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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNC0064726_Remission Decision (LV-2023-0158)_20240207 DocuSign Envelope ID: B2BC273E-AC6C-4E91-94CF-3793CFD39E54 C0.0 sun CV ROY COOPER Z ; Governor ELIZABETH S. BISER - Secretary tip ' a2 RICHARD E. ROGERS, JR. *`$`Qtmm Director NORTH CAROLINA Environmental Quality 2/7/2024 CERTIFIED MAIL 7019 1120 0001 4877 6147 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Mr. James W. Dunn Sr, Mayor Town of East Bend 108 West Main Street East Bend,NC 27018 Subject: Remission Request of Civil Penalty Assessment NPDES WW Permit NCO064726 East Bend Industrial Park WWTP Yadkin County Case Number LV-2023-0158 Dear Mr. Dunn: 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$260.00 of the $468.98 total penalty assessment. The revised amount due is $208.98, which includes $143.98 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 revised penalty of$208.98. If you decide to pay the revised penalty, please make your check in the amount of$208.98 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: Wren Thedford NC DEQ-DWR-NPDES 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 EMC's Committee on Civil Penalty Remissions for a final agency decision. North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources D_E 512 North Salisbury Street 1 1617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1617 919,707.9000 DocuSign Envelope ID:B2BC273E-AC6C-4E91-94CF-3793CFD39E54 East Bend Industrial Park WWTP Case LV-2023-0158 DWR Remission Decision p. 2 You have the option of presenting your request in person to the EMC's 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: Caroline Robinson NC DEQ-DWR-NPDES 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 Caroline Robinson at 919-707-9130, or via e-mail at caroline.robinson@deq.nc.gov. Sincerely, DocuSigned by, Al•h'e.''` C464531431644FE... Michael Montebello, Branch Chief NPDES Permitting Division of Water Resources Attachments: EMC Oral Presentation Request form, DWR Remission Decision Summary ec: Laserfiche Files DocuSign Envelope ID:B2BC273E-AC6C-4E91-94CF-3793CFD39E54 East Bend Industrial Park WWTP Case LV-2023-0158 DWR Remission Decision p. 2 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION COUNTY OF YADKIN DWQ Case Number LV-2023-0158 IN THE MATTER OF ASSESSMENT OF ) CIVIL PENALTIES AGAINST: ) REQUEST FOR ORAL PRESENTATION Town of East Bend 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.nebar.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 violation of the State Bar occurs. This the day of , 20 SIGNATURE TITLE(President, Owner,etc.) MAILING ADDRESS entail TELEPHONE( ) DocuSign Envelope ID: B2BC273E-AC6C-4E91-94CF-3793CFD39E54 DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES CIVIL PENALTY REMISSION FACTORS Case Number: LV-2023-0158 Region: Winston-Salem County: Yadkin Assessed Entity: East Bend Industrial Park WWTP Permit: NCO064726 ® (a) Whether one or more of the civil penalty assessment factors were wrongly applied to the detriment of the petitioner: Permittee States:The Town's WWTP is very small, so that the harm and damage from the violation (if any)was also too small;this violation was accidental or inadvertent;no money was saved through this violation. The Town is truly committed to safe and compliant operation of the WWTP and during 2023 has spent money and made changes to the operation of the plant. DWR Response:WSRO knows that the Town has attempted to correct the problem. ® (b) Whether the violator promptly abated continuing environmental damage resulting from the violation: Permittee States:The Town has taken prompt action to improve plant operations and ensure compliance with the permit during 2023. All necessary repairs and maintenance to avoid a repeat violation have been undertaken,with particular attention to the property operation of the UV light system. The operator in charge in January 2023 has been terminated and a new operator contracted for. All equipment has been inspected and property calibrated in 2023. The Town has increased oversight of plant operations including monthly reporting. Maintenance and repairs deferred by the previous operator have been completed by the Town and the new operator. The Town believes that the WWTP is operating well and safely at present. DWR Response:WSRO knows that the Town has attempted to correct the problem. ® (c) Whether the violation was inadvertent or a result of an accident: Permittee States:The violation was inadvertent or the result of an accident. DWR Response:WSRO concurs that this violation was inadvertent and could be an issue with the design of the WWTP. ® (d) Whether the violator had been assessed civil penalties for any previous violations: Permittee States:Although the Town has received notices of violations in 2022 and 2023,to the best of its knowledge,these are the first civil penalties assessed. DWR Response:This is incorrect. There have been several civil penalties assessed for fecal coliform violations in 2022, including LM-2023-0014, LM-2022-0048, LV-2023-0075, and LV-2023-0076. ® (e) Whether payment of the civil penalty will prevent payment for the remaining necessary remedial actions: Permittee States:First,the Town is committed to safe operation of the WWTP. Payment of the civil penalty will not interfere with the Town's actions to remedy any existing problems with the WWTP. It should be noted,however,that the Town is very small, and any expense, such as these penalties, is significant. DWR Response:WSRO knows that the Town has attempted to correct the problem. DocuSign Envelope ID: B2BC273E-AC6C-4E91-94CF-3793CFD39E54 DECISION(Check One) Request Denied ❑ Full Remission ❑ Retain Enforcement Costs? Yes ❑ No ❑ Original Penalty(without Enforcement Costs) $325.00 Partial Remission ❑x 80%or$260.00 Subtotal $65.00 Retaining Enforcement Costs $143.98 Total Revised Assessment $208.98 DocuSigned by: r UVhbWh 2/7/2024 C4645314316 44FE... Michael Montebello Date