NC0072575_Response to Notice_20221018

pligrinnt.
October 18, 2022
Vanessa Manuel, Assistant Regional Supervisor
NC DEQ- Division of Water Resources
Raleigh Regional Office
3800 Barrett Drive
Raleigh, NC 27609
Re: Pilgrim's Pride, Sanford Processing Plan
NOV Tracking No. NOV-2022-LV-0672
NPDES Permit No. NCO072575
Lee County
Dear Ms. Manuel:
Pilgrim's Sanford Plant is in receipt of the Notice of Violation & Intent to Assess Civil Penalty dated
September 23, 2022. Pilgrim's personnel have taken significant effort to understand or uncover the
reason for the elevated BOD value on July 1, 2022. This Pilgrim's facility has not had a BOD permit
exceedance for over 6 years, so this elevated number is certainly unusual for the site. In addition, the
BOD data for the Monthly average for July was 0.74 (including the 15.5 mg/I exceedance).
Pilgrim's requested the laboratory provide copies of the Quality Control (QC) data, see attached letter
from the lab. All QC met analytical standards with the blank being the only QC that was close to
exceeding test standards at 0.19 with the limit being 0.20. As quickly as possible after the results of this
sample were found to be elevated, the sample was re -ran out of hold time. The results of that test was
<2.4 mg/l.
Pilgrim's staff also performs Root Cause Analysis (RCA) any time a value exceeds permit limits. Please
find attached Pilgrim's accompanying RCA for the BOD anomaly.

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October 5, 2022
Ms. Tina Pedley
Pilgrim's Pride
494 Zimmerman Road
Sanford, NC 27330
Dear Ms. Pedley:
On July 1, 2022, Cameron Testing Services received an Effluent sample from Pilgrim's Pride for
BOD analysis. Samples from Pilgrim's final effluent and anaerobic digester were into a 5 day
BOD analysis setup according to Standard Methods 521013-2016. The result of the BOD
analysis was 15.1 mg/L for the effluent and > 68.2 mg/L for the anaerobic. These were reported
on July 20, 2022.
At your request, we reviewed the data packet associated with that sample to verify the reported
result. The GGA QC standards for the July 1 BOD were 195 mg/L which was exactly in the
middle of the acceptance limits (168-229 mg/L). The seed correction was 0.71, also in the
middle of the target range (0.60 - 1.40). The blank was the only parameter close to being out of
acceptance limts with a A value of 0.19 (limit = 0.20) The QC bench sheets have been included
for review along with the bench sheets showing analysis of Pilgrim's samples.
In addition, since we run process samples weekly, we know what BOD values expect from
samples. There were no anomalies in the other samples in the July 1 st run. Based upon the QCs
and results of all other client samples, it is our judgement the July 1 BOD analysis was valid and
the values reported to Pilgrim's are therefore also valid.
Cameron Testing have been processing Pilgrim's BOD samples weekly for almost 2 years.
Without doing a detailed record search, this is the first time Pilgrim's effluent has had a BOD
value. Having run BODs for 13 years, seeing a 15 mg/L for an effluent BOD does not raise
alarm bells. Such a result is almost always due to some TSS sneaking across from the settling
tank. A past client regularly had BOD NOVs for effluent ultimately stemming from the fact his
digester had never been cleaned and the TSS values were high. It is not due to chemicals or
untreated water in the effluent. We have seldom if ever, seen a cleaner effluent than what we
receive from Pilgrims Pride Sanford.
Please feel free to contact me if you need any additional information.
Sincerely
CAM N TESTING SERVICES
ris Cameron

Cameron Testing Services
Analyst CSC
CARBOY 16-4
Initial Prep
Reagents
Dilution Water
Nutrients (1 mg/L)
Seed (time)
BOD (5210 B - 2001)
Start Date:
07/01/22
Start Time:
1730
Inc. Temp:
20.0
DO Calibration
8.41
DO Slope
87.4%
NCDENR WWlGW Cert 0654
US EPA Lob Cart # NC0191 B
Read Date:
DW Cert # 37799
07/06/22
Read Time:
1700
Inc. Temp:
20.0
R RA
Seed 312105 Nutrients Glutamic
Vol (L) 19
FeC13 19 CaCh 19 M902 19 Na2HPos
Dil. Water 1400 Aeration 1400 Decant 1730
19
Sample ID
Bottle
seed Vol
(mL)
DOI
DOf
ADO
BOD
Drift Check
8.0$
7.88
Blank
58
0
8.47
8.27
0.20
High
Blank
59
0
8.46
8.27
0.19
Good
0.20
1
37
9
8.39
6.39
2.00
0.67
2
38
12
8.45
5.42
3.03
0.76
3
39
15
8.43
4.90
3.53
0.71
Seed Correction (0.60 < target range a 1.40)
CF =
0.71
The seed correct is subtracted from all final ADO values to get the BOD. Adjust as needed until GGA falls within target range.
GGA #1, 6 mL
40
3
8.44
3.54 4.90
209.5
GGA #2, 6 mL
42
3
8.45
3.91 4.54
191.5
GGA #3, 6 mL
43
3
8.41
4.01 4.40
184.5
Glutamate/Glutamic Acid (GGA) target BOD =167.5 - 228.5
195116
Drift Check
8.02
7.81
Duplicates
o
m
E
mn°
m
a'%
0
nM.
cc
c.
S
a
0.00
0.0
0.00
0.0
Page 1

ameron Testing Services
Analyst
CARBOY 1b ` "+
Initial Prep
Reagents
Dilution Water
utrients (1 mg1L)
Seed (time)
Sample ID
Drift Check
Blank
BIank
���
BOD (5210 B - 2001)
NCDENR WW1GW Cart #654
U$ EPA l.ab Cary # NCO1818
Start Date:
o'7/oljzz
Read Date: DWCOO #37799
,?/ WZZ
Start Time:
1,730
Read Time: 7
Inc. Temp:
10_0
Inc. Temp:
D
DO Calibration
j{j
-144
DO Slope
Seed
31 Z 10S
Nutrients
Glutamic
Vol (L)
r
—
FeCI,
19
CaC6
! e1
Mgch
Z �} NaxtiPO. ! �[
DII.Water
Aeration
1—�_
Decant��-
Iti3a
Bottle
(mL)
Sead-v°t%1-
DOf
eD0
BOD
0
' n n
o.IVto!
1 3.T 9 S.'3i
b39
3T 12 $.is
5.4z
3 3g 15 8 43
+56
Seed -Correction (d.We.Ttarget range a 1s40)
Gp = 11DIV/01
�e seed correct is.suhtracted front all f 21--fADO.�2tues to get the WD. AdJUSt as needed un61 � falls within target range
GGA #i , 6 mL �10 3K,,,,GGA
#2, 6 mL3GGA
#3, 6 mL y3 3At..Di
GiutamatelGltitamic AcW (GGA) target SOD = 16.7.6 - 22&5 #DIY/Oi
Driff bhook '5 p2.
T7 $1
r
Duplkaies
0
°m
40.0
a
0.0.0
Page 1

Cameron Testing Services
Analyst CSC
BOD (5210 B - 2001)
Start Date: 07/01/22 Read Date:
Seed Time: 1830 Read Time:
Inc. Temp: 20.0 Inc. Temp:
NCDENR WWlGW Cert #654
US EPA Lab Cert # NC01918
DW Cert # 37799
p,
m
Q,
E
c�,
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c�
EI J
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O
O
F
a
45
0.00
3
8.39
7.02
1.37
66.0
46
7.03
5
8.36
6.71
1.65
56.4
47
10
8.44
7.55
0.89
5.40
48
6.03
0.00
1
25
8.38
7.26
1.12
5
49
100
8.13
6.34
1 1.79
3
50
250
8.07
4.67
3.40
3.23
52
1 6.54
0.00
3
8.32
4.06
4.26
355.0
53
5
8.15
2.25
5.90
311.4
54
5
8.19
3.30
4.89
251
35
1
1
1 10
7.89
0.99
6.90
186
Drift
Inc @
8.00
7.75
55
6.60
0.00
25
8.38
6.72
1.66
11
56
100
8.27
4.80
3.47
8.28
57
250
7.85
1.29
6.56
7.02
2207-0002-02
98
7.71
0.00
25
8.44
6.33
2.11
16.8
PP eff
99
100
8.52
3.38
5.14
13.3
100
250
8.75
0.99
7.76 1
8.46
AnA-03
101
6.79
0.00
20
25
8.43
7.22
1.21
300
102
1
20
100
8.40
6.90
1.50
118
103
20
200
8.36
6.74
1.62
68.2
Drift
Inc @
8.03
7.79
Seed Correction Factor
0.71
QC Notes Sample pH = 7.0 t 1.0, If not adjust to DOi > 7.5 OOf > 1.0 ADO > 2.0
PH = 7.1 * 0.1.
Page 1

Cam ron Testing Services BOD (5210 B .2001)
tnaiyst a Start Date: o7/OIJZ2 Read Date:
Seed Time: 1,1-d.30 Read Time:
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Page I
NCDENR WW/GW Cert #654
US EPA Lab Cart # NCO1918
DW Cert # 37799
#DIV/O!
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NOMM6

RCA — Root Cause Analysis / RAA — Report of Analysis of Anomalies
Date:
Downtime Start:
End:
Total Downtime:
10-7-22
Department/Area:
Equipment / PM #:
Analysis Completed by:
Wastewater
Tina Pedley
PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
BOD daily max exceeded in effluent sample
WHY & ROOT CAUSE
WHY? Split sample results from in house lab had results within limits, so sample taken as
required
WHY? Possible algae in the sample bottle that went to the certified lab
WHY? Sunlight caused algae growth
WHY? Areas not covered/blocked from the sun in wastewater system
WHY?
ROOT CAUSE: Brainstorming with consulting engineer and one idea is possible algae in the
sample
CORRECTIVE MEASURE (How To FIX THE PROBLEM)
Working with NCDEQ to try to get them to overturn based on one sample that is not
representative of our effluent
PREVENTATIVE MEASURE (To PREvENT rr FRoM HAPPENING AGAIN)
ASSIGNED TO
DUE DATE
STATUS
Tina Pedley
10/3/22
Closed
Covered clarifier trough, getting quote to build walls
around the flume where sample is collected, clean
composite sampler bottle daily, clean contact chamber
quarterly, move fuzzy filter cleaning from quarterly to
monthly, purchase refrigerator for holding splits samples
until results are received from certified lab
Production Maintenance Date
PM Modification Needed? ❑ SOP Modification Needed? ❑ SOP Training Needed? ❑
PM or SOP Title:
Maintenance & Production Template