NCG030227_Tier Relief_20210122

ROY COOPER
Governor
NIICHAEL S. REGAN
Secretary
BRIAN WRENN
Director
*'tQ
au�m
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
January 22, 2021
Corning Optical Communications, LLC
ATTN: Brian Witz, Plant Manager
3180 Centre Park Blvd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27107
RE: NPDES Stormwater Permit: Request for Regulatory Relief
Corning Optical Communications, LLC - Winston-Salem Facility
General Permit No: NCG030000; COC No: NCG030227
Forsyth County
Dear Mr. Witz:
A Request for Regulatory Relief for the subject facility was submitted by Geosyntec
Consultants of NC, P.C. to staff of the Division of Energy, Mineral & Land Resources on
December 22, 2020. The request shows that the facility has been following the tiered
response actions for copper and zinc at outfalls 001 and 002 and that recent monitoring
data shows no new exceedances.
Tier Three response actions were initiated following four exceedances of the zinc and
copper benchmarks for each of the two outfalls at your facility. Please keep in mind that
benchmark exceedances are NOT limit violations or violations of permit conditions;
however, you are obligated to follow the tiered response actions outlined in your permit.
The relief request shows that the subject facility has been following the tiered response
actions and therefore is in compliance with the NCG030000 permit.
Based on your lack of apparent exceedances since the beginning of 2019, the increased
copper and zinc benchmarks set forth in the re -issued NCG03000 permit, and
documentation of the corrective actions required by the permit, we are granting regulatory
relief from the Tier Three response requirements of the permit. Upon receipt of this letter,
Corning Optical Communications, LLC - Winston-Salem Facility may resume the permit -
specified semiannual analytical monitoring. A subsequent benchmark exceedance of
these or any other parameter listed in your permit will trigger tiered response
actions as described in the general permit.
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality ( Division of Energy. Mineral and Land Resources
lE Q� Winston Salem Regional Office 1450 Hanes Mill Road Suite 3001 Winston -Sateen North Carolina27iO3
336.776.9800

Corning Optical Communications, LLC
January 22, 2021
Page 2 of 2
You must notify this office in writing, within five business days, if you become aware of any
significant source of copper or zinc at your facility that has the potential to be exposed to
stormwater. The relief granted in this letter is contingent upon the current industrial
practices at Corning Optical Communications, LLC - Winston-Salem Facility. If industrial
practices change and copper or zinc does become a significant stormwater exposure risk
then this office reserves the right to withdraw this decision and reinstate the permit
specified tiered response or other actions that may be warranted by the new set of
circumstances.
Please retain and append this letter to your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan
(SWPPP) or permit. If you have any questions or comments concerning this letter, please
contact Zachary Lentz or me at [phone].
Sincerely,
7Tae a plin,
Regional Engineer
Enclosure
ec: Bethany Georgoulias, NC DEQ Stormwater Program
Alessandra Braswell, PhD, PE of Geosyntec Consultants of NC, P.C.