PUBLIC NOTICE
N.C. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
INTENT TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON DRAFT SPECIAL ORDER BY CONSENT
Duke Energy Progress, LLC has requested Special Order by Consent #WQ S17-010 for its Asheville Plant to address issues related to seeps that emanate from the coal ash basins at that location and potentially flow to adjacent surface waters. Compliance with this order requires Duke Energy to complete activities associated with closure of coal ash basins at the Asheville Plant as a means of eliminating seeps that originate in those basins. During the time that the order is effective, interim action levels will be established in small bodies of water receiving flow from seeps. Seeps not eliminated as a result of closure activities shall be addressed through further corrective action and remediation measures. As drafted, this order will expire no later than June 30, 2022. The N.C. Environmental Management Commission plans to consider the issuance of the special order during its Sept. 13, 2018 meeting in Raleigh, N.C.
The draft order is available online at: https://bit.ly/2LkIF4K. Printed copies of the draft order or draft permit and related documents may be reviewed at the department’s Asheville Regional Office. To make an appointment to review the documents, please call 828-296-4500. Questions regarding the draft permit, draft order or public hearing may be sent to the attention of Mr. Bob Sledge, N.C. Division of Water Resources, 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1617. Mr. Sledge may also be reached at 919-807-6398 or bob.sledge@ncdenr.gov.
Public comments on the draft order may be submitted by mail to: DWR-Wastewater Permitting, Attn: Asheville SOC, 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C., 27699-1617. Public comments may also be submitted by email to: publiccomments@ncdenr.gov. Please be sure to include “Asheville SOC” in the email’s subject line. All comments on the draft order received by Aug. 23, 2018 will be considered in its final determination.
PUBLIC HEARING
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality will hold a public hearing to accept comments on the draft order, along with comments on the renewal of draft NPDES wastewater permit #NC0000396 for Asheville Steam Electric Plant. The public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22 at the Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road, Asheville, N.C. Speaker registration begins at 5 p.m. The public hearing will close after all comments are received but no earlier than 7 PM.