400150_NOV-2020-PC-0320_20200722

ROY COOPER
Governor
MICHAEL S. REGAN
Secretary
S. DANIEL SMITH
Director
CERTIFIED MAIL
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
Mr. Charles L. Stokes
Sandy Ridge Farm
782 Lower Field Road
Ayden, North Carolina 28513
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
July 22, 2020
Subject: NOTICE OF VIOLATION
Sandy Ridge Farm #40-150
AWS 400150
Greene County
NOV-2020-PC-0320
Dear Mr. Stokes:
Thank you for your recent notification regarding the freeboard levels at your facilities. On July
8, 2020, during a telephone conversation with staff of the NC Division of Water Resources
(DWR), you reported a high freeboard level of (18 inches) in the lagoon.
Because of this incident, you are hereby notified that, having been permitted to have a non -
discharge permit for the subject animal waste disposal system pursuant to 15A NCAC 2T
Section .1300, you have been found to have insufficient freeboard in accordance with your
Certified Animal Waste Management Plan and the Swine Waste Management System General
Permit No. AWS 100000 that you are covered to operate under, as follows:
Violation 1: Failure to maintain freeboard in accordance with the facility's Certified Animal
Waste Management Plan, in accordance with Condition V.2. of Swine Waste Management
System General Permit No. AWS100000. On July 8, 2020, a lagoon/storage pond level was
documented at 18 inches of freeboard. A level of 19 inches is the maximum level allowed by
your permit and Certified Animal Waste Management Plan.
Required Corrective Action for Violation 1: A 30 Day Plan of Action (POA) was
submitted to DWR (on July 9, 2020) within two (2) days of the high freeboard occurrence. Take
all necessary additional steps to ensure lagoon levels are brought into and remain in compliance
with Section III of your AWS permit.
D E Qbi�� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
Washington Regional Office 1 943 Washington Square Mall I Washington, North Carolina 27889
vOry rN Cx:40:.itiA �
N. a I E�.w���WQa A� /� 252.946.6481

Please work to ensure that your facility is managed in a way to maintain compliance with permit
and animal waste management plan requirements. Failure to comply with conditions in a permit
may result in a recommendation of enforcement action, to the Director of the Division of Water
Resources who may issue a civil penalty assessment of not more that twenty-five thousand
($25,000) dollars against any "person" who violates or fails to act in accordance with the terms,
conditions, or requirements of a permit under authority of G.S. 143-215.6A. To minimize the
potential for any possible future compliance matters attributable to prolonged wet weather
conditions, you may wish to review your animal waste management system design, as well as the
waste plan itself, for any potentially beneficial modifications and/or improvements.
If you have any questions concerning this letter, please contact me at [phone].
Sincerely,
Via "
David May, L.G., Supervisor
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
Division of Water Resources
Washington Regional Office
c: DWR-WQROS-CAFO Unit -Central Office
Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District
NCDSWC - WaRO
Smithfield Foods