NC0024406_Termination of Special Order by Conent_20211008

ROY COOPER
Governor
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ELIZABETH S.BISER
Secretary
S.DANIEL SMITH NORTH CAROLINA
Director Environmental Quality
October 8, 2021
Ms. Jessica Bednarcik, Senior Vice President EHS
Duke Energy
526 S. Church Street
Mail Code EC3XP
Charlotte, NC 28202
Subject: Termination of Special Order by Consent
EMC SOC WQ S 18-004
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC—Belews Creek Steam Station
NPDES Permit NC00024406
Stokes County
Dear Ms. Bednarcik:
On July 12, 2018, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC and the North Carolina Environmental
Management Commission entered into Special Order by Consent (SOC) S 18-004 to address
issues related to the elimination of seeps from coal ash basins at Duke Energy's Belews Creek
and Buck Steam Stations. Paragraph 2(b)(4) of the SOC states that the SOC shall terminate on a
facility-by-facility basis on the later of the following dates: 180 days following completion of
decanting; or 30 days following the approval of an amended groundwater Corrective Action Plan
and/or Closure Plan as appropriate.
Duke Energy reported completion of decanting at the Belews Creek Steam Station Ash Basin
occurred on August 13, 2020. Per the terms of the SOC, Duke Energy submitted reports
summarizing and characterizing the status of the seeps at the site, and followed up with the
March 4, 2021 submittal of a Seep Management Amendment to the proposed Groundwater
Corrective Action Plan (CAP) Update that had been previously submitted on December 31,
2019. On July 8, 2021, the Department of Environmental Quality issued its conditional approval
of the CAP Update, including its seep management provisions. This event activated the
provision regarding SOC termination in SOC S 18-004 for the Belews Creek Steam Station, and
this letter affirms that the SOC has been terminated for the Belews Creek Steam Station. As an
interim measure, Duke Energy shall continue the monitoring and reporting of seeps established
in the SOC until approval of the Surface Water Assessment Plan required in DEQ's conditional
approval of the CAP Update.
Please be aware that while Duke Energy's obligations relating to the Belews Creek Steam
Station in the SOC have ended, the SOC terms and conditions regarding the Buck Steam Station
remain active. 1;,D_ENorthNorth Carolina DepartmentSalisburyStreet1 of1617 Environmental Quality I DivisionleighNorth of WaterCarolina 276 Resources
512 99 1617
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Ms. Jessica Bednarcik
S 18-004 Termination (Belews Creek Only)
p.2
If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Bob Sledge at(919) 707-3602, or
via email at bob.sledgega,ncdenr.gov.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey O. Poupart, Chief
Water Quality Permitting Section
Division of Water Resources
ec: Richard Baker—Duke Energy
Shannon Langley—Duke Energy
Chris Hallman—Duke Energy
Lori Tollie—Duke Energy
Brenda Johnson—Duke Energy
Bob Sledge
Lon Snider- WSRO
Dr. A. Stanley Meiburg - EMC