NC0026441_Permit renewal application_20140509

April 30, 2014
Subject:
Dear Mr. Thompson:
This permit renewal has the following changes from your current permit:
5.
Pat McCrory
Governor
Mr. Bryan Thompson
Town Manager
Town of Siler City
P.O. Box 769
Siler City, North Carolina 27344-0769
1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
Phone: [phone] \ Internet: www.ncwaterquality.org
An Equal Opportunity \ Affirmative Action Employer - Made in part by recycled paper
John E. Skvarla, III
Secretary
Renewal of Permit No. NC0026441
Siler City WWTP
Chatham County
HCDEHR
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
The Division of Water Resources (Division) personnel have reviewed and approved your application for
issuance of the subject permit renewal. Accordingly, we are forwarding the attached NPDES discharge
permit. It is issued pursuant to the requirements of North Carolina General Statute 143-215.1 and the
Memorandum of Agreement between North Carolina and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency dated
October 15, 2007, or as subsequently amended.
1. The permit expiration date has been changed to May 31, 2019 in order to provide a full 5 year
permit life. The next renewal in 2019 will likely be for a shorter time in order to get your permit
back on the Cape Fear basin schedule.
2. Removed old Condition A.(3) regarding Nutrient Optimization Plan, as it has been completed.
Replaced with a new Nutrient Reopener Condition (A.(3) with trigger mechanism for evaluation
of any future high nutrient-bearing industries.
3. Added a new Nutrient Water Quality Modeling Reopener Condition in accordance with the
Basin Plan. See Condition A.(4).
4. Added Monthly Monitoring for Cadmium with new Monthly Average and Daily Maximum
limits, based on statistical analysis of ETMP data. Cadmium had previously been monitored
only on the ETMP. Also included an 18 month Compliance Schedule to Effluent Sheet A(l) and
detailed in Condition A.(6).
Added a new Electronic DMR Submittal Requirement (Condition A(7)). This requirement is
being added to all NPDES permits upon renewal.
6. Updated language for Effluent Pollutant Scan -Condition A(9)- to require three scans in
specified years in accordance with EPA requirements. In addition, as a reminder added language
regarding additional toxicity testing data required by US EPA for submission with the next
permit renewal.
7. Copper, Zinc, and chloride data showed reasonable potential to exceed action level standards.
Per Action Level Policy, monitoring will remain in the permit with no limits, provided facility
continues to pass the toxicity test. Monitoring will be changed to quarterly in accordance with
the Division's Permitting Strategy for metals and toxicants
http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/admin/bog/ipu/edmr.
For information on EPA’s proposed NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule, please visit the following web site:
http://www2.epa.gov/compliance/proposed-npdes-electronic-repoiting-rule .
The effective date of this pennit is June 1, 2014
If any parts, measurement frequencies, or sampling requirements contained in this permit are unacceptable,
you have the right to an adjudicatory hearing upon written request within thirty (30) days after receiving this
letter. Your request must take the form of a written petition conforming to Chapter 150B of the North
Carolina General Statutes, and must be filed with the Office of Administrative Hearings, 6714 Mail Service
Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-6714. Unless such demand is made, this permit remains final and
binding.
This permit is not transferable except after notifying the Division of Water Resources. The Division may
modify and re-issue, or revoke this pennit. Please notice that this permit does not affect your legal obligation
As indicated, an electronic DMR submission requirement was added to your pennit. Proposed federal
regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) and specify that, if a
state does not establish a system to receive such submittals, then permittees must submit DMRs
electronically to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Division anticipates that these
regulations will be adopted and is beginning implementation. The requirement to begin reporting discharge
monitoring data electronically using the NC DWR’s Electronic Discharge Monitoring Report (eDMR)
internet application has been added to your final NPDES permit. [See Special Condition A (7)] For
information on eDMR, registering for eDMR and obtaining an eDMR user account, please visit the following
web page:
During the public comment period, comments were received from community environmental groups (Friends
of Rocky River, Rocky River Heritage Foundation) as well as the North Carolina Wildlife Resources
Commission, expressing interests in protecting and restoring the downstream Rocky River ecosystem. These
waters are listed as impaired on the State 303(d) impaired waters list, and there are records for the federally
endangered Cape Fear shiner. Some concerns focused on the operation and maintenance of the wastewater
treatment plant. Please note that permit requirements specified in Part II, Section C(2) require the Pennittee
to at all times properly operate and maintain all facilities and systems of treatment and control (and related
appurtenances) which are installed or used by the Permittee to achieve compliance with the conditions of the
permit. Some concerns also focused on nutrient loading from this wastewater treatment plant. The Division
recognizes that nutrient loading from this facility has decreased substantially with the closure of two poultiy
operations. In that regard, a Nutrient Reopener Condition (A(3)) was added to address the possibility for
another high nutrient-bearing industry to relocate to this service area in the future. The Division also notes
that the Middle Cape Fear River has been identified as a site-specific high priority waterbody in the Draft
North Carolina Nutrient Criteria Development Plan (January 24, 2014), which will result in additional
nutrient studies and future nutrient management strategies.
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Page 2 of 3
April 30, 2014
8. There were some minor pennit changes. Changed "Division of Water Quality" to "Division of
Water Resources" to reflect reorganization. On Supplement to Cover Sheet, updated the
equipment description on Permit. Some pennit conditions were renumbered.
9. Added a new requirement A.(5) for a Mercury Minimization Plan (MMP) as required by the
Implementation Plan for the Statewide Mercury TMDL. The plan must be developed within six
months of the permit effective date.
10. Updated Chronic Toxicity language to current version (see Condition A(8))..
Sincerely,
Attachments: NC0026441 Renewal
Tnomas A. Reeder, Director
Division of Water Resources, NCDENR
Email Copy:
US EP A Region 4 - [e-mail]
DWR/ESS/Aquatic Toxicology Unit- Attn: Susan Meadows
DWR/PERCS Unit - Sarah Morrison
NC WRC- Ms. Shari L. Bryant,- [e-mail]
McGill Associates- Forrest Westall - [e-mail]
Mr. John D. Runkle, Attorney at Law - [e-mail]
Rocky River Heritage Foundation and Friends of the Rocky River- Mr. Sonny Keisler -
[e-mail]
Ms. Connie Allred - [e-mail]
[e-mail]
William Hendrick, SELC, [e-mail]
Hardcopy:
DWR/Raleigh Regional Office- Danny Smith
NPDES File
Central Files
Page 3 of 3
April 30, 2014
to obtain other permits required by the Division of Water Resources, the Division of Land Resources, the
Coastal Area Management Act, or other federal or local governments.
If you have questions, or if we can be of further service, please contact Tom Belnick at
[e-mail] or call [phone].