NC0000272_Response to Notice_20230331

175 Main Street
pactiv Canton,NC 28'716
evergreen pac8tive6.2000
erg een.com
March 31, 2023
Mr. Landon Davidson
Regional Supervisor
Division of Water Resources—Asheville Regional Office
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
2090 US Hwy 70
Swannanoa, North Carolina 28778
Subject: NOV-2023-LV-0189 Response
Blue Ridge Paper Products, Inc. dba Evergreen Packaging
Canton Mill - Permit No. NC0000272
Mr. Davidson:
This letter provides DEQ with additional information regarding the 5-day BOD permit limit noncompliance
on September 20, 2022. As Pactiv Evergreen's 5-day notification letter explains,the increase in BOD was
recognized by the Canton Mill and the wastewater treatment plant took the following steps to try to
quickly reduce the BOD and prevent BOD levels from exceeding permit limits:
1) Introduced flocculant polymer to the secondary clarifiers to assist with poor solids settling.
2) Introduced supplemental oxygen at the primary splitter box to increase the dissolved oxygen level
in the aeration basin.
3) Inspected mill process areas to ensure that material losses of pulping liquors, soap, and other
process materials were contained within the mill and prevented from entering the sewer system
until the BOD incident was resolved.
Subsequent investigations indicate that there were no significant losses of process materials to the mill
sewer system that would have resulted in the September 20,2022 exceedance. The Mill believes that this
event was likely associated with a Fall solids turnover at the wastewater treatment plant. While BOD is
generally managed during such turnover events through the use of polymers,the spike in BOD during this
event was not adequately reduced by the use of polymers to maintain the BOD below the permit limit.
There have been no further BOD exceedances at the Canton Mill since this September 20,2022 event.
Please contact me if you have any questions or comments.
Respectfully,
John McCarthy Y Trac Willis
Mill Manager Wastewater Treatment Plant ORC
Canton Mill Canton Mill
[e-mail] [e-mail]
cc:Tim Heim