HomeMy WebLinkAboutNCS000511_Email Correspondence_20170711Georgoulias, Bethany
From: Smith, Danny
Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2017 11:30 AM
To: Georgoulias, Bethany, Trone, Rick V
Cc: Denton, Bill; Valentine, Thad; Patterson, Robert D
Subject: RE: Pacific Mulch and Stormwater/Wastewater
Hey Bethany,
Sorry about my delay. I don't think we have conducted a recent site visit or have any information on current facility
status. What I recommend is a site visit to assess the current operations, presents of waste stream(s), and landscape
position/receiving water proximity. Also, there could be some data in DEMLR's stormwater files that would be helpful
too.
Let me know if you would like Rick Torne and/or me to attend. We may be able to help assess whether there is waste
water issues that need to be identified/addressed, stormwater permitting aside.
Danny
Danny Smith, Supervisor
Raleigh Regional Office
Water Quality Regional Operations
Division of Water Resources
(919) 791-4252
From: Georgoulias, Bethany
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2017 2:40 PM
To: Smith, Danny <danny.smith@ncdenr.gov>
Cc: Denton, Bill <bill.denton@ncdenr.gov>; Valentine,
<robert.patterson@ncdenr.gov>
Subject: Pacific Mulch and Stormwater/Wastewater
Greetings, Danny,
Thad <thad.valentine@ncdenr.gov>; Patterson, Robert D
We realized we had a pending individual NPDES stormwater permit application from Pacific Mulch (maybe Pacific
Organics now?) in Henderson, NC from WAY back in 2004. (Goodness, I was just getting back from Austin, Texas
then!) Anyway, it is a loose end of Ken Pickle's that never made it to conclusion, and then Bradley went and left too. So
Robert and I are trying to figure out what to do with it.
It is a mulch operation, so there is obviously a lot of RRO DWQ history here... this was the site that Autumn and Myrl
visited following a fire.
Attached is Ken's email summary of this site. There was never any action on the individual permit application, and we
are not sure if it would be eligible for one of our General Permits or not. Our General Timber Products Permit (NCG21)
would potentially cover this type of operation with the SIC code on the application (and stormwater monitoring would
be required for storage of piles sitting exposed longer than 7 days — See Part II, Sec B), but we know these sites can have
issues more appropriately addressed as wastewater. So we wanted to check in with you on what's happened with this
site in more recent years. Any other attention by RRO here, or status updates you can give me about the receiving
waters?
Is this a site that we could proceed with coverage under NCG21 for discharge monitoring, or should there be an
individual stormwater permit? Or a wastewater permit application instead? I think Ken mentions the possibility of a
zero flow stream here, so I'm not sure that's even an option.
I've copied Bill Denton and Thad Valentine in DEMLR to get them in the loop on this one. We could use some advice on
how to get the ball rolling on this one again.
Thanks, and have a great weekend!
Bethany
Bethany Georgoulias
Environmental Engineer
Stormwater Program, Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources
N.C. Department of Environmental Quality
919 807 6372 office
bethany. georgouliasgricdenn gov
1612 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1612 (mailing)
512 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27604 (location)
Website: http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/energy-mineral-land-resources/storTnwater
Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records
Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
Pickle, Ken
From: Pickle, Ken
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2016 2:02 PM
To: Bennett, Bradley
Subject: NCG14 for DPD, NCS for Pacific Mulch, update
Pacific Mulch, applic. #NCS000511 from 2004 � v o- T � °vvy-tY SvL' ,EA"V\� ` 1 7/Zq 17
• Now called Pacific Organics per their website. Per Google aerial image this is an operating site; there are
multiple pieces of portable equipment, and multiple vehicles — a large operation with rows and rows of material.
• A large chipping operation that submitted as manufacturing pine and hardwood mulch, and advertises on their
website as making premium potting mixes. Some photos show that the wood chips remain identifiable - - i.e.
the degradation of the bark is not complete all the way like many composts. More like Carolina Bark.
• Judge similar to Carolina Bark or Sun Gro, both producing 'planting media' or'potting mix'.
• 2F application in 2004 requests to have monitoring like NCG22, chip mills. A new site at the time.
• DWQ RRO inspection after a fire in November 2007; Myrl and Autumn.
• Candidate permits: NCS as requested; NCG22 not possible; NCG21 possibly; NCG24 possibly.
o NCS monitoring — open to our evaluation. Possibly TSS, COD semi-annual, like NCG21
o NCG22 monitoring —TSS, BOD, 12 quarters plus annually thereafter. The applicant requested this suite
of parameters.
o NCG21 monitoring —TSS, COD semi-annual
o NCG24 monitoring— quarterly for sw: TSS, COD, fecal, pH, TN, TP, CuPbZn.
II ww: TSS, BOD, fecal, pH
• Discharge to Lynch Creek in the Tar -Pam; C, NSW classification.
• Myrl and Autumn note that Lynch Creek was dry at the time of the fire (and the exempted fire -fighting
discharge) due to the drought (Nov, 2007.)
• Difficult site as far as knowing whether to accept NCS application, or to look at NCG21, or NCG24: could set
precedent for similar problem facilities in the timber industry. Also some uncertainty as to whether Lynch Creek
is a ZFS (it was dry in the 2007 drought) and if the runoff or wastewater would be an oxygen demanding waste.
DPD Team, applic. #NCG140396 received 2008.
• This is an operating site per Google aerial image. In the middle of 1 square mile of
farmland. Grantsboro/Bayboro area, Pamlico County.
• Discharges to UT to South Prong Bay River in the Neuse River Basin. Classification SC Sw NSW.
• I have a call in to the Vice President to confirm they still need a permit, but it's clear to me they do.
We could issue this one without much ado. I don't see any complications.
Ken
Ken Pickle
Stormwater Program Specialist
DEMLR Stormwater Permitting Program
Department of Environmental Quality
919 807 6376 office
ken. pickle(&ncdenr.aov
1612 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1612
512 N. Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27604