310437_NOD-2017-PC-0214_20170801

Water Resources
Environmental Quality
August 1, 2017
CERTIFIED MAIL 7013 2630 0002 0760 9374
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
Ronald Nobles
1890 S NC-111
Chinquapin, NC 28521
Subject: NOTICE OF DEFICIENCY
NOD-2017-PC-0214
Administrative Code 15A NCAC 2T .1304
Nobles Farm, Facility 31-437 Permit No. AW S310437
Duplin County
Dear Mr. Nobles:
ROY COOPER
Governor
MICHAEL S. REGAN
Secretary
S. JAY ZIMMERMAN
Director
On July 24, 2017, staff of the NC Division of Water Resources (DWR) inspected the Nobles Farm
and the permitted waste management system.
As a result of this correspondence, you are hereby notified that, having been permitted to have a non -
discharge permit for the subject animal waste management system pursuant to 15A NCAC 2T .1304, you
have been found to be deficient in of your Certified Animal Waste Management Plan (CAWMP) and the
Swine Waste System General Permit No. AWG100000 as follows:
Deficiency 1:
Failure in land applying accordance with Condition II. 22. of the Swine Waste System General Permit No.
AWG100000:
Land application of waste is prohibited during precipitation events. The Permittee shall consider pending
weather conditions in making the decision to land apply waste and shall document the weather conditions
at the time of land application on forms supplied by or approved by the Division.
Land application of waste shall cease within four (4) hours of the time that the National Weather Service
issues a Hurricane Warning, Tropical Storm Warning, or a Flood Watch associated with a tropical system
including a hurricane, tropical storm, or tropical depression for the county in which the permitted facility
is located. Watches and warnings are posted on the National Weather Service's website located at:
www.weather.gov. More detailed website information can be found on page 2 of the Certificate of
Coverage. Watch and warning information can also be obtained by calling the local National Weather
Service Office that serves the respective county, which can be found on Page 2 of the Certificate of
Coverage.
—'-Na einq
State of North Carolina I Environmental Quality I Water Resources
127 Cardinal Drive Extension, Wilmington, North Carolina 28405
910-796-7386

Page 2 of 2
The Director may require any permittee to install, operate and maintain devices on all irrigation
pumps/equipment designed to automatically stop irrigation activities during precipitation. This decision
will be based on the facility's compliance history for irrigation events.
On July 24, 2017 staff from the Wilmington Regional Office (WIRO) reviewed records of pumping events
during a compliance inspection, and found that this facility was not in compliance in regards to land
applying in accordance with Condition H. 22. of the Swine Waste System General Permit No. AWG100000.
IRR2 records indicated there was irrigation on Field E of September 1, 2016 on Bermuda from 1:30pm to
4:30 pin. The National Weather Service, beginning at 10:44 am, issued a Flash Flood watch associated
with Tropical System Hermine for the County of Duplin, and therefore pumping should have ceased at 2:44
pm on September 1, 2016.
Required Corrective Action for Deficiency 1:
Please provide to our office, a description of the corrective action taken to resolve this issue.
You are required to provide a written response to this Notice by August 31, 2017. Please include in
your response all corrective actions already taken and a schedule for completion of any corrective actions
not addressed.
You may wish to contact your County Soil & Water Conservation District Office, County Extension office,
a qualified technical specialist, and/or a professional engineer for any assistance they may be able to
provide.
If you have any questions concerning this Notice, please contact me at [phone]
Sincerely,
J regson, Regional Supervisor
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Wilmington Regional Office
Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ
cc: WQROS CAFO Unit
Billy Houston, Duplin County Soil and Water Conservation District
Kraig Westerbeek, Murphy Brown LLC
DWQ Wilmington Animal Files 31-437
G:\WQ\Shared\ANIMALS\DUPLIM201701437 NOD

Mr. Jim Gregson
WQROS
Wilmington Regional Office
DWI?, NCDEQ
127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, NC 28405
August 12, 2017
Subject: NOD-2017-PC-0214 - -Nobles Farm Permit AWS310437
Dear Mr. Gregson:
I am writing this letter in response to the NOD I received from your office dated,
August 1, 2017 pertaining to an inspection of my swine facility on July 24, 2017.
Due to approaching severe weather conditions, my farm manager, Scott Hunter was
trying to make certain lagoon freeboard levels were sufficient to accommodate potential
excessive rainfall amounts.
Being outside a majority of the day he was unaware that the National Weather Service
had issued a Flash Flood watch in our area. It was not our intent to do anything which
might put us in noncompliance of the permit issued for this facility. We had sunny skies
with no rains or wind. These are normally ideal pumping conditions.
Mr. Hunter and I have discussed corrective actions, including the loading of an app which
will email him in the event of National Weather Service severe weather alerts, that I feel
should assure continued compliance of the State General Permit.
If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact me. My phone number is
910-296-7867.
Sincerely,
!� / aet-o- GC. ;��
Ronald Nobles
RECEIVED/NCDENRIDINR
AUG 16 2017
Waster Qualitfonsy ROpeegional
Wilmington Reg anal Otfice