PERMIT RATIONALE FOR REISSUANCE
Steve McMinn dba Smokehouse Meats
Water NPDES No. MS0037346
Thomas Kelly, Water I Branch
March 12, 2025

I.	FACILITY INFORMATION

Facility Address:  426 Highway 41 South, Pontotoc, MS 38863  
Facility County:  Pontotoc  
EPA ID.:  110010824812
SIC:  2011

II.	NATURE OF BUSINESS

Smokehouse Meats slaughters 800 lbs/day of beef and 2,350 lbs/day of pork. The facility is classified as an NPDES Minor Source.

III.	EFFLUENT AND RECEIVING STREAM FLOW DATA

Outfall 001:  Effluent consists of process wastewater and discharges into an unnamed tributary of Webster Creek (7Q10 = 0). The maximum daily flow is 0.001 MGD.

IV.	303(d) and TMDL ISSUES

There are no 303(d) issues. This permit complies with the following applicable TMDLs:

V.	TYPE OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT:

Anaerobic lagoon and a settling basin.

VI.	EPA APPLICABLE CATEGORICAL GUIDELINES

40 CFR Part 432 - Meat and Poultry Products Point Source Category, Subpart A - Simple Slaughterhouse subcategory including §432.12 (BPT) & §432.15 (NSPS). Ammonia (as Nitrogen) is limited by NSPS and all other parameters are limited by BPT. The categorical effluent limitations representing the application of BPT and NSPS are expressed in lbs/1,000 lbs LWK. Facility activities consist entirely of slaughtering and the processing of animal carcasses slaughtered on-site. Smokehouse Meats processes a total of 3,150 lb/day LWK.

VII.	DATA FROM APPLICATION FORM (2C)

1 The facility estimated the above pollutant concentrations using historical data from the  
  previous permit application because the facility has not discharged during the last 5 years.

VIII.	WATER QUALITY LIMITATIONS BASED ON WASTELOAD ALLOCATION

	The above limit recommendations are provided on the February 11, 2025, Wasteload Allocation.
	
IX.	CATEGORICAL GUIDELINE LIMITATIONS CALCULATIONS

1The pH Limitations are described in 40 CFR Part 432.3 (General limitation or standard for pH).
2 Production Rate = 3,150 lb/day LWK / 1000 lb LWK = 3.15
X.	TOXICITY SCREENING

Total residual chlorine is the only applicable parameter which can be evaluated in the toxicity screen. Due to the lack of discharge monitoring data, and because total residual chlorine already has numeric discharge limitations in the permit, a toxicity screen will not be performed on this parameter. 

XI.	PROPOSED FINAL LIMITATIONS 

1.	Average Permit Limitations:   lb/day (mg/L)

Outfall	Parameter	Categorical Limitation	Water Quality Limitation	Present Permit Limitation	Proposed Permit Limitation	Monitoring Frequency	Sample Type	DMR Reporting Frequency	1Basis	
001	Ammonia Nitrogen, Total (as N)	 (64)	(1.37)	(2)	(1.37)	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	WLA	
001	Chlorine, TR2	--	(0.011)	(0.011)	(0.011)	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	PPL, MSWQS, WLA	
001	E.coli	--	126 col./100 ml	126 col./100 ml	126 col./100 ml	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	PPL, MSWQS, WLA	
001	Flow (MGD)	--	--	Report	Report	Twice per month	Instantaneous sampling	Monthly	PPL, TJ	
001	Oil and Grease	0.189	--	0.033 (Report)	0.189 (Report)	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	Cat.	
001	BOD5	0.378	Report	0.066 (Report)	0.378 (Report)	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	Cat.	
001	Dissolved Oxygen	--	(6.0)	(6.0)	(6.0)	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	PPL, MSWQS, WLA	
001	pH (min.)	6.0 SU	6.0 SU	6.0 SU	6.0 SU	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	PPL, MSWQS, Cat.	
001	Production	--	--	Report	Report	Daily	Measurement	Monthly	PPL, (1), (4)	
001	Solids, total suspended	0.63	--	0.11 (Report)	0.63 (Report)	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	Cat.	

2.	Maximum Permit Limitations:   lb/day (mg/L)

Outfall	Parameter	Categorical Limitation	Water Quality Limitation	Present Permit Limitation	Proposed Permit Limitation	Monitoring Frequency	Sample Type	DMR Reporting Frequency	1Basis	
001	Ammonia Nitrogen, Total (as N)	(128)	--	 (3)	 (2.06)	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	WLA, TJ, (3)	
001	Chlorine, TR2	--	(0.019)	(0.019)	(0.019)	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	PPL, MSWQS 	
001	Fecal Coliform	400 col./100 ml	--	400 col./100 ml	400 col./100 ml	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	PPL, Cat.	
001	E.coli	--	410 col./100 ml	410 col./100 ml	410 col./100 ml	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	PPL, MSWQS	
001	Flow (MGD)	--	--	0.001	0.001	Twice per month	Instantaneous sampling	Monthly	PPL, TJ, WLA	
Outfall	Parameter	Categorical Limitation	Water Quality Limitation	Present Permit Limitation	Proposed Permit Limitation	Monitoring Frequency	Sample Type	DMR Reporting Frequency	1Basis	
001	Oil and Grease 	0.378	--	0.066 (Report)	0.378 (Report)	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	Cat.	
001	BOD5	0.756	-- 	0.132 (Report)	0.756 (Report)	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	Cat. 	
001	pH (min.)	9.0 SU	9.0 SU	9.0 SU	9.0 SU	Twice per month	Grab sampling	Monthly	PPL, MSWQS	
001	Production	--	--	Report	Report	Daily	Measurement	Monthly	PPL,TJ, (1), (4)	
001	Solids, total suspended	0.756	--	0.22 (Report)	0.756 (Report)	Daily	Measurement	Monthly	Cat.	

1Basis:  MSWQS = Mississippi Water Quality Standards, TJ = Technical Judgement, Categorical (Cat.) = 40 CFR Part 432, Subpart A,  MSWQS = Mississippi Water Quality Standards, TJ = Technical Judgement, PPL=Previous Permit Limits, WLA = Wasteload Allocation (see Section VIII).
2TR =Total Residual

1Basis for Limitations

(1)	 There are categorical guidelines which apply to this facility that are production based, so reporting the monthly production helps to ensure adequacy of the permit.

(2)	Flow shall be reported to ensure compliance with categorical mass loading guidelines.

(3)	 Normally, the MDEQ WQAB does not recommend maximum limitations on the WLA. Therefore, a multiplying factor of 1.5 is commonly used with the recommended average concentration limitations to calculate maximum concentration limitations.  

(4)	  Production shall be monitored daily and reported monthly.  Production is the live weight killed “LWK” which is the total weight of the total number of animals slaughtered during any one day.  Production shall be reported on the discharge monitoring reports even if a discharge has not occurred.

E.coli and Fecal Coliform

The Mississippi Water Quality Standards require limitations for E.coli as the bacterial indicator for Mississippi’s freshwaters. Because 40 CFR 432.12 (BPT) specifies a maximum fecal coliform limitation of 400 CFU/100 ml, this limitation must remain in the permit.

Production

The permittee shall record monthly average and daily maximum production in “live weight kill” (LWK). Production is the total weight of the total number of animals slaughtered during one day. The permittee shall report production monthly on a discharge monitoring report even when no discharge has occurred.

XII.	BPJ STATEMENT: 

It is our judgment that the foregoing limitations represent Technical Judgment (TJ), 11 Miss. Admin. Code Pt.6, Ch. 1 and 2 (MSWQS), Wasteload Allocation (WLA), and the applicable Categorical Guidelines (Cat.).