Need to return call by / at/between and . Signature:

Project No.: 0317.01.005.510 Page 1 of 1

Project Name: DMR2011 CBI?

Yes

No

TELEPHONE CALL RECORD

Incoming

Outgoing

Date: 12/13/13 Time: 4:00 am

pm

Company Name: Free State Lumber Co ERG Staff Name: Kimberly Bartell

Contact Name: Stanley Cumens Contact Phone Number: (205) 486-5287

General Subject: 2011 DMR Arsenic Discharges for Free State Lumber Co

TOPICS DISCUSSED AND ACTION TAKEN

Stanley Cumens: 205-486-5287

Tabitha Hubbard: 205-486-5287, tabithafreestate@yahoo.com

On December 13th, I called Free State Lumber at the number above and spoke with Tabitha Hubbard. She 

requested that I send her an email and call her back early next week. 

On December 17th at 10am I called Free State Lumber back and spoke with a receptionist. She stated that Ms. 

Hubbard was busy so I left a message with the receptionist for Ms. Hubbard to return my call. 

On December 30th at 10am I called Free State Lumber back and spoke with a receptionist. She stated that Ms. 

Hubbard was busy so I left a message with the receptionist for Ms. Hubbard to return my call. 

On January 8th, at 1pm I called Free State Lumber back and spoke with a receptionist. She stated that Ms. 

Hubbard was out to lunch so I left a message with the receptionist for Ms. Hubbard to return my call. 

Bill emailed Ms. Hubbard on January 15.

On January 24th, at 2pm I called Free State Lumber after not hearing back from the facility. I was told that Ms. 

Hubbard was out of the office today but would be in next week. I left a message for her to return my call.
Email Communication with Free State Lumber

From: Bartell, Kimberly 

To: tabithafreestate@yahoo.com

CC: Sabol, Elizabeth; Swietlik, William; Wagoner, Kim

Date: 12/16/13 8:29 AM

Subject: 2011 DMR Clarification for Arsenic Discharges

Ms. Hubbard,

Thank you for your time on the phone on Friday. Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG) under 

EPA Contract No. EP-C-12-021,is e-mailing you on EPA's behalf to request clarification of 2011 

discharge monitoring reports for Free State Lumber in Haleyville, AL (AL0064742). Here is 

some background on what the information is used for. 

EPA reviews publicly-available DMR data to fulfill its review obligation under Section 304(b) of 

the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA requires EPA to annually review and, if appropriate, 

revise its water pollution control technology-based regulations, called "effluent limitations 

guidelines" or "effluent guidelines," that limit the discharge of pollutants to waters of the U.S. 

from various categories of industrial facilities. EPA is currently conducting its 2013 annual 

review of existing effluent guidelines and potential industrial guidelines which may need to be 

included (see http://www.epa.gov/guide/304m/ for further information). EPA will discuss this 

review and the results in its 2013 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan scheduled for publication in 

the Federal Register in 2014. As part of the 2013 annual review, EPA is evaluating the data in 

discharge monitoring reports from 2011 and needs further information to complete the review.

We would like to obtain additional information on the following 2011 discharge data for arsenic 

for your facility. Our records show the following values were discharged: 

Outfall Date Arsenic Concentration 

(mg/L)

Wastewater Flow 

(MGD)

001 3/31/2011 0.005 0

001 6/30/2011 0.005 0.46

001 9/30/2011 1.72 0

001 12/31/2011 3.36 0.35

002 3/31/2011 0.005 0

002 6/30/2011 0.005 1.1

002 9/30/2011 1.9 0

002 12/31/2011 3.43 0.82

We appreciate your help in confirming if the above data are accurate, or if there are units errors 

in the DMR data. 

Please call me at (517) 515-1721 if you have any questions. If you would like to speak directly 

with EPA regarding this request, you can contact William F. Swietlik of EPA's Office of 
Water/Engineering Analysis Division by phone at (202) 566-1129 or by email: 

swietlik.william@epa.gov.

Thank you,

Kimberly

----------------------------------------

Kimberly D. Bartell

Environmental Engineer

Eastern Research Group, Inc. 

kimberly.bartell@erg.com

Phone: 517-515-1721

From: Swietlik, William [Swietlik.William@epa.gov]

To: tabithafreestate@yahoo.com

CC: Kimberly Bartell; W.Cummens@rctc.com

Date: 1/15/14 9:22 AM

Subject: FW: 2011 DMR Clarification for Arsenic Discharges

Dear Ms. Hubbard:

EPA is awaiting your reply to our information request as described in the following.

DMR Data Summary for Free State Lumber:

Free State Lumber discharges arsenic from two outfalls (001 and 002). The Sept and Dec 2011 

concentrations for both outfalls is significantly higher than previous months as reported under 

DMR. Given this we need replies to the following questions:

 Please confirm the facility arsenic discharges for 2011. 

 If the data is correct, why are the Sept and Dec 2011 concentrations much higher than 

March and June 2011 for both outfalls? 

 What is the source of the arsenic compounds in the wastewater?

We need this information to determine the accuracy of the reported arsenic discharges from the 

Free State Lumber facility in Haleyville, AL which have come to our attention during our annual 

review of industrial wastewater discharges as required under section 304 of the Clean Water Act.

If you have questions or concerns regarding our request, please contact me directly either via email or by phone.

Thank you.

Bill Swietlik

_______________________________

William F. Swietlik

US EPA, Office of Water

Engineering and Analysis Division (4303T)

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20460
202-566-1129: phone

202-566-1053: Fax

From: tabithafreestate@yahoo.com

To: Swietlik, William [Swietlik.William@epa.gov]

Date: 1/23/14 7:22 PM

Subject: RE: 2011 DMR Clarification for Arsenic Discharges

Dear Mr. Swietlik,

I am working on your request. I will be in touch with you as soon as I can.

Thank you,

Tabitha Hubbard

Bookkeeper

Free State Lumber Co., Inc.

From: Swietlik, William [Swietlik.William@epa.gov]

To: tabithafreestate@yahoo.com

CC: Kimberly Bartell

Date: 1/27/14 11:23 AM

Subject: RE: 2011 DMR Clarification for Arsenic Discharges

Tabitha:

Thank you!

_______________________________

William F. Swietlik

US EPA, Office of Water

Engineering and Analysis Division (4303T)

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20460

202-566-1129: phone

202-566-1053: Fax

From: tabithafreestate@yahoo.com

To: Swietlik, William [Swietlik.William@epa.gov]

Date: 3/11/14 9:43 AM

Subject: RE: 2011 DMR Clarification for Arsenic Discharges – Free State

The difference in the arsenic discharges has to do with the reporting units. The lab changed their 

analysis from milligrams to micrograms, but I did not catch the change when I reported it. I am 

in the process of correcting the DMRs that had the incorrect information reported due to the unit 
of measure. Do you need copies of the corrected DMRs as well or will you get them from 

ADEM?

Thank you,

Tabitha Hubbard

Bookkeeper

Free State Lumber Co., Inc.

P.O. Box 190

Haleyville, AL 35565

205-486-4000

tabithafreestate@yahoo.com