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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNC0068705_LM-2024-0046_20241009JUSTIFICATION FOR REMISSION REQUEST Case Number: LM-2024-0046 County: Mecklenburg Assessed Party: Mariners Watch Homeowners Association Permit No.: NCO068705 Amount Assessed: $764.63 Please use this form when requesting remission of this civil penalty. You must also complete the Request For Remission, Waiver of Right to an Administrative Hearing, and Stipulation offacts" form to request remission of this civil penalty. You should attach any documents that you believe support your request and are necessary for the Director to consider in evaluating your request for remission. Please be aware that a request for remission is limited to consideration of the five factors listed below as they may relate to the reasonableness of the amount of the civil penalty assessed. Requesting remission is not the proper procedure for contesting whether the violation(s) occurred or the accuracy of any of the factual statements contained in the civil penalty assessment document. Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 143B-282.1(c), remission of a civil penalty may be granted only when one or more of the following five factors apply. Please check each factor that you believe applies to your case and provide a detailed explanation, including copies of supporting documents, as to why the factor applies (attach additional pages as needed). (a) one or more of the civil penalty assessment factors in N.C.G.S. 143B-282. I (b) were wrongfully applied to the detriment of the petitioner (the assessment factors are listed in the civil penalty assessment document); (b) the violator promptly abated continuing environmental damage resulting from the violation (Le., explain the steps that you took to correct the violation and prevent future occurrences); (c) the violation was inadvertent or a result of an accident (Le., explain why the violation was unavoidable or something you could not prevent or prepare for); (d) the violator had not been assessed civil penalties for any previous violations; (e) payment of the civil penalty will prevent payment for the remaining necessary remedial actions (i.e., explain how payment ofthe civil penalty will prevent youfrom performing the activities necessary to achieve compliance). EXPLANATION: RECEIVED t�b NCDEO/DWR/NPDES STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COUNTY OF MECKLENBURG IN THE MATTER OF ASSESSMENT ) WAIVER OF RIGHT TO AN OF CIVIL PENALTIES AGAINST ) ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING AND STIPULATION OF FACTS Mariners Watch Homeowners Association ) Mariners Watch WWTP ) PERMIT NO. NCO068705 ) CASE NO. LM-2024-0046 Having been assessed civil penalties totaling $764.63 for violation(s) as set forth in the assessment document of the Division of Water Resources dated ,September 13. 2024: the undersigned, desiring to seek remission of the civil penalty, does hereby waive the right to an administrative hearing in the above -stated matter and does stipulate that the facts are as alleged in the assessment document. The undersigned further understands that all evidence presented in support of remission of this civil penalty must be submitted to the Director of the Division of Water Resources within thirty (30) days of receipt of the notice of assessment. No new evidence in support of a remission request will be allowed after (30) days from the receipt of the notice of assessment. �JJ This the / day of Qd� 20 2 // ATURE ADDRESS / 16317 M&--,wu-r Notch ct UAz/-/ate , A) C 2d?2-7 F TELEPHONE -7oy_�o�- 388'3 RECEIVED 0 9 --Y NCDEC/DWR/NPDES October 4, 2024 Wastewater Branch Division of Water Resources 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1617 Subject: Remission of Case No. LM-2024-0046 June 2024 in the amount of $764.63 Dear Director of the Division of Water Resources, This letter is in response to a notice of violation and assessment of civil penalty in regard to the Mariners Watch Homeowners Association wastewater treatment plant. The Homeowners Association is requesting remission of the civil assessment on the basis that the payment of the civil penalty will prevent payment for the remaining necessary remedial actions. We have recently been assessed civil penalties for violations which we have requested remission and await your response. With regards to the basis that the payment of the civil penalty will prevent payment for the remaining necessary remedial actions, our costs dramatically increased for operation of the wastewater treatment plant in September 2021. Our previous operator abandoned our plant without proper written notification. We searched for a new operator and retained our current operator at the cost of 2.5 times the amount we paid our previous operator. We have been able to maintain numbers within discharge limitations for several months without issue. We instigated construction of city sewer with the city of Charlotte over 2 years ago. CLT Water has recently begun construction work on the sewer line. Once the city reaches a certain point in construction, every member of our Homeowners Association will join the sewer line and pay the high cost to do so. This does not include the additional cost that each household will incur to connect the septic pumps and pipes on our property to the city sewer line. We are doing our best to be compliant while facing exorbitant price increases and high cost of connection to the city of Charlotte sewer lines. We have had several meaningful conversations with our plant operator in regard to keeping our wastewater treatment plant compliant. Due to heavy rainfall from different storms over the past couple of months, we will likely show out of compliance again, but this was due to flooding of our plant from these storms. We have a long history of state compliance with our operating plant. Our operator has kept the plant in compliance but it appears they are non -compliant for June of this year. We request remission of this assessment and would appreciate leniency on any additional issues from the past few months due to naturally occurring incidents outside of our control should we be nono- compliant. Given the high cost of the plant operation and the high cost of joining the Charlotte sewer system, we request remission of this assessment. Thank you. Sincerely, Dwayne Reedy President — Mariners Watch Homeowners Association Cc: Wes Bell — NCDEQ(email) Brandon Long —Tri-County Wastewater (email)