NC0082821_Draft Permit_20190220

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NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
February 20, 2019
Ms.Lauren Faulkner
Southern States Cooperative,Inc.
P.O.Box 26234
Richmond,VA 23260
Subject: DRAFT NPDES PERMIT NC0082821
Statesville Fertilizer Plant
Grade PC-1
Iredell County
Dear Ms.Faulkner:
Enclosed with this letter is a copy of the draft permit for your facility. Please review the draft very carefully to
ensure thorough understanding of the conditions and requirements it contains. Your permit is among several in the
Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin that the Division has targeted for expedited renewal.
This draft contains the following changes from the existing permit:
• Hardness monitoring and reporting was added to the effluent characteristics table in Part 1. Section
A.(1.).Effluent hardness sampling and instream hardness sampling is being inserted into all permits
with facilities monitoring for hardness-dependent metals.
• Footnotes 3,4,and 5 were added to Part 1. Section A. (1.).
• HOC was added to the outfall description on page 2.
• The outfall map has been updated.
• Regulatory citations were added as necessary.
• Section A.(3)was updated to be current.
With this notification, the Division will solicit public comment on this draft permit by publishing a notice in
newspapers having circulation in the general Iredell County area, per EPA requirements. Please provide your
comments,if any,to me no later than 30 days after receiving this draft permit.
Following the 30-day public comment period,the Division will review all pertinent comments and take appropriate
action prior to issuing a final permit. If you have questions concerning the draft, please contact me via email at
[[e-mail]] or call 919-707-9125.
Sincerely,
,e4.6.3 Lae_
Emily DelDuco
Environmental Specialist
NPDES Program
cc: NPDES files
E
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Water Resources
1617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh,North Carolina 27699-1617
919-707-9125

Permit NC0082821
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,
Southern States Cooperative, Inc.
is hereby authorized to discharge wastewater from a facility located at the
Statesville Fertilizer Plant
2582 Salisbury Highway
Six Miles East of Statesville
Iredell County
to receiving waters designated as Fourth Creek in the Yadkin-Pee Dee 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 2019.
This permit and authorization to discharge shall expire at midnight on March 31, 2024.
Signed this day 2019.
Linda Culpepper, Director
Division of Water Resources
By Authority of the Environmental Management Commission
Page 1 of 7

Permit NC0082821
SUPPLEMENT TO PERMIT COVER SHEET
All previous NPDES Permits 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.
Southern States Cooperative, Inc.
is hereby authorized to:
1. Continue to operate an existing 0.144 MGD groundwater remediation system with the following
components:
• Three recovery wells
• Lift station with wet well
• Caustic solution tank with pH measuring device
The facility is located six miles east.; , tatesville at the Statesville Fertilizer Plant, off U.S. Highway
70, in Iredell County; and
2. Discharge from said treatment works at the location specified on the attached map into Fourth Creek
[HUC: 030401020402], classified C waters in subbasin 03-07-06 of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River
Basin.
Page 2 of 7

Permit NC0082821
PART I
A. (1.) EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
[15A NCAC 02B.0400 et seq., 02B.0500 et seq.]
Grade 1 Physical Chemical WPCS 115A NCAC 08G .0302]
During the period beginning on the effective date of this permit and lasting until expiration, the
Permittee is authorized to discharge from outfall 001. Such discharges shall be limited and monitored)
by the Permittee as specified below:
EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTICS LIMITS MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Monthly Average Daily Measurement Sample Sample
eDMR Code Maximum Frequency Type Location
Flow2(MGD) 50050 Monitor&Report Continuous Recording Effluent
Total Suspended Solids(mg/L) C0530 30.0 mg/L 45.0 mg/L 2/Month Grab Effluent
NH3 as N(April 1 —October 31)(mg/L) C0610 7.8 mg/L 35.0 mg/I 2/Month Grab Effluent
NH3 as N(November 1 —March 31)(mg/L) C0610 Monitor&Report 2/Month Grab Effluent
pH(su) 00400 >6.0 and<9.0 standard units 2/Month Grab Effluent
Copper(Ng/L) 01042 Monitor&Report Monthly Grab Effluent
Chlorides(mg/L) 00940 Monitor&Report Monthly Grab Effluent
Total Nitrates(NO3—N)(mg/L) 00620 Monitor&Report Monthly Grab Effluent
Total Nitrogen(NO2+NO3+TKN)(mg/L) C0600 Monitor&Report Monthly Grab Effluent
Total Phosphorus(mg/L) C0665 Monitor&Report Monthly Grab Effluent
Hardness—Total as 00900
[CaCO3 or(Ca+MG)](mg/L)3 Monitor&Report Monthly Grab Effluent
Hardness—Total as 00900 Monitor&Report Monthly Grab Upstream
[CaCO3 or(Ca+MG)](mg/L)46
Chronic Toxicity6(mg/L) TGP3B Monitor&Report Quarterly Grab Effluent
Footnotes:
1. The permittee shall submit discharge monitoring reports electronically using NC DWR's eDMR system. See
Condition A. (3.).
2. All volumes of wastewater leaving the facility shall be monitored. If continuous flow monitoring is not
feasible,then the discharger shall record the approximate time that discharge began and ended, along with the
instantaneous flow at the time of the effluent sampling.
3. Effluent hardness sampling should be performed in conjunction with sampling for hardness dependent metals
(Copper).
4. The Permittee shall sample instream hardness,upstream of the facility's discharge. The sample shall be
representative of the hardness in the receiving stream.
5. If no stream flow is available to sample, indicate"no stream flow"on DMR.
6. Chronic Toxicity(Ceriodaphnia dubia) 7-day pass/fail test at 3%in February,May,August and November.
See condition A. (2.).
Conditions:
There shall be no discharge of floating solids or visible foam in other than trace amounts.
Page 3 of 7

Permit NC0082821
A. (2.) CHRONIC TOXICITY PERMIT LIMIT (QUARTERLY)
[15A NCAC 02B.0200]
The effluent discharge shall at no time exhibit observable inhibition of reproduction or significant
mortality to Ceriodaphnia dubia at an effluent concentration of 3 %.
The permit holder shall perform at a minimum,quarterly monitoring using test procedures outlined in
the"North Carolina Ceriodaphnia Chronic Effluent Bioassay Procedure,"Revised December 2010, or
subsequent versions or"North Carolina Phase II Chronic Whole Effluent Toxicity Test Procedure"
(Revised-December 2010)or subsequent versions. The tests will be performed during the months of
February,May,August and November. These months signify the first month of each three-month
toxicity testing quarter assigned to the facility. Effluent sampling for this testing must be obtained
during representative effluent discharge and shall be performed at the NPDES permitted final effluent
discharge below all treatment processes.
If the test procedure performed as the first test of any single quarter results in a failure or ChV
below the permit limit,then multiple-concentration testing shall be performed at a minimum,in
each of the two following months as described in "North Carolina Phase II Chronic Whole
Effluent Toxicity Test Procedure" (Revised-December 2010) or subsequent versions.
All toxicity testing results required as part of this permit condition will be entered on the Effluent
Discharge Monitoring Form (MR-1) for the months in which tests were performed,using the parameter
code TGP3B for the pass/fail results and THP3B for the Chronic Value. Additionally, DWR Form AT-
3 (original)is to be sent to the following address:
Attention: North Carolina Division of Water Resources
Environmental Sciences Section
1621 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1621
Completed Aquatic Toxicity Test Forms shall be filed with the Environmental 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, and be certified by laboratory supervisor and ORC or 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
Environmental 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.
Page 4 of 7

Permit NC0082821
A. (2.) CHRONIC TOXICITY PERMIT LIMIT (QUARTERLY), continued
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 requirements or limits.
If the Permittee monitors any pollutant more frequently than required by this permit, the results of such
monitoring shall be included in the calculation &reporting of the data submitted on the DMR& all AT
Form submitted.
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 invalid test and will require immediate follow-up testing to be completed no later
than the last day of the month following the month of the initial monitoring.
A. (3.) ELECTRONIC REPORTING OF DISCHARGE 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):
• Section B. (11.) Signatory Requirements
• Section D. (2.) Reporting
• Section D. (6.) Records Retention
• Section E. (5.) Monitoring Reports
1. Reporting Requirements [Supersedes Section D. (2.) 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 the previous month(s) shall be summarized for each month and
submitted electronically using eDMR. The eDMR system allows permitted facilities to enter
monitoring data and submit DMRs electronically using the internet. Until such time that the state's
eDMR application is compliant with EPA's Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Regulation
(CROMERR), permittees will be required to submit all discharge monitoring 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 computer printed eDMR to the
following address:
NC DEQ/Division of Water Resources/Water Quality Permitting Section
ATTENTION: Central Files
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
Page 5of7

Permit NC0082821
If a permittee is unable to use the eDMR 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 to the
mailing address above. See"How to Request a Waiver from Electronic Reporting" section below.
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 pennittee 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 NPDES
Electronic Reporting Rule is found at: http://www2.epa.gov/compliance/final-national-pollutant-
discharge-elimination-system-npdes-electronic-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
Page 6 of 7

Permit NC0082821
submit 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.)
All eDMRs submitted to the permit issuing authority shall be signed by a person described in Part II,
Section B. (11.)(a) or by a duly authorized representative of that person as described in Part II,
Section B. (11.)(b). A person, and not a position, must be delegated signatory authority for eDMR
reporting purposes.
For eDMR submissions, the person signing and submitting the DMR must obtain an eDMR user
account and login credentials to access the eDMR system. For more information on North
Carolina's eDMR system, registering for 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
WILL BE ACCEPTED:
"I certify, under penalty of law, 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 manage the system, or those persons directly responsible for gathering the information,
the information submitted is, to the best of my knowledge and belief true, accurate, and complete. I
am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information, including the
possibility of fines and imprisonment for knowing violations."
A. (4.) NUTRIENT REOPENER FOR HIGH ROCK LAKE
[NCGS 143.215.1 (b)1
This permit may be reopened and modified to implement nutrient requirements in accordance with any
future TMDL and/or nutrient management strategy for High Rock Lake.
Page 7 of 7

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Southern States Cooperative, Inc. N
Statesville Fertilizer Plant
NPDES Permit NC0082821 '_ 115,000,000 %'Receiving Stream: Fourth Creek Stream Class: C
Stream Segment: 12-108-20 Sub-Basin#: 03-07-06
River Basin:Yadkin-Pee Dee HUC: 030401020402 SCALE 35.7736°N, -80.7778°W
County: Iredell 1:20.000