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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWQCS00135_Remission Decision (DV-2023-0082)_20240123 DocuSign Envelope ID:2AB1385C-C978-4B65-A444-FFBF9OF3D9F3 ROY COOPER eJ `' Governor % a ELIZABETH S. BISER ==' Secretary " ;=`' i RICHARD E. ROGERS,JR. Director NORTH CAROLINA Environmental Quality January 23,2024 CERTIFIED MAIL.7018 1830 0001 8036 7960 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Mr. Aaron Wike, Town Manager Town of Taylorsville 67 Main Avenue Drive Taylorsville,NC 28681 Subject: Remission Request of Civil Penalty Assessment Collection System Permit WQCS00135 Town of Taylorsville Collection System Alexander County Case Number DV-2023-0082 Dear Mr. Wike: The Division of Water Resources has considered the information submitted in support of your request for remission in accordance with G.S. 143-215.6A(f) and remitted$1,250.00 of the$2,128.16 total penalty assessment. The revised amount due is $878.16,which includes $128.16 in investigative costs. A copy of the remission decision is attached. Two options are available to you at this stage of the remission process: You may pay the penalty. If you decide to pay the penalty,please make your check in the amount of$878.16,payable to the Department of Environmental Quality(DEQ). Send the payment within thirty(30)calendar days of your receipt of this letter to the attention of: Ms.Wren Thedford NC DEQ-DWR—Water Quality NPDES Permitting Section 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1617 OR You may decide to have the Environmental Management Commission's(EMC's) Committee on Civil Penalty Remissions make the final decision on your remission request. If payment is not received within 30 calendar days from your receipt of this letter,your request for remission with its supporting documents, and the recommendation of the Division of Water Resources will be delivered to the Committee on Civil Penalty Remissions for a final agency decision. DE�.�_ North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division oEWater Resources ') 512 North Salisbury Street 11617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1617 roomr+c ma v o�r�.+ mer+\ 919.707.9000 DocuSign Envelope ID:2AB1385C-C978-4B65-A444-FFBF90F3D9F3 Mr.Aaron Wike Case DV-2023-0082 DWR Remission Decision p.2 You have the option of presenting your request in person to the Committee on Civil Penalty Remissions. If you or your representative would like to speak before the Committee,you must complete and return the attached Request for Oral Presentation Form within thirty(30) calendar days of receipt of this letter. Send the completed form to: Ms.Wren Thedford NC DEQ-DWR—Water Quality NPDES Permitting Section 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1617 Please be advised that if an in-person presentation is not requested, the Committee's decision regarding your remission request will be based upon the written record. Please be advised that the EMC's Committee on Civil Penalty Remissions will make its remission decision based on the original assessment amount. Therefore,the Committee may choose to uphold the original penalty amount and offer no remission,it may agree with the Division of Water Resources' remission recommendation detailed above, or the penalty amount may be further remitted. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. If you have any questions,please contact Bob Sledge at 919-707-3602, or via e-mail at bob.sledge@deq.nc.gov. Sincerely, En,Doc'uSlgne/d by: /t thtkitiotiLe C484531431644FE... Michael J. Montebello, Chief Water Quality NPDES Permitting Section Division of Water Resources Attachments ec: Laserfiche Files (MRO) DocuSign Envelope ID:2AB1385C-C978-4B65-A444-FFBF90F3D9F3 DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES CIVIL PENALTY REMISSION FACTORS Case Number: DV-2023-0082 Region: Mooresville County: Alexander Assessed Entity: Town of Taylorsville Collection System Permit: WQCS00135 ❑ (a) Whether one or more of the civil penalty assessment factors were wrongly applied to the detriment of the petitioner: (b) Whether the violator promptly abated continuing environmental damage resulting from the violation: Permittee States:The Town notes that upon becoming aware of the SSO,it took prompt action to investigate and identify the cause,and then coordinate its resolution.The Town used pump trucks to collect as much wastewater as possible and return it to the collection system.Affected areas were cleaned and treated. DWR Response:As noted in the discussion offactor c below,DWR agrees the March 14, 2023 incident was not the fault of the Town and its occurrence was beyond its operational control. The Town's response to the incident is considered prompt and reasonable. 4 (c) Whether the violation was inadvertent or a result of an accident: Permittee States:The Town states the SSO was the result of maintenance occurring within a Department of Corrections facility.Water was cut off within the prison;when it was restored,it resulted in all fixtures flushing at once,with some continuing to flow in a stuck position.The flow overwhelmed the pumps at the DOC owned(but Town-maintained)pump station.The Town had no prior knowledge of the internal DOC work being performed and had no opportunity to take action to mitigate potential effects. DWR Response:DWR agrees that the incident was inadvertent with respect to the responsibilities of the Town. ❑ (d) Whether the violator had been assessed civil penalties for any previous violations: Three prior civil penalties have been assessed against the Town for SSOs within the past five years. ❑ (e) Whether payment of the civil penalty will prevent payment for the remaining necessary remedial actions: DECISION(Check One) Request Denied ❑ Full Remission ❑ Retain Enforcement Costs? Yes ❑ No ❑ Partial Remission /1 $1,250.00 CDocuSigned by: . J- 1/23/2024 C464531431644FE... Michael J.Montebello,Branch Chief Date Water Quality NPDES Permitting Branch Division of Water Resources DocuSign Envelope ID:2AB1385C-C978-4B65-A444-FFBF90F3D9F3 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION COUNTY OF ALEXANDER DWR Case Number DV-2023-0082 IN THE MATTER OF ASSESSMENT ) OF CIVIL PENALTIES AGAINST: ) REQUEST FOR ORAL PRESENTATION Town of Taylorsville ) Town of Taylorsville Collection System ) I hereby request to make an oral presentation before the Environmental Management Commission's Committee On Civil Penalty Remissions in the matter of the case noted above. In making this request,I assert that I understand all of the following statements: • This request will be reviewed by the Chairman of the Environmental Management Commission and may be either granted or denied. • Making a presentation will require the presence of myself and/or my representative during a Committee meeting held in Raleigh, North Carolina. • My presentation will be limited to discussion of issues and information submitted in my original remission request,and because no factual issues are in dispute,my presentation will be limited to five(5)minutes in length. The North Carolina State Bar's Authorized Practice of Law Committee has ruled that the appearance in a representative capacity at quasi-judicial hearings or proceedings is limited to lawyers who are active members of the bar. Proceedings before the Committee on Remissions are quasi-judicial.You should consider how you intend to present your case to the Committee in light of the State Bar's opinion and whether anyone will be speaking in a representative capacity for you or a business or governmental entity. If you or your representative would like to speak before the Committee,you must complete and return this form within thirty(30)days of receipt of this letter. Depending on your status as an individual,corporation,partnership or municipality,the State Bar's Opinion affects how you may proceed with your oral presentation. See www.ncbar.com/ethics,Authorized Practice Advisory Opinion 2006-1 and 2007 Formal Ethics Opinion 3. • If you are an individual or business owner and are granted an opportunity to make an oral presentation before the Committee, then you do not need legal representation before the Committee;however,if you intend on having another individual speak on your behalf regarding the factual situations,such as an expert,engineer or consultant,then you must also be present at the meeting in order to avoid violating the State Bar's Opinion on the unauthorized practice of law. • If you are a corporation,partnership or municipality and are granted an opportunity to make an oral presentation before the Committee,then your representative must consider the recent State Bar's Opinion and could be considered practicing law without a license if he or she is not a licensed attorney. Presentation of facts by non-lawyers is permissible. If you choose to request an oral presentation,please make sure that signatures on the previously submitted Remission Request form and this Oral Presentation Request form are: 1)for individuals and business owners,your own signature and 2)for corporations, partnerships and municipalities,signed by individuals who would not violate the State Bar's Opinion on the unauthorized practice of law. Also,be advised that the Committee on Civil Penalty Remissions may choose not to proceed with hearing your case if the Committee is informed that a potential violation of the statute concerning the authorized practice of law has occurred. This the day of ,20 SIGNATURE TITLE(President,Owner,etc.) ADDRESS TELEPHONE( ) email