HomeMy WebLinkAboutWQ0036755_Rescission Information Letter_20220608 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality | Division of Water Resources
Asheville Regional Office | 2090 U.S. Highway 70 | Swannanoa, North Carolina 28778
828.296.4500
SENT VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL ONLY: NO HARD COPY WILL BE MAILED
June 8, 2022
Mason Sapphire Mine LLC
Mason's Ruby and Sapphire Mine CLRS
klatternest@msn.com
SUBJECT: 15A NCAC 02U Rule Change
Mason's Ruby and Sapphire Mine CLRS
Macon County, North Carolina
Non-discharge Permit No. WQ0036755
Dear Permittee,
We wanted to bring to your attention a change in the rules that govern closed-loop recycle
systems per 15A NCAC 02U. Pursuant to15A NCAC -2U.0113, item 18, effective March 21, 2019,
Gem Mining Facilities meeting the following requirements are now considered “permitted by
regulation”:
“Recycling of rinse water for separating gems from gravel, sand, or rock in a flume at
commercial gem mine facilities with total system flow of less than 100,000 gpd, provided
the wastewater is contained within storage structures, no biological or chemical
additives are used, and the facility develops and maintains a spill control plan in the
event of a wastewater release. The facility shall notify the appropriate Division regional
office in writing noting the owner, location, and that the design complies with the
required criteria.”
If you determine that your facility meets these requirements, a permit rescission request may
be submitted to Nathaniel Thornburg with the Non-Discharge Permitting Unit through the
following methods:
Email requests can be sent to Nathaniel.Thornburg@ncdenr.gov
-or-
DocuSign Envelope ID: C59D7C58-4915-4A69-9E46-AC5DBB2C6DE9
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality | Division of Water Resources
Asheville Regional Office | 2090 U.S. Highway 70 | Swannanoa, North Carolina 28778
828.296.4500
Letter requests can be mailed to:
Division of Water Resources
Non-Discharge Branch
C/O Nathaniel Thornburg
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
If you have specific questions or wish to discuss further, please contact me at 828-296-4653 or
via email at Melanie.Kemp@ncdenr.gov.
Sincerely,
Melanie Kemp, Environmental Specialist I Water Quality Regional Operations Section Asheville Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ
EC: LF
DocuSign Envelope ID: C59D7C58-4915-4A69-9E46-AC5DBB2C6DE9