NC0026611_Correspondence_19891002

NPDES DOCUMENT :MCANNINO COVER SHEET
NPDES Permit:
NC0026611
Morehead City WWTP
Document Type:
Permit Issuance
Wasteload Allocation
Authorization to Construct (AtC)
Permit Modification
Complete File - Historical
Engineering Alternatives (EAA)
Correspondence
Instream Assessment (67b)
Speculative Limits
Environmental Assessment (EA)
Document Date:
October 2, 1989
Thies document ism pririted on reuse paper - ignore arty'
content on the X'-‘t]ClIFIEB ecide

•
TOWN OF MOREHEAD CITY
MOREHEAD CITY, N. C,, 28557
W. C. HORTON. Mayor Pr .Tem
Commissioners .. r
PAUL W. CORDOVA
NICK GALANTIS
P. H. GEER
JOHN E. NOBLES
OCT 6 1989
fry T,"`=' 1 "t ; :TY
EDWARD S. DIXON, MAYOR
..t
706 ARENDELL ST.
P. O. DRAWER M
TELEPHONE [phone]
October 2, 1989
Mr. F. Henry Habicht, Deputy Administrator
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Room 1215, West Tower
401 M Street, S. West
Washington, D. C. 20460
Dear Mr. Habicht:
The September 1989 issue
contained an overview of your
Charleston, S. C. on July 12,
DAVID R. WALKER
City Manager
.1(
rls;.6
• QCri 5 i989
ANIN1STRATRIVE SERVICES SEA I
of Water Environment and Technology
remarks made at a conference in
1989. (Copy of article enclosed)
I was most interested in your comments addressing formation of
policy by EPA towards ocean outfalls. Morehead City, N. C. and
Carteret County, N. C., are actively involved in an initiative
at the pr sent time to study our future options for waste water
treatment and disposal of treated effluent and sludge. We are
doing this under the auspices of a mandatory county -wide Environ-
mental Impact Statement as directed by the N. C. Division of
Environmental Management, Mr. Paul Wilms, Executive Director.
Witho
specifics,
following:
1)
ut going into a great amount of detail of our local
I would like your office to comment to us on the
Giver; that the E.P.A.'s Southeastern Region has never
approved a permit for an ocean outfall of treated effluent,
.s an outfall of treated effluent a viable alternative for
a North Carolina coastal community of 50,000 population
(100,000-150,000 seasonal population)to pursue from
E.P.A.'s permitting standpoint?
2) IIn your opinion, wilt the future direction.of E.P.Af.9
s:644., ..�ii� ;•:.'ikv,:s - 4:6-4:"'± �.1't �;y@« F6? r y OBI s41 ka--•'i;9 `:' fr'�'t0. tPa�t A-f t- � +'". _ �;X rya..':-*..:';:
tmis ion of eated el' r1 rent and' treatef s1uhe . '
Our local options have been narrowed down to either regional
land application system or a long-range goal of a regional ocean
outfall. We do not want to spend time, effort and money spinning
our wheels generating needless reports if E.P.A. is definitely going
to form a tureaucratic bias against ocean outfall.
EC)F/P Fnttal fnnnrtitnity FmnIrwar Prnviriar

Mr. F. Henry Habicht
October 2, 1989
Page 2
I would appreciate your office responding to this inquiry
as soon as possible as we desire to make it available to
municipal and county officials before a long-range plan of
action is ad pted.
Thank you very much for sharing your comments on this
matter.
truly,
David`R. Walker,
City Manager
DRW/jts
Enclosure
xc: tiMr. Paul Wilms,
N. C. Div. of Environmental
Management
Dr. Joseih Ramus,
Duke University Marine Lab.
CarteretCounty Water/Sewer
Task Force Members
- *.M " 4 26,1c;: i+i : .'•:is 1 �.tii .:'i �' •y !hr'a ,ja?r��. �t •`�-`,�►•�t� �••a '�P i+t .�'S •y =•v "'ay.

1-

40-
,ram THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE COAST THAT
draws people like a magnet. That was true
Centuries ago when waterways were the
world's highways. and it's still :rue today.
Why? Arc we drawn to our evolutionary
roots or do we just like to swim? What -
the answer, most people would rather
live, work, and play close to the ocean.
In modem America, the mass of people
living on the coast is causing a pro-
blem...because of extensive devclop-
ment...bccaitse of our carelessness. Our
coasts arc deteriorating and, in some
places, coastal ecosystems are dying.
,Wastewater treatment plants discharge
9.5 bgd of effluent to coastal waters.
Another 3.2 bgd is discharged from in-
dustrial and commercial facilities. Aker
every good run, antiquated sewers in most
East Colt dtics care' sewage and debris
to the nearest water boxiy. Runoff from
farms, stockyards, septic systems, logging
sitcs, and household yards deposits mil-
lions of tons of toxic wastes into coastal
waters. Three-quarters of the C.S. popu-
lation live in coastal areas. That means
three-quarters of rile national solid waste
piic-120 million tons —are generated in
coastal _reas....Then there's oil spills. Mil-
lions of gallons ofuil have spilled this year.
1Vc need to understand the size of the
problem. It's going to take an enormous
national effort to change the way our
coasts arc treated. But we must chance.
We simply cannot afford "business as
usual." It's time for us to make waves.
The president is making waves. Last
month, PrFsiacnt Bush announced his
proposed acid rain legislation, breaking,
the dornest:, political iogl am. Waves are
being made at EPA as well. Before 1 got
there, almost 10,000 industrial and was-
tewater treatment facilities had reduced
their discharges to oceans, near -coastal
waters, and the Great Lakes. Oscan u -
talls hay fills been eliminated, dee -
sca dumninc of munici
:i.IKL out, an the ocecn has been closed
to tndustral dum^inc incuurant; 1 and
raillocs:tn•C was!,
..1st January t former EPA administra-
tor) Lee Thomas announced a national
coastal and marine policy that articulated
goals for the protection of the coastal en-
vironment. They establish a high but hit -
table target to restore the recreational use
of all our beaches and coastal waters, re-
store and protect saltwater fisheries and
wildlife habitat, stop wastes from entcr-
ing coastal waters, improve our under-
standing of coastal ecosystems. and join
with the world to protect the oceans.
The policy listed 1 set of actions —a
blueprint of the things to be done by EPA,
other federal agencies, and state and local
governments. EPA will do everything it
can to build on that blueprint.
There's a lot EPA can do on its own
and we intend to do it. We're going to do
a better job enforcing existing regulations.
Administrator Bill Reilly said that viola-
tors of environmental laws would be
prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
We're already using Superfund to clean
up several sites in coastal areas and we arc
trying to establish safe cleanup levels for
wetlands and waterways. Next year ve will
propose a prohibition on the sitine of
hazardous waste management facilities in
most wetlands and Iloodplains. We at EPA
are going to increase pressure to end all
ocean Jumping of waste. The dumping
of industrial waste has been stopped and
we will not issue any new perrlits. The
dumping of sewage sludge will be illegal
after 1991, and any new dumping, there -
alter will result in heavy penalties.
EPA is not the only federal agency that
has to make waves. The commerce, agri-
culture, interior, and defense departments
all have important responsibilities that
:flat the coastal CJ1%1rU11w:1t. It is es-
sential that El'A work ilusell• with these
a;.,! it's 1:cadv hanpenill,. t'nr
e�antl,lr, tlur;n� the �ansit.lin ��iorc�
litgh nlaLLC a Terminal et 1n1111it ill.l11 ttl
protect America's wctlands....Tbe presi•
dent has invited all of us to sit around the
table at the Whitt House and develop a
coordinated wetlands policy to back up
his pl.dgc of "no net IONS of 'wet lands."
EPA intends to work closely with other
federal agencies in other areas. We're
going to ask the Department of Defense
if coastal military bases scheduled to be
shut down might be set .aide as parks or
ecological preserves. EPA is working with
the Corps of Engineers to develop new
strategics for disposing dredged materi-
als in a way that will protect eater qual-
ity. We have ever' intention of working
cooperatively with all the federal agencies
whose activities affect our touts.
There is no doubt that the federal gov-
ernment cannot solve coastal problems
alone. State and local governments have
an essential role to play. We want to en-
courage efforts like Washington State s
Puget Sound Program where strong state
leadership and crass -roots support have
helped control point and nonpoirt source
pollution —like Maryland's Critical Areas
Program, the first state program to face
up to the effects of land use on water
quality and wildlife habitat.
This nation is firmly committed to
economic progress, but if I may quote
the president, "Pollution is not the inevi-
table by-product of progress...sound
ecology and a strong economy can coex-
ist." I think we can do a better job of bal-
ancing economic development with en-
vironmcntzl protection. 1 invite other
federal agencies, state and local govern-
ments, businesses, and grass -roots organi-
zations to wvork together to find a better
balance.
Next April marks the 20th anniversary
ry
of Earth Day. On April 22, 1970,
mil-
lions of Americans joined together to
celebrate the environment and voice
concern over its health and,uurs. That day
still stands as a synlbol...wwllen.this coon•
try shined gears and entered a new dec-
ade ofenvironlnental awareness and com-
mitment. I invite all of you to join me in
making plans for Earth Day 1990. Let's
reaffirm and renew the Commitment made
20 years ago. Let's use EPA's coastal and
marine policy as a blueprint for building
a strong, coordinated national strategy fur
protecting our coasts.
Despite' any difference in view point,
all of es inn: work together to protect
n:0!"!:il" an! \their tan
that reel:::' r:it:�t '
w!ti�h su mu.h four.il111t,nly—su mutts
of our welfare —depends. We have to
to gain if' •
• los
Svc don't.
F. HenrrHnbicbr. EPA'sdrpnryad►nirr-
isrratnr, spoke in C:1nlrlistiat. S.C., on )tell'
12. 1989.
1 r• use.. Ir,,.mrtwV t TerhndWr

CALICO CREEK WOK 03
Superposition Model
In August and September 1981, continuous dye injections were performed
on Calico Creek to simulate waste transport in the system. The data was
incorporated into a superposition model.
Discharger: Morehead City (1.12 mgd)
Limits*
BOD5 30 mg/1
NH3
DO 5 mg/1
TSS 30 mg/1
Total Coliform 66O/1O0 ml