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HomeMy WebLinkAbout780023_NOV-2020-PC-0498_20201207ROY COOPER Governor MICHAEL S. REGAN Secretary S. DANIEL SMITH Director NORTH CAROLINA Environmental Quality December 7, 2020 CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED 7019 0700 0000 3643 4824 Mrs. Lola Sealey Rouse 7638 Tobacco Rd. Orrum NC 28369 Subject: NOTICE OF VIOLATION Administrative Code 15A NCAC 2T .1304 NOV-2020-PC-0498 Lola Sealey Rouse #4 Facility Number 78-23 Permit AWS780023 Robeson County Dear Mrs. Rouse: On October 21, 2020, staff of the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Division of Water Resources (DWR), Water Quality Regional Operations Section (WQROS) inspected the Lola Sealey Rouse #4 Farm and the permitted waste disposal system. We wish to thank Mr. Curtis Barwick for his assistance during this inspection. As a result of this inspection, 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 .1304, you have been found to be in violation of your permit as follows: Violation 1: Failure to prevent excessive ponding or any runoff during any given land application event. [15A NCAC 02T- .1304(b)] (Permit No. AWG100000 Section Conditions I15). D E Qbi�� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources Fayetteville Regional Office 1 225 Green Street, Suite 714 I Fayetteville, North Carolina 28301 vOry rN Cx:40:.itiA � o .—Io E�.w�����a�:r� /� 910.433.3300 Page 2 Mrs. Lola Sealey Rouse December 7, 2020 On October 21, 2020, DWR staff conducted your Routine Compliance Inspection. DWR staff documented with pictures that waste was ponded in your spray field on Zone 3, but did not see any waste leaving the field. This ponded waste was from a land application event prior to the inspection. Required Corrective Action for Violation 1: In the future, monitor the permitted spay fields and application equipment during spray events as required by your permit to prevent the ponding and runoff of waste. Mr. Barwick was advised to let someone know to recover any waste in the field and return to lagoon. Violation 2: Failure of the Operator in Charge (OIC) or a person under the supervision of an OIC to inspect the land application as often as necessary to ensure that the animal waste is land applied in accordance with the CAWMP. In no case, shall the time between inspections be more than 120 minutes during the application of waste. Inspection shall include but not be limited to visual observation of application equipment, spray fields, subsurface drain outlets, ditches, and drainage ways for any discharge of waste. (Permit No. AWG100000 Section II 17). On October 21, 2020 during the compliance inspection, DWR staff was able to document the ponded waste in the field with very little effort. DWR staff understands there could have been rain water ponded in the low areas prior to the waste application. It is the responsibility of the applicator to inspect the field conditions prior to waste application. Once waste mixes with standing rain water it now becomes contaminated and is considered waste. The 120 minute Inspections should be initialed on the IRR 1 forms by the person conducting the spray events. DWR staff discussed with Mr. Barwick that Mr. David Rouse initialed the IRR 1 forms during a period time when he was unable to be on -site due to a medical reason. Required Corrective action for Violation 2: In the future, require the OIC or a person under the supervision of an OIC to inspect the land application site as often as necessary to ensure that the animal waste is land applied in accordance with the CAWMP. This means they must go into the field and inspect the application site to make sure it is not ponding and running off and the irrigation equipment is operating as designed. The person doing the waste application events should initial the IRR 1 form with the time of day each inspection is conducted as required by the Permit. Page 3 Mrs. Lola Sealey Rouse December 7, 2020 The Division of Water Resources requests that, in addition to the specified corrective action above, please submit the following items on or before (January 7, 2021): 1. An explanation from the OIC for this farm regarding how these violations occurred. 2. A list from the OIC concerning the steps that will betaken to prevent these violations from occurring in the future. You are required to take any necessary action to correct the above violations on or before January 7, 2021 and to provide a written response to this Notice by January 7, 2021. Please include in your response all corrective actions already taken and a schedule for completion of any corrective actions not addressed. Please note that assessment of civil penalties may have already been recommended for violations described within this Notice of Violation. Failure to comply with the State's rules, in the manner and time specified, may result in the assessment of additional civil penalties and/or the use of other enforcement mechanisms available to the State. Failure to comply with conditions in a permit may result in a recommendation of enforcement action, to the Director of the Division of Water Quality 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. Page 4 Mrs. Lola Sealey Rouse December 7, 2020 If you have any questions concerning this Notice, please contact Steve Guyton (910) 303-0151 or me at (910) 433-3336. Sincerely, DocuSignedd by, _ 5189C2D3DD5C42B... J. Trent Allen Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Division of Water Resources cc: FRO Compliance Animal Files-Laserfiche Smithfield Pork