WQ0005834_Final Permit_19920313

Stale of North Carolina
Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources
Division of Environmental Management
512 North Salisbury Street • Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
James G. Martin, Governor
William W. Cobey, Jr., Secretary
George T. Everett, Ph.D
Director
March 13, 1992
Mr. John. A. Bauer
Director of Public Utilities
City of Wilmington
Post Office Box 1810
Wilmington, North Carolina 28402
Subject: Permit No. WQ0005834
City of Wilmington
Sludge Stabilization Pilot Program
Residual Solids Stabilization
New Hanover County
Dear Mr. Bauer:
In accordance with your request received March 10, 1992, we are forwarding herewith Permit No.
WQ0005834 as amended to require a Toxicity Charateristic Leaching Procedure analysis on the final
product from the N -Vico Process and from one of the lime stabilization processes, dated March 13, 1992,
to the City of Wilmington for the operation of a pilot scale sludge stabilization program.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until February 28, 1993 and shall supersede
Permit No. WQ0005834 issued February 21, 1992, and shall be subject to the conditions and limitations
as specified therein. Please pay particular attention to the monitoring requirements in this permit. Failure to
establish an adequate system for collecting and maintaining the required operational information will result
in future compliance problems.
If any parts, requirements, or limitations contained in this permit are unacceptable to you, you have
the right to request an adjudicatory hearing upon written request within 30 days following receipt of this
permit. This request must be in the form of a written petition, conforming to Chapter 150B of North
Carolina General Statutes, and filed with the Office of Administrative Hearings, P.O. Drawer 27447,
Raleigh, NC 27611-7447. Unless such demands are made this permit shall be final and binding.
Regional Offices
Asheville Fayetteville Mooresville Raleigh Washington Wilmington Winston-Salem
704/251-6208 919/486-1541 704/663-1699 9191733-2314 919/946-6481 919/395-3900 919/896-7007
Pollution Prevention Pays
P.O. Box 29535, Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535 Telephone [phone]
An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer

Mr. Bauer
March 13, 1992
Page Two
5083.
If you need additional information concerning this matter, please contact Mark Hawes at 919/ 733-
Sin erely,
eorge T.
cc: New Hanover County Health Department
Wilmington Regional Office, Water Quality
Wilmington Regional Office, Groundwater
Groundwater Section, Jack Floyd
Facilities Assessment Unit
K. Richard Tsang, Ph.D., Camp Dresser & McKee
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NORTH CAROLINA
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND NATURAL RESOURCES
RALEIGH
RESIDUAL SOLIDS STABILIZATION
In accordance with the provisions of Article 21 of Chapter 143, General Statutes of North Carolina as
amended, and other applicable Laws, Rules, and Regulations
PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO
CITY OF WILMINGTON
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
FOR THE
operation of a residual solids stabilization pilot testing facility consisting of the stabilization of residual
solids by processes as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as being or
equivalent to the Processes to Further Reduce Pathogens for City of Wilmington's Northside wastewater
treatment facility, the Southside wastewater treatment facility, and the Sweeney water treatment facility
with the pilot testing facility to be located at the City of Wilmington's Southside wastewater treatment
facility with no discharge of wastes to the surface waters, pursuant to the application received November
18, 1991 and in conformity with the project pian, specifications, and other supporting data subsequently
filed and approved by the Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources and considered a
part of this permit.
This permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until February 28, 1993 and shall supersede
Permit No. WQ0005834 issued February 21, 1992, and shall be subject to the following specified
conditions and limitations:
I. PERFQRMANCE STANDARDS
The Wilmington Regional Office, phone no. [phone], shall be notified at least
forty-eight (48) hours prior to the initiation of the pilot testing program so that an in-place
inspection can be made. Such notification to the regional supervisor shall be made dozing
the normal office hours from 8:00 a.m, until 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday,
excluding State Holidays.
2. This permit shall become voidable in the event of failure of the residual solids stabilization
facility to adequately protect the assigned water quality standards of the surface waters and
groundwaters,

u.
3. The residual solids stabilization pilot testing program shall be effectively maintained and
operated as a non -discharge system to prevent discharge of any wastes resulting from the
operation of this program.
4. The issuance of this permit shall not relieve the Permittee of the responsibility for damages
to surface or groundwaters resulting from the operation of this facility.
5. in the event that the residual solids stabilization pilot testing program is not operated
satisfactorily, including the creation of nuisance conditions, the Permittee shall take such
immediate corrective action as may be required by this Department, including the
construction of additional or replacement wastewater treatment or disposal facilities.
6. Diversion or bypassing of the untreated residual solids or residual solids drainage
wastewater from the residual solids stabilization pilot testing facility is prohibited.
7. Stabilized residual solids should not be used in areas of intense public use (schools,
playgrounds, etc.).
1. The facilities and disposal sites shall be properly maintained and operated at all times.
2. The residual solids stabilization pilot test operation must be conducted under the
supervision of the certified wastewater treatment plant operator required by the Certification
Commission for operation of the Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant, NPDES Permit
No. NC0023973.
3. No residual solids other than the following are hereby approved far use in the residual
solids stabilization pilot testing program in accordance with this permit:
Source County Permit Number
Northside WWTP New Hanover NCO023965
Southside WWTP New Hanover NCO023973
Sweeney WT? New Hanover NCO002479
4. All stabilized residual solids shall be stored on the concrete pad during stabilization and
until such time as the product is distributed to the buyer. if an alternate storage site is to be
used, approval must be obtained from the Division of Environmental Management's
Wilmington Regional Supervisor.
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5. The City of Wilmington's residual solids pilot testing program shall consist of testing the
following stabilization methodsi:
1) MEjjjQD #1: The N -Vico process which involves alkaline stabilization of the
product and then windrowing the product for a period of at least three days with
turning of the product. The product must be raised to a pH >_ 12 and a temperature
of at least 5200 for at least 12 hours. After which the sludge mixture must maintain
a pH >_ 12 for at least three days.
2) METHOD #2: The Wiilowtech Pasteurization Process which involves mixing the
sludge with an alkaline material which raises the pH z 12 and temperature of 700C
for at least 30 minutes.
3) MFaHOD #3: The En -Vessel Pasteurization Process which involves mixing the
dewatered sludge with quick lime to produce a product which has a pH >_ 12. After
which the product is fed into an En -Vessel Pasteurization Reactor where the
temperature is allowed to raise above 700C for at least thirty minutes.
4) METHOD #4: This process is similar to the Willowtech Pasteurization Process. It
consists of mixing the dewatered sludge with an alkaline material to raise the pH
12 for at least 2 hours while maintaining a temperature of at least 700C for at least
30 minutes. This process combines lime stabilization (PSRP) with pasteurization
(PFRP) to produce a PFRP product as stipulated by the EPA.
This permit must be modified should the City of Wilmington desire to test
other stabilization methods as approved by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency.
6. Stabilized residual solids shall not be marketed when the criteria for the processes as stated
in condition H-5 are not meet. Stabilized residual solids which do not meet the Processes
to Further Reduce Pathogens shall be land applied on those lands permitted on the City of
Wilmington's land application of residual solids permit, Permit No. WQ0001271, or
disposed of at a solid waste disposal facility.
7. Should the City of Wilmington desire to test methods which have not been approved by the
United States Environmental Protection Agency's Pathogen Equivalency Committee,
modification of this permit is required prior to implementation of the alternative stabilization
process.
S. No stabilized residual solids shall be marketed which have a PCB concentration >_ 10 ppm.
1. Any monitoring (including groundwater, surface water, sludge, soil, or plant tissue
analyses) deemed necessary by the Division of Environmental Management to insure
protection of the environment will be established and an acceptable sampling and reporting
schedule shall be followed.
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2. A sludge analysis shall be conducted by the Permittee on each batch of dewatered sludge
prior to mixing with the stabilization material. The results of this analysis shall be
maintained on file by the Permittee for a minimum of five years. The sludge analysis shall
include but is not necessarily limited to the following parameters:
% total solids
Magnesium
Chlorides
Sulfate
Phosphorus
Potassium
Lead
Zinc
Copper
Nickel
Cadmium.
Chromium
Sodium
Calcium
Total Nitrogen
Ammonia Nitrogen
Nitrate/Nitrite Nitrogen
pH
PCB
Heptachlor (and its hydroxide)
Plant Available Nitrogen (by calculation)
A Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analysis shall be conducted on the
final stabilized product for the N-Viro Process and for one of the lime stabilization
processes. The TCLP analysis shall include the following parameters:
Arsenic
Barium
Benzene
Cadmium
Carbon tetrachloride
Chlordane
Chlorobenzene
Chloroform
Chromium
o -Cresol
m -Cresol
p -Cresol
Cresol
2,4-D
1,4 -Dichlorobenzene
1,2-Dichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethylene
2,4-Dinitrotoluene
Endrin
Heptachlor (and its hydroxide)
Hexachlorobenzene
Hexachloro-1,3-butadiene
Hexachloroethane
Lead
Lindane
Mercury
Methoxychlor
Methyl ethyl ketone
Nitrobenzene
Pentachlorophenol
Pyridine
Selenium
Silver
Tetrachloroethylene
Toxaphene
Trichloroethylene
2,4,5 -Trichlorophenol
2,4,6 -Trichlorophenol
2,4,5 -TP (Silvex)
Vinyl chloride
3. The City of Wilmington shall maintain records including, but not limited to the following:
a) pH and temperature monitoring, pH and temperature monitoring frequency, time
minimum pH and temperature are maintained
b) volume, source, and analysis of residual solids and stabilized residual solids
C) date, duration and temperature during stabilization
d) name of stabilized residual solids recipient, volume received, and intended use
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A report (three copies) of the records required above shall be submitted on or before March
1, 1993 by the City of Wilmington to the following address:
NC Division of Environmental Management
Water Quality Section
Facility Assessment Unit
PO Box 29535
Raleigh, NC 27626-0535
4. The City of Wilmington shall present to each recipient of stabilized residual solids written
information that clearly states that stabilized residual solids cannot be used on areas where
root or leaf crops for direct human consumption are to be grown within one (1) year of the
last application of stabilized residual solids to the site. The City of Wilmington shall also
include written recommendations to the stabilized residual solids recipients for satisfactory
uses of stabilized residual solids material such as horticulture, silvicultural, and other
agricultural uses not specifically prohibited, etc. This shall include information on nutrient
content, metals content, organics content, hazardous waste characteristics exhibited, and
G4 agronomic loading rates.
5. Noncompliance Notification:
The Permittee shall report by telephone to the Wilmington Regional Office, telephone no.
[phone], as soon as possible, but in no case more than 24 hours or on the next
working day following the occurrence or first knowledge of the occurrence of any of the
following:
a. Any occurrence with the stabilization program which results in the stabilization of
significant amounts of wastes which are abnorrnal in quantity or characteristic.
b. Any failure of the stabilization program resulting in a discharge of wastes to
receiving waters.
C. Any time that self-monitoring information indicates that the facility has gone out of
compliance with the conditions and limitations of this permit or the parameters on
which the system was designed.
d. Any process unit failure, due to known or unknown reasons, that render the facility
incapable of adequately stabilizing the residual solids.
e. Any leakage or spillage that occurs during the transfer or transport of the stabilized
residual solids
f. Any time self monitoring indicates that stabilized residual solids do not meet the
Processes to Further Reduce Pathogens.
Persons reporting such occurrences by telephone shall also file a written report in letter
form within 15 days following first knowledge of the occurrence. This report must outline
the actions taken or proposed to be taken to ensure that the problem does not recur.

f I�iG11 1 _
1. Any groundwater duality monitoring as deemed necessary by the Division of
Environmental Management shall be provided.
1. The Permittee or his designee shall inspect the residual solids storage, transport, and
stabilization facilities to prevent malfunctions and deterioration, operator errors and
discharges which may cause or lead to the release of wastes to the environment, a threat to
human health, or a nuisance. The Permittee shall keep an inspection log or summary
including at least the date and time of inspection, observations made, and any maintenance,
repairs, or corrective actions taken by the Permittee. This log of inspections shall be
maintained by the Permittee for a period of three years from the date of the inspection and
shall be made available upon request by the Division of Environmental Management or
other permitting authority.
2. Any duly authorized officer, employee, or representative of the Division of Environmental
Management may, upon presentation of credentials, enter and inspect any property,
premises or place on or related to the facility at any reasonable time for the purpose of
determining compliance with this permit; may inspect or copy any records that must be kept
under the terms and conditions of this permit; or may obtain samples of groundwater,
surface water, or leachate.
t. f►1. f►.
1. This permit shall become voidable unless the stabilization and distribution activities are
carried out in accordance with the conditions of this permit and in the manner approved by
this Division.
2. This permit is effective only with respect to the nature and volume of wastes described in
the application and other supporting data.
3. This permit is not transferable. In the event there is a desire for the facilities to change
ownership or a name change of the Permittee, a formal permit request must be submitted to
the Division of Environmental Management accompanied by an application fee,
documentation from the parties involved, and other supporting materials as may be
appropriate. The approval of this request will be considered on its merits and may or may
not be approved.
4. Failure to abide by the conditions and limitations contained in this permit may subject the
Permittee to an enforcement action by the Division of Environmental Management in
accordance with North Carolina General Statute 143-215.6.
5. The annual administering and compliance fee must be paid by the Permittee within thirty
(30) days after being billed by the Division. Failure to pay the fee accordingly may cause
the Division to initiate action to revoke this permit as specified by 15A NCAC 2H .0205
(c)(4).
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6. The issuance of this permit does not preclude the Permittee from complying with any and
all statutes, rules, regulations, or ordinances which may be imposed by other government
agencies (local, state, and federal) which have jurisdiction.
7. The Permittee, at least six (6) months prior to the expiration of this permit, shall request its
extension. Upon receipt of the request, the Commission will review the adequacy of the
facilities described therein, and if warranted, will extend the pen -nit for such period of time
and under such conditions and limitations as it may deem appropriate.
8. This permit maybe modified or reissued to incorporate any conditions, limitations and
monitoring requirements the Division of Environmental Management deems necessary in
order to adequately protect the environment and public health.
9. The Permittee must submit complete plans and specifications along with supporting
information as required in Title 15A NCAC 2H .0200 for review and approval by the
Division of Environmental Management prior to the construction and full scale operation of
any of the stabilization processes being evaluated.
Permit issued this the 13th day of March, 1992
NORTH,PIWOLINA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
George Everett, D#
Division of Envira
By Authority of the
Permit No. WQ0005834
Management Commission
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