The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutNC0005363_Admended Application_20020311Com= WH Weatherspoon Plant 491 Power Plant Road Lumberton, NC 28358 MAR 11 2002 File No: WSPN 12520-B Mr. Tom Belnick North Carolina Division of Water Quality 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, N. C. 27699-1617 Subject: Weatherspoon Steam Electric Plant NPDES Permit No. NC0005363 Amended Application Dear Mr. Belnick: As was discussed via an email sent to you by Louise England on February 19, 2002, regarding the discharge of condenser cleaning wastes to the ash pond at the above referenced facility, enclosed are amended copies of attachments 3 and 4 of the NPDES permit application. Attachment 3 now includes a description of the condenser cleaning wastes discharging to the ash pond. Attachment 4 includes the chemicals used for the condenser cleaning. In addition, the neutralization of the cooling pond by adding acid and/or caustic has also been included in Attachment 3 and 4. Please contact Louise England at (919) 362-3522 with any questions. Sincerely, /OaJ�� J. Mark Frederick Manager — Weatherspoon Plant Enclosures Carolina Power & Light Company Weatherspoon Steam Electric Plant National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Number NC0005363 Attachment 3 Form 2C - Item II -B Flows, Sources of Pollution, and Treatment Technologies The Weatherspoon Plant is a coal-fired steam cycle electric generating plant with three units. Four Internal Combustion (IC) Turbines are also located on the plant site. The plant has a 225 -acre off stream cooling pond on the north side of the Lumber River in Robeson County, North Carolina. Water is withdrawn from the Lumber River as required to make up evaporative and seepage losses from the cooling pond. Water for plant use is also withdrawn from wells. Makeup pumping rates from the river are highly variable depending upon natural weather conditions, generation load, plant operations, and cooling pond water level. Chemical constituents contained in both of these discharges will, in part, be representative of the naturally occurring chemical quality of the intake water and will also have chemical constituents of such quality and quantity associated with similar discharges for fossil generating facilities of this size, type, and in this geographical location. Either all or part of the elements enumerated in the Periodic Table, either singularly or in any combination, may from time to time be contained in this discharge. Each component of the discharges is described below. OUTFALL 001 - DISCHARGE FROM COOLING POND Plant waste streams are routed directly or indirectly to the cooling pond and thereby recycled. Releases from the cooling pond (Outfall 001) are rare, occurring usually when a major storm is expected and additional freeboard is needed to prevent overtopping of the pond dikes. On other occasions, the pond may need to be drawn down for maintenance purposes. The cooling pond last discharged to the Lumber River in March of 1998. The permit required analyses were performed on the discharge and submitted in the March 1998 Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR). The pH of the cooling pond is neutralized when needed by adding acid or caustic at the discharge of the circulation water pumps. A description of the waste streams that discharge into the cooling pond follows. RECIRCULATED COOLING WATER This flow provides condenser cooling water for the three generating units. The flow is discharged into the pond and routed through the pond by baffle dikes to achieve maximum surface cooling efficiency before reaching the condenser cooling water intake structure to be used again. Cooling of the pond is achieved primarily by evaporation from the pond surface, which is estimated to consume a maximum of approximately 1.6 MGD above natural evaporation rates during times the units are in full operation. Control of biological fouling on condenser surfaces is accomplished by chlorinating as required. COAL PILE RUNOFF Rainfall runoff from the coal pile (approximately 6 acres) is routed to the cooling pond, which provides treatment by neutralization and sedimentation. STORMWATER RUNOFF Rainfall runoff from the industrial portion of the site is ultimately routed to the cooling pond. Sludges/sediments collected in sumps, catchment basins, etc. are disposed of in the ash pond or by other appropriate methods. Carolina Power & Light Company Weatherspoon Steam Electric Plant National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Number NC0005363 ASH SLUICE WATER Fly ash and bottom ash from all three units is hydraulically conveyed by an ash sluice pipeline to the ash pond. In addition, water from washing the interior of the precipitators is sent to the ash pond via the ash sluice pipeline. A stand pipe allows for overflow release to a small secondary settling basin containing another stand pipe for release to the cooling pond. DOMESTIC WASTES Sanitary wastes are treated on-site by a septic tank and a sand and gravel drainage field which discharges to the cooling pond. Flow from the system is dependent upon fluctuating demand due to variations in the number of personnel on site. When needed, residuals are disposed of off-site by a licensed contract disposal firm. CHEMICAL METAL CLEANING WASTES Wastes from the chemical cleaning of the boiler tubes are normally disposed of by evaporation in boilers, either onsite or at another CP&L facility. Boiler cleaning is usually performed every 10 years. Units 2 and 3 boiler cleanings are scheduled for 2001 and 2004, respectfully. Should boiler cleaning wastes not be evaporated, they will be treated by neutralization and precipitation in portable holding tanks. The liquid fraction of the metal cleaning wastes will be discharged to the ash pond. The sludge fraction of the metal cleaning wastes will be disposed of in either the ash pond or by other appropriate methods. In addition, wastes from the chemical cleaning of the condenser tubes are normally disposed of in the ash pond. Should condenser cleaning wastes not be discharged into the ash pond, they will be evaporated. At this time it is unclear as to how often condenser cleaning may be performed. Unit 2 condenser is scheduled to be cleaned in March of 2002. Units 1 and 3 may be cleaned in 2002 and/or 2003. IC TURBINE SITE There are four Internal Combustion (IC) Turbines located at the Weatherspoon Plant. All drains from the IC turbine site, including drains collecting rainfall, are routed through an oil -water separator which discharges to the cooling pond. Sludges/sediments collected in sumps, catchment basins, etc. are disposed of in the ash pond or by other appropriate methods. LOW-VOLUME WASTES Waste streams not identified above fall in the category of low volume wastes. All low volume wastes described below are. routed by gravity flow to the cooling pond. Sumps convey miscellaneous equipment leakage, equipment drainage for maintenance, equipment wash down water, sampling streams, and closed cooling water system blowdown. Water treatment wastes consist of solutions of sodium chloride, used for water softener regeneration, and sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid which are used in the regeneration of demineralizers. Demineralizer regeneration wastes are routed to the ash pond via the ash sluice line. Water softener regeneration wastes are routed directly to the cooling pond. Blowdown of boiler water to control boiler chemistry is routed to a flash tank, which discharges to the cooling pond. Drains from areas likely to contain oil filled equipment or storage are routed through an oil -water separator. Sludges/sediments from sumps, catchment basins, etc. are disposed of in the ash pond or by other appropriate methods. A summary of process chemicals is provided in Attachment 4. In many cases, chemicals added during the plant processes are consumed or chemically altered. Only trace amounts might be recoverable in water entering the cooling pond. Because the cooling pond serves as a final treatment basin and receives significantly greater volumes of water from other inflows, detectable levels of these chemicals should not occur in the cooling pond discharge. 2 y Carolina Power & Light Company Weatherspoon Steam Electric Plant National Pollutant Discharge Elimination SVstem Permit Number NC0005363 OUTFALL 002 - SERVICE WATER NON -CONTACT COOLING WATER Non -contact cooling water is withdrawn from the Lumber River and passed through heat exchangers to provide non -contact cooling for the Plant's closed cooling water system. Chlorine is added, as required, to control biological fouling of the heat exchanger surfaces. After passing through the heat exchanger, non -contact cooling water is routed either to the cooling pond or to the Lumber River, depending on the need for cooling pond makeup water. 3 Carolina Power & Light Company Weatherspoon Steam Electric Plant National Pollutant Discharge Elimination SVstem Permit Number NC0005363 Attachment 4 Form 2C - Item VI Potential Discharges Not Covered by Analysis Quantity Chemical (used per year) Frequency Purpose Hydrazine 165 gals Continuous - when Oxygen scavenger units are operational in boiler Trisodium phosphate 1,000 lbs As required pH control in boiler Disodium phosphate 5001b As required pH control in boiler Morpholine 275 gals Continuous - when pH control in boiler units are operational Sodium hypochlorite 12,950 gals As required Control of biological fouling on heat exchangers Sodium hydroxide 7,000 gals As required Demineralizer regeneration Sodium hydroxide As required As required Cooling pond neutralization Sulfuric acid 2,000 gals As required Demineralizer regeneration Sulfuric acid 19,000 gals As required Cooling pond neutralization Molybdenum trioxide 330 gals As required Corrosion control in boiler Sodium chloride 8,000 lbs Twice per month Water softener regeneration Sulfur - elemental 75 tons Continuous - when Flue gas unit 3 is operational conditioning Citric acid - 50% Units 1, 2, & 3 - Approximately once Boiler cleaning 1460 gals per event. per 10 years per unit Citric acid - dry 3500 lbs per Unit Approximately once Boiler cleaning - in per event per 10 years per unit case 50 % citric acid needs to be strengthened Ammonium hydroxide Units 1, 2, & 3 - Approximately once Boiler cleaning 1560 gals per event. per 10 years per unit Sodium Nitrite Units 1 & 2 - 1775 Approximately once Boiler cleaning lbs per event. Unit per 10 years per unit 3 - 1450 lbs per event Corrosion Inhibitor Units 1, 2, & 3 - 55 Approximately once Boiler cleaning gals per event. per 10 years per unit Ammonium bicarbonate Units 1 & 2 - 475 lbs Approximately once Boiler cleaning per event. Unit 3 - I per 10 years per unit Carolina Power & Light Company Weatherspoon Steam Electric Plant National Pollutant Discharae Elimination Svstem Permit Number NC0005363 375 Ibs per event Hydrocloric acid 1000 gals per event As required Condenser cleaning Rodine 213 5 gals per event As required Condenser cleaning Ammonium bifluoride 100 Ibs per event As required Condenser cleaning FAF-10 foaming agent 110 gals per event As required Condenser cleaning FAF-20 anti -foaming agent 20 gals per event As required Condenser cleaning Sodium carbonate 500 Ibs per event As required Condenser cleaning Sodium hydroxide 400 gals per event I As required Condenser cleaning