NC0006190_NOV-2022-PC-0213 Response_20220527

South Fork Industries Inc.
RECEIVED/NCDEQ/DWR
MAY 2 7 2022 Telephone [phone]
woRos Fax [phone]
P.O. Box 742 100 West Pine Street MOORESVILLE REGIONAL OFFIC ,4aiden, North Carolina 28650
WES BELL
NC DEQ- DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
610 EAST CENTER AVENUE SUITE 301
MOORESVILLE NC 28115
MAY 17,2022
WES BELL,
I AM WRITING THIS LETTER IN RESPONSE TO THE NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS WE RECEIVED
AFTER YOU COMPLETED THE COMPLIANCE EVALUATION INSPECTION ON APRIL 12,2022.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND COOPORATION WITH
SOUTH FORK INDUSTRIES WASTEWATER FACILITY. I ALSO WANT TO ASSURE YOU WE WILL BE
DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO RESPOND TO AND REPAIR EVERYTHING CONTAINED IN THE
REPORT.
THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT ITEM IN YOUR INSPECTION EVALUATION WAS THE
RELEASE OF OIL ONTO THE DRIVEWAY AND INTO THE DRAIN LOCATED IN THE AREA OF OIL
RELEASE. WE IMMEDIATLEY ADDRESSED THE AREA AND CLEANED AND DISPOSED OF ALL OIL
RESIDUE IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE OIL IS A DISCHARGE FROM OUR AIR ESP UNITS THAT WE
COLLECT AND HAVE PICKED UP BY AN OIL RECYCLING FACILITY.WE HAVE RE-INFORCED THE
CONTAINMENT AREA AROUND THE UNIT AND WE HAVE ORDERED NEW SEALS TO ELIMINATE
THE UNIT DISCHARGING FROM AREAS ON THE UNIT OTHER THAN NORMAL DRAINS TO
COLLECTION CONTAINERS.WE HAVE INITIATED A SITE EVALUATION CHECK TO BE DONE DAILY
BY ASSIGNED MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO INSURE THAT NO DICHARGE DOES GET OUT OF
UNIT CONTAINMENT AREA . THAT WILL BE A PRIORITY ITEM AND WILL BE FOLLOWED UP BY
INSPECTIONS BY MANAGING PERSONNEL ALSO. I HAVE ATTACHED SOME PHOTOS OF THE
AREA.

South Fork Industries Inc.
P.O. Box 742 100 West Pine Street
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
Maiden, North Carolina 28650
THE NEXT ITEM WE ARE ADDRESSING IS THE RUST AND DETERIORATION OF THE CLARIFIERS.
DON BURKEY OUR ORC HAS CONTACTED CHARLES A UNDERWOOD CO. TO GET EVALUATION
AND QUOTES TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF RECONDITIONING OR REPLACING BOTH OF OUR
CLARIFYING UNITS.DON WILL KEEP THE DIVISION INFORMED OF OUR PLAN OF ACTION FOR
THIS PROJECT.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE LIST IS OUR BARSCREEN DUMPSTER LOCATED OUTSIDE OUR
SHAKER FACILITY POSSIBLY DISCHARGING WASTEWATER ONTO DRIVEWAY WHEN BEING
EMPTIED. WE HAVE BUILT AND MAINTAINED THE CONTAINMENT AREA AROUND THE
DUMPSTER THAT IS WORKING WHEN UNIT IN SERVICE. WE HAVE THE DUMPSTER COMPANY
PICKING THE DUMSTER MONTHLY ON FIRST MONDAY MORNING TO ALLOW THE DUMPSTER TO
DRY OUT AND TO ALLOW IT TO CONTAIN AS LITTLE WATER RESIDUE AS POSSIBLE IN THE LINT.
THEY ALSO HOLD IT UP OVER THE CONTAINMENT AREA TO ENSURE ANY DRAINAGE THAT DOES
HAPPEN FALLS INTO THE CONTAINMENT AREA UNTIL DRAINAGE IS COMPLETE BEFORE
PLACING INTO TRUCK. THIS HAS ELIMINATED WASTEWATER GETTING OUT OF CONTAINMENT
AREA TO MY KNOWLEDGE.WE ALSO HAVE MAITENENCE PERSONNEL THERE DURING PICK UP
TO INSURE PROPERLY COMPLETED.
LAST ITEM TO BE ADDRESSED IS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS THAT HAVE
OCCURRED OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS. WE HAVE BEEN AS CONCERNED ABOUT THESE
ITEMS AND WHY THEY ARE OCCURING AS YOU HAVE. AS YOU KNOW COVID CHANGED
EVERYHING DURING THAT TIME PERIOD INCLUDING HOW WE OPERATED AND THE MATERIALS
THAT WE PROCESSED. WE SWITCHED OUR FACILITY OVER TO MOSTLY PPE SUPPLIES FOR THE
FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT. WE ARE CONTRACTED BY THEM ON OVER FIFTY PERCENT
OF OUR NORMAL PRODUCTION BUT DURING COVID WE RAN CLOSER TO 85 PERCENT FOR THE
GOVERNMENT FOR PPE MATERIALS. THIS CHANGE AND THE LOWER VOLUMES OF
PRODUCTION CREATED WASTEWATER ISSUES FOR US AS ALL LOW WASTEWATER DISCHARGE
TIMES DO.WE ARE NOW BACK TO NORMAL PRODUCTION OPERATION ACTIVITIES AND WE WILL
BE SEEING BETTER WATEWATER CONDITIONS AND VOLUMES.
WE ALSO ARE TAKING STEPS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES IN OTHER WAYS TO. FIRST, WE ARE
EVALUATING AND MOVING FORWARD ON SWITCHING OUR BASINS AERATION SYSTEM FROM
THE MECHANICAL FLOATING DEVICES TO AN AIR DEFUSED SYSTEM. DON AND HIS ASSISTANTS
ARE CONTACTING AN ENGINEER TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING AND INSTALLING THE
NEW SYSTEM.

South Fork Industries Inc.
P.O. Box 742 100 West Pine Street
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
Maiden, North Carolina 28650
IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME BUT WE THINK IF WE DO THIS IT WILL HELP US IN MANY AREAS
OF PARAMETERS OF OUR PERMIT. IT SHOULD HELP US INCREASE BOD, COD, AND TSS REMOVAL
EFFICIENCY AND POTENTIALLY PREVENT FUTURE VIOLATIONS OF THESE PARAMETERS.WE ARE
ALSO EVALUATING THE ADDITION OF SULFURIC ACID TO HELP LOWER PH LEVELS WHICH
SHOULD HELP WITH THE PROCESS OF MICROORGINISM REPRODUCTION AND POSSIBLY
PRODUCE A BROADER RANGE OF MICROORGINISMS. WE ARE ALSO DISCUSING IDEAS OF HOW
TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECTS OF LACK OF PRODUCTION AND DISCHARGE OVER OUR WEEKEND
SHUTDOWNS.WE ARE DISCUSSING POSSIBLE ALTERATIONS TO THE FLOW OF WASTEWATER
INTO THE BASINS, POSSIBLY USING ONE BASIN AS A HOLDING BASIN AND PUMPING ATER
FROM THE HOLDING BASIN INTO THE OTHER BASIN DURING LOW FLOW CONDITIONS. THIS IS A
STRATEGY THAT WAS DISCUSSED WITH YOU RECENTLY DURING THE PLANT INSPECTION.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A LOT TO DO BUT IT IS A PRIORITY FOR OUR COMPANY DURING
THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR AND MOVING INTO THE FUTURE. WE ARE PREPARED TO FUND
THESE ITEMS AND TO MAKE ROOM IN OUR BUDGET TO ENSURE THEIR COMPLETION.WE ARE
OPEN TO ALL SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMENDTIONS FROM YOUR DIVISION TO HELP US MOVE
FORWARD.
I HOPE THIS LETTER ASSURES YOU THAT SOUTH FORK INDUSTRIES INC. TAKES THIS NOTICE
OF VIOLATION VERY SERIOUSLY AND WILL MAKE ALL EFFORTS TO REMEDY ALL ITEMS IN AS
TIMELY MANNER AS ALLOWED BY CONDITIONS AT THIS TIME. IF YOU FIND ANY ITEMS
LISTED AND REPONDED TO INSUFFICIANT PLEASE CONTACT ME AT
EVERETTE@a SOUTHFORKIND.COM OR 828-428-9921
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.
EVERETTE OWENS PLANT MANAGER

ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S. BISER
Secretary
RICHARD E. ROGERS, JR.
Director
Certified Mail # 7020 3160 0000 3277 0792
Return Receipt Requested
Everette Owens, Plant Manager
South Fork Industries, Inc.
Post Office Box 742
Maiden, NC 28650-0742
SUBJECT: Notice of Violation
Compliance Evaluation Inspection
South Fork Industries, Inc. WWTP
NPDES Permit No. NC0006190
Catawba County
Tracking #: NOV-2022-PC-0213
Dear Mr. Owens:
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
April 20, 2022
Enclosed is a copy of the Compliance Evaluation Inspection (CEI) Report for the inspection conducted at the subject
facility on April 12, 2022, by Mr. Wes Bell of this Office. Please advise the facility's Operator -in -Responsible Charge (ORC)
of our findings by forwarding the enclosed report.
This report is being issued as a Notice of Violation (NOV) due to the permittee's failure to provide proper operation and
maintenance at the wastewater treatment system which led to the unpermitted discharges of oil into Clark Creek via effluent
discharge.
Please be advised that the failure to provide proper operation and maintenance and the unpermitted discharges of oil are
violations of the subject NPDES Permit, North Carolina General Statute (G.S.) 143-215.1 and G.S. 143-215.83(a)/Unlawful
Discharge of Oil. Please note that G.S. 143-215.6A provides for a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars
($25,000.00), or twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) per day when the violation is of a continuing nature, against any
person who violates or fails to act in accordance with the terms, conditions, or requirements of any permit issued pursuant to
G.S. 143-215.1 Pursuant to G.S.143-215.88A, any person who is deemed to be in violation of G.S. 143-215.83, or who fails to
comply with the clean-up requirements of G.S. 143-215.84, shall incur, in addition to any other penalty provided by law, a
penalty in an amount not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) for each such violation. Penalties may also be assessed
for any damage to surface waters of the State that may result from the violation.
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality 1 Division of Water Resources
Mooresville Regional Office 1 610 East Center Avenue. Suite 301 1 Mooresville, North Carolina 28115
704.663.1699