Md. Code Regs. 26.11.42.03

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 24, December 2, 2024

Section 26.11.42.03 - Definitions

A. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

B. Terms Defined.

(1) "Active MSW landfill" means a MSW landfill in which solid waste is being placed or a MSW landfill that has been constructed at least in part and that is planned to accept waste in the future.

(2) "Bioreactor" means a landfill or portion of a landfill where any liquid other than leachate (leachate includes landfill gas condensate) is added in a controlled fashion into the waste mass (often in combination with recirculating leachate) to reach a minimum average moisture content of at least 40 percent by weight to accelerate or enhance the anaerobic (without oxygen) biodegradation of the waste.

(3) "Closed MSW landfill" means a MSW landfill that is no longer accepting solid waste for disposal and has documentation that the closure was conducted in accordance with the applicable statutes, regulations, and local ordinances in effect at the time of closure.

(4) "Component" means any equipment that is part of the gas collection and control system and that contains landfill gas including, but not limited to:

(a) Wells;

(b) Pipes;

(c) Flanges;

(d) Fittings;

(e) Flame arrestors;

(f) Knock-out drums;

(g) Sampling ports;

(h) Blowers;

(i) Compressors; and

(j) Connectors.

(5) Component Leak.

(a) "Component leak" means the concentration of methane measured one half an inch or less from a component source that equals or exceeds 500 parts per million by volume (ppmv), other than non-repeatable, momentary readings.

(b) "Component leak" includes measurements from any vault taken within 3 inches above the surface of the vault exposed to the atmosphere.

(6) "Construction and demolition waste" means waste building materials, packing, and rubble resulting from construction, remodeling, repair, and demolition operations on pavements, houses, commercial buildings, and other structures.

(7) "Continuous operation" means a gas collection and gas control system that is operated continuously, with the gas collection wells operating under vacuum while maintaining landfill gas flow and the collected landfill gas is processed by a gas control system 24 hours per day.

(7-1) Controlled MSW Landfill.

(a) "Controlled MSW landfill" means any MSW landfill at which gas collection and control systems are required as a result of triggering the threshold for:

(i) The calculated methane generation rate; or

(ii) The calculated methane generation rate and the concentration of methane.

(b) "Controlled MSW landfill" is considered to be controlled at the time a gas collection and control system design plan is submitted to the Department in accordance with applicable regulations.

(8) "Corrective action analysis" means a description of all reasonable interim and long-term measures, if any, that are available, and an explanation of why the selected corrective action(s) is/are the best alternative(s), including, but not limited to consideration of:

(a) Cost effectiveness;

(b) Technical feasibility;

(c) Safety; and

(d) Secondary impacts.

(9) "Destruction efficiency" means a measure of the ability of a gas control device to combust, transform, or otherwise prevent emissions of methane from entering the atmosphere.

(10) "Disposal facility" means all contiguous land and structures, appurtenances, and other improvements used for the disposal of solid waste.

(11) "Enclosed combustor" means an enclosed flare, steam generating boiler, internal combustion engine, or gas turbine.

(12) "Energy recovery device" means any combustion device that uses landfill gas to recover energy in the form of steam or electricity, including, but not limited to:

(a) Gas turbines;

(b) Internal combustion engines;

(c) Boilers; and

(d) Boiler-to-steam turbine systems.

(13) "Gas collection system" means any system that employs various gas collection wells and connected piping and gas mover equipment, or any system that is a passive collection system.

(14) "Gas collection and control system" means any system consisting of a gas collection system and a gas control system.

(15) "Gas control device" means any device used to dispose of or treat collected landfill gas, including, but not limited to:

(a) Enclosed flares;

(b) Internal combustion engines;

(c) Boilers and boiler-to-steam turbine systems;

(d) Fuel cells; and

(e) Gas turbines.

(16) "Gas control system" means any system that disposes of or treats collected landfill gas by one or more of the following methods:

(a) Combustion;

(b) Gas treatment for subsequent sale; or

(c) Sale for processing offsite, including for transportation fuel and injection into the natural gas pipeline.

(17) "Gas mover equipment" means the equipment (e.g., fan, blower, compressor) used to transport landfill gas through the header system.

(18) "Inactive area" means a separate area of a MSW landfill in which solid waste is no longer being placed.

(19) "Inactive MSW landfill" means a MSW landfill that is no longer accepting solid waste for disposal and can subsequently document that solid waste is no longer being placed at the landfill.

(20) "Landfill gas" means the gases generated by a MSW landfill through the natural process of decomposing organic material or through the chemical reaction of other substances in the municipal solid waste.

(21) "Landfill surface" means the area of the landfill under which decomposable solid waste has been placed, excluding the working face.

(22) "Leachate recirculation" means the practice of taking the leachate collected from the landfill and reapplying it to the landfill by any of one of a variety of methods, including:

(a) Pre-wetting of the waste;

(b) Direct discharge into the working face;

(c) Spraying;

(d) Infiltration ponds;

(e) Vertical injection wells;

(f) Horizontal gravity distribution systems; and

(g) Pressure distribution systems.

(23) "Municipal solid waste (MSW)" means household waste, commercial solid waste, and industrial solid waste, as defined in 40 CFR § 60.751.

(24) Municipal Solid Waste Landfill (MSW Landfill).

(a) "Municipal solid waste landfill" means an entire disposal facility in a contiguous geographical space where household waste is placed in or on land, portions of which may be separated by access roads.

(b) "Municipal solid waste landfill" includes landfills that also receive other types of federal (40 CFR § 257.2) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle D defined wastes such as commercial solid waste, nonhazardous sludge, conditionally exempt small quantity generator waste, and industrial solid waste.

(25) Non-Decomposable Solid Waste.

(a) "Non-decomposable solid waste" means materials that do not degrade biologically to form landfill gas.

(b) "Non-decomposable solid waste" includes but is not limited to:

(i) Earth;

(ii) Rock;

(iii) Concrete asphalt paving fragments;

(iv) Uncontaminated concrete (including fiberglass or steel reinforcing rods embedded in the concrete);

(v) Brick;

(vi) Glass;

(vii) Ceramics;

(viii) Clay products;

(ix) Inert slag;

(x) Asbestos-containing waste;

(xi) Demolition materials containing minor amounts (less than 10 percent by volume) of wood and metals; and

(xii) Coal combustion byproducts (CCBs) and incinerator ash.

(26) "Non-repeatable momentary readings" means indications of the presence of methane, total organic compounds, or toxic air contaminants, which persist for less than 5 seconds and do not recur when the sampling probe of a portable gas detector is placed in the same location.

(27) "Open flare" means an open combustor without enclosure or shroud.

(28) "Owner or Operator" means a person who owns or operates a MSW landfill.

(29) "Passive gas collection system" means a gas collection system that solely uses positive pressure within the MSW landfill to move gas rather than using gas mover equipment.

(30) "Root cause analysis" means an assessment conducted through a process of investigation to determine the primary cause, and any other contributing causes, of positive pressure at a wellhead.

(31) "Solar array" means multiple solar panels used in conjunction to produce electricity.

(32) Solar Panel.

(a) "Solar panel" means any photovoltaic energy system designed for the generation of electrical power from the collection of sunlight.

(b) "Solar panel" includes without limitation:

(i) Photovoltaic panels;

(ii) Foundations;

(iii) Support structures;

(iv) Braces; and

(v) Related equipment.

(33) "Total waste landfilled" means the same as waste-in-place.

(34) "Treatment system" means a system that filters, de-waters, and compresses landfill gas for sale or subsequent use.

(35) Waste-In-Place.

(a) "Waste-in-place" means the total amount of solid waste placed in the MSW landfill estimated in tons and is also referred to as "total waste landfilled."

(b) "Waste-in-place" assumes both the refuse density to be 1,300 pounds per cubic yard and the decomposable fraction to be 70 percent by weight.

(36) Well Raising.

(a) "Well raising" means a MSW landfill activity where an existing gas collection well is temporarily disconnected from a vacuum source, and the non-perforated pipe attached to the well is extended vertically to allow the addition of a new layer of solid waste or the final cover; or is extended horizontally to allow the horizontal extension of an existing layer of solid waste or cover material.

(b) "Well raising" includes re-connecting the extended pipe (well extension) to continue collecting gas from that well.

(37) "Working face" means the open area where solid waste is deposited daily and compacted with landfill equipment.

Md. Code Regs. 26.11.42.03

Regulation .03 adopted effective 50:11 Md. R. 446, eff. 6/12/2023; amended effective 51:15 Md. R. 711, eff. 8/5/2024.