ROY COOPER Governor MICHAEL 8. REGAN ‘Secretary Water Resources LINDA CULPEPPER Environmental Quality Tinterim Director May 21, 2018 CERTIFIED MAIL 7016 2140 0000 0562 4202 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Charles Edwards Cedar Lane Farm 565 Lyman Rd Beulaville, NC 28518 SUBJECT: Lagoon Sampling - April 13, 2018 Cedar Lane Farm Permit # AWS310066 Duplin County Dear Charles Edwards: Thank you for your cooperation in the Division’s lagoon waste sampling efforts on April 13, 2018. On that day seven teams of Division staff sampled 35 farms and a total of 55 waste lagoons. Multiple teams were necessary to assure that teams followed proper biosecurity protocols to protect your animals. I apologize for the short notice that was provided to you by our staff. It was our intent to do the sampling as efficiently and effectively as possible with as little disruption to you and other operators. Staff notified you as soon as possible once we were comfortable that weather would cooperate and we had staff prepared to complete the desired sampling on a single day. Complete results of the sampling are available on the NCDA&CS Agronomic Services Division PALS website and can be accessed there at your convenience. http://www ncagr.gov/agronomi/pals! ‘The Division submitted the samples to the lab on April 13, and the standard waste analysis was performed the following week. The certified results are available to use for loading rate calculations in you waste application records. Our staff followed sampling protocol established by NCDA&CS Agronomic Sampling Folder No. 6, revised April 2014, a copy of which is included with this letter. You may at any time resample your lagoons to establish updated results if you feel more representative sample is desired for future application events. One of the intents of the sampling effort was to look at observed changes in lagoon sampling results in a relatively short period of time. Our records show that a previous sampling event took place on March 17, 2018. Results of the April 13 and March 17 sampling events are shown on the following pages for each lagoon sampled on your farm. ‘The results show a significant difference in the PAN concentrations as well as other macro and micro nutrients for lagoon CE1 that put into questions the validity of the March 17% sampling results. Itis unlikely that a lagoon make-up will change significantly in a month without significant operations event occurring like a lagoon sludge clean out. Staff also noted a high observed sludge blanket in your lagoon; however, ‘have not yet obtained records of the last sludge survey to verify visual observation. For these reasons the Division has deemed the March 17° sampling results for lagoon CEI to be invalid until additional information or explanation can be provided to justify differences in sampling results. More details on the information requested to validate the March 17® sampling data is included below. <>-Nothing Compares = Sta of North Curtin | Environmental Quality | Division of Water Rscurces ‘Water Quali Resional Operation Section 1636 Mai Service Cater | Raleigh, Noth Carina 27659-1636 i907 9129 i‘Lagoon Sampling ~ April 13, 2018 Page 2 Lagoon Name: CEI-66 ‘Sample Results (mg/l, PAN in Ibs/1000 gallons) 3/17 - 4/13 3/17/2018 4/13/2018 Difference | % change 561 2072 1511 269% 23 86 63 269% 40 1040 1000 2532% 432, 959) 528 122% 109 996 887, 813% 26 654 628 23.88% 29 318 288 980% 24 220.8 218.5 9292% 03 21.6 214 7Al6% 07 Ta 70.7 10256% 03 88.3 88.0 31086% 05 15 im 222% 165.8 276.8 111.0 61% 15 75 0.0 0% 06 04 0.2 34% CE2-66 ‘Sample Results (mg/l, PAN in Ibs/1000 gallons) 3/17 - 4/13 3/17/2018 4/13/2018 Difference | % change 552 698 145 26% 23 29 06 26% 35 28 7 -19% 4 921 510 124% 102 159 58 57% 24 44 21 87% 27 45 18 68% 18 43 25 142% 02 06 04 187% 05 1 06 121% 0.2 18 16 649% 05 08 03 74% 160.6 219.9 [| 593 37% 75 19 03 5% 04 0.0 04 98%Lagoon Sampling — April 13, 2018 Page 3 ‘Two lagoons were sampled at your farm. Concentrations reported for the two lagoons in March 2018 were noticeably more similar to one another than compared to the April sampling results. The variation found in the April 13 sampling analysis is much more consistent with normal variations found in swine lagoon effluent is NC. The following two tables show the differences reported for your lagoons for the March and April Sampling Events. 3/17/2018 Sampling Results 4/13/2018 Sampling Results (mg/l, PAN in Ibs,/1000 gallons) (mg/l, PAN in Ibs./1000 gallons) ‘Lagoon ID Lagoon ID Parameter | CE1-66 | CE2-66 Range Parameter | CE1-66 | CE2-66 Range y 361 | 552 9 2072 | 698 1374 23 | 23 00 86 29 ST 40 35 3 1040 [28 1012, 42 | ar 20 959 | 921 38 109 | 102 7 996 [159 837 26 24 3 654 44 610 29 27 3 318 45 273 24 18 06 2208 | 43 216.6 03 02 On 216 | 06 21.0 o7 | 05 02 ma [i 70.2 03 02 0.0 333 | 18 86.4 05 0s 0.0 15 08 07 165.8 | 160.6 52. 2768 | 219.9 356.9 75 75 0.0 75 79 03 06 | 04 02 04 0.0 04 As aresult of initial evaluation of the sampling results the Division will be conducting additional evaluation of historic data at your farms and at the other farms that were sampled on April 13, 2018. It is necessary to further investigate the unusual changes in lagoon characteristics between March 17 and April 13, 2018. ‘To assist in the investigation please provide the following to the Wilmin gion Regional Office June 21,2018, Results of the last 2 years of sludge survey, including information on who conducted the survey. Records of any sludge removal that occurred between March 17 and April 14, 2018. ‘Any operational changes that may have contributed to the lagoon characteristics between March, 17 and April 13, 2017. + Results of any additional lagoon waste analysis for the lagoon in question conducted since March 17, 2018Lagoon Sampling — April 13, 2018 Page 4 Please contact the Wilmington Regional Office at (910) 796-7215 or Christine Lawson at (919) 807- 6354 if you have further questions. Sincerely, 7 Chief, Water Quality Regional Operations Section Division of Water Resources Enclosure ce: Wilmington WQROS Regional Supervisor WQROS Central Files