NC0000272_Results Report E6(a)_20170113

evergreen/ Canton Office
packaging I 175 Main Street• Canton, NC 28716
January 13,2017 NMM#04-17
Landon Davidson
Asheville Regional Supervisor
Division of Water Resources
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Asheville Regional Office
2090 US Highway 70
Swannanoa,NC 28778
Subject: Blue Ridge Paper Products Inc. dba Evergreen Packaging
Canton Mill, Canton,Haywood County,North Carolina
Monthly Average Total Suspended Solids and Biological Oxygen Demand
NPDES Permit: NC0000272
Dear Mr. Davidson:
This is the 5-day written submission for the subject monitoring result required by NPDES permit
Standard Conditions Section E: 6(a). The secondary effluent monthly average permitted limit for
total suspended solids (TSS) and biological oxygen demand (BODS) were exceeded for the
month of December. The TSS average was 21,0331bs/day and the BOD5 was 4,7521bs/day. In
both instances,the regional office was contacted prior to month's end by Wastewater Treatment
Plant ORC Nick McCracken. Two subsequent calls were placed to the regional office once both
averages were known by mill personnel.
During the month of November, 2016, the Canton Mill installed and operated six cooling towers
to assist the mill in complying with its permitted limits for temperature. Shortly after the
operation of the towers, increased solids loss were observed in the mill's final effluent. As part
of the initial investigation,the Canton Mill contacted numerous consultants, including the
National Council for Air& Stream Improvement (NCASI), subject matter experts with Nalco,
Solenis and ChemTreat (wastewater chemistry consultants), and former ORC John Pryately. As
the solids loss was thought to be of biological origin, efforts to mitigate the losses included bio-
augmentation, increased and diverse polymer additions and visits to the site for a full in-depth
investigation of the treatment process. All of these actions continued throughout the month.
None of these efforts appeared to assist with the solids loss issue until a dye test was performed
in the#4 secondary clarifier.
r As a result of a severe drought,water levels in the area were at historically low levels.

NCDWR Page 2
The dye test confirmed that there was structural damage that had occurred to the discharge box.
The clarifier was then drained and inspected. The lower portion of the metal discharge box had
buckled and caused the seal to fail at the wall. This failure allowed solids to be pulled from the
floor of the clarifier and discharged to the mill's final effluent. The cause of this mechanical
failure was the pressure differential created when the cooling towers were brought online.
During tower operation, a portion of the treated effluent is pulled from the discharge flume of the
#4 clarifier and sent to the towers for cooling. Once the pumps began to operate, the water level
in the discharge flume was lower than the water level inside the clarifier. This difference in level
created a vacuum which then pulled the metal inward resulting in the failure. But for the cooling
towers,the failure would not have occurred.
Once the failure was identified the clarifier was immediately taken out of service and prepped for
repair. The repair was successful and the clarifier was put back into service before the end of the
month. Subsequent monitoring indicates that the issue has been resolved.
If you have any questions or comments,please feel free to contact us at your earliest
convenience.
�I
Sincerely,
Nick McCracken
Water Supervisor
Evergreen Packaging—Canton Mill
828-646-2874
Nick.McCracken(a)everpack.com
cc:
Mr. Tim Heim
Environmental Engineer, Asheville Regional Office
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
2090 U.S. Highway 70
Swannanoa, NC 28778