Section 11-58.1-41 - Composting facilities(a) Applicability. This section regulates the construction and operation of composting facilities for sewage sludge, green waste (yard waste), and other solid wastes. (A) Exemption. Composting facilities processing less than three thousand tons of green wastes (yard wastes) per year are permitted by rule.(b) Permit requirements: (1) Site analysis. A site analysis shall be submitted and shall include at least a site plan, description of the siting of equipment and machinery, public access, and turnaround areas. The site analysis shall include surrounding land uses and, where determined necessary by the director, describe mitigative measures taken to reduce the impact of the facility upon neighboring properties.(2) Design requirements. (A) Provide engineering plans and specifications for the entire composting facility, including manufacturer's performance data for the selected equipment.(B) The composting facility must have sufficient temperature monitoring to ensure that the pathogen reduction criteria are met. For a windrow and an aerated static pile process, this may include monitoring six to eight inches below the pile surface and for an aerated static pile process, six to eight inches from the outlet of the aeration pipe. For an enclosed vessel system, this may include monitoring six to eight inches inside the vessel wall and six to eight inches from the aeration piping (when operating in the positive aeration mode). Temperature monitoring must occur, at a minimum, on a daily basis.(C) Nuisance, health, and safety control. Design methods to control litter, insects, odors, and vectors. Develop a fire plan to prevent and minimize fire hazards. The transfer station shall maintain a neat and orderly appearance and must be screened and buffered to minimize nuisances to neighboring properties.(D) The waste storage area and the active composting, curing, and compost storage areas must be located on surfaces capable of minimizing leachate release into the groundwater under the site and the surrounding land surface.(E) All leachate must be collected and treated by a method (in the engineering report) approved by the department.(F) For composting system using only sewage sludge with an additive such as wood chips, the maximum contaminant concentrations of the sewage sludge shall meet the applicable standards in 40 CFR Part 503. Since other contaminants may be present in the sewage sludge as indicated by discharge monitoring and other industrial pre-treatment requirements; the department, on a case specific basis, may determine the maximum allowable concentrations of these contaminants in the sewage sludge.(G) Adequate drainage. Adequate drainage to prevent standing water and to control "run-on" and "run-off" of rainwater shall be provided.(3) Operation plan. (A) Provide a description of the type and size of the facility, detention times for handling and processing the material, a process flow diagram of the entire process, and all the major equipment required. Include in the report monitoring information, such as the locations of all the temperature monitoring points and their frequency of reading.(B) Provide a detailed description of the source, quality and quantity of the solid waste to be composted, including the source, quality, and expected quantity of any bulking agent to be used. If sewage sludge is to be composted, data on the material must be submitted.(C) The compost from composting operations shall be nonpathogenic, free of offensive odors, biologically and chemically stable, and free of injurious components or particles, and able to sustain plant growth. Rejects generated by the composting process shall be disposed of in accordance with these rules.(D) Solid waste that possess a pathogen concern, shall be composted and meet the criteria for reducing pathogens. Three acceptable methods are: (i) Using the windrow composting method, the solid waste is maintained under aerobic conditions during the composting process. A minimum of five turnings is required during a period of fifteen consecutive days with the temperature of the mixture being fifty-five degrees Celsius or greater within six to eight inches below the surface of the pile.(ii) Using the aerated static pile composting method, the compost pile must be insulated and a temperature of not less than fifty-five degrees Celsius or greater must be maintained throughout the compost pile for at least three consecutive days.(iii) Using the enclosed vessel composting method, the mixture must be maintained at a temperature of not less than fifty-five degrees Celsius or greater throughout the mixture for at least three consecutive days.(iv) Other methods may be submitted to the director and they will be approved on a case-by-case basis.(E) Provide a description of the ultimate use for the finished compost and the method of removal from the site. Include a plan for disposal of the finished compost that cannot be used.(4) Closure plan. As part of the application for a permit, the owner and/or operator shall develop a closure plan to ensure no adverse environmental impacts.(c) Reporting requirements. At a minimum, an annual report shall be submitted to the department, not later than thirty days after June 30 of each year. The report must include: (A) The type and quantity, by weight or volume after primary processing, of solid waste received by the facility.(B) The quantity, by weight or volume, of compost produced and removed from the facility.(C) A summary of monitoring done during the operation.Haw. Code R. § 11-58.1-41
[Eff JAN 13 1994] (Auth: HRS §§ 342G-13, 342G-28, 342H-3, 342H-4, 342H-31)