HomeMy WebLinkAboutNC0004979_ Renewal Application Update_20160907 faiN DUKEHany K. Sidens
ENERGY® Senior Vice President
Environmental,Health&Safety
526 S. Church Street
Mail Code:EC3XP
Charlotte,NC 28202
(704)382-4303
August 31, 2016
Mr. Jeffrey Poupart
Water Permitting Section Chief
Division of Water Resources
Department of Environmental Quality RECEIVEDINCDEQIDWR
State of North Carolina
1617 Mail Service Center SEP 0 7 2016
Raleigh,NC 27699-1617 Water Quality
Permitting Section
Re: NPDES Wastewater Permit Application Update
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC.
Allen Steam Station
Permit#: NC0004979
Gaston County
Dear Mr. Poupart,
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke) is submitting herewith supplemental information in support
of the NPDES renewal application submitted in October 2014 for the subject facility. This
update is in addition to the previous update submitted in March 2016. Please include this
supplemental information and the information in the previous submittal in your review to renew
the NPDES permit for Allen Steam Station (Allen).
This submittal is intended to provide an update of modifications that will be necessary to comply
with recently enacted laws and regulations including the Federal Steam Electric Effluent
Guidelines (ELG), Federal Coal Combustion Residual (CCR) rule, the North Carolina Coal ash
Management Act of 2014 and HB 630 of 2016. Specific permit requests from Duke Energy are
identified in bold throughout this submittal.
With numerous federal and state requirements to coordinate and implement in a short time for
the site, planning and sequencing of work are paramount and yet dynamic. As such, final scope
and sequence for all work is not complete at this time. Where scope is still not finalized, Duke
has provided a range of options that are being evaluated and has also provided various alternate
scenarios in an attempt to limit the number of subsequent submittals. Duke believes that the
information provided in this submittal is of sufficient detail to allow for review and issuance of
the renewed NPDES permit for Allen. This is consistent with the guidance received from DEQ
staff in a meeting on November 20, 2015 and follow up correspondence dated January 11, 2016
and January 28, 2016.
Allen Steam Station NPDES application update
NC0004979
Gaston County
Page 2 of 35
1. Duke Energy requests a new outfall associated with the planned retention basin
system (RBS).North Carolina's Coal Ash Management Act and the Federal CCR rule
will prohibit continued wastewater flows to the existing ash basin at Allen. A project is
underway to convert ash handling of to a100%dry handling and disposal system. All
other wastewater inputs to the active ash basin (AAB)must be redirected and handled in
another manner. By April 2018, Duke intends to construct a RBS to handle all flows
currently directed to the active ash basin. The RBS will accommodate flows from the
yard drainage sump,the coal yard sump,the flue gas desulfurization (FGD) stormwater
basin and the FGD wastewater treatment system (WWTS)effluent discharge. The
requested new RBS outfall and the active ash basing outfall 002 may need to both be
operational for a period of time. Details of the inputs to the RBS are given in Attachment
1. A drawing showing the approximate location of the RBS is provided as Attachment 2
The requested outfall from the newly constructed retention basin will discharge into the
Catawba River. An aerial photo with an approximate location of the outfall (35.198434, -
81.010253)for the new retention basin can be found as Attachment 3.
2. Landfill leachate is currently sent to the AAB. Landfill leachate flows will be directed to
the RBS via the coal yard sump as described in item # 1 upon completion of that system.
Duke requests that the landfill leachate be considered as a new input to the coal
yard sump overflow(Outfall 002A).
3. Duke requests a new internal outfall for the planned retention basin system . FGD
purge water is routed to a WWTS consisting of a physical-chemical process designed to
precipitate heavy metals and remove suspended solids. The clarified product water is
routed to a series of bioreactors designed for selenium and nitrate removal. The
bioreactor product water will be routed through a polishing filtration system
(ultrafiltration with the addition of coagulant, flocculent, or antiscalant to ensure
performance)then discharged to the retention basin via the relocated internal outfall. The
new internal outfall for FGD wastewater and the existing internal outfall 005 may need to
both be operational for a period of time.
4. Duke requests that the emergency spillway of the retired ash basin be included as a
wastewater outfall. If 4(a) and 4(c)above are granted for S-10,the emergency spillway
would need to follow suit in becoming a permitted wastewater outfall. The emergency
spillway is located in the northeastern corner of the stormwater retention basin that spans
the southern portion of the landfill (please see Attachment 5). The approximate
coordinates of the spillway are (35.181850, -81.006706). The emergency spillway was
Allen Steam Station NPDES application update
NC0004979
Gaston County
Page 3 of 35
designed for a flood greater than a 100-year event. Duke requests that sampling of this
spillway be waived due to the small likelihood of an overflow and more importantly
due to unsafe conditions associated with sampling during an overflow event.
5. Duke requests specific authorization within the reissued permit that, upon ceasing
or reducing flows to the active ash basin,decanting and dewatering of the basin
through existing wastewater outfall 002 can occur. Specific authorization for
decanting and dewatering is a condition currently in the NPDES permits at Sutton and
Marshall. Duke requests specific authorization that the ash basin may be decanted
and dewatered and that permit limits associated with these activities be included in
the permit. A temporary WWTS may be needed to meet future permit limits. Additional
treatment for the dewatering process may be completed via chemical and/or physical
processes prior to discharge to outfall 002. This treatment system may require the
addition of a coagulant and/or flocculent to enhance solids removal. A characterization
of the ash basin interstitial water was previously provided in an addendum to Allen's
NPDES wastewater permit application dated 18 May 2015.
6. Modifications associated with coal pile runoff. A holding basin will be constructed to
receive coal yard runoff and backwash water from preheater washes. The holding basin
will have a chemical feed system for adjusting pH and polymer addition to enhance
settling. Once treatment is sufficient,the holding basin contents will be transferred to the
RBS. See attachment 2 for approximate location of coal pile basin.
7. Area of wetness (AOW) disposition.
Duke has previously identified a number of AOWs within the property, all of which have
been included in Allen's renewal application or a subsequent update. Duke requests that
S-9 be removed from the permit application due to its pipe being grouted,allowing
no more seepage to exit the pipe. Duke also requests that S-1 be removed from the
permit due to it being a natural stream feature and being free from wastewater
pollutants. Duke requests that the remainder of the disclosed AOWs be permitted in
the following fashion:
a)As determined during the DEQ site visit on August 16, 2016, designate the
conveyances associated with S-2, S-3, S-4, S-8, S-8B, and S-10 as effluent
channels with outfalls to the Catawba River and appropriate limits for outfalls to
those points;
Allen Steam Station NPDES application update
NC0004979
Gaston County
Page 4 of 35
b) Due to accessibility and sampling challenges and because the seepage is from
the same source(active ash basin), S-4 should be considered representative of 5-
5, S-6, and S-7. Therefore, Duke is requesting that there be no sampling
requirements for S-5, S-6, and S-7.
•
c) The seepage from S-10 enters a stormwater retention basin south of the landfill
(please see Attachment 5)and then eventually enters the Catawba River through
stormwater outfall SW015 (an outfall in permit NCS000546). Duke requests that
stormwater outfall SW015 be removed from NCS000546 and be permitted as
a wastewater outfall that includes inputs from S-10 and stormwater from the
drainage area of SW015.
8. Steam Electric Effluent Guidelines Alternate Schedule Justification. Duke requests
an alternate applicability date for the Steam Electric Effluent Guidelines in
accordance with the request found in Attachment 4. Treated bottom ash transport
water and FGD wastewater are currently discharged from Allen. Under normal plant
operations, fly ash is collected dry and either disposed in a permitted on-site landfill or
transported offsite for beneficial reuse. The new Effluent Guidelines Rule (ELG Rule)
(80 Fed. Reg. 67,838 (Nov. 3, 2015)) sets a range of possible applicability dates for
compliance with the new best available technology(BAT) limits for bottom ash transport
water(zero discharge) and FGD wastewater(numeric limits for selenium, arsenic,
mercury, and nitrate/nitrite), as well for fly ash transport water(zero discharge). The
regulationprovides that allpermits issued after the effective date of the rule (January4,
g
2016) should contain applicability dates for compliance with the BAT limits, and that
those dates should be"as soon as possible" but not sooner than November 1,2018 and
not later than December 31, 2023. Per the New Source Review(NSR) Consent Decree
dated Oct. 20, 2015, Units 1, 2 and 3 at Allen are required to retire on or before
December 31, 2024. Due to the retirement dates for these units, Duke is evaluating early
retirement options to avoid stranded costs. Duke,therefore, requests the following
implementation process to establish the ELG applicability date for Allen.
— On or before December 31, 2017, Duke will make a determination on early
retirement. Based on this decision, Duke requests the following ELG applicability
dates:
o If the decision is to retire the units on or before December 31, 2023, Duke
requests an ELG applicability date of December 31, 2023 for both FGD
wastewater and bottom ash transport water to avoid stranded costs.
Allen Steam Station NPDES application update
NC0004979
Gaston County
Page 5 of 35
o If the decision is not to retire the units on or before December 31, 2023, Duke
requests an ELG applicability date of February 28, 2021 for both bottom ash
transport water and FGD wastewater.
Duke is not requesting an applicability date for the zero discharge of fly ash transport
water beyond November 1,2018.
9. CWA Section 316(b)alternate schedule. In the renewal application Duke submitted an
alternate schedule for compliance with Section 316(b)of the Clean Water Act. The
alternated schedule is submitted again here for convenience and can be found in
Attachment 6.
We appreciate your attention to these requests and look forward to finalizing the NPDES permit
for Allen Steam Station in the near future. Should you have any questions regarding this letter or
require additional information, please contact Mr. Ross Hartfield at 980-373-6583 or at
ross.hartfield@duke-energy.com.
"I certify, under penalty of law, that this document and all attachments were prepared under my
direction or supervision in accordance with a system designed to assure that qualified personnel
properly gather and evaluate the information submitted. Based on my inquiry of the person or
persons who manage the system, or those persons directly responsible for gathering the
information, the information submitted is, to the best of my knowledge and belief true, accurate,
and complete. I am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information,
including the possibility of fines and imprisonment for knowing violations."
Sincerely,
gatepuej. ,-44.4.%.
Harry Sideris
SVP-Environmental, Health&Safety
Enclosures
NCDEQ cc: Mike Randall
Duke Energy cc: Brent Duett, Ross Hartfield,Scott Harris, Randy Gantt,Mary Parlemon,Jeremy Pruett,
Richard Baker,Shannon Langley, Brandon Dellis
Attachment 1
Narrative description of inputs to retention basin
system and 2018 flow schematic
August 31 , 2016 NPDES application update
Allen Steam Station
NC0004979
Inputs to the New Retention Basin System
The RBS will accommodate flows from the yard drainage sump,the coal yard sump,the FGD
tormwater basin and the FGD WWTS effluent discharge. Additional treatment of the wastewater
in the RBS may be completed via chemical and/or physical processes prior to discharge to the
new requested outfall. This treatment system may require the addition of a coagulant or
flocculent to enhance solids removal or may require pH adjustment.The following gives
preliminary details of the current and planned design and operation of wastewater treatment
related to the planned RBS. Variation in treatment and operation are expected.
a)Stormwater Run-off- Stormwater run-off will enter the RBS from drainage flows
collected at the yard drainage sump,the coal yard sump,and the FGD stormwater basin.
The powerhouse sump and the limestone storm water sump discharges its stormwater
run-off into the yard drainage sump. The landfill leachate sump will discharge its
stormwater run-off into the coal yard sump.
b)Sanitary Wastes- Sanitary waste at Allen is treated in a septic tank,and the effluent
from the septic tank is sent to the the coal yard sump. Approximately 115 people are
responsible for the load on this system. An average flow of 4850 GPD is treated by the
system.
c)Ash Sluicing- Allen employs a dry fly ash handling system. Ash collected in the
electrostatic precipitators is transported by compressed air to two silos where ash is
transferred to trucks for ultimate disposal in the on-site landfill. Wet sluicing of fly ash is
still utilized during times of dry system upset.
Bottom ash from the boilers will be sluiced to the submerged flight conveyors,
dewatered,and the resulting ash solids will be disposed of in the on -site landfill. The
ash sluicing water will be recirculated in a closed loop system with make-up provided
from service water for evaporation and water loss from moisture in the dewatered bottom
ash. Draining of the system will be necessary on occasion; the water from this draining
process will be sent to the FGD WWTS.
Allen presently has additional air pollution control systems installed on three units. Use
of these systems entails the use of low concentrations of sulfur compounds. These
systems aid in the collection of the ash in the electrostatic precipitators.
d)Recirculating Water System (RCW) - Allen has 2 RCW systems: a chiller system and a
pump cooling water system. Both systems use the biocide Nalco H-550 or similar
products. In addition,the corrosion inhibitor Nalco CS-4710 or similar products are used.
Generally,these systems are closed loop in nature but may need to be drained
occasionally. All such water would enter the floor drains and then be discharged to the
RBS.
e)Heat Exchanger Cleaning- Periodically, it may be necessary to clean the small heat
exchangers with polyacrylamide, polyacrylate, sodium laurylsulfate,tri-sodium
phosphate, or similar compounds. All wastewater would be routed to the RBS.
f) Condensate Polishers -Allen utilizes condensate polishers which divert a portion of
the normal condensate(closed system) flow through one of two cells per unit. The
polishers provide filtration as well as ion exchange functions to remove or substantially
reduce dissolved solids and suspended matter present in the condensate stream. The
polishers require precoating with a combination of anion and cation resin. To facilitate
precoating, 125-150 ml of a solution of polyacrylic acid(25%) is added to the precoat
slurry. Upon resin exhaustion,the precoat is removed from the filters by water/air
blasting and would be flushed to the RBS via sumps. Condensate water is used to remove
the exhausted precoat at the rate of 1558 gal/precoat for units l &2 and 2090 gal/precoat
for units 3,4, & 5. A total average waste flow of approximately 980 GPD to the RBS is
expected.
g)Condenser Leakage Testing-Approximately 1 Ib. of a disodium fluorescing dye is
added to 280,000 gals of demineralized water to test the condensers for leakage. All
wastewater from the testing would be routed to the RBS. Periodically, sulfur hexafluoride
is injected into the condenser tubes to locate condenser tube leaks. Sulfur hexafluoride is
a chemically inert, nonflammable, nontoxic gas with an extremely low water solubility. It
is estimated that 150 grams of sulfur hexafluoride would be used during the leak
detection process. Most of the sulfur hexafluoride would be volatilized during the
process.
h)FGD Stormwater Sump- Stormwater collected at the FGD site including the dry ash
handling facility, gypsum pile, WWTS area(not process water), stack, absorbers,
switchgear building, dewatering building, reagent prep building, and the control room
area is routed to a large stormwater collection basin and would then be pumped to the
RBS.
i)Landfill Leachate Collection Discharge - Industrial Solid Waste landfill (Permit No.
36-12) is permitted to accept coal combustion byproducts(fly ash,bottom ash, gypsum,
• WWTS filter press sludge cake)consists of a double liner with leachate collection
system. Collected leachate will be pumped to the coal yard sump prior to being pumped
to the RBS.
j)Boiler Room Sumps (Units 1-4) - The water which flows to the boiler room sumps
originates from such sources as floor wash water, boiler blowdown, water treatment
waste, condensates,equipment cooling water, sealing water, and miscellaneous leakage.
The effluent from the units 1 through 4 boiler room sumps is flushed to the yard drain
sump.
k) Turbine Room Sumps-The turbine room sumps accommodate flows from floor
washing, leakage, and occasional condenser water box drainage. Effluent from Units 1
through 5 turbine room sumps is flushed to the yard drain sump.
1)Limestone Unloading/Storage Area Sump-The limestone sump collects stormwater
from the limestone unloading and storage area and sends it to the yard drain sump via
powerhouse sump discharge line.
m)Powerhouse Sump (Unit 5) -The wastes that enter the floor drains at Allen
accumulate in the boiler room sumps and turbine room sumps. The water that flows to
the boiler room sumps originates from such sources as floor wash water, boiler
blowdown,water treatment waste, condensates, equipment cooling water, sealing water,
and miscellaneous leakage. Effluent from the unit 5 boiler room sump is sent to the yard
drain sump via the powerhouse sump. The powerhouse sump also receives stormwater
from various drains located on the northern end of the powerhouse.
n) Water Treatment System Waste- The water treatment system waste consists of
sedimentation, filter backwash, reverse osmosis concentrate, demineralizer regeneration
wastes,and boiler blowdown. The make- up water treatment system consists of a
clarifier,two pressure filters, two activated carbon filters, pre-reverse osmosis filters,a
reverse osmosis unit, and one set of demineralizers. Make-up water is used in the boilers
and closed cooling systems. Details of the water treatment system are given below.
i) Clarifier: The clarifier has an average production of 0.252 MGD.
Caustic or ferric sulfate/ferric chloride are used to effect precipitation and
thus remove suspended solids from the raw river water. Desludging of the
clarifier takes place approximately 8%of the unit run-time with an
average volume of 2300 GPD expected to flow to the RBS.
ii) Pressure Filters: There are two pressure filters which follow the
clarifier in the water treatment process. These filters are backwashed once
per week with a waste flow of 11,000 gallons per backwash. Each pressure
vessel will contain 84 ft3 of anthracite, 50 ft3 of quartz, 25 ft3 of garnet,
and 41 ft3 of garnet/quartz support media. Each vessel will use product
water to backwash at a rate of 750 gpm. On average, both vessels are
backwashed once per week . The contents of the pressure filters will be c
hanged out as internal maintenance requires,and the used filter medium
will be sluiced to the RBS.
iii)Activated Carbon Filters: In addition to the pressure filters,there are
two activated carbon filters. These filters are backwashed twice per month.
Approximately 30,000 gallons of water are required to backwash each of
these filters. The activated carbon filters consist of approximately 250 ft3
of granular activated carbon (coal). The spent filter medium is changed out
yearly and will be sluiced to the RBS.
iv) Reverse Osmosis Unit: A reverse osmosis unit is used to decrease the
conductivity in the filtered water,thereby increasing the efficiency of the
demineralizers and reducing the amount of chemical needed for
demineralizer regeneration. During operation the unit has a continual
blowdown of 60 gal/min, which is currently discharged to the ash basin.
The reverse osmosis unit is cleaned on a quarterly basis with the waste
going to the yard drains. During a cleaning, approximately 30 lbs of a
sulfamic acid cleaner along with 5 gallons of biocide, 2 liters of sodium
hydroxide,and 0.5 gallons of sodium lauryl sulfate is used.
v) Demineralizer: The demineralizer consists of two mixed-bed cells. Only
one of these cells is operated at any one time. The cell which is in
operation is regenerated approximately once every 7-14 days of operation.
A regeneration requires 42 gallons of sulfuric acid(78-80%)and 150
gallons of 50%sodium hydroxide. An average dilute waste chemical and
rinse flow of 20,000 gal is realized. The dilute acid and caustic are
discharged to the floor drains simultaneously through the same header for
neutralization purposes. All regeneration wastes are currently flushed to
the ash basin. The demineralizer resin is changed out approximately once
every 10 years, and the spent resin is currently sluiced to the ash basin.
Approximately 1 milliliter of the surfactant Triton CF-54 or similar
product is added to the new resin to improve separation.
vi) Boiler Blowdown: Each of the five boilers at Allen blowdown at an
average rate of about 500 lbs. of steam per hour. The blowdown is allowed
to flash in a blowdown tank. Most of the blowdown is vented to the
atmosphere with a minimal amount of condensate discharged to the boiler
room sump. The average condensate flow to this sump is 0.004 MGD.
Hydrazine is maintained at a concentration of 25 ppb in the condensate
system for deoxygenation. A minute amount of hydrazine(<10 ppb)may
be present in the condensate flow to the boiler room sump.
o)Preheater Washes- Preheaters are backwashed with raw water on an as needed basis
to remove ash and corrosion products. There are 12 preheaters at Allen that would require
approximately 100,000 gallons of backwash water each. The backwash water would be
routed to the holding basin through the yard drain sump.
p)Laboratory Wastes-The plant chemistry and the FGD chemistry laboratories on-site
perform a variety of water analyses and routine sample collections. Therefore several
chemicals are used in the lab in small quantities for sample preservation, bottle rinsing,
equipment calibration, conductivity analyses, etc. The wastes are flushed down the sink
and discharged into the yard drain sump. Some of the laboratory chemicals are as
follows: ammonia molybdate, acetic acid, ferric sulfate, hydrochloric acid,
monoethylamine, nitric acid and potassium hydroxide.
q)Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) -As part of the compliance with the North
Carolina Clean Air Initiative, Allen has installed urea-based "trim" SNCR systems on all
five units. The trim SNCR systems are expected to reduce NOx emissions by
approximately 30%. SNCR systems operate by injecting urea into the upper section of the
boiler where a chemical reaction occurs to reduce the NOx to water and nitrogen. Some
residual ammonia will be collected on the fly ash in the electrostatic precipitators,and a
small amount is expected be carried to the RBS. However, the operation of the SNCR
system is not expected to require additional treatment capabilities to ensure compliance
with NPDES permit limits.
r)Flue Gas Desulfurization-A wet FGD system has been installed at Allen for the
reduction of SO2 from the stack gas. The following provides a description of the FGD
system at Allen. In a wet scrubber system, the SO2 component of the flue gas produced
from the coal combustion process is removed by reaction with limestone-water slurry.
The particular system used at Allen collects the flue gas after it passes through the
electrostatic precipitator and routes the gas into the absorber tank. As the gas rises
through the tank to the outlet at the top,the gas passes through a spray header. A slurry of
water and limestone droplets is continually sprayed through this header into the stream of
flue gas. The SO2 in the flue gas reacts with the calcium in the limestone and produces
SO3. The SO3 slurry falls to the bottom of the tank where a stream of air is injected to
oxidize the slurry to form gypsum (CaSO4 * 2H2O). The gypsum slurry is drawn off the
absorber tank and subsequently pumped to a vacuum belt filter. Part of the process water
from the FGD system is blown down in order to maintain the FGD water chemistry
within the FGD system specifications. This water is treated in a WWTS that will
discharge to the retention basin via the displaced internal outfall 005. The FGD system
has a material handling system that supplies limestone to the scrubber and a gypsum
storage area for the gypsum removed from the process. The limestone comes onto the site
by rail and is then transferred to the FGD site via a covered conveyor. Runoff from the
storage area is routed to the FGD storm water basin. The gypsum is routed from the FGD
tank to a dewatering belt and then to a covered conveyor belt that will carry it to a storage
pile. The runoff from this area is also routed to the FGD storm water basin.
t)Hazardous and Toxic Substances- At Allen,the potential for toxic and hazardous
substances being discharged is very low. The hazardous substances that may be in the
discharge are acetaldehyde, asbestos, butyl acetate,cyclohexane, diuron, epichlorohydrin,
formaldehyde, monoethyl amine, propylene oxide,pyrethrins, vinyl acetate, and xylene.
During the course of the year products such as commercial cleaners and laboratory
reagents may be purchased which contain low levels of a substance found in Table 2c-3 .
It is not anticipated that these products will impact the retention basin's capacity to
comply with existing toxicity limits, since their concentrations are extremely low.
Catawba River
Condenser
Plant Allen
2018
Water Schematic
Outfall 001
Cooling
Water
649 MGD
South Fork River
Outfall 002A
Sanitary
—————�
I — ------- — — — — — — — —
Waste
I
Intermittent Catawba River
FLandfill Coal Yard
Coal Handling
Leachate Sump
Sumps
Ciosed Loop
'
Bottom Ash — — —
— — — — — — — — — — I Atm
Stormwater Holding basin
S stem
I
I
I
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Internal
FGD WWTS Outfall 005--
I
————— — — — — —�
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0.5 MG
Stormwater
I
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Atm
Ash Silo FGD
Outfall 002
Stormwater I
Sump
Ash Basin
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1
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ew
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umps
Sump
Retention Basin
Outfall OOX Catawba River
3.3 MGD
_
Misc Equip
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Cooling & Seals
4.5 MGD South Fork River
Powerhouse '
Outfall 0026
Sump ----------------------------------------- I.(Intermittent) Catawba River
Limestone
Stormwater
Intake Screen
Backwash
Asiatic Clam/
Debris Filter
Backwash
*Flows are estimates.
Outfall 004
6.5 MGD Catawba River
Catawba River
Attachment 2
Drawing of approximate location of the planned
retention basin system, holding basin, and
submerged flight conveyor
August 31 , 2016 NPDES application update
Allen Steam Station
NC0004979
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Attachment 3
Aerial imagery of approximate location of new
outfall for planned retention basin system
August 31 , 2016 NPDES application update
Allen Steam Station
NC0004979
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Attachment 4
Steam Electric Effluent Guidelines Alternate
Schedule Justification
August 31 , 2016 NPDES application update
Allen Steam Station
NC0004979
Allen Steam Station: Effluent Guidelines Rule
Justification for Applicability Dates
A. Introduction
Duke Energy (Duke) is working diligently to develop and refine an optimized schedule for the
installation and upgrades to wastewater treatment systems to comply with the Steam Electric Power
Generating Effluent Limitation Guidelines(ELG)at seven coal-fired stations in North Carolina. Duke
submits the following information as a justification for appropriate applicability dates for compliance
with the new Effluent Guidelines Rule (ELG Rule) (80 Fed. Reg. 67,838 (Nov. 3, 2015)) at Allen
Steam Station(Allen), located in Belmont,North Carolina.
Allen consists of five coal fired generating units with a total generating capacity of 1,127 MW.
Treated bottom ash transport water(BATW), and FGD wastewater is currently discharged from the
station. Under normal plant operations, fly ash is collected dry and either disposed in a permitted on-
site landfill or transported offsite for beneficial reuse. If the dry fly ash collection system is not
operating,the fly ash is sluiced to the ash basin in which the transport water is treated in the ash basin
and subsequently discharged through outfall 002. Bottom ash from the boilers is sluiced with
transport water to the ash pond. The transport water is treated by the ash pond system and is
discharged through outfall 002. The FGD blowdown flows to a physical /chemical treatment system
followed by a biological treatment system and discharges through internal outfall 005 to the ash
basin.
The ELG Rule sets a range of possible applicability dates for compliance with the new best available
technology (BAT) limits for bottom ash transport water (zero discharge) and FGD wastewater
(numeric limits for selenium, arsenic, mercury, and nitrate/nitrite), as well for fly ash transport water
(zero discharge). The regulation provides that all permits issued after the effective date of the rule
(January 4, 2016) should contain applicability dates for compliance with the BAT limits, and that
those dates should be"as soon as possible" but not sooner than November 1, 2018 and not later than
December 31,2023.
For Allen, since the plant's final NPDES permit will be issued after January 4, 2016, but before
November 1, 2018, EPA specifically instructs permit writers to "apply limitations based on the
previously promulgated BPT limitations or the plant's other applicable permit limitations until at
least November 1, 2018." 80 Fed. Reg. at 67,883, col. 1 (emphasis added). As the rule makes clear,
however, BAT limits may apply—depending on the individual circumstances of the facilities subject
• to the rule—any time within the window of November 1, 2018 to December 31,2023. In selecting an
appropriate applicability date for each waste stream subject to the new BAT limits, the permitting
authority is called upon to determine an"as soon as possible"date.
The ELG Rule provides a very specific definition for"as soon as possible." The permit writer-when
supplied with appropriate information by the permittee-must consider a range of factors that affect
the timing of compliance.Those factors are as follows:
(1)Time to expeditiously plan(including to raise capital),design, procure,and install
equipment to comply with the requirements of this part.
(2)Changes being made or planned at the plant in response to:
(i)New source performance standards for greenhouse gases from new fossil fuel-
fired electric generating units,under sections 111, 301, 302,and 307(dx1XC)of the
Clean Air Act,as amended,42 U.S.C. 7411,7601, 7602,7607(dXIXC);
(ii)Emission guidelines for greenhouse gases from existing fossil fuel-fired electric
generating units, under sections 111,301,302,and 307(d)of the Clean Air Act,as
amended,42 U.S.C. 7411,7601, 7602,7607(d); or
(iii)Regulations that address the disposal of coal combustion residuals as solid waste,
under sections 1006(b), 1008(a),2002(a),3001,4004,and 4005(a)of the Solid Waste
Disposal Act of 1970,as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
of 1976,as amended by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984,42
U.S.C.6906(b),6907(a),6912(a),6944,and 6945(a).
(3)For FGD wastewater requirements only, an initial commissioning period for the
treatment system to optimize the installed equipment.
(4)Other factors as appropriate.
40 C.F.R. §423.11(t).
Per the New Source Review(NSR)Consent Decree dated Oct. 20,2015, Units 1,2 and 3 at Allen are
required to retire on or before December 31, 2024. Due to the retirement dates for these units, Duke
Energy is evaluating early retirement options to avoid stranded costs. We, therefore, would like to
request the following implementation process to establish the ELG applicability date for Allen.
- On or before December 31,2017, Duke will make a determination on early retirement. Based
on this decision,Duke would like to request the following ELG applicability dates::
o If the decision is to retire the units on or before December 31, 2023, Duke would like to
request an ELG applicability date of December 31, 2023 for both FGD wastewater and
bottom ash transport water to avoid stranded costs.
o If the decision is not to retire the units on or before December 31, 2023, Duke would
like to request an ELG applicability date of February 28,2021 for both BATW and FGD
wastewater.
— Duke is not requesting an applicability date for the zero discharge of fly ash transport water
beyond November 1,2018.
Duke developed the proposed process and its applicability date with grid reliability in mind. The
dispatch of the units at Allen varies throughout the year with a unit(s) typically operating in the
summer and winter months. Duke needs additional time to evaluate the early retirement option to
ensure an early retirement will not disrupt grid reliability and electricity availability. EPA explicitly
notes that the permitting authority should consider grid reliability in setting applicability dates:
"EPA's decision is also designed to allow, more broadly, for the coordination of generating unit
outages in order to maintain grid reliability and prevent any potential impacts on electricity
availability, something that public commenters urged EPA to consider." 80 Fed. Reg. at 67,854, col.
2. See also Response to Comments, p. 8-138. This statement clearly applies to scheduling tie-ins with
generating unit outages, but also implies the ELG applicability date should consider grid reliability
associated with unit retirements.
The following provides necessary information justifying the requested applicability dates provided
above.
B. Stranded Cost Avoidance due to Early Retirement Decision
The steam electric industry is in the midst of major transitions driven by new environmental
regulatory requirements in the air, waste, and water arenas. In the ELG Rule, EPA explicitly
acknowledged the complications of planning and executing ELG retrofits while developing and
executing compliance strategies under other rules. EPA made it clear that the range of applicability
dates provided in the ELG Rule are supposed to be implemented in a manner that avoids stranded
costs and promotes orderly decision making. For instance, EPA states:
"From an environmental protection/coordination standpoint, with the increased use of
flue gas desulfurization scrubbers and flue gas mercury controls in response to air
pollution-related requirements, this rule makes sense from a holistic environmental
protection perspective and from the perspective of coordinating across rules affecting the
same sector. This final ELG controls the discharges associated with these particular
waste streams."
Response to Comments, p. 8-388.
The ELG Rule clearly allows consideration of stranded cost avoidance in setting the ELG
applicability date based on the need to account for any applicable obligations under the CPP.
However, in statements in the Response to Comments, EPA indicates stranded costs apply to any
rule, not just the CPP. EPA explains in the Response to Comments that it provided flexibility in
applicability dates so that facilities could consider all new regulatory requirements and then have an
adequate time to plan and implement accordingly,and thus avoid stranded costs:
"EPA is sensitive to the need to provide sufficient time for steam electric power plants to
understand, plan for, and implement any changes to their operation to meet their
environmental responsibilities, and agrees with the commenter that transparency of
requirements is important for minimizing "stranded investments." ...Furthermore, as
described in the preamble, the final rule provides time for plant owners or operators to
implement changes to plant operations in order to meet the final limitations and
standards, as well as flexibility to permitting authorities in implementing the final rule.
The Agency specifically considered the timing of requirements of other environmental
regulations in establishing implementation requirements for the ELGs, in order to provide
steam electric power plants time to consider and implement their strategy for
compliance."
Response to Comments, p. 8-388.
Furthermore, EPA also states that the permitting authority may"account for time the facility needs to
coordinate all the requirements of this rule, along with other regulatory requirements, to make the
correct planning and financing decisions, and to implement the new requirements in an orderly and
feasible way." Response to Comments,p. 8-129(emphasis added).
At Allen, we need to coordinate our ELG implementation strategy with the NSR Consent Decree,
CPP, Coal Combustion Residual (CCR) and NC-CAMA rules. For both the CCR and CAMA rules,
we are evaluating the current CCR ash pond to determine whether the ponds meet the locational
restrictions of 40 C.F.R. § 257.60 - .64. The future of the ash pond under both of these rules will
determine whether it is available or not to receive legacy wastewaters (i.e., those wastewaters
generated before the applicability date for bottom ash transport water retrofits) and continue to
receive non-BATW. In addition, as discussed below, the final determination of the extent of the ash
pond, as well as the closure method could have significant ramifications for the siting of the RMDS,
as well as the retirement date decision.
For the CPP,the affected units at Allen will not know their individual obligations under the CPP until
well after November 1, 2018. As promulgated by EPA, the CPP's emission guidelines do not apply
directly to units. Instead, states are responsible for developing state plans setting forth requirements
applicable to individual units that implement those emission guidelines. These state plans are subject
to review and approval by EPA. If EPA determines that the state has not submitted an approvable
plan, then EPA will promulgate a federal plan in its place. The timeline the CPP provides for
developing and reviewing these state plans involves numerous steps.
The initial deadline for state plan submittal was September 6, 2016. 40 C.F.R. § 60.5760(a). The
vast majority of states were expected to seek and obtain a two-year extension for final state plan
• submittal until September 6, 2018. See id. § 60.5760(b). However, the Supreme Court issued a stay
of the CPP on February 8, 2016. Thus, the timing of the requirements of the CPP is uncertain at this
time,as we wait further decisions by the Supreme Court.
C. ELG Applicability Justification under a Decision Not to Retire Early
Bottom Ash Transport Water
If the decision is not to retire units, significant portions of the bottom ash transport system at Allen
will need to be replaced to comply with the no discharge limit of bottom ash transport water
(BATW). The rule identified dry handling or closed-loop systems as the BAT technology basis for
control of pollutants in bottom ash transport water. Specifically, a mechanical drag system (MDS)
was identified as the technology basis for a dry handling system, where as a RMDS was identified as
the technology basis for a closed-loop system. Duke is planning on installing a RMDS at Allen to
handle bottom ash dry. The system will be designed to operate in a closed-loop mode to meet the zero
discharge limits for BATW. Duke anticipates 52 months from the effective date of the permit will be
needed to design, install and commission the RMDS as a zero discharge system based on the
following preliminary timeline. It is important to note Duke will be installing RMDS at four stations
in N. Carolina; therefore, additional time is needed compared to a single installation to account for
managing multiple projects simultaneously.
Remote Mechanical Drag System(RMDS)
Activity Duration(Months)
Design' 8
• Siting 3
• Engineering 5
Procurement 12
Potential Permitting Delays 6
Construction/Tie-in 13
Optimization&Operational Experience2 13
• Commissioning 2
• Start-Up 6
Total: 52
1)The design tasks has been initiated and Duke estimates an additional 6 months from
the permit effective(assuming Nov. 1,2016)will be needed to complete the design.
2)Even though is it estimated that commissioning and start-up can occur in 8 months,
Duke anticipates needing a 13 month window to obtain the necessary operating time at
full load and account for commissioning/optimizing occurring at multiple facilities
simultaneously.
Assuming a permit effective date of November 1, 2016, Duke estimates the system can be installed
and operated to comply with the zero discharge limit of BATW on or before February 28, 2021. To
design, procure, construct and optimize the RMDS at Allen to operate as a closed-loop system, the
following steps must be taken:
Design&Engineering
Duke has initiated the design phase, but, due to the simultaneous implementation of programs, such
as the CCR Rule and NC-CAMA across applicable sites in North Carolina, engineering and
technology resources are limited. Duke, therefore, estimates the design and engineering process will
take an additional 8 months from the permit effective date. Some of the activities within the water
balance and siting task will occur concurrently; however the design cannot be completed until the
siting task is completed. The permitting process, if necessary, will be initiated in the design and
engineering phase,but it is assumed permit receipt/approval will be conducted concurrently with the
design and procurement phase and will be completed prior to the construction phase. The following
tasks will need to be completed.
Water Balance
The first step in the design process of the RMDS is to develop a detailed water balance of the current
BATW. To operate the system as a zero discharge system, there is a balance between the inputs of
water into the system and the outputs of water through evaporation and bottom ash removal. This is
necessary to determine if any additional treatment of the BATW is needed to avoid increase in fines
and concentration of other constituents that could affect equipment operability.
In addition, several non-BATW waste streams are currently commingled and treated along with
BATW. The flow of these waste streams will be rerouted from the BATW system to a new
wastewater treatment system. This will require the streams to be characterized for both volumetric
flow and constituent make-up in order to size and design an appropriate treatment system. It is
important to note that not all waste streams discharge continuously or simultaneously. Some waste
streams discharge intermittently based on activity occurrence, such air preheater and precipitator
washes, while others may only discharge under certain rainfall events. In addition, many waste
streams do not discharge if the unit is not running. With most coal-fired units operating in an
infrequent mode, the opportunities to collect samples are limited and the operation schedule could
affect the schedule of this task.
Upon completion of the water balance, detailed engineering of the RMDS system and piping reroutes
• of non-BATW can commence.
Siting
The RMDS will need to be sited appropriately to avoid any historical or current CCP disposal sites
and avoid construction areas that will be used to complete closure of the ash basins at Allen. In
addition, Duke will attempt to site the system to avoid waters of the U.S. (WOTUS). However, based
on the final siting of the system, WOTUS may not be avoided,and permits from the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers may be required.
Permitting
If WOTUS cannot be avoided,then permitting from the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers(USACE)will
be needed. At this time, it is unknown whether a USACE permit will be required or the type of permit
that may be required (nationwide permit (NPW) or individual permit). Duke, therefore, has included
12 months in the schedule to prepare and obtain any necessary USACE permits.
Once the RMDS is commissioned,the permitted discharge flows will change drastically. The amount
of water discharged could be reduced by as much as 85%. In addition, these flows typically were
treated along with the BATW in the ash basin. Duke, therefore, will need to design, and construct a
new treatment system for these low volume wastes. The size and technology of the treatment system
will be determined based on the water characterization study discussed above. Additionally, based on
the final siting of the low volume wastewater treatment system, a new outfall may be needed for the
discharge of the effluent from this new wastewater treatment system. With significant changes to the
characteristics of the permitted discharge, Duke anticipates a NPDES permit modification will be
required to revise the permit to account for the changes in flow and constituent make-up.
Even though the permitting task will be initiated during the design and engineering phase, it is
expected to continue through the procurement phase and up to the construction phase. In addition,the
extent and complexity of the permits required are unknown at this time. The required permits will be
evaluated during the engineering and design phase. Since the time needed to prepare the permit
applications and the time needed to receive the permits is uncertain, Duke allocated 6 months to
account for potential permitting delays.
Procurement
After the design is complete, Duke will initiate the process to procure the necessary outside resources
to construct and install the new wastewater treatment systems. This process will involve the following
steps:
— Evaluate potential vendors for proposal solicitation;
— Develop and submit request for proposal(RFP)to selected vendors;
— Conduct a review and vendor selection based on the received bids;
— Develop required contract documents;
— Acquire materials(potentially from overseas),which involves:
o Shipment,and
o Equipment Fabrication
— Fabrication and inspection of equipment.
RMDS have a fabrication queue that is dependent on total industry-wide demand. Duke, therefore,
• has allocated 12 months to acquire the necessary materials.
Construction
Once all the necessary materials are procured, Duke estimates construction of the RMDS will take
approximately 13 months. In addition, the tie-in of the RMDS to each individual generating unit will
need to occur during outages, which are anticipated to occur between March to May and October to
November depending on generation demand.
Optimization and Operational Experience
As stated above, Duke is planning to have the equipment installed by December 31, 2019 at the latest
to meet the obligations under CAMA, in addition, to any CCR requirements. Again, these rules
regulate the bottom ash material, not the transport water. Given the system will continue to utilize
water to transport bottom ash, time will be needed to gain operational experience and optimize the
system to meet the zero discharge limit. Duke estimates a 13 month window will be required to gain
the necessary operational experience and fine-tune the system. The 13 month window is estimated
based on the potential that the station may only be operating at full load during the winter and
summer months and account for commissioning / optimizing occurring at multiple facilities
simultaneously. In addition,with NCDEQ approving the implementation date of January 31, 2021 for
Marshall Steam Station, Duke would like to stagger the commissioning / optimization activities for
Allen by one month.
New Wastewater Treatment System
As discussed above, with the removal of several non-BATW waste streams from the bottom ash
transport system, a new wastewater treatment system will need to be designed and constructed for co-
treatment of low volume waste and other regulated process streams per the CCR rule, ELGs, and
NDPES permitting requirements. The activities associated with the new wastewater treatment system
will be conducted concurrently with the other design activities at the site. These waste streams are not
subject to the applicability date in the ELG rule,therefore, Duke is not requesting a compliance date,
but this task will need to be completed prior to the effective date of the zero discharge of BATW.
Duke anticipates 30 months will be needed to design, install and commission the new wastewater
treatment system, based on the following preliminary timeline.
New Wastewater Treatment System
Activity Duration(Months)
Siting 3
Engineering 6
Procurement 3
Construction/Tie-in 9
Commissioning 3
Start-Up 6
Total: 30
FGD Wastewater
The FGD wastewater treatment system at Allen contains the model technology EPA used as the basis
for the BAT limits for FGD wastewater, physical / chemical treatment followed by biological
treatment. However, the BAT limits were based on data from Allen and Belews Creek Steam Station
(BCSS) while the station was primarily using coal from the Central Appalachian region. Based on
Duke's experience with the treatment of FGD wastewater, variability in the coal can affect the
performance of the biological treatment system. This was evident based on data collected from the
FGD wastewater treatment systems at Allen and BCSS in 2014 and 2015 when the stations were
using coal from regions other than Central Appalachian. In a memorandum from EPA, Variability in
Flue Gas Desulfurization Wastewater: Monitoring and Response dated Sept. 30, 2015, EPA
acknowledges data from Allen and BCSS show the selenium concentration can sometimes become
elevated. In addition, EPA stated "The coal characteristics could alter the characteristics of the FGD
purge stream...". EPA further stated plants have between three to eight years to conduct the
necessary studies to properly design the treatment system and plants should investigate the variability
of the FGD purge stream to inform the design process. EPA went on to state plants should acquire
information on the variability of the system over a"long enough time that will included variability in
plant operations such as shutdowns, fuel switches (preferably for all fuel types burned at the plant),
variability in electricity generating loads,periods with high ORP,etc."
EPA further recognizes that designing, procuring, installing, and optimizing an FGD wastewater
treatment system is a complicated and time-consuming undertaking, involving much study and
careful planning. For example,EPA states:
"For plants that are planning to include fuel flexing in their operations, in the years
prior to the installation and operation of the FGD wastewater treatment system, the
plant should consider sampling the untreated FGD wastewater to evaluate the
wastewater characteristics that are present based on the differing fuel blends. Based
on those characteristics, the plant will be better able to design a system that can
properly treat its FGD wastewater given variability that might occur at the plant, and it
will be better prepared to adjust chemical dosages in the chemical precipitation system
to mitigate the variability in the wastewater that enters the biological treatment
system."
Response to Comments,p. 5-387.
EPA also states:
"While EPA has based the effluent limitations and standards for selenium and
nitrate/nitrite (as N)for FGD wastewater based on the performance of the Allen and
Belews Creek biological treatment systems, EPA does not contend that every plant in
the industry can simply take the design parameters from those two plants, install the
biological treatment system, and meet the effluent limitations. Each plant will need to
work with engineering and design firms to assess the wastewater characteristics
present at their plant to determine the most appropriate technologies and design the
system accordingly meet the effluent limitations. Therefore, some plants may need to
design the bioreactors to provide additional bed contact time (as provided by the
hydraulic residence time and volume of biomass and carbon substrate), while other
plants may find they need less."
Response to Comments, p. 5-389
Duke is requesting 52 months from the effective date of the permit to study the variability of the
system,evaluate additional treatment needs and design,install and commission additional treatment
components to meet the BAT limits based on the following preliminary timeline.
FGD WWT Upgrade
Activity Duration(Months)
Design& Engineering 25
• Evaluate Variability in the
System 12
• Technology Evaluation 7
• Engineering' 6
Procurement 8
Construction/Tie-in 7
Start-up&Optimization2 12
• Start-Up 2
• Commissioning 6
Total: 52
1)Duke is conducting a similar process for BCSS and has requested an applicability
date of Nov. 30 2020.Duke would like an additional three months for Allen to
incorporate lessons learned from the system being installed at BCSS.
2)Duke is allocating a 12 month window to complete the commissioning and start-up
under all expected operating conditions from full load to partial load to periods of no
load and under varying fuel types.
Assuming a permit effective date of November 1, 2016, Duke estimates the system can be installed
Y
and commissioned to meet the BAT limits on or before February 28, 2021. To design, procure,
construct and commission the FGD WWT system at Allen,the following steps must be taken:
Design&Engineering
As with the RMDS, engineering and technology resources are limited due to regulatory requirements
for concurrent implementation of programs,such as the CCR Rule and NC-CAMA across applicable
sites in North Carolina. In addition,a similar process is being followed for BCSS and Duke would
like to incorporate any engineer lessons learned for the system evaluated at BCSS for Allen. Duke is,
therefore,estimating 25 months to complete the design and engineering phase of the project.
Evaluate Variability in the System
As stated by EPA and with Duke's agreement,plants need to conduct studies of the variability of the
system over a long enough period of time that will include variability in plant operations such as
shutdowns,fuel switches(preferably for all fuel types burned at the plant), variability in electricity
generating loads,periods with high ORP,etc.to design an effective treatment system. With the need
to evaluate different fuel types to maintain economic viability of the station, Duke estimates at least
an additional 12 months after the permit effective date will be required to investigate variability in the
system.
Technology Evaluation
Duke has significant experience in the design,construction and operation of biological treatment
systems for selenium reduction.Based on Duke's experience,biological treatment alone may not be a
fool proof technology based on the characteristics of the coal. Duke,therefore,is obligate to evaluate
cost effective technology that ensures the FGD limits can be met under all conditions, including fuel
type,electricity load,etc. At a minimum, Duke will be evaluating the addition of ultrafiltration to the
backend of the treatment system. Duke will be working closely with utility organizations,such as the
EPRI,to identify other suitable technologies for the removal of selenium from FGD wastewater and
additional filtration steps that may be required to meet the limits. Duke estimates an additional 7
months after the completion of the investigation of variability in the system will be required to
complete the technology evaluation.
Engineering
Upon completion of the investigation of variability in the system and technology evaluation,
engineering and design of the system can be conducted and Duke has estimated two months for this
effort.
Procurement
•
After the design is complete, Duke will initiate the process to procure the necessary outside resources
to construct and install the new wastewater treatment systems. This process will involve the following
steps:
— Evaluate potential vendors for proposal solicitation;
— Develop and submit a request for proposal(RFP)to selected vendors;
— Conduct a review and vendor selection based on the received bids;
— Develop required contract documents;
— Acquire materials(potentially from overseas),which involves:
o Shipment,and
o Equipment Fabrication
— Fabrication and inspection of equipment.
Duke has allocated 8 months to acquire the necessary materials.
Construction/Tie In
Once all the necessary materials are procured, Duke estimates construction of the FGD WWT will
take approximately 7 months to complete. In addition, the tie-in of the additional components to the
existing FGD WWT will need to occur during outages, which are anticipated to occur between March
to May and October to November depending on generation demand.
Commissioning&Start-up
Duke estimates that commissioning and start-up of the FGD WWT will take 8 months to complete, 2
months for startup and 6 months for commissioning. Duke, however, is allocating a 12 month
window to complete the commissioning and start-up under all expected operating conditions from full
load to partial load to periods of no load and under varying fuel and other operating conditions. This
will allow the identification of necessary actions that need to be completed and necessary
communications protocol in order to maintain and operate the system to comply with the limits.
Attachment 5
Aerial of stormwater retention pond and spillways to
the south of the landfill
August 31 , 2016 NPDES application update
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Attachment 6
• Clean Water Act 316(b) alternate schedule request
August 31 , 2016 NPDES application update
Allen Steam Station
NC0004979
Alternate Schedule Request§316(b)of the Clean Water Act
Allen Steam Station
Final regulations to establish requirements for cooling water intake structures at existing
facilities were published in the Federal Register on August 15, 2014 (i.e. regulations
implementing §316(b) of the Clean Water Act) with an effective date of October 14, 2014. Allen
Steam Station is subject to the regulations. The design intake flow of the station is greater than 2
million gallons per day (MGD) and the historical actual intake flows are greater than 125 MGD;
therefore,the following submittals are expected to be required:
— §122.21(r)(2) Source Water Physical Data
— §122.21(r)(3) Cooling Water Intake Structure Data
— §122.21(r)(4) Source Water Baseline Biological Characterization Data
— §122.21(r)(5) Cooling Water System Data
— §122.21(r)(6) Chosen Method(s)of Compliance with the Impingement Mortality
Standard
— §122.21(r)(7) Entrainment Performance Studies
— §122.21(r)(8) Operational Status
— §122.21(r)(9) Entrainment Characterization Study
— §122.21(r)(10) Comprehensive Technical Feasibility and Cost Evaluation Study
— §122.21(r)(11) Benefits Valuation Study
— §122.21(r)(12)Non-water Quality and Other Environmental Impacts Study
As allowed under§125.95(a)(2), Duke Energy would like to request an alternate schedule for the
submittals listed above. Allen Steam Station was not subject to the remanded Phase II Rule due
to the intake velocity; therefore, none of the above submittals were prepared. Duke Energy will
need at least 60 months to prepare the necessary submittals. This timeframe includes complying
with the peer review requirement for submittals §122.21(r)(10), §122.21(r)(11), and
§122.21(r)(12).
The rule requires the necessary submittals to be included with the permit renewal application for
permits with an effective date after July 14, 2018. Duke Energy, therefore, would like to request
the 316(b) submittals, with the exception of§122.21(r)(6) Chosen Method(s) of Compliance with
Impingement Mortality Standard, for Allen Steam Station to be required with the subsequent
permit renewal application after July 14, 2018. Since Allen Steam Station is subject to the
entrainment best technology available (BTA) determination, a compliance schedule to complete
§122.21(r)(6) Chosen Method(s) of Compliance with Impingement Mortality Standard will be
requested to be included in the permit upon issuance of the entrainment BTA determination.