250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-140-05-8.10

Current through October 15, 2024

Section 250-RICR-140-05-8.10 - Mixed Solid Waste Composting Design Standards

A. General

All mixed solid waste composting facilities shall meet all the requirements set forth in this Part in addition to § 1.5 of this Subchapter (General Requirements).

B. On-site roads and access areas

1. All access and on-site roads shall be surfaced and constructed in accordance with heavy truck usage and for all-weather use.

2. Access and on-site roads shall be designed to prevent traffic back-ups and to permit orderly entrance and egress and maintain even traffic flow at all times when the facility is open to receive waste, even during periods of inclement weather.

C. Fencing and Gate Design

1. There shall be gates with locks at all entrances to the facility to prevent access except at times when authorized operating personnel are on duty;

2. Fencing shall be required around the perimeter of the facility to prevent unauthorized access and illegal dumping at the site and to provide containment of wind-blown litter (if any).

D. Emergency Access Provisions

Access and on-site roads shall have adequate space and shall be maintained to allow the unobstructed movement of fire-fighting vehicles and other emergency vehicles, equipment and personnel to the operating area of the facility.

E. Unloading and Sorting Area Design Features

1. The approach and unloading area shall be adequate in size and design to facilitate the rapid unloading of solid waste from vehicles and the unobstructed maneuvering of vehicles and other equipment;

2. The unloading area shall be adequate in size and capacity to manage the projected volume of incoming solid waste;

3. The unloading area shall be graded to prevent ponding of leachate from the waste;

4. The surface of the unloading area shall be constructed of impervious material, such as asphalt or concrete, capable of being cleaned by high-pressure water spray and equipped with drains, sumps or other means to collect liquids;

5. The tipping floor shall be under roof and fully enclosed with negative pressure air collection and treatment as needed, in order to avoid odor problems, to avoid windblown dust and debris and to prevent exposure to precipitation.

F. Incoming Mixed Solid Waste Storage Area Features

1. The facility shall have provisions for storage area(s) for incoming mixed solid waste, waiting to be processed. There shall be at least a capacity to store a volume of mixed solid waste equivalent to three (3) days worth of incoming waste, plus contingency storage, (to provide surge space for fluctuations in delivery volume and variations in composting operations, including processing equipment outages).

2. All unprocessed mixed solid waste storage areas shall be under roof and fully enclosed to avoid windblown dust and debris and to prevent exposure to precipitation.

3. The storage area shall be graded to minimize ponding of leachate from the waste piles.

4. The surface of the storage area shall be constructed of impervious material, such as sealed asphalt or concrete, to minimize liquid release into the groundwater under the site and to allow for cleaning with high-pressure water spray. The storage area shall be equipped with drains, sumps or other means to collect liquids.

5. These storage area design features in §§ 8.10(F)(2) through (4) of this Part also apply to co-composting wastes, bulking agents or other amendments.

G. Design Provisions for Storage of Non-Compostable Waste

1. The facility shall have the capacity for proper handling, storage and removal of hazardous waste or other non-permitted waste delivered to or generated by the facility.

2. The facility shall have provisions for proper storage of bulky, solid waste if such waste is accepted by the facility and if such waste is not immediately removed off-site for recycling or disposal. Acceptable options including storing in an enclosed structure with a roof, in a covered contained box or other equivalent option.

3. The facility shall have provisions for segregation and proper storage of recovered recyclables, if recyclables are accepted as part of the incoming waste stream and if recovered recyclables are not immediately removed off-site for recycling. Acceptable options include storing in an enclosed structure with a roof, in a covered container box or other equivalent option.

4. The facility shall have provisions for segregation and proper storage of compost residues or other process non-compostable residues or foreign matter, if such residues or foreign matter are not immediately reprocessed or removed off-site for disposal. Acceptable options include storing in an enclosed structure with a roof in a covered container box or other equivalent option and shall be located on an impervious surface such as sealed asphalt or concrete to prevent leachate releases into groundwater under the site.

5. If the facility separates out or recovers any other materials that do not fall into the above categories and furthermore will not be composted at this site, and will not be immediately removed off-site, then the facility must have provisions for segregation and proper storage of such materials. Acceptable storage options include storing in an enclosed structure with a roof, in a covered container box or other equivalent option, unless an alternate option is approved by the Department.

H. Up-Front Processing Area Design Features (Prior to Composting)

1. If the facility performs any up-front processing of the incoming waste stream (i.e., removal of foreign matter and non-compostables, recovery of recyclables, material size reduction or any other activities to improve the feed-stock to be delivered to the composting area), then these activities shall be performed in an enclosed area, under a roof, to avoid windblown dust and debris and to prevent exposure to precipitation.

2. Floor surfaces shall be constructed of impervious material such as asphalt or concrete, to prevent liquid releases into the groundwater under the site.

I. Design Provisions for Operation During Inclement Weather and in Winter Season

Provisions for operation during wind, heavy rain, snow, freezing temperatures and other inclement weather conditions shall be provided.

J. Acceptable Composting Techniques (Technologies)

The Department shall consider composting by aerated static pile, by windrow method or by enclosed vessel (in-vessel), to be acceptable methods. Any other comparable method will be considered by the Department, subject to approval or denial. All methods shall be employed within an enclosed building.

K. Active Composting and Curing Area Design Features

1. There shall be sufficient space at the facility, to allow for the design volume (maximum capacity) being composted and cured at any given time;

2. All active composting and curing areas shall be under a roof and fully enclosed to avoid odor problems, to avoid windblown dust and debris, and to prevent exposure to precipitation and maintain proper moisture and biological process control;

3. All active composting and curing areas shall be located on impervious surfaces, such as sealed asphalt or concrete, to prevent leachate releases into the groundwater under the site;

4. Wherever active composting and curing areas occurs on a pad, the pad shall be graded to minimize ponding of leachate released from the composting piles;

5. There shall be drains, sumps or other means to collect leachate released during active composting and curing;

6. For facilities employing windrow composting techniques:

a. The windrow shall be placed along the fall line of the composting pad, i.e., parallel to the slope of the pad,

b. Windrow height and width shall be such that windrow turning equipment shall be able to mix the composting waste easily and thoroughly and in no case larger than twelve (12) feet in height and twenty-six (26) feet in width,

c. Sufficient distances shall be maintained between adjacent windrows to allow maneuvering of heavy equipment during all depositing, turning and removal of compost and to allow for access by other vehicles, including fire-fighting equipment;

7. For facilities employing static aerated piles: The pile height shall be such that aeration equipment can perform proper aeration of the piles and in no case greater than twelve (12) feet in height.

L. Finished Compost Storage Area Design Facilities and Capacity Requirement

1. The facility shall have sufficient capacity for finished compost storage, not to exceed twelve (12) months production;

2. The finished compost storage area must be located on impervious surfaces, such as sealed concrete or asphalt, to prevent liquid release into the groundwater under the site;

3. The surface of the finished compost, storage area shall be graded to minimize ponding of liquids where compost is stored;

4. The storage area, through appropriate design features, management practices and/or location of the storage area, shall properly control any odors generated from the stored finished compost, if any, depending on stability of the compost and climatic conditions.

M. Surface Water/Stormwater Management Design Provisions and Erosion Control/Sedimentation Prevention

1. The facility shall not be constructed or operated in a one hundred (100) year flood plain area unless provisions have been made to prevent encroachment of flood waters upon the facility and approval has been obtained from the Office of Water Resources;

2. Stormwater management systems must be designed to control the water volume of a twenty-four (24) hour, twenty-five (25) year storm and to prevent run-on from entering the receiving, processing, composting, curing or storage area.

3. For any facility where run-off and erosion may be a problem, the design of the facility shall include erosion control measures.

N. Liquids Management Design Provisions

The facility shall have a liquids collection and removal system designed, constructed, maintained and operated to collect and remove liquid waste from the waste receiving and waste storage areas, waste composting and curing areas.

O. Fresh Air and Process Air Controls

1. In order to provide for proper worker health conditions and to avoid buildup of carbon dioxide, ammonia and fog, the facility must include appropriate design provisions to include one or more of the following options or a Department approved alternate option:

a. Active ventilation of composting building enclosures to provide adequate fresh air makeup and appropriate treatment of building ceilings and other building structures to avoid or accommodate the accumulation of corrosive condensate;

b. Collection of composting process air using negative aeration or air collection inside the pile so that it can be appropriately treated and not exhausted inside the building;

c. Total enclosure of the composting waste such that all process air is contained within the enclosure during composting and such that the process air does not enter the building, but instead is separately handled and treated.

P. Odor Control Design Features

1. Facility design shall include provisions, such as bio filters, to limit the production of and/or off-site dispersal of odors;

2. Process air must be contained, collected, treated (deodorized) and dispensed to the atmosphere as necessary to avoid creating an odor nuisance from the incoming waste unloading/sorting area, the waste (feed-stock) storage area, the waste composting piles or chambers, the nitrogen source (supplementary material), storage area (if any), the compost curing area, the finished compost storage area and any other potential odor sources;

3. Scrubbing devices (if any) used to remove odors shall be properly maintained and shall be used with stacks of appropriate height and where exhaust air is properly dispersed.

Q. Setback and Buffer Requirements

1. No waste shall be received (unloaded), stored, processed or composted on any well field or within one thousand (1000) feet of any private or public drinking water supply well or within the wellhead protection area delineated consistent with the wellhead protection program for a public well. If the owner or applicant seeks a variance from this requirement, then the Department will require demonstration that leachate (if any) from the composting facility will not impact on the water supply, under terms of the variance.

2. No waste shall be received (unloaded), stored, processed or composted within the watershed of any surface water used as a public drinking water supply. If the owner or applicant seeks a variance from this requirement, then the Department will require demonstration that any run-off from the composting facility will not affect surface water quality, under terms of the variance.

3. No waste shall be received (unloaded), stored, processed or composted within two hundred (200) feet of any body of surface water or freshwater wetland. If the owner or operator seeks a variance from this requirement, then the Department will require and the applicant shall demonstrate that any run-off from the composting facility will not significantly and adversely affect the surface water or wetlands, under terms of the variance.

4. Composting activities shall not be located within any freshwater wetlands as defined by R.I. Gen. Laws § 2-1-18 et seq. Composting activities shall not occur on a site that is not in compliance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 2-1-18 et seq. and the Rules and Regulations promulgated pursuant to that Act.

5. No waste shall be received (unloaded), stored, processed or composted within one hundred (100) feet of the compost facility's property line, nor within five hundred (500) feet of any residence, place of business, or other private or public facilities occupied by humans (excluding the facility owner/operator's residences, offices, or other structures involved with the operation of the composting facility).

R. Design Provisions for Fire and Explosion Prevention, Protection, Suppression and Control

1. The facility shall be designed and constructed to prevent and minimize the potential for fire or explosion;

2. Facility design shall include provisions to monitor and inhibit spontaneous combustion and fire hazards;

3. The facility shall contain a properly designed fire suppression system with sufficient capacity to adequately control a fire within the facility.

S. Communication System Design

1. The facility shall be designed with adequate communication systems to support normal and emergency operating conditions to include at least:

2. An internal communication or alarm system, capable of providing immediate emergency instruction by voice or signal to facility personnel, must be available and in working condition at the immediate operating area of the facility;

3. An external communication system, capable of summoning emergency assistance from local police, fire departments, emergency medical services, and from state and local emergency response agencies, must be available and in proper working condition at the immediate operating area of the facility.

T. Back-up Power Supply

The facility shall be designed with a back-up power supply to meet facility needs during facility outages and to provide adequate power during emergencies, including fires.

U. Facility Support Equipment Requirement

The facility shall have sufficient types and quantities of equipment to support operations.

V. Storage Area for Replacement Parts and Equipment

A properly sized replacement parts and equipment storage area shall be included in the facility.

250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-140-05-8.10

Amended effective4/22/2020