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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNC0001970_Annual Chloride Reduction Report_20220329 Draper Aden Associates Engineering • Surveying • Environmental Services 114 Edinburgh South Drive,Suite 200 Cary,NC 27511 919.827.0864 www.daa.com March 24, 2022 Mr. Danny Smith, Director RECEIVED Division of Water Quality North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality VAR 2 9 2022 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27669-1617 NCDEQIDWRINPDES Re: 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LLC- Faison, North Carolina 354 N. Faison Avenue, Faison, North Carolina NPDES Permit No. NC0001970 Draper Aden Associates Project No.: 2200460 Dear Mr. Smith, On behalf of Bay Valley Foods, LLC, Draper Aden Associates is pleased to present the 2020 Annual Chloride Reduction Report. In accordance with Special Condition A. (5) b.: NPDES Permit No. NC0001970, Bay Valley Foods, LLC-Faison, NC, continues efforts to study and evaluate chloride removal technologies and chloride reduction strategies. Enclosed please find a copy of the facility's 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report. As stated in previous reports, through the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's significant investments were made on process improvements, new equipment purchases, and process change strategies aimed at reducing salt use and subsequent chloride discharges. Notable investments and process changes include the replacement of wooden fermentation tanks, reduction of salt concentration in brines, process automation, and brine recycling technology. The early efforts resulted in substantial reduction in salt use with subsequent focus on pollution prevention efforts further reducing chloride discharges to surface water. As noted in previous Annual Chloride Reduction Evaluation Reports, there have been no economically feasible advances in chloride removal technologies applicable to the production processes employed at BayValleyFoods, LLC— Faison, NC. Efforts continue to improve process control/automation focused p Y p on reducing brine loss and salt waste. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 919-827-0864. Sincerely, Draper Aden Associates (C:fr7(/-45"1"---'— Foilvvt' James Y.Joyner, II, RSM Jim Hurley, MS, El Team Leader Environmental Engineer II Enclosure cc: Mr. Donovan Brock (1 HC) Blacksburg• Charlottesville•Manassas •Newport News•Richmond• Virginia Beach •Raleigh 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LLC - Faison, NC NPDES Permit No. NC00O1970 DAA Project Number 2200460 RECEIVED March 25, 2022 MAR 2 9 2022 NCDEUD\RJNI Prepared for Bay Valley Foods, LLC 354 N. Faison Avenue Faison, North Carolina 28341 Prepared by Draper Aden Associates 114 Edinburgh South Drive Cary, NC 27511 Draper Aden Associates Engineering • Surveying • Environmental Services Table of Contents 1.0 Basic Information 1 2.0 Production 2 3.0 Evaluated / Implemented Technologies and Approaches 5 4.0 Technologies and Approaches Considered for 2021 and Beyond 7 4.1 Bypass Salting / No Fermentation Process 7 4.2 Desalt Process Improvements 7 4.3 Brine Reclaim Process Improvement - 5-gallon Pail Line 7 4.4 Wastewater Treatment Process Improvements 7 4.5 Pickle Packers International (PPI) 8 4.6 Treatment Technologies 8 5.0 Waste Reduction 9 6.0 Monthly Chloride Discharges 10 7.0 Annual Average Stream Chloride Levels 11 Tables Table 2.1 Annual Production Units and Ratio of Chloride Discharged to Production Units 3 Table 2.2 Comparison of All Data (2005 —2021) 4 Table 6.0 Monthly Chloride Discharges 2021 10 Table 7.0 Annual Average Stream Chloride Levels 1997-2021 (mg/L) 11 Charts Chart 1 Annual Average Chloride Discharge Chart 2 Annual Production Chart 3 Chloride Discharged per Equivalent Production Unit Chart 4 2021 MonthlyChloride Discharge 9 Chart 5 Average Instream Chloride Concentrations Chart 6 Total Annual Chloride Discharges 1996-2021 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LC—Faison, North Carolina DAA Project No.2200460 March 25, 2022 1.0 Basic Information Bay Valley Foods, LLC — Faison, NC (BVF), remains committed to continuing efforts to maintain the downward trend in chloride discharges from its production facility. Through emphasis on its comprehensive pollution prevention, advanced process control and automation aimed at reducing brine loss, replacement of inefficient equipment and ongoing efforts in the identification and implementation of new and innovative reduction opportunities, BVF maintains its focus on the reduction of chlorides in its waste stream (Chart 1). BVF will continue to investigate and monitor technological advances that may have potential application to the pickle processing industry and supports research efforts in this area through its membership in professional trade organizations such as Pickle Packers International. BVF is willing to implement cost-effective chloride removal technologies and pollution reduction measures that can be proven effective and not compromise or impair finished product quality and/or characteristics. 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LC—Faison, North Carolina DAA Project No.2200460 March 25, 2022 1 2.0 Production BVF uses an established formula whereby all production types, in all facilities, are normalized. The normalized unit of measure is referred to as an "Equivalent Production Unit" and allows for a fair and equal comparison of differing sized containers from a 10-ounce jar to 5-gallon bucket. The Equivalent Production Unit (EPU) brings all production to a case equivalent volume and enables a fair comparison of production between facilities and production years and provides a balanced method to evaluate performance. The Faison, NC facility production requirements increased annually from 1996 through 2006 at which time, production peaked at 9.04 million EPU (Tables 2.1 and 2.2). Since 2006, the production throughput has generally decreased (Chart 2). The 2021 production volume was 6.10 million EPU, a 28.1% increase from the 2020 volume (4.76 million EPU) (Table 2.1). The 2021 average ratio of chloride discharged in pounds per EPU (0.30) is slightly below the 1996— 2021 average ratio (0.31) and matches the 2017 - 2021 five-year average ratio (0.30) (Table 2.2). Due to the ongoing commitment from facility leadership, the pounds of chloride discharged per EPU continue to show a long-term downward trend of approximately 0.01 pound discharged per EPU per year (Chart 3). 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LC—Faison, North Carolina DAA Project No.2200460 March 25, 2022 2 Table 2.1: Annual Production Units and Ratio of Chloride Discharged to Production Units (1996-2021) Production Chloride to Units Production Year Equivalent Units Produced Ratio (millions) 1996 5.74 0.51 1997 NA NA 1998 NA NA 1999 7.09 0.37 2000 7.28 0.38 2001 7.59 0.31 2002 7.84 0.28 2003 8.52 0.37 2004 8.75 0.31 2005 7.86 0.33 2006 9.04 0.35 2007 8.98 0.40 2008 8.57 0.38 2009 8.82 0.35 2010 8.23 0.39 2011 7.85 0.25 2012 7.26 0.20 2013 6.82 0.19 2014 6.60 0.21 2015 7.01 0.17 2016 6.84 0.22 2017 5.89 0.26 2018 5.49 0.34 2019 4.83 0.19 2020 4.76 0.42 2021 6.10 0.30 Average 1996-2021 7.27 0.31 Average 2017-2021 5.41 0.30 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LC-Faison, North Carolina DAA Project No.2200460 March 25, 2022 3 Table 2.2: Comparison of All Data (2005 - 2021) Data Description 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Annual Chloride 2,731,749 3,133,189 3,588,806 3,250,525 3,090,730 3,193,908 1,962,923 1,464,092 1,273,754 1,418,341 1,218,420 1,497,130 1,542,683 1,869,489 903,820 1,991,004 1,829,264 Discharge (Ibs) Annual Production 8,234,700 9,039,500 8,981,990 8,572,000 8,821,135 8,226,346 7,846,314 7,258,154 6,816,632 6,602,658 7,012,627 6,837,706 5,896,035 5,486,941 4,834,657 4,757,562 6,096,246 (equivalent units) Chloride Discharge Per Equivalent Unit 0.33 0.35 0.40 0.38 0.35 0.39 0.25 0.2 0.19 0.21 0.17 0.22 0.26 0.34 0.19 0.42 0.30 (lbs/equivalent unit) Annual NaCI and NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 3,392,194 2,793,822 3,348,508 3,177,496 CaCI Use (Ibs) Annual Water Use 119.2 98.03 109.11 94.3 101.78 107.7 115.32 97.6 91.61 114.47 133.6 133.77 114.29 118.23 NA NA NA (MG) Annual NaCI & CaCI Purchases 4,409,000 4,929,000 6,652,000 6,104,000 4,913,000 4,020,000 1,998,000 3,702,000 3,805,000 3,228,325 2,603,393 4,259,319 6,471,116 6,578,677 3,027,909 2,831,510 3,478,220 (Ibs) Salt Use per Equivalent Unit 0.54 0.55 0.74 0.71 0.56 0.49 0.25 0.51 0.56 0.49 0.37 0.62 0.52 0.62 0.58 0.70 0.52 (lbs/equivalent unit) Notes: NA: Data not available Annual purchases prior to 2018 calculated from salt use per equivalent unit.Values from 2018 to present represent actual chloride use. 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LC-Faison, North Carolina DAA Project No.2200460 March 25, 2022 4 3.0 Evaluated / Implemented Technologies and Approaches Summary of Chloride Reduction Strategies Implemented and/or Evaluated at Faison, NC • 1982 through 1990— Replaced all wood fermentation tanks with fiberglass or plastic • 1982 through 1994—Salt Use Reduction in Brining - % salt reduced from 15.8% to 6.3% salt (Substitute calcium chloride and acetic acid in brine prep) • 1987 to 1989 — Recycle Brine— Currently recycle 100% of brine • 1988 — Desalting Operation Moved to Brine Yard • 1991 — Enhanced Automation of 5-Gallon Production Line • 1991 — Enhanced Automation of Major Customer Brine System • 1992 — Replace Open-Top Blancher with Rotary Blancher • 1992 — Enhanced Bulk Product Handling Processes • 1993 — Upgrade Brine-making Station • 1993 — Replace Brine Yard Pickle Pump • 1994— Install Titanium Heat Exchanger— Brine Recycling/Pasteurization Process • 2002- Increase Brine Reclaim • 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006— Evaluate Use of De-Salt Water for Brining and/or Product Fluming • 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 — Evaluate Use of De-Salt Water for Subsequent De-Salting Operations • 2003, 2004— Evaluate Recovery of Bottom 2-inches of Concentrated Brine Left in Fermentation Tanks After Cleaning • 2004— Install De-Salt Flume Conveyor • 2004— Evaluate De-Salt Brine Filtering for Possible Reuse • 2004, 2005 — Evaluate De-Salting through the Lyco Blancher (Continuous Process vs. Batch Process) • 2004, 2005 — Evaluate Rapid De-Salt Process • 2005, 2006 — Evaluate Improvement in Cover Brine Recovery/Blow Lines • 2005 — Evaluate New De-Salting Operation Located in Tank Yard • 2005 — Install WW Sludge Filter Press and Clean Sludge from WW Treatment Ponds • 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008— Evaluate In-Line De-Salting • 2005 — Implemented By-Pass Salting / No Fermentation Process • 2005 (2006, 2007, 2008 2009) — Begin 4-Phase Storm Water Management Project • 2007, 2008— Improvements to Cover Brine Efficiency & Recovery Line 1 and 2 • 2008 — Implemented Enhanced Relish Desalting Control • 2009 — Implemented Replace Pickle Conveyor Pump • 2009 — Implemented Upgrade Desalting Operation by Installing Four Additional De-Salt Tanks • 2011 — Implemented a project to remove excess biomass from Pond 1 of its wastewater treatment system. 1,500 tons of biomass was dewatered and removed at a cost of $143,000. • 2012 — Continued the removal process of excess biomass from Pond 1 with an additional removal and dewatering of 3,000 ton at a cost of $249,000. 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LC—Faison, North Carolina DAA Project No.2200460 March 25, 2022 5 • 2014 - Continued the removal process of excess biomass from Pond 1 with an additional removal and dewatering of 3643 ton at a cost of $368,000. • 2016 - Implemented removal process of excess biomass from Pond 2 with removal and dewatering of 3727 tons at a cost of $230,000. • 2016 — Implemented removal and replacement of Pond 2 liner and begin construction and lining of Pond 3 at a cost of $500,000. • 2016 — Evaluate Reverse Osmosis and Electrodialysis/Electrodialysis Reversal to Reduce Chloride at End-of-Pipe. Neither technology was considered feasible due to cost considerations. • 2017—Completed the excess biomass removal from Pond 3 with removal and dewatering of 1,963 tons at a cost of $336,000. • 2017—Completed installing the new liner at Pond 3 on April 1, 2017 at a cost of $100,000 • 2018 —Completed lining Pond 1. Sludge removal cost totaled $285,000. The three ponds have been relined. • 2021 — 280 tons of sludge removed at a cost of $11,000. 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LC—Faison, North Carolina DAA Project No.2200460 March 25, 2022 6 4.0 Technologies and Approaches Considered for 2021 and Beyond Many projects, programs, process changes, and chloride reduction strategies that were implemented in the past continued to be utilized into 2021 as described in the following sections. 4.1 Bypass Salting / No Fermentation Process The proprietary "No Fermentation" process continues to be a significant process improvement and chloride reduction strategy and will be considered for all future production opportunities where applicable. 4.2 Desalt Process Improvements The Faison facility added four portable de-salt tanks for product de-salting. The de-salting process must be accomplished quickly to support the production schedule, which can result in over de-salting of the product necessitating the re-addition of salt. The result is excess water use, increased salt use and ultimately additional chloride discharges. The four portable de-salt tanks enabled the facility to extend the duration of the de-salt process, which provided improved process control. Status: Successful process improvements were made to the de-salt process in 2009. Cost Associated with Improvements - $350,000. 4.3 Brine Reclaim Process Improvement - 5-gallon Pail Line The installation of catch pans, filter screens, and a brine reclaim tank on the 5-gallon pail line allows for the capture of overflow brine and eventual reuse, rather than discharged as high chloride concentrated wastewater. Status: Successful improvements were made to the brine reclaim system on the 5-gallon pail processing line in 2009. Cost Associated with Improvements - $4,500. 4.4 Wastewater Treatment Process Improvements Excess biomass accumulation in Pond 3 was removed and the pond was relined. This project was completed in April 2017. In 2017, BVF removed biomass accumulation from Pond 1 and began the process to re-line Pond 1. Sludge removal was completed in March 2018, and the liner replacement 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LC—Faison, North Carolina DAA Project No.2200460 March 25,2022 7 was completed. Pond 1 aerators were re-wired, and the pond was returned to normal operations on May 1, 2018. An additional 280 tons of sludge were removed in 2021. Status: Successful improvements were made to the wastewater ponds. Sludge removal costs - $296,000. 4.5 Pickle Packers International (PPI) BVF is a member of, and continues to participate in, the Pickle Packers International organization. Through participation in this organization, BVF remains current on new processing technologies which may include reduced salt use, and wastewater treatment strategies others in the pickle processing industry may have implemented that result in reduced chlorides in wastewater discharges. 4.6 Treatment Technologies Ramboll Environ prepared a Chloride Removal Technology Evaluation Report dated January 12, 2017. The report identified several technologies potentially applicable to the BVF facility. The technologies included reverse osmosis, electrodialysis/electrodialysis reversal, chemical precipitation, product substitution, flow augmentation, and residuals management. BVF is committed to investigating and evaluating any new treatment technology based on technical applicability and feasibility. 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LC—Faison, North Carolina DAA Project No.2200460 March 25, 2022 8 5.0 Waste Reduction The ongoing waste reduction efforts at the Facility have continued through 2021. The facility has formed a cross-functional Pollution Prevention Team (Team) that meets on a regular basis to discuss and evaluate waste generation and chloride reduction opportunities. A comprehensive pollutionprevention program is inplace which includes educatingemployees re ardin waste best p 9 regarding management practices and the importance of identifying strategies that can reduce chloride discharges. Chloride reduction is a primary focus of the Team along with water conservation, efficient utilization of energy, and minimizing waste generation. In addition, the Team considers maintenance practices and other protocols that may result in brine loss. Finally, the Team is continually evaluating processes for redesign consideration with respect to improved efficiency and chloride discharge reduction opportunities. In combination with waste reduction and pollution prevention efforts, BVF continues to focus on preventive maintenance programs and giving a priority assignment to any maintenance work order involving process equipment that could result in increased discharge of chlorides. These activities along with employee training help foster and expand a work ethic focused on waste reduction as well as process improvements. The maximum daily discharge for each month in 2021 was below the daily maximum limit and the average monthly discharge was below the monthly average limit (Table 6.0 and Chart 4). Upstream chloride concentrations represent background values. An anomalous peak in downstream chloride concentrations observed in 2007 was attributed to low stream flow conditions throughout the year, a result of drought conditions. Linear regressions performed on chloride stream concentrations found in Table 7 indicate decreasing trends (negative slopes) in Downstream Points #1 and #3, and a slightly increasing trend (positive slope) in Downstream Point #2 (Chart 5). The total annual chloride discharge generally decreased from 2007 to 2015 (Table 2.2, Chart 6). From 2015 through 2021, chloride discharges have fluctuated, but have remained well below the 2007 level. The provided charts demonstrate that waste reduction efforts at the BVF facility are effective. 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LC—Faison, North Carolina DAA Project No.2200460 March 25, 2022 9 6.0 Monthly Chloride Discharges Table 6.0: Monthly Chloride Discharges in 2021 Monthly Average Limit = 13,476 lbs/day Current Chloride Discharge Limits: Daily Maximum Limit = 19,120 lbs/day Chloride Discharges Month Max Average Total (lbs/day) (lbs/day) (Ibs) January 10,017 4,552 141,097 February 8,379 5,273 147,644 March 11,079 5,887 182,483 April 10,598 5,163 154,880 May 9,537 5,862 181,726 June 7,057 3,216 96,483 July 16,825 7,125 220,878 August 10,641 6,809 211,089 1 September 11,655 5,729 171,883 October 6,771 4,875 151,137 November 4,079 3,078 92,350 December 3,930 2,504 77,614 2021 Annual Chloride Reduction Report Bay Valley Foods, LC-Faison, North Carolina DAA Project No.2200460 March 25, 2022 10 o V v D < n - O N p = O • fD - cps c D N n T co oN z O n N p Q S N NJ NJ NJ N NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ N NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ N NJ -A N O CD CDO O CD O CD O O O CD CD O O CD CD CD O lO lO ).0O -{ • NJ NJ -+ --A-, � -, _ AP CDCD CD-, -, -� - O O O O O O O lO )-0 )-0� n 0 --‘ CDl0 CO J l A U.)Ol N NJ -, CDl0 CO J 0-) N� A Lk) NJO -, O l0 CO J C- SD CD v 1 D ° F, O CD z ° ai ° A LC 0- 0 c D n o = VIv O M. 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A CO J Ql A A A cm -+LSD N O W N —, lO IL lD 3 (.0 N N O N v o m L0 A J Nl J Cr) J 0-) J LA" N A A A --IL0 A 0") J 0-1 LSDW W 'J 6l A J W cm O O --' L0 10 O Nl CD LC) l0 A O CD NJ N W N - to a, 3 W CHARTS Chart 1 Annual Average Chloride Discharge (lbs/day) 12,000 10,000 8,000 y = -219.85x + 448125 6,000 - 4,000 ••�. 2000 - 0 79 7996, 9 D. �O �O `�O �O D. �O DO `O 9� 79,� 799 `"O OO �O O� 9 O� O�, O� OS 06 c)O O� �O O� �O O� c'O 7O �O 7> �O>� �O 7O �� �O 7S, 76' 7� O�cp c'O 79 �O ��7 Chart 2 Annual Production (millions of Equivalent Production Units) 10 8 •-.. y = -0.12x + 8.76 7 6 - 5 4 3 2 \- �00 cDOO )62 c)OO cO0 cDOO cD00 D.D. cO7 cO7 c'O7 DI �07 20, �07 �07 cDO, �07 D, DO, O 7 cD 0 S, 6, 6' O O 0 7 �, Q S 6' 8 9 O 7 Chart 3 Chloride Discharged per Equivalent Production Unit (Ibs/EPU) 0.45 - 0.40 0.35 .... ..... 0.30 ......................................... • ... . ..... . .. .. ..... „ y.=:0.01 x.+ 0.38 .......... ......... ..... ........... ..... 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 79 `DO D. DO �'O �'O `,O �'O r'O �'O c'O �'O c'o r'O �'O r'O �D0 r'O �O ADO rDO �'O J9 00 O> O� 00 Ov OS 06, O 00 00 70 7J 7� 70 7Q 7� 76, 7� 70 �9 �0 �� Chart 4 2021 Monthly Chloride Discharge (lbs/day) 25,000 Average Daily Discharge (Maximum Daily Discharge —Daily Limit Monthly Avg. Limit 20,000 Max Daily Limit 19,120 lbs 15,000 Monthly Avg Limit 13,476 lbs 10,000 5,000 0 January February March April May June July August September October November December Chart 5 Average Instream Chloride Concentrations (mg/L) 2,500 - Upstream (Background) - Downstream Point#1 Downstream Point#2 2,000 Downstream Point#3 — Linear(Downstream Point#1) Linear(Downstream Point#2) — — •Linear(Downstream Point#3) 1,500 1,000 _ -15.384x + 904.68 "500 y = 1.6213x + 169.10 y = -1.6681x + 123.86_ 79 79 79 79 c CDO O DO C. DO DO DO DO DO CDO DO O O DO c3O DO DO DO DO )O DO 90 9> 96 99 00 07 O? O?, OQ ff. 06 O, 06 09 70 77 7D 7� 75 7S, 76 7- 76 79 �O �7 Chart 6 Total Annual Chloride Discharge 1996-2021 (Ibs/year) 4,000,000 3,500,000 A 3,000,000 2,500,000 — y = -79824x + 3E+06• . 2,000,000 .. 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 0 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 79 <9 79 79 CDO DO DO CDO DO DO 0 CDO ‘DO DO DO DO DO DO `,O DO DO `-DO DO CDO DO 7'0 96, 9> 96, 99 00 07 OD 00 057 OS, 06, 0> 00 09 70 77 7cD 70 7,7 76, 76, 7> 76) 79 cDo c-D7