The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Surface Water Discharge Section (DNREC-SWDS) will conduct a public hearing (Docket # 2021-P-W-0017) to consider comments from the public on the reissuance of Mountaire Farms Inc.’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit.

NPDES Permit

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), Division of Water, hereby gives notice that Mountaire Farms Inc., has applied for reissuance of its NPDES Permit No. DE0050326 (State Number WPCC 3026F/75) to discharge storm water to Sandy Branch, which leads to the Bunting Branch, and ultimately discharges to the Isle of Wight Bay in Maryland. This facility is located at Hosier St. and Railroad Avenue in Selbyville, Sussex County, Delaware. The facility is a poultry processing plant. Live chickens arrive by truck and are staged in a live receiving cooling/storage shed prior to processing. The facility utilizes a pretreatment plant for process wastewater treatment, and then subsequently discharges pretreated wastewater into the collection system for the Town of Selbyville for treatment and disposal at the Selbyville Wastewater Treatment Plant. Therefore, the nine current outfalls at Mountaire’s Selbyville facility only discharge storm water runoff to Sandy Branch, and no process wastewater is discharged from this facility. This site houses processing buildings, warehouses, maintenance facilities and office buildings.

Based on a preliminary staff review of the permit application, and the application of lawful standards and regulations, the Department proposes to re-issue this permit, subject to certain effluent monitoring requirements. The proposed determinations are tentative pending review and consideration of any public comments that are received. For additional information on the above matter and to review this application, the Fact Sheet and the proposed Draft Permit, visit de.gov/dnrechearings or contact Wenjia Fan, Division of Water, Surface Water Section, 89 Kings Hwy., Dover, DE 19904, by phone at (302) 739-9946, or by email at Wenjia.Fan@delaware.gov.

The virtual public hearing will be held on Tuesday, November 02, 2021, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The web link to the virtual hearing can be accessed through the DNREC Public Hearings site at de.gov/dnrechearings. If prompted for a password, please use: MtaireNPDESSelby. To access the audio-only portion of the virtual hearing, dial 1-408-418-9388 and enter the event code 179 088 4273. Closed-captioning is available by request if made at least 7 days before the event.

Those wishing to offer verbal comments during DNREC public hearings must pre-register no later than noon of the date of the virtual hearing at de.gov/dnreccomments or by telephone at 302-739-9295.

The Department will accept public comment through the close of business on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. Comments will be accepted in written form via email to DNRECHearingComments@delaware.gov, or by using the online form at de.gov/dnreccomments, or by U.S. mail to the following address:

Lisa A. Vest, Hearing Officer
Office of the Secretary
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
89 Kings Highway
Dover, DE 19901

Related Topics:  NPDES, permitting and regulation, public comment, public hearing, public notice, water