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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20180087 Ver 1_Notice of Violation (NOV)_20180702a R. jyk4 M Water Resources ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY July 3, 2018 CERTIFIED MAIL 7013 1710 0002 1865 7386 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Piedmont Natural Gas Attn: Tom Morris 4720 Piedmont Row Drive Charlotte NC 28210 ROY COOPER <;overnor MICHAEL S. REGAN Secretary, LINDA CULPEPPER Subject: NOTICE OF VIOLATION and RECOMMENDATION FOR ENFORCEMENT NOV-2018-SS-0028 Clemmons Area Upgrade Line 443 401 Water Quality Certification DWR# 20180087 Davie County Dear Mr. Morris: interim Director On June 5, 2018, Sue Homewood with the Winston Salem Regional Office of the Division of Water Resources inspected the above noted property in response to a self -reporting notification of sediment loss submitted by Melanie Gardner with Duke Energy and in response to a complaint received by this office. The report received by the Division on May 24, 2018, subsequent reports received June 1, 2018, June 7, 2018 and June 27, 2018 and the inspection conducted on June 5, 2018 revealed that construction activities at the above noted project have resulted in sediment impacts to wetlands and unnamed tributaries to Leonard Creek, wetlands and unnamed tributaries to Elisha Creek, Elisha Creek, wetlands and unnamed tributaries to Dutchman Creek, wetlands and unnamed tributaries to Noland Creek, and wetlands and unnamed tributaries to Cedar Creek, all Class C waters of the state. Accordingly, the following observations and violations were noted during the Division of Water Resources inspection and subsequent file review: 1. Title 15A North Carolina Administrative Code 02B .0211 (2) requires that "The waters shall be suitable for aquatic life propagation and maintenance of biological integrity, wildlife, secondary recreation, and agriculture; sources of water pollution which preclude any of these uses on either a short-term or long-term basis shall be considered to be violating a water quality standard." State of North Carolina I Environmental Quality I Water Resources 450 W. Hames Mill Rd, Winston Salem NC 27107 336-776-9800 Page 2 of 3 2. Title 15A North Carolina Administrative Code 02B .0211 (12) requires that "Oils; deleterious substances; colored or other wastes: only such amounts as shall not render the waters injurious to public health, secondary recreation or to aquatic life and wildlife or adversely affect the palatability of fish, aesthetic quality or impair the waters for any designated uses;" 3. Title 15A North Carolina Administrative Code 02B .0231 (b) (1) Liquids, fill or other solids or dissolved gases may not be present in amounts which may cause adverse impacts on existing wetland uses; (5) Hydrological conditions necessary to support the biological and physical characteristics naturally present in wetlands -shall be protected to prevent adverse impacts on: (C) The chemical, nutrient and dissolved oxygen regime of the wetland; (D) The movement of aquatic fauna; (F) Water levels or elevations 4. 401 Water Quality Certification #20180087 was issued to you on March 13, 2018 and reissued as #20180087 v2 on May 8, 2018. These approvals authorized the use of General Certification No. GC0004133 for the project. Condition No. 11.5 states that all construction activities shall be performed and maintained in full compliance with the Sediment and Pollution Control Act. Required Response Accordingly, you are directed to respond in the following manner: 1. Immediately take all appropriate actions as identified by the Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources to retain sediment on site. 2. The Division is in receipt of a Sediment Removal Plan dated June 26, 2018 for restoration of a stream, wetlands and private pond which are tributaries to Noland Creek and are identified as Stream 19 on site plans. The Division has already approved this sediment release plan by email correspondence dated June 29, 2018. You shall notify the Division upon commencement of stream/wetland/pond restoration activities. Thank you for your attention to this matter. This office requires that the violations, as detailed above, be abated immediately and properly resolved. Environmental damage and/or failure to secure proper authorizations have been documented on the subject tract as stated above. Your efforts to undertake activities to bring the subject site back into compliance is not an admission, rather it is an action that must be taken in order to begin to resolve ongoing environmental issues. Page 3 of 3 Pursuant to G.S. 143-215.6A, these violations and any future violations are subject to a civil penalty assessment of up to a maximum of $25,000.00 per day for each violation. Your above-mentioned response to this correspondence, the degree and extent of harm to the environment and the duration and gravity of the violation(s) will be considered in any civil penalty assessment process that may occur. Should you have any questions regarding these matters, please contact Sue Homewood at 336-776-9693 or me at 336-776-9696. Sincerely, Sherri V. Knight, P. E. Regional Supervisor Water Quality Regional Operations Section Division of Water Resources, NCDEQ— WSRO cc: WSRO File Copy Karen Higgins — 401 & Buffer Permitting Unit Tim Latham, DEMLR (via email) Cynthia Winston, Duke Energy (via email) Christopher Friel, Duke Energy (via email)