NCS00787_INSP_20170523

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

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UNIT TYPE:
Lined
MSWLF LCID YW Transfer Compost SLAS COUNTY: Cherokee
Closed
MSWLF HHW White
goods Incin T&P FIRM X PERMIT NO.: NCS-00787
CDLF Tire T&P /
Collection Tire
Monofill Industrial
Landfill DEMO SDTF FILE TYPE: COMPLIANCE

Date of Site Inspection: 5/23/2017 Date of Last Inspection: 2/19/2013

FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS:
817 Shady Grove Road
Murphy, NC 28906

GPS COORDINATES: N: 35.01603° W: 84.18876°

FACILITY CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER:
Name: Shannon Helton
Telephone: [phone] (o) 828-361-3390 (c)
Email address: [e-mail]

FACILITY CONTACT ADDRESS:
Same as above

PARTICIPANTS:
Troy Harrison, NC Solid Waste Section
Tim Fox, NC Division of Water Resources
James Randolph Shields, Notla Farms
Shannon Helton, Cherokee Septic (by phone)

STATUS OF PERMIT:
Active

PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT:
Complaint Investigation

STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS:
Past violations have been resolved

OBSERVED VIOLATIONS:

1. 15A NCAC 13B .0201(a) states: “No person shall treat, process, store, or dispose of solid waste or arrange for
the treatment, processing, storage, or disposal of solid waste except at a solid waste management facility
permitted by the Division for such activity, except as provided in G.S. 130A-294(b).”

You were in violation of 15A NCAC 13B .0201(b) in that on May 23, 2016, a septage detention facility (tank)
was established by Cherokee Septic without a permit issued by the Division.
The item(s) listed above were observed by Section staff and require action on behalf of the facility in order to come into or maintain compliance
with the Statutes, Rules, and/or other regulatory requirements applicable to this facility. Be advised that pursuant to N.C.G.S. 130A-22, an
administrative penalty of up to $15,000 per day may be assessed for each violation of the Solid Waste Laws, Regulations, Conditions of a Permit,
or Order under Article 9 of Chapter 130A of the N.C. General Statutes. Further, the facility and/or all responsible parties may also be subject to
enforcement actions including penalties, injunction from operation of a solid waste management facility or a solid waste collection service and any
such further relief as may be necessary to achieve compliance with the North Carolina Solid Waste Management Act and Rules.
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
1. On May 18, 2017, a complaint was received via e-mail originating from EPA Region 4 concerning the pumping
of human waste into a tanker by Cherokee Septic located at Shields Dairy at 115 Dairy Farm Road, Murphy
NC. The complaint also stated that the human waste is sprayed onto grass that is also used as pasture.

2. This farm has a land application permit for animal waste with the NC Division of Water Resources. On May
23, 2017, Troy Harrison, NC Solid Waste Section/Division of Waste Management (the writer) and Tim Fox,
Water Resources Section/Division of Water Quality conducted an investigation. We met with Mr. Randolph
Shields, co-owner of the property. Mr. Shields stated that Cherokee Septic has a tanker trailer parked on the
property (near the highway) that is used for storage of septage and the waste is then taken to a WWTP in
Copper Hill, Tennessee. Cherokee Septic is authorized to dispose of waste at the Copper Hill, Tennessee
WWTP. Mr. Shields also stated that no septage waste has ever been spread on his fields. We observed the
nearest fields which were sown in corn and saw no evidence of septage waste. We also reviewed land
application records from the animal waste land application process and it appears that no recent applications
have been made.

3. We observed a tanker trailer at the northern end of the property that was filled with septage. It appears that the
trailer has been stationary for some time. There was also a cab unit attached to the trailer. The VIN for the cab
unit is: 4V1WDBRFBNN648459. The 2013 NC tag for the trailer is BY-47089. The cab and trailer are not
listed on permit # NCS-00787 issued to Cherokee Septic on April 19, 2017. I spoke with Mr. Shannon Helton
of Cherokee Septic by telephone and confirmed that the tanker trailer has been used to store septage but no
waste has been disposed of on the Shields Dairy fields. The storage capacity is estimated to be about 6500
gallons. No Septage Detention and Treatment Facility (SDTF) permit has been issued to the Cherokee Septic.

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding this inspection report.

_________________________________________ Phone: [phone]
Troy Harrison
Environmental Senior Specialist
Regional Representative

Sent on: 5/26/2017 X Email Hand delivery US Mail X Certified No. 70161370 0001 6571 5293

Copies: Ellen Lorscheider, Solid Waste Section Chief
Corinne Law, Composting & Land Application Branch
Connie Wylie, Composting & Land Application Branch
Sarah Rice, Compliance Officer