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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNC0000175_Draft Permit_20181017 i, .� ROY COOPER -I1� sm; Governor ;� EU r j MICHAEL S.REGAN ..i". .� Secretory \ ,,� 40Ra!jtNtaftt -- z.< LINDA CULPEPPER Interim Director NORTH CAROLINA Environmental Quality October 17,2018 Douglas Myers,Regional General Manager Sibelco North America P.O. Box 588 Spruce Pine,NC 28777 Subject: Draft NPDES Permit Renewals Permits:NC0000175,NC0000361, NC0084620,NC0085839 Quartz, Schoolhouse, Crystal, and Red Hill Facilities Mitchell&Avery Counties Grade PC2 Facilities SIC code 1459 Dear Mr.Myers: Enclosed with this letter are copies of the draft NPDES permit renewals for your facilities. Please review the drafts carefully to ensure thorough understanding of the requirements and conditions they contain. There are several changes from existing permits, including the following: • The NC 2007-2014 Water Quality Standards (WQS)Triennial Review was approved by the NC Environmental Management Committee(EMC) on November 13, 2014. The US EPA subsequently approved the WQS revisions on April 6,2016 with some exceptions. The NC Division of Water Resources NPDES Permitting Unit is required to implement the new dissolved metal standards in all permits public noticed after April 6, 2016. The new standards for most metals include acute standards. Further,the freshwater standards for several metals are expressed as the dissolved forth of the metals, and seven metals have hardness-dependent equations.As a result,the NPDES Permitting Unit will need site-specific effluent hardness data and instream hardness data,upstream of the discharge,for each facility monitoring these metals in order to calculate permit limitations. Effluent hardness and instream hardness sampling,upstream of the discharge,has been added to each permit at a monitoring frequency of quarterly. See Special Condition A. (1.)Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements for effluent and instream sampling requirements. • Sampling by the EPA in 2015 and stormwater monitoring data from several quartz/feldspar mines in the region, in conjunction with the new dissolved metals standards noted above, indicates aluminum, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc are pollutants of concern and quarterly monitoring has been added to the permits. • The NPDES Standard Conditions (Parts II, III, and IV) are not included with this draft. They can be found at the following link if you would like to review them in conjunction with this draft permit. https://bit.ly/2BZ4xxx E C� oxoanmemwEnraawmcaQO IY North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources 512 North Salisbury Street 11611 Mail Service Center I Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1611 919.707.3601 • Since your facilities are not subject to Federal Effluent Limitation Guidlelines,pH limits have been changed from between 6.0& 10.10 standard units to between 6.0&9.0 standard units in accordance with the pH WQS in 15A NCAC 02B. [See Special Condition A. (1.)] • Please review the components lit for each facility on page two, Supplement to Permit Cover Sheet. • Please review instream monitoring locations in footnote 2 of Special Condition A. (1.) Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements. • NC DEMLR will be evaluating stormwater data and may direct your facilities to apply for individual NPDES wastewater 'coverage in lieu of stormwater general permit coverage under NCG020000 prior to the expiration of that general permit. If that is the case, please be reminded that DWR will require a major modification application and associated fee along with an Engineering Alternatives Analys lis for each facility at least 180 days prior to commencing discharge of wastewater previously covered under NCG020000. Any additional discharge of fluoride must be accounted for in a facility's fluoride allocation. • Federal regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring reports(DMRs) and program reports. The requirement to continue reporting discharge monitoring data electronically using the NC DWR's Electronic Discharge Monitoring Report(eDMR) interne application has been added to your NPDES permit. [See the final Special Condition in each permit] Concurrent with this notification the Division is publishing a notice in a newspaper having circulation in the general Mitchell and Avery County areas, soliciting public comments on these draft permits.Please provide any written comments you may have to the following: NCDEQ/DWR,NPDES Permitting Branch, 1617 Mail Service Center,Raleih,NC 27699-1617 no later than 30 days after receipt of this draft permit. Following the 30-day public comment period,the Division will review all pertinent comments and take appropriate action prior to issuing final permits. If you have questions concerning these draft permits, please call me at(919) 707-3612 or by email at david.hill@ncdenr.gov. Sincere 4 a iiii,...)K David Hill,Environmental Specialist II NPDES Complex Permitting Unit Hardcopy: NPDES Files Ecopy: US EPA Region 4 DWR/Aquatic Toxicology Branch/Susan Meadows DWR/NC Operator Certif cation Program/Maureen Kinney DWR/Asheville Regional ffice/Water Quality Regional Operations/Landon Davidson DEMLR/Stormwater Program/Annette Lucas Page 2 of 2 Permit NC0000175 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES PERMIT TO DISCHARGE WASTEWATER UNDER THE NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM In compliance with the provisions of North Carolina General Statute 143-215.1, other lawful standards and regulations promulgated and adopted by the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission, and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended Sibelco North America is hereby authorized to discharge wastewater from a facility located at the Quartz Facility 7638 South 226 Highway Spruce Pine Mitchell County to receiving waters designated as the North Toe River in the French Broad River Basin in accordance with effluent limitations, monitoring requirements, and other conditions set forth in Parts I, II, III and IV hereof. This permit shall become effective Month XX, 2018. This permit and authorization to discharge shall expire at midnight on February 28, 2022. Signed this day Month XX, 2018. DRAFT Linda Culpepper Interim Director, Division of Water Resources By the Authority of the Environmental Management Commission I 11 I ' Permit NC0000175 I I SUPPLEMENT TO PERMIT COVER SHEET ' All previous NPDES Pennits issued to this facility, whether for operation or discharge are hereby revoked. As of this permit issuance, any previously issued permit bearing this number is no longer effective. Therefore,the exclusive authority to operate and discharge from this facility arises under the permit conditions,requirements, terms, and provisions included herein. Sibelco North America Quartz/Feldspar facility is hereby authorized to: 1. Continue to operate and maintain an existing 3.6 MGD wastewater treatment facility consisting of the following components: f • Dewatering cyclones - , • Screw classifier • Vacuum filters • Alum/lime pH adjustment and polyme ced systems 5:,• Jadar solids removal �;., i4;. • Emergency pond er .., • Mix/reactor tanks '� • Two thickeners # �., • Multimedia filter • .e.),,, „ ,..„.. -, ',/..-:„ li; • Filter press • Flow measuremen ` This facility is loca ed'atathe Quartz Facility; 3638 South 226 Highway, Spruce Pine in Mitchell Qo thy. • k `7�; � .,,,,".628 k 2. Discharge from said re Anent works at the location specified on the attached map via Outfall 001 inhe North Toe Rier, clas);r1;,,,0 C Trout water in the French Broad River Basin. 2of7 Permit NC0000175 PART I A. (1.) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS [15A NCAC 02B .0400 et seq., 15A NCACO2B .0500 et seq.][Grade II Physical/Chemical Water Pollution Control System 15A NCAC 08G .0306] During the period beginning on the effective date of the permit and lasting until expiration,the permittee is authorized to discharge treated process wastewater from Outfall 001. Such discharges shall be limited and monitored)by the permittee as specified below: PARAMETER CHARACTERISTICS, ° . EFFLUENT LIMITS MONITORING REQUIREMENTS PARAMETER Monthly Weekly Daily Measurement Sample Sample CODE Average Average Maximum 'Frequency Type Location2 Flow 50050 3.6 MGD , , a, Continuous Recording I or E Total Fluoride 00951 109.0 lb/day IA 218.0 Ib/d & Weekly Composite E Total Fluoride 00951 Monitor&,R port(pg/L) '`ftleekly Grab U, D QD530 1320.0 2640.0 Total Suspended Solids lb/day " lb/day Weekly Composite E Total Suspended Solids QD530 Monitor&RepOt(mg/L)4 Weekly , ,„ Grab U, D 00545 Monitor&Re o"� a Ul Weeklyb Grab E Settleable Solids �„�� p �( *,�)�� Turbidity3 00070tt%fiittpr&Report Mr Weekly Grab E, U, D pH 00400 Befween and,9.0 Standar Units Weekly Grab E, U, D Chloride4 00940 `Monitor&lP,prt(mg/L) '' Quarterly Composite E _ Chronic Toxicity5 , TG,38a Cerioaaphnia dubaP%F at;11% ' -, , Quarterly Composite E Total Aluminum 4W0�19 Mon`i or,&Rept` ({ug/[?) v?Quarterly Composite E Total Copper ? 01042 Via , Monitepprt�'(pg/L)� �� Quarterly Composite E Total Lead P'' ., 01051 9' o�8E3` Monitor i port(pg/L) r Quarterly Composite E Total Nickel ''9V01067 , ,,,eMonitor&-Deport(pg/L) Quarterly Composite E Total Zinc ,� ,. 01;092,rMorritor&Report(rag/L) Quarterly Composite E Hardnes Tof asps . 009ThJ) Mo Tito &Rep& (mg/L) Quarterly Composite E [CaCO3<Orx(.Ca+ Mg)] Hardness`To"al as ' 00900 ' onitor&Report(mg/L) [CaCO3 or(Cay+Mg)] Quarterly Grab U Footnotes: W f `�,�'' 1. The permitte d�'all submit Di urge Monitoring Reports electronically using NC DWR's eDMR application syste See SpeciakCondition A. (7.). 2. Sample locations fl`xi uent :fluent, U-Upstream= above the facility intake, D-Downstream = at Penland Bridge.Instr 'sa shall be grab samples and shall be conducted weekly. 3. The discharge from this l'ity shall not cause turbidity in the receiving stream to exceed 10 NTU. If the instream turbidity exceeds 10 NTU due to natural background conditions,the discharge cannot cause turbidity to increase in the receiving stream. Therefore, if the effluent measurement exceeds 10 NTU,the Permittee shall sample upstream and downstream turbidity in the receiving waterbody, within 24 hours,to demonstrate the existing turbidity level in the receiving waterbody was not increased. All data shall be reported on the DMRs. (See 15A NCAC 2B .0211 (21)). See Special Condition A. (3.). 4. Chloride shall be monitored quarterly in conjunction with toxicity testing. Footnotes continued next page 3 of 7 Permit NC0000175 Footnotes continued from A. (1.)Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements 5. Whole effluent toxicity will be evaluated using Chronic Toxicity (Ceriodaphnia dubia) P/F test at 11% during the months of January,April,July and October. See section A. (2.). 6. Effluent hardness should be performed in conjunction with testing for hardness dependent metals (cadmium, copper, lead,nickel, silver,zinc). There shall be no discharge of floating)solids or visible foam in other than trace amounts. A. (2) CHRONIC TOXICITY PEIRMIT LIMIT (QURLY) [15A NCAC 02B.0200 et seq.] 441'.f The effluent discharge shall at no time exhibit obs able inibi ii hof reproduction or significant mortality to Ceriodaphnia dubia at ane >itent concent on of 11%. • The pelluit holder shall perform at a rninimum$uarterly monitoring using telt procedures outlined in the "North Carolina Ceriodaphnia Chro 'tr.Efflue�t�Bioassay Pro lure, Revised December 2010, or subsequent versioe£,i s or"North Carol ase II Chronic Vole Effluent Toxicity Test Procedure" (Revised- ®eceber 2010) or Carol*°Sequent versions. The tests will be performed during the months of Jan ary ri July ai IItctober. These months signify the first month of each three-month toxici ,ting quarter assignedo the facility. Effluent sampling for this testing must be obtained during reprsentati e =uent disarge and shall be performed at the NPDES permitte final�f lit ent�disch ge below al,#eAtmen rocesses. If the test procedure pe formed as%tbe first test of any single quarter results in a failure or ChV below the permit 1 m t_tlke`itti ti le-conce itration testing shall be performed at a minimums n`eat of t e twolaiow neMi nths sfdescribed in "North Carolina Phase II Chronic, hole Effluept oxic ty est Procedure (Revised-December 2010) or subsequent versions ��° All toxicity tes g results requited as pa :of this permit condition will be entered on the Effluent Discharge Monion Form (MAS) for the months in which tests were performed, using the parameter code TGP3]3 for the�p ss/fail results and THP3B for the Chronic Value. Additionally, DWR Foam AT-3 (original) iso� be sent to the following address: Attention: North Carolina Division of Water Resources 'Water Sciences Section/Aquatic Toxicology Branch 1621 Mail Service Center Raleigh,NC 27699-1621 Completed Aquatic Toxicity Test Forms shall be filed with the Water Sciences Section no later than 30 days after the end of the reporting period for which the report is made. Test data shall be complete, accurate, include all supporting chemical/physical measurements and all concentration/response data, anci be certified by laboratory supervisor and ORC or • 4of7 Permit NC0000175 approved designate signature. Total residual chlorine of the effluent toxicity sample must be measured and reported if chlorine is employed for disinfection of the waste stream. Should there be no discharge of flow from the facility during a month in which toxicity monitoring is required,the permittee will complete the information located at the top of the aquatic toxicity(AT) test form indicating the facility name,permit number, pipe number, county, and the month/year of the report with the notation of"No Flow"in the comment area of the form. The report shall be submitted to the Water Sciences Section at the address cited above. Should the permittee fail to monitor during a month in which toxicity monitoring is required, monitoring will be required during the following month. Assessment of toxicity compliance is based on the toxicity testing quarter, which is the three month time interval that begins on the first day of the month in which toxicity testing is required by this permit and continues until the final day of the third month. Should any test data from this monitoring requirement or tests performed by the North Carolina Division of Water Resources indicate potential impacts to the receiving stream, this permit may be re-opened and modified to include alternate Monitoring r quirements or limits. i NOTE: Failure to achieve test conditions'as specified in the,cited document, such as minimum control organism survival, minimum'control organism reproduction, and appropriate environmental controls, shall constitute.an,mvalid test and will require immediate follow-up testing to be completed no later than the last .,day oftlie month following the month of the initial monitoring. / , A. (3.) TURBIDITY REOPENER [G.S. 143-2`15.1(b)] This permit-shall be modified, or revoked and reissued to incorporate new turbidity effluent limitations inthe event that violations of the turbidity-standard of the North Carolina Water QualityStaandard occur as oa result of this discharge:' • A. (4.) SOLIDS'DISPOSAL [G.S. 143-215.1(b)] Solids removed or resulting from the wastewater treatment process shall be contained and disposed of in such a mariner4s tolprevent any contamination of the surface waters of the State. A. (5.) FLUORIDE REOPENER [G.S. 143-215.1(b)] This permit shall be modified, or revoked and reissued to incorporate new fluoride effluent limitations in the event that acute or chronic bioassay testing or other studies results in a change in the North Carolina Water Quality Standard for fluoride. A. (6.) PERMIT MODIFICATIONS [G.S. 143-215.1(b)] 5 of 7 Permit NC0000175 This permit shall be modified, or revoked and reissued to incorporate new limitations in the event that production changes are requested or should any new fluoride using discharge request to locate on the North Toe River. A. (7.) ELECTRONIC REPORTING OF MONITORING REPORTS [G.S. 143-215.1(b)] Federal regulations require electronic submittal of all discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) and program reports. The final NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule was adopted and became effective on December 21, 2015. NOTE: This special condition supplements or supersedes the"following sections within Part II of this permit(Standard Conditions for NPDES Permits): r` ° , • Section B. (11.) Signatory Requirements ( , , ` • Section D. (2.) Reporting v :;NGo • Section D. (6.) Records Re ention • Section E. (5.) Monitoring'Reports y `- "\,-,\',;., /:;;),‘ , ,. 1. Reporting Requirements [Supersedes Section D.12:) and Section E. (5.)"(a)1 The permittee shall report discharge`monitoring data electronically using the NC DWR's Electronic Discharge Monitoring Report(eDMR)internet:application. Monitoring results[obtained,during theyprevious month(s) "shall be summarized for each month and submitted electronically using..,eI5MR. '`The^eDMR system allows permitted facilities to enter monitoring data and submit DMRs elect`ronically using the internet. Until such time that the state's eDMR a p plication`is compliant with EPA's Cross-Media Electronic Reporting':Regulation CROMERR, permittees,will be required to submit all discharge ( , i' I �- q g monitor ng data to,the state,electronically using eDMR and will be required to complete the eDMR submission by printing,;signing, and-submitting one signed original and a copy of the computerprinted eDMR to.the following address: NC DEQ`/Division of Water Resources'/Water Quality Permitting Section ATTENTION,: `Central Files= 1617 Mail Service Center )_ „1 Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-16 7 If a permittee is unable`td use the e MR system due to a demonstrated hardship or due to the facility being physically located in an area where less than 10 percent of the households have broadband access, then a temporary waiver from the NPDES electronic reporting requirements may be granted and discharge monitoring data may be submitted on paper DMR forms (MR 1, 1.1, 2, 3) or alternative forms approved by the Director. Duplicate signed copies shall be submitted :o the mailing address above. See "How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting" section below. 6 of 7 Permit NC0000175 Regardless of the submission method, the first DMR is due on the last day of the month following the issuance of the permit or in the case of a new facility, on the last day of the month following the commencement of discharge. Starting on December 21, 2020, the permittee must electronically report the following compliance monitoring data and reports, when applicable: • Sewer Overflow/Bypass Event Reports; • Pretreatment Program Annual Reports; and • Clean Water Act(CWA) Section 316(b) Annual Reports. The permittee may seek an electronic reporting waiver,from the Division (see "How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting" section below). 2. Electronic Submissions - In accordance with 40 CFR 122.41(1)(9),,the permittee must identify, the initial recipient at the time of each electronic submission:\The permittee should\use--the EPA's website resources to identify the initial recipient for the electronic submission. •-, Initial recipient of electronic NPDES information from NPDES-regulated facilities means the entity (EPA or the state authorized by EPA,to implement the NPDES program) that is the designated entity for receiving electronic NPDES data [see 40 CFR 127.2(b)]. EPA plans to establish a website that will also link to the-appropriate electronic reporting tool for each type of<<electronic`submission and for each state. Instructions on how to access and use the appropriate,electronic reporting tool,will be available as well. Information on EPA's NPDESElectronic Reporting\ Rule is found at: haps;//www.federalregister gov/documents/201,5/10/22/2015-24954/national-pollutant- dis¢liarge=elimination-system-npdes-electro`nic-reporting-rule Electronic submissions must start- .by the dates listed in the"Reporting Requirements" section above. 3. How to Request'a Waiver from Electronic Reporting The permittee may seek a temporary electronic reporting waiver from the Division. To obtain an electronic reporting waiver, a permittee must first submit an electronic reporting waiver request to the Division. Requests for temporary electronic reporting waivers must be submitted in writing to the Division for written approval at least sixty (60) days prior to the date the facility would be required under this permit to begin submitting monitoring data and reports. The duration of a temporary waiver shall not exceed 5 years and shall thereupon expire. At such time, monitoring data and reports shall be submitted electronically to the Division unless the permittee re-applies for and is granted a new temporary electronic reporting waiver by the Division. Approved electronic reporting waivers are not transferrable. Only permittees with an approved reporting waiver request may submit 7 of 7 Permit NC0000175 monitoring data and reports on paper to the Division for the period that the approved reporting waiver request is effective. Information on eDMR and the application for a temporary electronic reporting waiver are found on the following web page: http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr 4. Signatory Requirements [Supplements Section B. (11.) (b) and Supersedes Section B. (11.) (d)1 All eDMRs submitted to the perr7it issuing authority shall`be.'signed by a person described in Part II, Section B. (11.)(a) or by duly authorized representative of that person as described in Part II, Section B. (11.)(b). 1 person, and not/a position, must be delegated signatory authority for eDMR reporting purposes. . 4L` ,, \ b For eDMR submissions, the person signing and:submitting theDMR must obtain an eDMR user account and login credentials to acc ss;the eDMR system.'For.more information on North Carolina's eDMR system, registering° or eDMR and obtaining'an eDMR user account, please visit the following web page: `', \ http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr Certification. Any person submitting an-electronic DMR'using the state's eDMR system shall make the following certification [40 CFR.122.22]. NO OTHER STATEMENTS OF CERTIFICATION-VIM BE•ACCEPTED,: / \ � f, J� \ ��.1 i� '� l "I certify, under penalty of w, that this document and all~attachments were prepared under my direction or supervision in accordance\with a system designed to assure that qualified personnel-properly gather and evaluate the information submitted. Based on my inquiry of the person-or persons who Mange'the s'ystem, or those persons directly responsible for gaiheri g the information, the information-submitted is, to the best of my knowledge and belief,, true, accurate,-'-aiid complete. I am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information=,including the possibility of fines and imprisonment for knowing violations.'Y \ t 5. Records Retention-[Supplements Section D. (6.)1 The permittee shall"retain1records'j of all Discharge Monitoring Reports, including eDMR submissions. These records or copies shall be maintained for a period of at least 3 years from the date of the report. This period may be extended by request of the Director at any time [40 CFR 122.41]. 8 of 7 1 �. p :.m�, : (. I r , '—,7-....,"\(-71 r f i/ t L I �','.' ,r' 1?;• J 1 I 1/ I I I \ all '' f � $. ( �1.f.,;}:-.. ,_ R'I :. 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