NC0000311_Permit (Modification)_20040415

' * WA7- ) Michael F.Easley,Governor
44Q
State of North Carolina
CGWilliam G.Ross,Jr.,Secretary
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
0 Alan W.Klimek,P.E.,Director
Division of Water Quality
April 15,2004
Mr. Edwin M.Morrow
M-B Industries,Inc.
P.O. Box 1118
Rosman,North Carolina 28772
Subject: NPDES Permit Modification
Permit Number NC0000311
M-B Industries
Transylvania County
Dear Mr.Morrow:
The Division issued NPDES permit number NC0000311 to M-B Industries for its Rosman facility on April
2, 2001. The Division has reviewed your request for permit modification at the subject facility. Enclosed please
find the modified permit page (condition A.(1.)), which becomes effective immediately. This page should be
inserted into your permit and the old one discarded. This permit modification is issued pursuant to the
requirements of North Carolina General Statute 143-215.1 and the Memorandum of Agreement between North
Carolina and the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency dated May 9,1994 (or as subsequently amended).
This letter authorizes the following permit modifications:
➢ Monitoring frequencies for TSS and oil and grease have been reduced from weekly to 2/Month.
➢ Monitoring frequencies for chromium and zinc have been reduced from 2/Month to monthly.
➢ Monitoring frequencies for phenols, copper, and cyanide have been reduced from monthly to
quarterly.
In response to your specific requests:
• Monitoring frequencies for parameters of concerns (as defined in 40 CRF 433.13) cannot be reduced
below quarterly,even though values in your effluent might be low. There are a minimum number of
data points that must be collected in order for your effluent to be properly characterized during
permit renewal.
• Quarterly WET testing is a requirement of the NPDES program for complicated waste streams. The
requirement cannot be removed,nor can monitoring be reduced. Also note that your facility failed a
WET test in June,2003.
• We are unable to alter monitoring frequencies at Outfall 003 due to insufficient data. DWQ only has
5 months of certified (signed) discharge monitoring reports on record for this outfall. This is not
enough data to sufficiently characterize this effluent.
M-B Industries has requested (and received) changes in monitoring frequency twice within the past 12
months, in addition to a previous request during this permit cycle. Further review of these requirements will be
postponed until the permit comes up for renewal in August, 2005. At that time there should be sufficient data to
characterize the effluent at all discharge points and re-evaluate monitoring requirements. Please note that a
reduction in certain monitoring frequencies at this time does not preclude DWQ from making the permit more
stringent should the need arise during renewal.
This permit is not transferable. Part II,E.4.addresses the requirements to be followed in case of change in
ownership or control of this discharge. This permit does not affect the legal requirement to obtain other permits
1617 MAIL SERVICE CENTER, RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27699-1617-TELEPHONE [phone]/FAX [phone]
VISIT US ON THE WEB AT http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/NPDES

4
•
which may be required by the Division of Water Quality or permits required by the Division of Land Resources,
Coastal Area Management Act or any other Federal or Local government permit that may be required.
If you have any questions concerning this permit,please contact Toya Fields at(919)733-083 ext 551.
Sincerely
C/041 .1(11'")9
Alan W.Klimek,P.E.
Cc: Central Files
NPDES Permit File
Asheville Regional Office
Robert Farmer,Point Source Compliance and Enforcement Unit

•
Permit NC0000311
April 15,2004
A. (1.) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS - FINAL
During the period beginning on the date of this modification and lasting until permit expiration, the Permittee is
authorized to discharge from outfall 001 -METAL FINISHING. Such discharges shall be limited and
monitored by the Permittee as specified below:
'EF'LtJENT LIMITS MONITO1ING RECIUIREMATTS
CHARACTERISTICS
Monthly Average Daily Maximum Measurement Sample Type Sample Location
Frequency
Flow 0.030 MGD Weekly Instantaneous Influent or Effluent
pH Between 6 and 9 S.U. Weekly Grab Effluent
Total Suspended Solids 31.0 mg/L 60.0 mg/L 2/Month Grab Effluent
Oil and Grease 26.0 mg/L 52.0 mg/L 21Month Grab Effluent
Phenols Quarterly Grab Effluent
Effluent,
Temperature("C)' Weekly Grab Upstream,
Downstream
Total Toxic Organics(TTO)2 2.13 mg/L Monthly Grab Effluent
Acute Toxicity3 Quarterly Composite Effluent
Cadmium 0.240 mg/L Quarterly Grab Effluent
Chromium 1.71 mg/L 2.77 mg/L Monthly Grab Effluent
Nickel 2.38 mg/L 3.98 mg/L Quarterly Grab Effluent
Copper 2.07 mg/L 3.38 mg/L Quarterly Grab Effluent
Cyanide 0.65 mg/L 1.20 mg/L Quarterly Grab Effluent
Lead 0.43 mg/L 0.69 mg/L Quarterly Grab Effluent
Silver 0.24 mg/L 0.43 mg/L Quarterly Grab Effluent
Zinc 1.48 mg/L 2.61 mg/L Monthly Grab Effluent
Footnotes:
1. The temperature of the effluent shall be such as not to cause an increase in the temperature of
the receiving stream of more than 0.500 and in no case cause the ambient water temperature to
exceed 20°C.
2. In lieu of monitoring for'ITO, the permittee may submit the following certification statement:
Based on my inquiry of the person or persons directly responsible for managing compliance with
the permit limitation for total toxic organics, I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
no dumping of concentrated toxic organics into the wastewater has occurred since the filing of
the last discharge monitoring report.
3. Whole Effluent Toxicity will be assessed using the Acute Toxicity (Fathead Minnow) Pass/Fail at
90% test. See part A.(4.).
There shall be no discharge of floating solids or foam visible in other than trace
amounts.

01/15/04 THU 09:32 FAX [phone] MB INDUSTRIES (J001
r-PiM - B INDUSTRIES, INC.
SERVING INDUSTRY SINCE 1894
HWY.64 WEST,P.O. BOX 1118, ROSMAN, NC 28772
PHONE [phone]. FAX [phone]
January 13, 2004
Ms.Valerie Stephens
NC DENR
Water Quality Section
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh NC 27699-1617
Subject: M-B Industries,Inc.
NPDES Permit No. NC000031 I
Request for Modification to Water Quality Monitoring Program
Dear Ms. Stephens:
Altamont Environmental. Inc. (Altamont)is working on behalf of M-B Indusuies, Inc. to modify our
water quality monitoring program. The monitoring requirements are described in the above-referenced
permit. Mr. Jim McEldutf is the engineer coordinating their efforts.
Please accept this letter as notification that they are working on our behalf. If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact me at(828) 862-4201.
Sincerely,
M-B Industries.Inc.
14 /Gvc n..)
Edwin Morrow
cc: Ms. Kerry Becker, DENR-ARO
[phone]
MITCHELL-BISSELL CO. DIVISION SUNBELT SPRING &STAMPING CORP. DIVISION FLAME SPRAY ENGINEERING DIVISION
[phone] [phone] [phone]

•p
ENGINEERING & H Y D R O G E O L O G Y
781/2 PATTON AVE.,ASHEVILLE, NC 28801
TEL.[phone] EAG. 828.281.3351
November 26,2003 www.altamontenvironmental.com
Mr.David A. Goodrich
NC DENR
Water Quality Section
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh NC 27699-1617
Subject: M-B Industries,Inc.
NPDES Permit No.NC0000311
Request for Modification to Water Quality Monitoring Program
Dear Mr. Goodrich:
Altamont Environmental,Inc. (Altamont)has conducted a review of historic water quality data associated
with the M-B Industries,Inc. (M-B). As a result of that review,Altamont is requesting a modification to
the water quality monitoring program specified in the above-referenced permit.
The M-B facility is located in Rosman,North Carolina. This letter summarizes the data that we have
reviewed and concludes with a recommendation for a reduction in the scope of the water quality
monitoring program.
On October 23,2003,Altamont submitted information pertaining to M-B to Ms.Kerry Becker in the
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources(DENR)Asheville Regional Office.
Altamont met to discuss that information with Ms.Becker on November 17,2003. During that meeting,
two additional items were discussed:the anticipation of reduced flow through Outfall 001 and the absence
of certain monitored inorganic parameters in the M-B processes. Those two additional items are
addressed in this letter.
Ms.Becker requested that DENR staff in Raleigh contact her during review of the enclosed information.
Similarly,if Altamont staff may be of assistance,please do not hesitate to contact our office as well.
BACKGROUND
M-B currently discharges wastewater at two locations to the West Fork of the French Broad River under
NPDES Permit No.NC00003311. Discharge locations include Outfall No. 001 (metal finishing)and
Outfall No.003 (groundwater treatment).
FINDINGS
The monitoring requirements for the NPDES permit were most recently updated by the DENR Division
of Water Quality(DWQ)in a letter dated August 21,2003. Water quality data collected since September
17,2001 have been tabulated by Altamont for each of the two outfalls.
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Mr.David A. Goodrich
November 26,2003
Page 2 of 4
Data for each of these units are presented in the attached tables. Review of the data indicates that only
one exceedance of the permit requirements has been detected. A general description of the data follows:
Outfall No. 001:
• Flow: Changes in process operations are expected to reduce flow during the coming year.
• Acute Toxicity:No failures in 7 tests.
• Cadmium: No detections in 22 measurements. Cadmium is not used in any processes at the
plant;nor is it expected to be used in any future applications.
• Chromium:No permit exceedances in 36 measurements.
• Copper:No permit exceedances in 21 measurements.
• Cyanide:No permit exceedances in 36 measurements. Cyanide is not used in any processes
at the plant. Pace Analytical stated in an email to Altamont that their laboratory in Asheville
previously had two separate issues that contributed to detections of cyanide. Either could
have been the source of the cyanide detections. First,Pace found that if a sample was pulled
for cyanide digestion from the metal sample container,and if the sample was high in nitrate,
it caused a positive interference for cyanide. This was due to the difference in sample
preservative of the two analyses. The Asheville lab no longer does this. Sample volume for
cyanide analysis is now pulled from a completely different sample container. Secondly,the
Asheville laboratory discovered that glassware contamination caused false positives for
cyanide. This issue has also been rectified. As shown in the attached table,there have been
no detections of cyanide since January 2003.
• Lead: Two detections and no permit exceedances in 36 measurements.
• Nickel: Two detections of nickel occurred in 21 measurements. One detection,which
occurred on May 5,2003,exceeded the permit limit.
• Oil and Grease:No permit exceedances in 67 measurements.
• Phenols:No permit exceedances in 36 measurements.
• Silver: No detections in 21 measurements.
• Total Suspended Solids(TSS): Eleven detections and no permit exceedances in 70
measurements.
• Zinc:No permit exceedances in 35 measurements.
Outfall No. 003:
• Arsenic: No detections in 3 measurements.
• Cadmium: One detection in 42 measurements. This concentration did not exceed the permit
limit.
• Chromium:No permit exceedances in 41 measurements.
• Chronic Toxicity:No failures in 6 tests.
• Cis-1,2 Dichloroethene:No detections in 4 measurements.
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Mr.David A. Goodrich
November 26, 2003
Page 3 of 4
• Cyanide: See description for cyanide in section describing"Outfall No.001".
• Lead: One detection and no permit exceedances in 34 measurements.
• Selenium: No detections in 6 measurements.
• Silver. No detections in 3 measurements.
• Tetrachloroethene:No detections in 38 measurements.
• Trichloroethene:No detections in 38 measurements.
• Zinc: Thirteen detections in 41 measurements.
• VOCs: There were no detections of VOCs in 2 measurements.
CONCLUSIONS
Outfall No. 001
Fifteen parameters are measured at Outfall No.001 in frequencies ranging between weekly and quarterly.
As shown in the preceding section,some parameters have been measured as many as 70 times. Excluding
flow,analytical tests have been conducted 408 times. There has been one exceedance. Two of the
monitored parameters,cadmium and cyanide,are not used in processes at the facility.
Outfall No. 003
Fourteen parameters are measured at Outfall No. 003 in frequencies ranging between 2/month to
quarterly. As shown in the preceding section,some parameters have been measured as many as 42 times.
Excluding flow,analytical tests have been conducted 258 times. There have been no exceedances.
General
Cyanide detections were caused by internal Quality Assurance/Quality Control problems at Pace
Analytical laboratory in Asheville. Those issues have been resolved and their have been no detections
since January 2003.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Outfall No. 001
• Weekly: flow,temperature.
• Monthly: total toxic organics,zinc
• Quarterly: acute toxicity,oil and grease,TSS
• Annually: cadmium,chromium,copper,lead,nickel,phenols,silver
• Eliminate: cyanide
Outfall No. 003
• Continuous: flow
• Semi-Annual: cadmium,chromium,zinc,arsenic,lead, selenium, silver,cis-1,2-
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Mr.David A.Goodrich
November 26,2003
Page 4 of 4
dichloroethene,tetrachloroethene,trichloroethene
• Eliminate: chloride,chronic toxicity,cyanide
Mr.Goodrick,thank you for your assistance with this project. I look forward to discussing our request
during the next few weeks. Please contact me if you have questions or need additional information.
Sincerely,
James S.McElduff,P.E.
enclosures: Attachment A: Outfall No. 001 data tables
Attachment B: Outfall No. 003 data tables
cc: Mr.Edwin Morrow,M-B Industries,Inc.
Ms.Kerry Becker,DENR-ARO
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