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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20011381 Ver 1_More Info Received_20010814s1ATt r State of North Carolina Reply to RM COOPER Department of Justice Anita LeVeaua ATTORNEY GENERAL P U Box 629 Environmental Division RALEIGH Tel 919/716 -6600 2 7602 -062 9 Fax 919/716 -6767 RECEIVED August 9, 2001 •C• ��;�t• s ,f-INR AUG 14 2001 Tim Sullivan, Esq Winstcl -Saie m Thomas West, Esq Regi tial ()ffice Poyner & Spruill, LLP 3600 Glenwood Avenue BY FACSIMILE AND FIRST CLASS MAIL Raleigh, North Carolina 27612 Re PTR vs. DENR, 00 EHR 1378, For Settlement Purposes Only Dear Messrs Sullivan and West Enclosed please find our finalized settlement agreement This agreement was only possible through ourjomt efforts, accordingly, I thank you all Please note the nunor, non substantive, change in paragraph G on page 5 Also, feel free to call me at the number set out above if you have any questions or concerns as it relates to this agreement Very truly yours, Anita LeVeaux Assistant Attorney �Ieral N C State Bar No 13667 C Greg Thorpe John Dornery Jennifer Frye N/ Ron Linville Dave Penrose Larry Coble EP-49737 W STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY FORSYTH PTR, Inc, v Petitioners, NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY, Respondent IN THE OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS FILE NO 01 EHR 1378 SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources ( "DENR "), Respondent, and PTR, Inc, and Parker Manufacturing, Inc, ( "Petitioners "), jointly and severally, hereby enter into this Settlement Agreement ( "Agreement ") pursuant to N C Gen Stat § 150B- 31(b), in order to amicably resolve the above captioned matter Pursuant to N C Gen Stat 143 -215 6A et seq , this matter arose out of the August 22, 2000, assessment by the Division of Water Quality ( "DWQ ") in the total amount of ten thousand five hundred, mnety -two dollars and twenty -eight cents ($10,592 28), for alleged violations of 15A NCAC 2B 0211(2) and 15A NCAC 2H 0501(b) matter DENR and the Petitioners have reached the following settlement agreement in this 1 The Petitioners will pay a total of six thousand, five hundred, and ninety -two dollars and twenty -eight ($6,592 28), including the costs of enforcement, ( "Settlement Amount ") r 2 to DENR in the full and complete settlement of the case set out above The Settlement Amount shall be made in a one lump sum payment upon execution of this agreement by the Petitioners 2 The payment shall be by check made payable to the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (or to "DENR ") at the following address Ms Sharlene Moses Attorney General's Office Environmental Protection Division Post Office Box 629 Raleigh, NC 27602 -0629 3 Further conditions include the following A The Petitioners will implement to the satisfaction of the U S Army Corps of Engineers (COE) the attached Monitoring and Stream Mitigation Plan prepared by Mitchell and Associates, (subject to DWQ's modifications [see D below] and any modification subsequently approved by the COE ) This plan has been reviewed and approved by the COE B Storm water management - the Petitioners shall provide a final, written Storm water management plan that must be approved in writing by NC DENR by October 1, 2001 The Storm water management plan must include plans and specifications for Storm water management facilities (facilities), designed to remove 85% of the total suspended solids (TSS) according to the most recent version of DENR's Storm water Best Management Practices Manual (Manual ) These facilities must be designed to treat the runoff from the entire project, unless otherwise explicitly approved by DWQ Also, the facilities, as approved by DWQ's wetlands unit, shall be constructed and operational, and the Storm water management plan, as approved by DWQ's wetlands unit, shall be implemented by December 1, 2001 The structural Storm water practices as approved by DWQ's wetlands unit as well as drainage patterns must be maintained as long as required by the North Carolina General Statutes and /or applicable rules and regulations No changes to the structural Storm water practices shall be made without written authorization from DWQ Petitioners may design a wetland at the bottom of the relocated stream as an extended detention wetlands as described in the above manual If the runoff from the project cannot be added to the above wetlands, bioretention areas, 3 consistent with the Manual designs, must be provided to treat the runoff from the areas not draining to the wetlands C Mitchell and Associates, Inc Stream mitigation plan The May 29. 2001 proposed mitigation plan, with a monitoring supplement dated June 7, 2001, prepared by Mitchell and Associates, Inc states that impacts to Leak Fork Creek will be reduced to less than 500 feet Accordingly, approximately 350 feet of culvert removal and stream restoration is required from Leak Fork Creek such that the total culverted length of Leak Fork Creek is no more than 500 linear feet This reopening of Leak Fork Creek must be completed by November 1, 2001, and the site stabilized according to the plan referenced above This area must be replanted in woody vegetation (preferably trees) to a width which is as wide as reasonably practicable but should not be less than fifteen feet from the bankfull edge This stream restoration shall be designed and maintained according to the provisions in DENR's "Internal Technical Guide for Stream Work in North Carolina (April 2001, Version 3 0) If the stream restoration outlined in the reports by Mitchell and Associates, Inc , are inconsistent with the Manual, they must be modified and submitted to DWQ for written approval D Mitchell and Associates, Inc Stream mitigation plan The proposed on- site stream mitigation plan in the May 29, 2001 proposed mitigation plan, with a monitoring supplement dated June 7, 2001, prepared by Mitchell and Associates, Inc is acceptable to DWQ with modifications The modifications to the stream mitigation plan must be submitted to DWQ by October 1, 2001 for written approval These reports are available on DENR's website at http 11h2o enr state nc us/ncwetlands The modifications are as follows a Modify the riparian (stream side) restoration to omit sycamore and sweet gum and to achieve 320 trees per acre at maturity, b Provide a satisfactory benthic macro invertebrate monitoring plan as outlined in DWQ's Interim, Internal Technical Guide - Benthic Macro invertebrate Monitoring Protocols for Compensatory Stream Restoration Projects (May 2001), c Provide plans that adequately depict the footprint of the stream restoration efforts, detailing the location of riffle /pools, stream bed sinuosity, stream bed profile, location of root wades, and grade control structures as outlined in DENR's "Internal Technical Guide for Stream Work in North Carolina (April 2001, Version 3 0), 4 ' d Begin the grading and planting of the stream restoration site on or before, but not later than December 1, 2001, and completion of the same, on or before April 1, 2002 DWQ shall be copied with an as -built plan upon completion of the project within 30 days of completion of the stream restoration e Send annual monitoring reports These reports shall be sent to DWQ for five years within 30 days of the anniversary of the completion of the stream restoration These plans must outline any planned measures to resolve any problems identified with the success of the stream restoration, and f Copy DWQ on the deed notification DWQ shall be copied on the deed notification, i e document which verifies and requires that DWQ be noticed and approval acquired as it relates to the otherwise restricted use and or proposed alternate usage for the area Tlus notification will be placed on the stream restoration area for the stream mitigation and re- opening of Leak Fork Creek E At least one thousand (1000) linear feet of stream restoration shall be done on site This restoration must be successful within five (5) years Successful restoration is defined as a A channel with positive baseflow at least 90% of the time in a normal year or mirrors the baseflow of the approved reference stream (for instance, the remaining undisturbed portion of the stream between US 52 and the restoration site), b Tree plantings of at least 320 trees per acre, c A minimum of 90% of the stream bank and bed is stable and not eroding, and d Naturally maintains the referenced pattern, dimension and profile If the Petitioners fail to meet any of the above criteria, the Petitioners shall purchase stream mitigation credits from the N C Wetlands Restoration Program by payment of no more than $125 00 a linear foot for each matching foot of unsuccessful restoration below one thousand (1000) feet 5 F Modifications to Petitioners' Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan The Petitioners shall immediately revise and or _amend his Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan (Plan) Notwithstanding any other statutes, rules and/or regulations, a Plan must be secured prior to the beginning of construction of the on -site stream restoration and Storm water management efforts G One of the remaining culverts under Leak Fork Creek shall be partially plugged at the uppermost end by November 1, 2001, to force stream base flow to enter only one pipe rather than both pipes Higher storm flows may enter both pipes There will be no physical barriers that prevent passage of aquatic life through the base flow channel barrel H DWQ shall issue a 401 Water Quality Certification for Nationwide Permit 32 (Certification), Completed Enforcement Action, for this project This Certification shall be issued on or before October 1, 2001, and will consist of the terms of this Agreement and applicable provisions of general certification number 3290 The applicant must submit a written request for such Certification on or before September 15, 2001 4 The breach of any condition enumerated above, in paragraphs numbered one, two, or three, including any and all sub - paragraphs, above, by Petitioners, will render due and payable the balance of the Civil Penalty Assessment 5 Petitioners and DENR expressly stipulate and acknowledge that, by entering into this Agreement.. Petitioners neither admit or deny the allegations contained in the Findings and Decisions and Assessment of Civil Penalties, however, upon Petitioners' breach of any condition or term of this Agreement, the sole issue, in any action by DENR is to collect the Entire amount of the civil penalty assessments, i e, ten thousand five hundred, ninety -two dollars and twenty- eight cents ($10,592 28), in accordance with the terms of Paragraph three above and the action will be limited to the Petitioners' compliance with the terms of this Agreement 6 6 DENR agrees to accept the payment of six thousand five hundred and ninety -two dollars and twenty -eight ($6,592 28), in full and complete satisfaction of the civil penalty assessments subject to the terms of this Agreement 7 Nothing in this Agreement shall restrict any right of DENR to take any enforcement action against the Petitioners for any future violations that are separate from any obligations of Petitioners under this Agreement 8 This Agreement shall be binding upon the parties and is entered into knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily This the PTR, Inc day of Parker Mfg Inc By By Rocky Carter Poyner & Spruill, L L P EP/49650 Timothy P Sullivan N C State Bar No 11105 P O Box 10096 Raleigh, NC 27605 -0096 (919) 783 -6400 W 2001 Kenneth R Horne DENR, Division of Water Quality Greg Thorpe, DWQ Roy Cooper, N C Attorney General as Anita LeVeaux Assistant Attorney General N C State Bar No 13667 N C Department of Justice Environmental Division Post Office Box 629 Raleigh, NC 27602 -0629 (919) 716 -6600