NC0025321_correspondence_20060615

Re:Request for Information on Cyanide Dischargers,Waynesville
Subject: Re: Request for Information on Cyanide Dischargers, Waynesville
From: Susan Wilson <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 12:28:49 -0400
To: [e-mail]
CC: Marshall Hyatt <[e-mail]>, daryl merritt <[e-mail]>
Bill - did you not see Waynesville on the table i revised? It answers some of your questions (they
have 2/month monitoring for cyanide; there is NO limit); even if they have some detects for CN -
when the permit was renewed - there was NO reasonable potential to exceed the allowable level
(which is 56 ug/1 chronic, 22 ug/1 acute (they were close to the acute value - but still fell under
it). They have an instream waste concentration of 9% (so they have a good bit of dilution). They
have an approved Long Term Monitoring Pretreatment Program. You will need to contact Daryl
Merritt of our Pretreatment Unit to get more information on industrial users. But I'll tell you -
their values are relatively low so there may be no source. We've had many folks around here
stating that interference is causing some CN blips (either from their chlorination or dechlorination
process). But with Waynesville - there was just no RPA - so no need for a limit.
The average streamflow for the Pigeon River is 518 cfs (and 7Q 1 Os is on that spreadsheet - which
is what we use for our allowable calcs). Their effluent flow is averaging around 4 MGD.
Susan Wilson wrote:
Bill - sorry, I didnt' see Waynesville on our list - now they are included in the table. If you still
need assistance let me know.
mccrackw�&,peoplepc.com wrote:
Susan: Thanks for this information! If we have any questions,we will contact you.
Best regards, Bill McC
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Wilson
To: mccrackw(�peoplepc.com
Cc: Tyler Linton ; Marshall Hyatt
Sent: Thursday,June 08, 2006 5:52 PM
Subject: Re: Request for Information on Cyanide Dischargers
OK, Bill - here it is. I'd like to know what you come up with later for this and what's
going to be done with it. I'm copying our Region IV contact (Marshall Hyatt) as an fyi.
Let me know if you need anything else (and, of course, I caveat that with - "I hope it's
easy and I hope you give me more time to answer it" - ha!ha!).
Susan
mccrackw( peoplepc.com wrote:
OK,thanks,Susan! . . . . . Bill McCracken
----- Original Message -----
From: Susan Wilson
To: mccrackw(a)_peoplepc.com
Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 1:57 PM
Subject: Re: Request for Information on Cyanide Dischargers
1 of 3 6/15/2006 12:30 PM

Re:Request for Information on Cyanide Dischargers,Waynesville
Bill - so sorry - I've just had a chance to get to this (and I didn't feel I could pass it
along to anyone else until I had a chance to look at it). So, let me look it over and I
should get something back to you soon.
Dana Thomas also called me - tried to return her phone call - but the EPA phone
system would not let me through (it cut off my calls).
Thanks.
Susan
mccrackw(apeoplepc.com wrote:
To: State Contacts on Cyanide Study
From: William McCracken, Great Lakes Environmental Center
Subject: Request for information on Cyanide Dischargers
The Great Lakes Environmental Center (GLEC) is preparing a report under
contract for US EPA on the NPDES Permit System protections for threatened or
endangered species. We ask for your assistance developing this information.
This limited study is only looking at one pollutant -- cyanide . We developed a
list of facilities in your state which have measured discharges of cyanide and
which discharge to watersheds where threatened or endangered species have
been found. That list is attached. The EPA PCS database was used to identify
the cyanide dischargers. Several databases, including the NatureServe
website were used to identify the watersheds where threatened or endangered
species have been found.
We ask that you provide the following information, if available, for each NPDES
discharger listed on the attachment in your state:
1. If there is a cyanide limitation in the discharge permit, what is the stream
design flow (drought flow) used for determining the limitation (or which would
be used if a limitation were to be imposed)?
2. What is the discharge flow used for determining the cyanide limitation (or
which would be used if a limitation were to be imposed)?
3. Was there any consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service regarding
threatened or endangered species prior to issuance of the permit?
4. Are there any facility-specific comments regarding unique circumstances
that we should know about which relate to demonstrating that downstream
threatened or endangered species are not being harmed by the discharge? For
example, are you aware of any ambient monitoring for cyanide in the receiving
waters?
Please send your response by e-mail to Dr. Tyler Linton at tlinton ccglec.com and
copy me at mccrackw peoplepc.com and Dr. Dennis McIntyre at
dmcintyr cc;glec.com
We greatly appreciate your help in this effort. If you have any questions, please
call me, Bill McCracken, at [phone], or either Tyler Linton or Dennis
McIntyre at [phone].
2 of 3 6/15/2006 12:30 PM

6/8/06
Request for Information on Cyanide Dischargers
(William McCracken, Great Lakes Environmental Center)
Question Murphy (NC0020940) Andrews Waynesville
NC0020800 NC0025321
1) CN limit (yes) CN limit (yes) CN limit (NO -
22 ug/1 Daily max 22 ug/1 Daily max monitoring only
343 ug/1 Weekly avg. at 2/month)
7Q 10s = 96.9 cfs 7Q 10s = 15 cfs
7Q 10s = 95 cfs
* It appears that the * It appears that the
acute value, 22 ug/1, acute value for CN is
for CN is the limiting the limiting factor (no
factor (no dilution for dilution for this)
this
2) (Permitted Flow, PF = 0.925 MGD PF = 1.5 MGD PF = 6.0 MGD
PF
3) Not indicated in files Not indicated in files Not indicated in
(but they are copied (but they are copied files
on all public notices) on all notices) (but they are
copied on all
notices
4) No. However-all No. However-all No. However-
major permitted major permitted all major
discharges have a discharges have a permitted
whole effluent toxicity whole effluent toxicity discharges have
limit in the state of limit in the state of a whole effluent
NC. NC. toxicity limit in
Benthic monitoring is Benthic monitoring is the state of NC.
conducted conducted Benthic
periodically at periodically at monitoring is
various ambient various ambient conducted
sites. sites. periodically at
(Not sure if there is a (Not sure if there is a various ambient
site directly site directly sites.
downstream of this downstream of this (Not sure if
discharge-would discharge -would there is a site
have to research have to research directly
more). more). downstream of
this discharge-
would have to
research more I.