250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-140-05-8.7

Current through October 15, 2024

Section 250-RICR-140-05-8.7 - Large-Scale Putrescible Waste Composting Facility - Registration Requirements

A. General Information

1. § 8.7 of this Part and its sub-paragraphs apply to putrescible waste composting facilities that will have on site (at one or more times during their existence) greater than 600 cubic yards of the combination of collected uncomposted feedstock and feedstock that has been placed into a composting process, excluding finished compost. Before constructing a composting facility and commencing putrescible waste composting, an owner or operator of a new putrescible waste composting facility shall register such facility with the Office of Land Revitalization and Sustainable Materials Management of the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and obtain from the DEM a written approval that such registration is complete. An owner or operator of an existing putrescible waste composting facility shall register such facility with the Department.

2. The registration and one copy thereof shall be delivered personally or by mail to the Office of Land Revitalization and Sustainable Materials Management within the Department of Environmental Management.

3. It is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain all necessary permits or approvals required by federal, state and local laws and regulations. Cooperation within the Office of Land Revitalization and Sustainable Materials Management will not be construed as relieving the applicant of this obligation.

4. Agricultural Composting Facilities will be permitted through the Division of Agriculture of the Department of Environmental Management.

5. Backyard composting, as defined in § 1.5 of this Subchapter "General Requirements" is not subject to the Putrescible Waste Composting Facility Rules and Regulations, but may be subject to Department enforcement actions if best management practices acceptable to the Department are not followed.

6. The applicant shall also meet the general requirements in § 1.5 of this Subchapter.

B. Elements of Registration

1. The registration of a putrescible waste composting facility includes submittal to DEM the following:

a. Initial Investigation Plans in accordance with § 8.7(C) of this Part;

b. Background information in accordance with § 8.7(D) of this Part;

c. Operating Plan in accordance with § 8.7(E) of this Part;

d. Contingency Plan in accordance with § 8.7(F) of this Part;

e. Additional information, per § 8.7(G) of this Part.

C. Initial Investigation Plans

Copies of the latest United States Geological Topographic Map and the United States Department of Agriculture Soil Survey Map, with the site outlined, and a site sketch (using a tax assessor's map showing the property line) with the major components of the composting facility labeled and dimensioned, must be submitted to the Department.

D. Background Information

1. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 8.7(A) of this Part, an owner or operator of a putrescible waste composting facility shall be considered by the Department to be in compliance if, within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this regulation, such owner or operator has submitted to the Department the following information with respect to such facility:

a. Name, business address, and business telephone number of the facility's owner and the owner of the land on which the facility is located;

b. Location of the facility (address);

c. Acreage of the property on which the facility is located;

d. Volume of waste composted, or expected to be composted, annually;

e. Acreage of area used, or to be used, for a composting pad, waste processing activities, and storage of compost;

f. Name of individual to be the primary contact with the Department;

g. Name, business address, and business telephone number of any engineer or other consultant employed or retained to design and/or oversee construction and/or operation of the facility.

E. Operating Plan

1. An operating plan shall be submitted including all of the information listed below:

a. Specific ownership or leasing arrangement of the facility or any other agreements affecting control, use, or operation of the site;

b. Operating days and hours;

c. Provisions for limiting access;

d. Daily traffic flow to and from the facility including the number of trips by private or public collection vehicles and quantity of solid waste in each vehicle;

e. Weighing facilities (if any);

f. Procedures for unloading trucks, including frequency, rate and method;

g. Types of compostable material to be accepted with percentages of the total;

h. Description of the composition of putrescible wastes to be accepted, the anticipated quantity of each type of material, and how each will be handled at the site;

i. Provisions for the immediate composting of all putrescible wastes;

j. Detailed description of the composting method to be used and the proposed sequence of operation;

k. For the windrow systems, the windrow(s) construction including length, width and height;

l. Method of aeration of composting materials, including turning frequency or mechanical aeration equipment and aeration capacity;

m. For in-vessel composting systems, a process flow diagram of the entire process including major equipment and flow streams;

n. Description of any process monitoring during the composting process;

o. Composting time duration (time period from initiation of composting process to completion);

p. Time period of storage of finished compost prior to distribution;

q. Description of prevailing winds during various seasons of the year with respect to impacts on off-site receptors and procedures to control odors, dust, vectors (including gulls) and litter;

r. Provisions for daily record keeping of weather conditions, wind direction, ambient temperature, odor, dust, litter, gull, and vector issues, condition of composting pad, windrow monitoring and corrective actions needed and taken;

s. Personnel and duties;

t. Procedures to control erosion and sedimentation;

u. Surface drainage control measures;

v. Leachate treatment operations;

w. Equipment to be used on-site during operating hours;

x. Substitute equipment available;

y. Communication equipment available;

z. Fire control and prevention provisions;

aa. Winter operations;

bb. Provisions for compost utilization;

cc. Documented markets for finished compost;

dd. Provisions for the proper storage of compost;

ee. Quality assurance/Quality control of finished compost, which also includes compost (product) sampling and analysis details;

ff. Method for removal of finished compost from the site;

gg. Plan for disposal of finished compost that cannot be used in the expected manner due to poor quality or changes in market conditions; Also, a plan identifying the disposal method for waste received, in the event that the waste is contaminated (or becomes contaminated) with prohibited materials such as oil, hazardous materials, etc. or if the waste cannot be placed into a composting process in an acceptable time period, per § 8.8(R) of this Part;

hh. Description of surface soil characteristics for the proposed site and depth to seasonal high groundwater and bedrock;

ii. Aesthetic considerations;

jj. Estimated life of composting facility.

F. Contingency Plan

1. The plan must address:

a. Action taken with respect to personnel and user safety;

b. On site personnel injury;

c. Fires;

d. Equipment breakdown;

e. Disposition of waste received that is not authorized by the Department to be composted at the facility (i.e. hazardous, medical waste);

f. Releases of hazardous or toxic materials;

g. Steps that will be taken to alleviate odors, groundwater contamination and other undesirable conditions.

G. Additional Information

The applicant shall submit such additional information relevant to the facility that the Department deems appropriate.

H. Re-registration

1. Each owner or operator of a registered putrescible waste composting facility shall re-register such facility with the Department, if any of the following occurs:

a. The annual volume or weight of the putrescible waste to be composted at the facility increases by twenty (20) percent of the annual volume or weight indicated in the current registration;

b. The design of the facility, or procedures or processes for putrescible waste composting are modified;

c. There is a change in the identity of the facility's owner or operator or site location.

I. Registration Suspension or Revocation

The Department may suspend or revoke a facility's registration due to owner/operator failure to comply with the Department's Rules and Regulations.

250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-140-05-8.7

Amended effective4/22/2020