HomeMy WebLinkAboutNC0035904_NOV-2020-TX-0025_20201130 sfarr a
ROY COOPER ( t>
Governor
MICHAEL S.REGAN �a y a
Secretary �IIrauww'�°
S.DANIEL SMITH NORTH CAROLINA
Director Environmental Quality
November 30,2020
CERTIFIED MAIL: 7019 0140 0001 1259 0721
Mr.Jeffrey T. O' Briant
McCain Hospital-Dept of Corrections
4216 MSC
Raleigh,NC 27699-4216
SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION: NC NOV-2020-TX-0025
Whole Effluent Toxicity(WET)Testing
NPDES Permit No.NCO035904/001
McCain Hospital
Cherokee County
Dear Mr. O'Briant:
This is to inform you that a review of your toxicity self-monitoring report forms for July 2020 indicates a
violation of the toxicity limitation specified in your NPDES Permit.
You should take whatever remedial actions are necessary to eliminate the conditions causing the effluent toxicity
violation(s). Your efforts may include conducting a Toxicity Reduction Evaluation(TRE),a site-specific study
designed to identify the causative agents of effluent toxicity,isolating the sources of toxicity,evaluating the
effectiveness of toxicity control options,and confirming reductions in effluent toxicity. Please be aware that
North Carolina General Statutes provide for assessment of civil penalties for violations of NPDES permit
limitations and requirements.
The reverse side of this Notice contains important information concerning your Whole Effluent Toxicity
Monitoring and Reporting Requirements. Please note the appropriate mailing addresses for submitting your
Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) and Aquatic Toxicity(AT) Test Forms. Also, the Aquatic Toxicology
Branch now accepts AT forms via email(ATForms.ATB6 ncdenr.eov); if an AT form is submitted via email,
we do not require that a hard copy is mailed. We encourage you to review this information; if it would be
helpful to discuss this situation or possible solutions to resolve effluent toxicity noncompliance,please contact
Ms. Cindy Moore at(919)743-8442.
i Jerely,
indy Moor , Sue r Aq is Toxicology Branch
Division of Water Resources,NCDEQ
cc: Mark Brantley—FRO
Central Files
D_E Q�� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources I Water Sciences Section
4401 and 4405 Reedy Creek Road 1 1621 Mail Service Center I Raleigh,North Carolina 2 769 9-1621
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°+�^^^^a�^'^�^^�^^v�—; 919.743.8400
WHOLE EFFLUENT TOXICITY MONITORING AND REPORTING INFORMATION
➢ The following items are provided in an effort to assist you with identifying critical and sometimes overlooked toxicity testing and reporting
information. Please take time to review this information.The items below do not address or include all the toxicity testing and
r�epornng reo uir m n s contained in your NPDES permit. If you should have any questions about your toxicity testing requirement,
please contact Hannah Headrick with the Aquatic Toxicology Branch at(919)743-6439 or Cindy Moore at(919)743-6442.
➢ The ilermitte€is responsible for ensuring that toxicity testing is conducted according to the permit requirement and that toxicity report
forms are appropriately filed.
➢ The reporting of whole effluent toxicity testing data is a dual requirement. All toxicity testresults must be entered(with the appropriate
parameter code)on your monthly Discharge Monitoring Report which is submitted to:
North Carolina Division of Water Resources
Central Files
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh,NC 27699-1617
IN ADDITION
Toxicity test data("AT"form)must be submitted to the following address:
North Carolina Division of Water Resources
Water Sciences Section/Aquatic Toxicity Branch
1621 Mail Service Center
Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1621
or
Email to: ATForms.ATBRncdenr.gov
➢ Toxicity test results shall he filed with the Water Sciences Section no laterthan 30 days afterthe end of the reporting period leg,
January test result is due by the end of February).
➢ Toxicity test condition language contained in your NPDES permit may require use of multiple concentration toxicity testing upon failure of
any single quarterly toxicity test. If the initial pass/fail test fails or if the chronic value is lower than the permit limit,then at least two
multiple concentration toxicity tests(one per month)will be conducted over the following two months. As many analyses as can be
completed will be accepted. If your NPDES permit does not require use of multiple concentration toxicity testing upon failure of any single
quarterly test,you may choose to conduct either single concentration toxicity testing or multiple concentration toxicity testing per the
Division's WET enforcement initiatives effective July 1,1999. Follow-up multiple concentration toxicity testing will influence the Division's
enforcement response.
➢ Toxicity testing months are specified by the NPDES Permit,except for NPDES Permits which contain episodic toxicity monitoring
requirements leg,if the testing months specified in your NPDES permit are March,June,September,and December,then toxicity testing must
be conducted during these months).
➢ If your NPDES Permit specifies episodic monitoring and your facility does not have a discharge from January 1-June 30,then you must
provide written notification to the Water Sciences Section by June 30 that a discharge did not occur during the first six months of the
calendar year.
➢ If you receive notification from your contract laboratory that test was invalidated,you should immediately notify the Water Sciences
Section at(919)743-6439 and provide written documentation indicating why the test was invalidated and the date when follow-up testing
will occur.
➢ If your facility is required to conduct toxicity testing during a month in which no discharge occurs,you should complete the information
block located at the top of the AT form indicating the facility name,permit number,pipe number,county and the month/year of the subject
report You should also write"No Flow'on the AT form,sign the form and submit following normal procedures.
➢ The Aquatic Toxicity Test forms shall be signed by the facility's Operator in Responsible Charge(ORC)except for facilities which have not
received a facility classification. In these cases,a duly authorized facility representative must sign the AT form. The AT form must also be
signed by the performing lab supervisor.
➢ To determine if your AT test forms were received on time by the Division of Water Resources,you may consider submitting your toxicitytee
results certified mail,return receipt requested to the Water Sciences Section or email to the above address,receiving e-confirmation.