NC0020354_Site Visit_20070615

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June 15, 2007
Mr. John Poteat
Utilities Director
Town of Pittsboro
P.O. Box 759
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Subject: Piedmont Biofuels
Town of Pittsboro
Chatham County
NPDES Number: NCO020354
Dear Mr. Poteat:
Michael F. Easley, Governor
William G. Ross, Jr., Secretary
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Coleen H. Sullins, Director
Division of Water Quality
On June 7, 2007, Ms. Stephanie Brixey of the Raleigh Regional Office, Mr. Bill Davis, Mr. J.A. Webster and
you went to Piedmont Biofuels to tour the facility. The reason for this visit was to determine if the Town of
Pittsboro should issue an Industrial User Permit to the facility. On May 23, 2007, the facility reported a spill
that resulted in a discharge of 150 gallons of glycerin to the Town's WWTP. Since this occurrence the WWTP
has had a difficult time meeting their NPDES permit limits.
The staff at Piedmont Biofuels gave us a tour of the facility and explained the process. At that time we also had
them to explain how the previous spill occurred and made it into the collection system. There are three wash
tanks and one drying tank which are all piped together and flow can be distributed or discharged to the
collection system by turning a few valves. The facility has an oil/water separator which is not setup that was
purchased so all water that would be discharged to the Town would have some type of pretreatment. A sample
was taken from the holding tank. The sample contained the same characteristics (white, oily) that the WWTP
has noticed coming into the plant for the last several weeks prior to the glycerin spill. Mr. Poteat showed them
a sample that had been collected at the WWTP that morning that had separated into layers. Piedmont Biofuels
staff thought that the top layer looked like fuel they produce and was surprised at the amount that had passed
through their system.
Mr. Poteat explained to the facility that they must stop discharge to the Town immediately and would be
notified of the measures that would be taken. Mr. Poteat plans to monitor all discharges from the facility in the
future. After the meeting with Piedmont Biofuels, Mr. Poteat asked for some recommendations from DWQ. It
is recommended that the Town:
1. Require the facility to submit a permit application (long form), including a description of the various
steps (chemical reactions) of their process.
2. Issue an IUP to the facility requiring monitoring, limits, slug/spill control plan, etc. as needed.
3. Require the facility to use their oil/water separator to help pretreat the waste before discharge. The
POTW must review this treatment unit and installation, O&M procedures, etc., and issue an
authorization to construct.
One
NhCaro ina
AVA(rMlily
North Carolina Division of Water Quality Raleigh Regional Office Surface Water Protection Phone [phone] Customer Service
Internet: h2o enr.state.nc.us 1628 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1628 FAX [phone] • 1-877-623-6748
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4. Consider requiring the facility to re -pipe their process as needed so an accidental spill cannot occur
again.
5. Contact JoEllen Gay at the City of Wilson (252-399-2499) as they have a new biofuel facility. Also
contact the NC Pretreatment Consortium to see if other POTWs may have experience with biofuel
facilities.
Please keep me and the Central Office PERCS Unit appraised as your evaluation of this facility progresses,
including your plans for enforcement for the glycerin spill itself as well as your plans for on-going regulation.
The Division may have further recommendations and requirements. If you need further assistance please
contact Adrian Eaton at [phone] ext. 580 or myself.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Brixey
Cc: Adrian Eaton, PERCS Unit
Central Files

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