NC0003417_Modification_20201202

ROY COOPER
Governor
MICHAELS.REGAN
Secretary
S. DANIEL SMITH
Director
Mr. Paul Draovitch, Senior Vice President
Environmental, Health and Safety
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC
Mail Code EC13K
P.O. Box 1006
Charlotte, North Carolina 28201-1006
Dear Mr. Draovitch:
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
December 2, 2020
Subject: Error Correction Letter
Permit NC0003417
H.F. Lee Energy Complex
Wayne County
Facility Class I
On February 28, 2020, the Division of Water Resources issued a Major Modification for H.F. Lee
Energy Complex. It has been brought to our attention that the Footnote "e." on Page 17 and Footnote
"e." on Page 19 incorrectly contains phrase "groundwater remediation" and Outfall number.
Therefore, the Division made a correction to the appropriate pages in the Permit. Please insert the
enclosed corrected sheets and discard the old sheets. This permit modification becomes effective on
the effective date of the permit.
All other terms and conditions in the original permit remain unchanged and in full effect. These
modifications are issued pursuant to the requirements of North Carolina General Statute 143-215.1
and the Memorandum of Agreement between North Carolina and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency dated October 15, 2007 (or as subsequently amended).
If any parts, measurement frequencies or sampling requirements contained in this modification are
unacceptable to you, you have the right to an adjudicatory hearing upon written request within thirty
(30) days following receipt of this letter. This request must be in the form of a written petition,
conforming to Chapter 150B of the North Carolina General Statutes, and filed with the Office of
Administrative Hearings, Post Office Drawer 11666, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604. Unless such
demand is made, this decision shall be final and binding. If you have any questions concerning this
permit, please contact Sergei Chernikov at telephone number [phone].
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
5t2 North Salisbury Street 1 1617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
919.707.9000

Sincerely,
S. Daniel Smith, Director
/ Division of Water Resources
cc: Central Files
NPDES Files
Washington Regional Office/Water Quality
WSS/Aquatic Toxicology Unit (e-copy)
EPA Region IV (e-copy)

Permit NC0003417
9. The facility shall use EPA method 1631E. This limit is an annual average limit based on a calendar
year.
a. The rate for lowering the liquid level in a coal ash pond shall not exceed one (1) foot per day
unless a higher rate is supported to the satisfaction of DEMLR and in accordance with
NCAC, Title 15A, Subchapter 2K.
b. The facility shall use a floating pump station with free water skimmed from the basin
surface using an adjustable weir.
c. When the facility commences the ash pond/ponds decanting/dewatering, the facility shall
treat the wastewater discharged from the ash pond using physical -chemical treatment, if
necessary, to assure state Water Quality Standards are not contravened in the receiving
stream. Duke Energy shall notify DWR NPDES Permitting and DWR Washington Regional
Office, in writing, within seven calendar days of installing additional physical -chemical
treatment at this Outfall.
d. If any one of these pollutants (As, Se, and Hg) reaches 85% of the allowable levels during
decanting/dewatering, the facility shall immediately discontinue discharge from the
decanting/dewatering operations and report the event to the Washington Regional Office
and Complex NPDES Permitting Branch via telephone and e-mail.
e. Duke Energy shall submit a completed EPA Form 2C as soon as practicable, but no later
than 180 days from the commencement of discharge.
There shall be no discharge of floating solids or visible foam in other than trace amounts.
There shall be no discharge of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
This facility is currently classified as "non -nutrient bearing".
A. (10.) TOXICITY RE -OPENER CONDITION [15A NCAC 02B .0400 et seq., 02B .0500 et
seq.]
This permit shall be modified, or revoked and reissued, to incorporate additional toxicity limitations
and monitoring requirements in the event that toxicity testing or other studies conducted on the
effluent or receiving stream indicate that detrimental effects may be expected in the receiving stream
as a result of this discharge.
A. (11.) CHRONIC TOXICITY LIMIT (Monthly - Outfall 001, Outfall 005a, and
Outfall 005b) [15A NCAC 02B .0400 et seq., 02B .0500 et seq.]
The effluent discharge shall at no time exhibit observable inhibition of reproduction or significant
mortality to Ceriodaphnfa dubia at an effluent concentration of 1.3 %(Phase I and II)/ 1.0% (Phase III
and Outfalls 005a and 005b).
The permit holder shall perform at a minimum, monthly monitoring using test procedures outlined in
the "North Carolina Ceriodaphnia Chronic Effluent Bioassay Procedure," Revised December 2010, or
subsequent versions or "North Carolina Phase II Chronic Whole Effluent Toxicity Test Procedure"
(Revised- December 2010) or subsequent versions. Effluent sampling for this testing must be obtained
during representative effluent discharge and shall be performed at the NPDES permitted final effluent
discharge below all treatment processes.
Page 19 of 30

Permit NC0003417
8. The facility shall use EPA method 1631E. This limit is an annual average limit based on a calendar
year.
a. The rate for lowering the liquid level in a coal ash pond shall not exceed one (1) foot per day
unless a higher rate is supported to the satisfaction of DEMLR and in accordance with
NCAC, Title 15A, Subchapter 2K.
b. The facility shall use a floating pump station with free water skimmed from the basin
surface using an adjustable weir.
c. When the facility commences the ash pond/ponds decanting/dewatering, the facility shall
treat the wastewater discharged from the ash pond using physical -chemical treatment, if
necessary, to assure state Water Quality Standards are not contravened in the receiving
stream. Duke Energy shall notify DWR NPDES Permitting and DWR Washington Regional
Office, in writing, within seven calendar days of installing additional physical -chemical
treatment at this Outfall.
d. If any one of these pollutants (As, Se, and Hg) reaches 85% of the allowable levels during
decanting/dewatering, the facility shall immediately discontinue discharge from the
decanting/dewatering operations and report the event to the Washington Regional Office
and Complex NPDES Permitting Branch via telephone and e-mail.
e. Duke Energy shall submit a completed EPA Form 2C as soon as practicable, but no later
than 180 days from the commencement of discharges.
There shall be no discharge of floating solids or visible foam in other than trace amounts.
There shall be no discharge of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
This facility is currently classified as "non -nutrient bearing'.
Page 17 of 30