PUBLIC NOTICE
N.C. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENAL QUALITY NOTICE OF EXTENDED PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND PUBLIC HEARING ON INTENT TO RENEW NPDES WASTEWATER PERMITS: NC0000175, NC0000353, NC0000361, NC0000400, NC00084620, NC00085839
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Resources (DWR), is reopening and proposes to renew six draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) wastewater permits for the following mining facilities in Avery and Mitchell counties:
NC0000175 Sibelco NA Quartz Facility: 7368 South 226 HWY, Spruce Pine.
NC0000361 Sibelco NA Schoolhouse Facility: 107 Harris Mining Company Rd., Spruce Pine
NC0084620 Sibelco NA Crystal Facility: 136 Crystal Dr., Spruce Pine
NC0085839 Sibelco NA Red Hill Facility: 2241 NC HWY 197, Bakersville.
NC0000353 The Quartz Corp K-T Feldspar Corp. Facility: 797 Altapass Rd., Spruce Pine
NC0000400 The Quartz Corp The Feldspar Corp. Facility: 8342 South 226 Bypass, Spruce Pine
The facilities discharge treated industrial ore mining process wastewater at their respective facilities to the North Toe River in the French Broad River Basin. Some parameters are water quality limited in the permit. This discharge may affect future allocations in this segment of the North Toe River.
The draft wastewater permits and related documents are available online at:
https://deq.nc.gov/news/events/public-notices-hearings
Printed copies of the documents may be reviewed at DWR’s Raleigh Office at 512 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, please call 919-707-3601 to make an appointment, or DWR’s Asheville Regional Office, 2090 US 70 Highway, Swannanoa, please call 828-296-4500 to make an appointment during normal working hours.
PUBLIC HEARING
DWR invited initial public comments on the draft permits starting October 24, 2018 with an extended comment period through Feb. 19, 2019. The comment period end date has now been extended to May 3, 2019. Pursuant to NCGS 143-215.1(c)(3) and Regulation 15 NCAC 02H, Section .0100. the Division Director has determined that it is in the public interest to hold a hearing to receive additional public comment on the proposed permits. Therefore, a public hearing on all six draft permits is planned for Thursday, May 2, 2019, 6 p.m. at the Mitchell Senior Center, 152 Ledger School Road, Bakersville, NC. Doors open and speaker registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. DWR will consider all comments received by May 3, 2019 in making its final determination for each permit action.
Public comment on the draft permit renewals may also be submitted by mail to: DWR Wastewater Permitting, 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1617. Public comments may be submitted by email to: publiccomments@ncdenr.gov. Please be sure to include “North Toe Mines” in the email’s subject line or comments may not be routed to the correct office for review