 has been reviewed by the UST Section, Division of Waste
Management, Asheville Regional Office. The risk posed by the discharge or release at the subject site is
classified by the Department of Environmental Quality as high, as stipulated under Title I SA NCAC 02L
.0406. The land use at the site is classified as residential. Title !SA NCAC 02L .0407(a) requires you to
notify the Department of any changes that might affect the risk or land use classifications that have been
assigned.
The UST Section agrees with the conclusions and recommendations presented in the report, including:
• Installing two (2) additional monitoring wells to define the horizontal extent of2L violations.
• Additional sampling to confirm contaminant levels in monitoring and local supply wells on a
quarterly basis until the UST at this facility is properly closed and a comprehensive site assessment
(CSA) can be completed at this site.
A Groundwater Monitoring Report prepared in accordance with these requirements and the most recent
version of the UST Section Assessment Guidelines must be received by this office quarterly.
The Department of Environmental Quality requires that all work not detennined to be an emergency
response or associated with risk assessment (i.e., the Limited Site Assessment Report, per Title I SA NCAC
02L .0405) must be preapproved if State Trust Fund reimbursement is anticipated. To comply with this
requirement, a completed Preapproval/Claim Authorization Form, encompassing the required remedial
activities, must be received in this office within 14 days of the date of this letter. Upon completion of the
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Waste Management
Asheville Regional Office I 2090 US Highway 70 I Swannanoa, NC 28778 I (828) 296-
4500
Page 2 of2
48647
August 2, 2023
preapproved activities, you should submit your claim promptly. Reimbursement funds are budgeted based
on completed preapprovals, but delays in reimbursement or even denial due to exceeding the statute of
limitations on claiming eligible costs can result where claims are not submitted immediately following work
completion.
Because a release or discharge has been confirmed, a Licensed Geologist or a Professional Engineer,
certified by the State of North Carolina, is required to prepare and certify all reports submitted to the
Department in accordance with 15A NCAC 02L .0103(e) and 02L .011 l(e) ifrequired.
If you have any questions regarding trust fund eligibility or reimbursement from the Commercial Leaking
Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund, please contact the UST Section Trust Fund Branch
at [phone] . If you have any questions regarding the actions that must be taken or the rules mentioned
in this letter, please contact me at the address or telephone number listed below.
Sincerely,
9\W~
Katie Bernal, P.G.
Hydrogeologist
Asheville Regional Office
UST Section, Division of Waste Management, NCDEQ
cc: Henry Nemargut, Henry Nemargut Engineering Services, [e-mail]
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Waste Management
Asheville Regional Office I 2090 US Highway 70 I Swannanoa, NC 28778 I (828) 296-
4500