The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutNC0025321_NOVNOI2024LV0674_20240801 Certified Mail # 9589 0710 5270 0475 7150 79 Return Receipt Requested August 1, 2024 Gary Caldwell, Mayor Town of Waynesville PO Box 100 Waynesville, NC 28786-0100 SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION & INTENT TO ASSESS CIVIL PENALTY EMC-SOC-WQ-S19-005 Tracking Number: NOV-2024-LV-0674 Permit No. NC0025321 Waynesville WWTP Haywood County Dear Permittee: On December 31, 2020, the Environmental Management Commission entered into the subject Special Order by Consent (SOC) whereby the subject WWTP was granted relaxed effluent limitations from those imposed by the NPDES Permit, in exchange for Waynesville’s commitment to a schedule of wastewater treatment plant improvements that will return the WWTP to compliance with the terms of the NPDES Permit. The SOC contains provisions for the assessment of stipulated penalties when modified limits are exceeded or schedule dates are not met. A review of the June 2024 Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) for the subject facility revealed the violation(s) indicated below: Limit Exceedance Violation(s): Sample Limit Reported Location Parameter Date Value Value Type of Violation _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 001 Effluent Coliform, Fecal MF, MFC Broth, 6/1/2024 600 4,390.12 Weekly Geometric Mean Exceeded 44.5 C (31616) - SOC _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 001 Effluent Solids, Total Suspended - 6/29/2024 100 207.2 Weekly Average Exceeded - SOC Concentration (CO530) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 001 Effluent Coliform, Fecal MF, MFC Broth, 6/30/2024 200 239.85 Monthly Geometric Mean Exceeded 44.5 C (31616) - SOC _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 001 Effluent Solids, Total Suspended - 6/30/2024 45 87.95 Monthly Average Exceeded - SOC Concentration (CO530) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 001 Effluent Oxygen, Dissolved (DO) 6/3/2024 6 4.6 Daily Minimum Not Reached (00300) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Docusign Envelope ID: E5FD6FB4-8F4F-41FC-B4BB-9D8BD7F0BFBB Limit Exceedance Violation(s): Sample Limit Reported Location Parameter Date Value Value Type of Violation _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 001 Effluent BOD, 5-Day (20 Deg. C) - 6/29/2024 45 62.4 Weekly Average Exceeded Concentration (CO310) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 001 Effluent BOD, 5-Day (20 Deg. C) - 6/30/2024 30 36.5 Monthly Average Exceeded Concentration (CO310) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 001 Effluent Nitrogen, Ammonia Total (as 6/30/2024 9 12.87 Monthly Average Exceeded N) - Concentration (CO610) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Relating to the TSS and Fecal Coliform Violations – SOC: You are directed to take any immediate remedial actions necessary to correct the problems that have led to this violation. Section III of the SOC stipulates penalties for noncompliance with any modified limits contained in the SOC. Section IV of the SOC lists certain conditions under which the stipulated penalties are not due. If you have information that will establish, to the satisfaction of the Division of Water Resources, that the conditions set forth in Section IV have been met, you must submit this information in writing (email is acceptable) to the Asheville Regional Office within ten (10) days after receipt of this notice. If the Division is not satisfied that the conditions set forth in Section IV have been met, this Office will proceed with assessment of stipulated penalties as provided in the SOC. Relating to the BOD, Ammonia, and DO Violations: A Notice of Violation/Intent to Issue Civil Penalty is being issued for the noted violation of North Carolina General Statute (G.S.) 143-215.1 and the facility’s NPDES WW Permit. Pursuant to G.S. 143-215.6A, a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) may be assessed against any person who violates or fails to act in accordance with the terms, conditions, or requirements of any permit issued pursuant to G.S. 143-215.1. Remedial actions should have already been taken to correct this problem and prevent further occurrences in the future. Please respond in writing within ten (10) business days after receipt of this Notice, stating whether the violation(s) has been corrected, or if it is of an ongoing nature. If the violation(s) has been resolved, your response should include a description of the actions that were taken to address the violation(s) and to prevent their reoccurrence. If the violations cited in this Notice are of a continuing nature, you must provide a report to DWR’s Asheville Regional Office that includes the following information: ● Owner and Facility Name, and NPDES Permit Number. ● A list of violations that have occurred during the noncompliant episode. ● A statement summarizing the facility’s investigation of the noncompliance, indicating its cause. ● The facility’s corrective action plan or strategy to address the noncompliance. ● A statement describing the facility’s implementation of its corrective action plan, including the date of an anticipated return to consistent compliance. Your response and/or report should be submitted to my attention to the address at the bottom of the first page, or you may send it as an attachment to an email to ARONOVResponse@deq.nc.gov. Either form of reply should be submitted within ten (10) business days. Docusign Envelope ID: E5FD6FB4-8F4F-41FC-B4BB-9D8BD7F0BFBB Furthermore, if you wish to provide any additional information regarding the noted violation(s) that may affect the Division’s enforcement response, please include that information as part of your response. This information, along with statements provided on the submitted Monitoring Report(s), will be evaluated in the consideration of any assessment of civil penalties related to the violation(s). Please be aware that it is a condition of your NPDES permit that you adequately address such violations (Part II, Section B. 2 - the “Duty to Mitigate” condition). Violations of a continuing nature can justify the assessment of increased civil penalty amounts to address the noncompliance. If you have any questions concerning this matter, wish to request technical assistance, or to discuss overall compliance, please contact Lauren Armeni of the Asheville Regional Office at 828-296-4667, or via email at lauren.armeni@deq.nc.gov. Sincerely, Daniel Boss, Assistant Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Asheville Regional Office Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ Ec: Laserfiche Docusign Envelope ID: E5FD6FB4-8F4F-41FC-B4BB-9D8BD7F0BFBB