The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) will remotely hold a public hearing on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 6 p.m. for the proposed Special Order by Consent (SOC) for the City of Greensboro’s T.Z. Osborne Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) NPDES discharge permit. DEQ is accepting public comments until noon Monday, December 14, 2020.
The proposed SOC addresses issues related to the discharge of elevated levels of 1,4-dioxane from the WWTP to South Buffalo Creek in the Cape Fear River Basin. 1,4-dioxane is an emerging compound that EPA has identified as a likely human carcinogen. The City of Greensboro has accepted all of the proposed changes, and the revised SOC is being provided for public input. Adjustments include a year-one compliance value and language clarifications. A FAQ document is available for review.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the hearing will be held remotely and the public is invited to provide comments online or by phone.
Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Time: 6 p.m. (Attendees may begin joining at 5:45 p.m.)
Join online: WebEx
Join by phone: 1-415-655-0003; (access code): 178 487 5557
To speak during the hearing, registration is required by 12:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 9, 2020.
In addition to the public hearing, comments on the SOC may be submitted now through noon on December 14, 2020 by emailing publiccomments@ncdenr.gov with “T.Z. Osborne WWTP SOC” in the subject line. Comments may also be provided by calling 336-776-9691 and leaving a recorded message. Please state your name and any affiliation before commenting. Written comments may be mailed via USPS to:
N.C. Division of Water Resources
Water Quality Permitting Section
Attn: Brianna Young
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1617
Comments received by noon December 14, 2020 will be considered in the final determination of this order by the Environmental Management Commission. Documents related to the proposal may be reviewed here.