NC0003816_NOV-2023-LV-0328_20230522

Mr. Robert Tankard
North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality
Division of water Resources
943 Washington Square Mall
Washington, NC 27889
Dear Mr. Tankard,
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION
POSTAL SERVICE CENTER BOX 8003
CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA 28533-0003
IN REPLY REFER TO:
5090/07109
LN
May 22, 2023
FICEIVED/NCIDENROM
JUN 0 6 2023
Water ouanty
Regbnal operations section
Washington %Wore d Offw
Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point (Permit NC0003816) submits the following in response
to your NOTICE OF VIOLATION (NOV) letter with tracking number NOV-2023-LV-0328 dated May 11,
2023. The NOV was issued for exceeding the following daily maximum limits established in the permit:
Enterococci and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) on March 8, 2023; Ammonia on March 9, 2023; the
daily minimum limit for pH on March 24 and 27, 2023; and the quarterly average for Total Phosphorus on
March 31, 2023.
These limit violations resulted from the unintentional release of approximately 2,200 gallons of an
alkaline paint stripper to our industrial wastewater collection system by Fleet Readiness Center - East
(FRC-E). When the release was noticed by Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (IWTP) operators, the
collection system influent was diverted to an off-line equalization tank where it was held for sampling and
analysis. Some amount of this material passed through to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) prior
to diversion resulting in the exceedances on March 8 and 9. The pH and Total Phosphorous issues resulted
after IWTP operators began treating the diverted wastewater later in March; IWTP operators adjusted the
treatment process and no further parameter exceedances were noted.
FRC-E investigated the release and determined that a valve in a drain line from the stripper tank either
failed or was accidentally opened. To prevent recurrence, FRC-E has removed the valve from this tank and
capped the drain line. FRC-E is also evaluating tanks across their enterprise with the intent of removing
unneeded drain lines that discharge directly to the industrial wastewater collection system.
If you wish to discuss this matter further, please contact Mr. Richard Weaver of the Environmental
Affairs Department at [phone] at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
lit rin c4?
A. FERENCE
uty F ilities Director
By con of the
Commanding Officer