NC0000353_Memo_19961014

DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY
October 14, 1996
Memorandum
To: Forrest Westall
Mike Parker
From: Susan A. Wilson
Paul Clark
Subject: Mining Facilities on the North Toe River
Please review the enclosed effluent sheets regarding the renewal of the mining/processing
facilities located on the North Toe River in the French Broad River Basin. The following
summarizes the P&E's review of these facilities:
• No changes are proposed to the fluoride loadings at each facility [ref. SWT's letter
6/21/95]. The P&E Unit would like to be involved in the future re-allocation
development of fluoride at these facilities.
• P&E recommends effluent monitoring frequencies (TF, TSS) of weekly for facilities
<1 MGD; daily for facilities> 1 MGD [most facilities reflect this frequency].
• P&E recommends that instream monitoring be weekly for facilities <1 MGD; 3/week
for facilities > 1 MGD. This should provide the Division ample data to review during
the next permit cycle. [Some facilities currently have daily instream monitoring].
• As recommended by your office, chloride monitoring has been implemented quarterly
(during the same months as toxicity testing).
• Effluent settleable solids, pH, and turbidity monitoring has been continued on a daily
frequency.
Reviewed by
Regional Supervisor: Date:
Permits &Engineering: Date:

MINING FACILITIES, NORTH TOE RIVER
FACILITIES:
NC0000361 (Schoolhouse Quartz). Located at River Mile 41.5, this is
the first mine discharge of the five within close proximity. This facility was
recently permitted to construct a tertiary treatment system to meet a fluoride limit
of 109 lbs/day. The UNIMIN facility NC0000175 traded 109 lbs/day fluoride
load to the Schoolhouse facility. which subsequently reduced its existing load
of 219 lbs/day to 109 lbs/day.
Stormwater is covered under GP NCG020112.
NC0000353 (The Feldspar Corporation). Located at River Mile 33.8,
this facility has phased effluent limits. After Unimin Crystal begins to
discharge directly to North Toe River,Feldspar's total fluoride monthly average
limit will decrease from 225 to 174 lbs/day. As noted in Mike Parker's
staff report (7/18/96), the facility has never discharged from
outfalls 002 and 003 (both of which are non-contact cooling water
discharges). Please investigate the possibility of terminating one
or both of these outfalls since it appears the facility is not
discharging from these outfalls.
Stormwater is covered under general permits: NCG020256 and NCG020257.
NC0084620 (Unimin Crystal). Located at River Mile 33.8, this facility
currently discharges to the Feldspar plant (NC0000353). UNIMIN requested
an increase in flow from 0.173 MGD to 0.36 MGD for incidental wastewater
associated with the process. The facility is to begin discharging directly via this
permit in the near future. The increase in flow increased the IWC, and
consequently,the toxicity testing percentage.
NC0000400 (K-T Feldspar Corporation). Located at River Mile 29.2,
this facility does not have a non-contact cooling water discharge. The
Biocide Condition will be omitted from this permit, unless the
region provides a reason for retaining this condition. Review of
instream monitoring data for the period January 1993 through July 1996
indicated six violations of the fluoride water quality standard at the downstream
station. Feldspar facility (NC0000353)did not have any violations over the
same time period.
Stormwater is covered under general permits: NCG020273 and NCG020274.
NC0000175 (Unimin Quartz). Located at River Mile 28.6, this facility is
the last mine of the five in close proximity. This facility was recently permitted
to construct a tertiary treatment system to meet a fluoride limit of 109 lbs/day
[see note under NC0000361].
Stormwater is covered under the NPDES permit.

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Sludge(Solids) Management Plan
The Feldspar Corporations Wastewater Plant thickens and dewaters all solids (99.9%using
standard efficiency calculations) from the mineral processing plants. The solids are thickened in 3
clarifiers and then pumped to a disk filter for dewatering. The dewatered solids are then conveyed
out to stockpiles to be hauled to disposal areas or to be sold as raw materials for the ceramics
industry. The solids are referred to in the mining industry as tailings and are actually a feldspatic
sand(feldspar, quartz,mica,garnet and clay) We are presently seeking more customers for this
product but the lack of natural gas in our area limits us to markets that require shipping cost which
effects the market value of the product.
All landfill areas over 1 acre in size are regulated under the Land Quality Section and have a Soil
and Erosion Control Plan filled and approved before any fill is placed. These fill sites are
constructed to prevent the materials from leaving the site via runoff flows and are inspected after
each runoff producing rainfall and no less than once per week.
Sites less than 1 acre in size are regulated by the company with mandatory controls and
preventative measures in place before any material is landfilled. All property owners who have
solids placed on their property must sign an agreement with the company specifying
responsibilities.
Once the solids are placed and proper grades are established topsoil is placed and the areas are
seeded and stabilized. Because of the excellent compaction of these solids over 40%of the
landfills constructed in the last 10 years have been used for commercial purposes.

F
October 7, 1996
The Feldspar Corporation has applied for renewal of their NPDES permit to discharge 3.5
MGD treated industrial wastewater.
The WWTP consists of treatment process with lime and acid feed systems for pH
adjustment, polymer feed systems, cyclone separator, vacuum filters, three clarifiers, flow
measuring and totalizing equipment and recycle pumps.
Air compressors are permitted to discharge non-contact cooling water from outfalls 002 and
003. There has been no discharge from either of these outfalls over the past several years.
A proposed upgrade at the facility would include improvements which would allow
discharge from these two outfalls to begin.
Wastewater from Plant#1 is stripped of solids which are stored for resue. Process water is
recycled in both plants for re-use. Fluoride and non-fluoride wastew waters are separated
for maximum fluoride removal. pH adjustment is used for maximum fluoride removal and
neutralization. Coagulation is made possbile using flocculant plymer aided by lime
addition. solids are thickened in claridiers and pumped to a vacuum filter for dewatering.
Waste tailings are sold as raw materials to anotehr compay with the remainder land filled.
There are no effluent guidelines for this industry and the effluent limits were developed
using production and process information and the NC Water Quality Standard for fluoride
of 1.8 mg/l. There are four other companies, The Feldspar Corporation, Unimin
Corporation-Mica Operations, Unimin Corporation-Quartz Operations, and Unimin
Corporation-Crystal which have similar industrial processes and wastewater characteristics.
Each company discharges or proposes to discharge fluorides to the North Toe River. It has
been determined that there is a maximum assimilative capacity of 574 lbs/day of fluoride in
the North Toe River at the mouth of Little Bear Creek, which is the most downstream point
fluoride is discharged. All five permits are interdependent on each other because the total
assimilative capacity for the fluoride is allocated between the five industries and all permits
should be issued at the same time.
WLA Summary
The attached summary documents the effluent limits and monitoring requirements'
development for the five mining facilities that discharge into the North Toe River. This
summary specifically addresses process wastewater limits and monitoring requirements
development.
The facility conducts a quarterly chronic pass/fail toxicity test with a 11% limit and has
consistently passed their toxicity tests since July 1994.
Feldspar has two general stormwater permits NCG020256 and NCG020257. Thus, the
stormwater discharge does not have to be incorporated into the process wastewater
discharge permit(as has been done with one of the Unimin facilities).

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c.......c. EVALUATION ANALYSIS REPORT PAGE 1
PERMIT--NC0000353 PIPE--001 REPORT PERIOD: 9506-9605 LOC---E
FACILITY--FELDSPAR CORP. / SPRUCE PINE DESIGN FLOW-- 3.5000 CLASS--3
LOCATION--SPRUCE PINE REGION/COUNTY--01 MITCHELL
50050 00530 TGP3B 00076 00400 00545 00951
MONTH Q/MGD RES/TSS CERI7DPF TURBIDTY PH RES/SET FLUORIDE
LIMIT F 3 .5000 F 1568.0 NOL NOL 10.0 6.0 NOL F224.000
95/06 2.7720 1285.0 16.60 9.5-6.2 .0 203.057
95/07 2.6683 1109.2 1 13 .77 8.5-6.0 .0 237.782F
95/08 2.6100 1160.6 14.90 9.8-6.3 .0 207.485
95/09 2.6293 1091.4 11.40 9.0-3.3F .0 225.217F
95/10 2.5193 1135.9 1 15.67 7.4-6.2 .0 176.635
95/11 2.6440 1129.0 11.73 7.2-6.3 .0 203.643
95/12 2.7467 1040.7 11.45 7.3-6.4 .0 172.203
96/01 2.5548 1159.6 1 16.70 7.6-6.4 .0 191.674
96/02 2.9248 1390.1 20.24 8.2-6.5 .0 222.253
96/03 2.7167 1237.2 19.12 7.4-6.6 .0 202.287
96/04 2.9553 1338.8 1 14.93 7.6-6.7 .0 220.589
AVERAGE 2.7037 1188.8 1 15.13 .0 205.711
MAXIMUM 3.5600 2126.7 1 70.00 9.810 1.5 1571.923
MINIMUM 1.1500 71.7 1 4.00 3 .390 .000
UNIT MGD LBS/DAY PASS/FAI NTU SU ML/L LBS/DAY

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07/03/96
c. EVALUATION ANALYSIS REPORT PAGE 1
PERMIT--NC0000353 PIPE--001 REPORT PERIOD: 9406-9505 LOC---E
FACILITY--FELDSPAR CORP. / SPRUCE PINE DESIGN FLOW-- 3.5000 CLASS--3
LOCATION--SPRUCE PINE REGION/COUNTY--01 MITCHELL
50050 00530 TGP3B 00076 00400 00545 00951
MONTH Q/MGD RES/TSS CERI7DPF TURBIDTY PH RES/SET FLUORIDE
LIMIT F 3.5000 F 1568.0 NOL NOL 10.0 6.0 NOL F224.000
94/06 2.8278 1241.8 16.50 7 .5-6.0 .0 198.122
94/07 2.5683 1165.4 1 13.45 9 .7-6.3 .0 176.297
94/08 3.0651 1382.8 16.48 8.7-5.9F .0 208..588
94/09 3.2126 1402.7 17.76 7.0-5.8F .0 223.494
94/10 3.0145 1241.9 1 17.41 7.4-6.0 .0 199.416
94/11 3.0880 1340.0 19.33 8.8-6.2 .0 216.724
94/12 2.4664 1082.7 12 .55 7.2-6.2 .0 171.222
95/01 2.4045 1073.2 15.32 7.7-6.4 .0 168.626
95/02 2.7371 1312.7 18.39 7.7-6.4 .0 201.269
95/03 2.7480 1256.4 17.96 8.2-6.3 .0 8.400
95/04 2.7026 1191.2 1 10.50 8.3-6.6 .0 185.100
95/05 2.8238 1216.2 11.45 8.0-6.4 .0 198.113
AVERAGE 2.8048 1242.2 1 15.59 .0 179.614
MAXIMUM 3.9700 2909.3 1 75.00 9.700 .5 334.601
MINIMUM .0200 .6 1 .10 5.850 .016
UNIT MGD LBS/DAY PASS/FAI NTU SU ML/L LBS/DAY

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NC0000353
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND NATURAL RESOURCES
DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY
APPLICATION FOR
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM
PERMIT TO DISCHARGE TREATED WASTEWATER
Application No. NC0000353 Date: 10/16/96
1. SYNOPSIS OF APPLICATION
Applicant's Name
The Feldspar Corporation
Applicant's Address
1040 Crown Point Parkway - Suite 270
Atlanta, GA 30338
Facility Address
P.O. Box 99
530 Altapass Road
Spruce Pine, NC 28777
Type of Operation
Process includes milling, processing, and flotation of ore to produce feldspar, mica, and
quartz. Mica and sand are by-products of the feldspar flotation process.
Design Capacity of Facility
3.5 MGD
Applicant's Receiving Water
Receiving Stream: North Toe River
Classification: C-Tr
Sub-Basin: 04-03-06
See Attachment A for a map showing the discharge location(s).
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NC0000353
Description of Wastewater Treatment Facilities
A 3.5 MGD wastewater treatment facility (outfall 001) consisting of a treatment process
with lime and acid feed systems for pH adjustment, polymer feed systems, cyclone
separator, vacuum filters, three clarifiers, flow measuring and totalizing equipment and
recycle pumps. There is also discharge of non-contact cooling water from outfalls 002 and
003.
Type of Wastewater(as reported by applicant).
100 % Industrial
2. PROPOSED EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS
See attached copy of Effluent Page(s) from Draft Permit.
3. MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
The applicant will be required to monitor regularly for flow and those parameters
limited in Section 2 above with sufficient frequency to ensure compliance with the
permit conditions. Frequency, methods of sampling, and report dates will be
specified in the final permit.
4. EFFbCTIVE DATE OF PROPOSED EFFLUENT LIMITS
(AND COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE IF APPLICABLE)
The limits become effective on the date of permit issuance.
5. PROPOSED SPECIAL CONDITIONS WHICH WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT
IMPACT ON THE DISCHARGE
Chronic Toxicity
Fluoride Re-opener
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N C00003 5 3
6. BASIS FOR PROPOSED EFFLUENT LIMITS
There are no federal guidelines for processing of ore for quartz and feldspar. The
fluoride limit is based on allocated load to the five mining facilities which produce
quartz (in close proximity). The total load from all plants is based on protection of
an instream fluoride level of 1.8 mgl. Total suspended solids is based on
treatability levels from the WWTP and BPJ. North Carolina has no water quality
standard for total suspended solids.
Chloride is a by-product from the precipitation process and has been recommended
for quarterly monitoring(there is no NC water quality standard for chloride, but
there is an action level).
The toxicity testing requirement is placed on all major facilities and other facilities
with complex wastestreams (Departmental memo 7/22/87). The toxicity limit is
based on the instream waste concentration under 7Q10 conditions.
The pH limit was based on the water quality standards contained in NCAC 2B
.0211.
Turbidity and settleable solids monitoring are included due to the potential for solids
from the ore processing and the wastewater treatment process to be in the effluent.
7. REQUESTED VARIANCES OR ALTERNATIVES TO REQUIRED
STANDARDS
None
8. DISCUSSION OF PREVIOUS NPDES PERMIT CONDITIONS
The previous effluent sheet/limits are attached. No major changes have been made
to the permit.
The NPDES Permit expires on: 12/31/2001
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A.0"1-JH13L-;_1-
NC0000353
9. THE ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD
The administrative record, including application, draft permit. fact sheet, public
notice, comments received, and additional information is available by writing the
Division of Water Quality, Water Quality Section, P. O. Box 29535,
Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535. The above documents are available for
review and copying at the Archdale Building, 9th Floor,Water Quality Section,
Permits and Engineering Unit, 512 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, North Carolina
27611 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Copies will be provided at a charge of 10 cents per page.
10. STATE CONTACT
Additional information concerning the permit application may be obtained at the
above address during the hours stated in item No. 9 by contacting: Paul Clark at
[phone], extension 580.
11. PROPOSED SCHEDULE FOR PERMIT ISSUANCE
Draft Permit to Public Notice - 10/23/96
Permit Scheduled to Issue - 12/9/96
12. PROCEDURES FOR THE FORMULATION OF FINAL DETERMINATIONS
a. Comment Period
The Division of Water Quality proposed to issue an NPDES Permit to this applicant
subject to the effluent limitations and special conditions outlined above. These
determinations are tentative and are open to comment from the public.
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the permit application
or on the Division of Water Quality's proposed determinations to the
following address:
DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY
WATER QUALITY SECTION
POST OFFICE BOX 29535
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27626-0535
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NC0000353
All comments received within thirty days following the date of public notice will be
considered in the formulation of final determinations with regard to this application.
b. Public Hearing
The director of the Division of Water Quality may hold a public hearing if there is a
significant degree of public interest in a proposed permit or group of permits.
Public notice of such a hearing will be circulated in newspapers in the geographical
area of the discharge and to those on the Division of Water Quality's mailing list at
least thirty days prior to the hearing.
c. Appeal Hearings
An applicant whose permit is denied, or is granted subject to conditions he deems
unacceptable, shall have the right to a hearing before the Commission upon making
written demand to the Director within 30 days following issuance or denial of the
permit.
d. Issuance of the permit when no hearing is held
If no public hearing or appeal hearing is held, and after review of the comments
received, the Division of Water Quality's determinations are substantially
unchanged, the permit will be issued and become effective immediately. This will
be the final action of the Division of Water Quality.
If a hearing is not held, but there have been substantial changes, public notice of the
Division of Water Quality's revised determinations will be made. Following a 30-
day comment period, the permit will be issued and will become effective
immediately. This will be the final action of the Division of Water Quality unless a
public or appeal hearing is granted.
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