Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 6, March 18, 2024
(a) This section contains the regulations of the Department governing the authorization and operation of intermodal container facilities.
1. This section shall not apply to a rail carrier that transfers solid waste to or from rail cars. For the purpose of this subchapter, the term "rail carrier" shall mean a person as defined in 49 U.S.C. §
10102(5) that provides common carrier railroad transportation and has been issued a certificate or license, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. §§
10901 or 10902, by the United States Surface Transportation Board (or its predecessor agency) and holds out to the general public that the operations at the facility for which the exemption under this section is applicable are being conducted by it or on its behalf as part of its rail transportation services. Such rail carriers, although exempted from this section, are fully subject to regulation pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-2D.
2. Intermodal container facilities shall handle only containerized solid waste as defined at 7:26-1.6 and limited to the following solid waste types identified and listed at 7:26-2.13 as ID 10, 12, 13, 13C, 23, 25, 27, 72, 73, and 74. Such facilities shall not accept or in any manner handle hazardous waste or regulated medical waste, as defined at 7:26-1.4 and 3A.6, respectively. This subsection does not prohibit the operator of an authorized intermodal container facility from conducting other solid waste, regulated medical waste, or hazardous waste management activities at the site of the intermodal container facility, provided the operator complies with all applicable permitting and operating requirements for such activities pursuant to this chapter and N.J.A.C. 7:26G.
(b) A person registered and licensed in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-3, 16 and 16A to transport solid waste in the State of New Jersey that seeks to operate an intermodal container facility shall submit an application containing all of the following information. Three copies of the entire application and all accompanying documents shall be submitted to the Department at the address specified in (c) below, and at the same time one copy each to the host municipality and district solid waste plan implementation agency:
1. The name, address and telephone number of the person or persons seeking to operate the proposed facility;
2. Photocopies of documents as evidence of the applicant's registration and licensing as a solid waste transporter pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-3, 16 and 16A;
3. Photocopies of documents as evidence of all authorizations for siting, construction and operation, and conformance with all local, regional, State or Federal requirements of any governmental agency, or other body with jurisdiction over any aspect of the proposed facility;
4. A description of the geographical location of the facility, identifying the name of the municipality in which the facility is located and the address of the facility;
5. A copy of the tax map showing the lot and block numbers of the facility site and of all adjoining properties;
6. A description of the current use of the facility site and of all adjoining properties;
7. An administrative action issued by the district solid waste management plan implementing agency, established pursuant to N.J.S.A. 13:1E-21b(1), of the district where the facility is proposed to be located, which shall include any applicable comments from the host municipality. The Department may issue an authorization in the absence of a district administrative action should the Department determine, at its discretion, that the intermodal container facility is needed to help fulfill the objectives of the adopted and approved Statewide Solid Waste Management Plan or individual district solid waste management plans. In the event of such a determination, the Department shall notify the host district and municipality of its determination and reasons justifying facility authorization in writing prior to any approval of operations;
8. A list of all solid wastes by waste type as defined at N.J.A.C. 7:26-2.13, to be received and transferred at the facility;
9. A description of the maximum amount of each type of solid waste to be received and transferred at the facility each day, expressed in tons per day and cubic yards per day, or gallons where applicable;
10. A description of the sources of the containerized solid waste and the anticipated disposal locations of the waste, both in-State and out-of-State;
11. A description of the type(s) and number of containers that will be used at the facility and the type and means of storage and staging of the containers;
12. Three copies of a site plan, prepared, signed, and sealed by a licensed New Jersey professional engineer or surveyor. The site plan must:
i. Identify the placement of all equipment, buildings, activities and areas related to the receipt, loading, unloading and temporary storage of containerized solid waste;
ii. Be drawn to a scale no greater than one inch equals 100 feet;
iii. Indicate the routing of vehicles between the facility and all nearby roadways serving the site, as well as the traffic flow within the site. Such routing must ensure safe and efficient vehicular and pedestrian circulation, parking, and loading and unloading of containers;
iv. Delineate floodplains as defined at 7:13-1.2;
v. Delineate the location of State-designated wetlands, New Jersey Pinelands, existing or suitable agricultural lands, Federal or New Jersey-registered historic sites and other environmentally sensitive areas such as State parks, wildlife management areas and National Wildlife Refuges;
vi. Identify the direction of water runoff both on-site and off-site and the screening and landscaping on the site;
vii. Indicate topographic contours, drawn at two-foot intervals; and
viii. Indicate all site access controls to be employed at the facility;
13. An original current 7.5 minute USGS Quadrangle map with the boundary of the facility plotted thereon. The map shall delineate any public access roads to the site and any streams, ponds or other potential sensitive receptors such as, but not limited to, hospitals, schools, and shopping areas within a one-half mile radius of the site;
14. A copy of the deed of record establishing ownership of the facility property or, if the applicant is a person other than the landowner, a legal agreement (for example, a lease) to use the real property for the purpose of operating the facility;
15. A description of the design capacity of the facility, setting forth the number and types of all vehicles arriving at the facility and the number and types of all vehicles leaving the facility on a daily basis, stating the maximum number of vehicles per hour that will arrive at and leave the facility;
16. A copy of any New Jersey air pollution control permit application as applicable, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:27;
17. A narrative describing the facility operations from the receipt of containerized waste through the point of transfer to destination. The narrative must clearly demonstrate that containers will not be opened and that employees, the public or the environment will not be exposed to solid waste except as allowed in accordance with this section; and
18. Where applicable, additional information in support of a request for a variance from the 72-hour storage time limit, pursuant to (o) below.
(c) The application described at (b) above shall be submitted in triplicate, along with the application fee set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:26-4.7, to:
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Sustainable Waste Management
Bureau of Solid Waste Permitting
Mail Code 401-02C
PO Box 420
401 East State Street
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0420
(d) Within 45 days after the Department receives the application submitted pursuant to (b) above, the Department will take one of the following actions:
1. Issue either a letter of authorization to operate the intermodal container facility that shall specify that any other waste management activities conducted at the site where the intermodal container facility is operated shall be conducted in compliance with all applicable permitting and operational requirements under this chapter, or a denial of the application, to the applicant, with a copy to the host municipality and district solid waste plan implementation agency. A letter of authorization shall not be transferred to any other person;
2. Notify the applicant in writing of missing information, with a copy of the notice sent to the host municipality and district solid waste plan implementation agency; or
3. Notify the applicant in writing of any information that does not satisfy the requirements of (b) above, with a copy of the notice sent to the host municipality and district solid waste plan implementation agency.
(e) An applicant shall submit to the Department and to the host municipality and district solid waste plan implementation agency any additional or corrected information required pursuant to (d)2 or 3 above within 30 days of receipt of the notification from the Department of missing and/or insufficient information.
(f) The Department will deny without prejudice the application of any applicant that fails to submit the additional or corrected information required pursuant to (d)2 or 3 above or that otherwise fails to meet the application criteria of these regulations. The applicant may thereafter submit a new application for authorization to operate an intermodal container facility at the same location pursuant to the requirements of this section.
(g) All intermodal container facilities authorized by the Department pursuant to this section shall operate in accordance with the following standards:
1. Solid waste shall not remain at any intermodal container facility for more than 72 hours, except that ID 72 liquid solid waste may be stored for up to 180 days in sealed containers and ID 10 (non-putrescible), ID 13, ID 13C and ID 27 solid wastes for which a variance from the 72-hour storage time limit has been approved by the Department pursuant to (o) below may be stored for up to 10 days. An intermodal container facility at which solid waste is staged or stored for more than 72 hours, or at which ID 72 liquid solid waste is stored for more than 180 days, or at which ID 10 (non-putrescible), ID 13, ID 13C or ID 27 solid wastes for which a variance from the 72-hour storage time limit has been approved by the Department pursuant to (o) below is stored for more than 10 days shall be deemed to be an unpermitted solid waste facility, and shall be subject to all penalties authorized pursuant to applicable statutes and rules.
2. Solid waste received, stored or transferred at any intermodal container facility shall at all times be contained in sealed containers registered as solid waste containers with the Department in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-3 that do not leak any liquids or solid materials and are not opened for any purpose at the facility, except that an ID 72 liquid solid waste container may be opened briefly for the purpose of sampling the liquid provided the container is immediately resealed.
3. Solid waste contained in solid waste containers at any intermodal container facility shall not emit odors that are detectable at the facility or in the vicinity of the facility.
4. Access to any intermodal container facility shall be restricted to facility operators, solid waste vehicle operators and authorized visitors only. Effective security procedures shall be implemented to control entry and exit at all times. All solid waste containers staged or stored at the facility shall be secured at all times in a manner that prevents unauthorized access to the containers and their contents.
5. The Department's designated representatives and inspectors shall have the right to enter and inspect any building or any other portion of any intermodal container facility, at any time. This right to enter and inspect includes, but is not limited to:
i. Observing and sampling any materials on site;
ii. Photographing any portion of the facility, solid waste vehicles, containers, and container contents;
iii. Investigating an actual or suspected source of pollution of the environment;
iv. Ascertaining compliance or non-compliance with the statutes, rules, regulations, or policies of the Department, including conditions of the facility's letter of authorization or any other permit or certificate issued by the Department; and
v. Reviewing and copying all applicable records described in this section, which shall be maintained at the facility at all times and shall be made available on request to Department representatives and inspectors at all reasonable times for review and inspection.
6. Intermodal container facilities shall comply with the requirements of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and all other applicable standards of any agency for the operation of the facility and the maintenance of the health and safety of the employees or other persons.
7. Routine housekeeping and maintenance procedures shall be implemented at the facility to prevent the accumulation of dust, debris and to maintain general cleanliness throughout the facility and in the working environment.
8. Any release or discharge of any solid waste at the intermodal container facility shall be immediately reported by the facility operator or its designee to the DEP Emergency Response 24-hour Hot Line at 1-877-WARNDEP. The report shall specify the type of substance discharged in estimated quantity, the nature of the discharge, the location of the discharge, any action being taken or proposed to be taken in order to mitigate the discharge, and any other information concerning the incident the Department may request at the time of notification.
9. The intermodal container facility operator shall designate an on-site emergency coordinator who will be available during all hours of operation for the purpose of handling emergency situations, such as, but not limited to, spills, discharges or releases of solid wastes at the facility.
10. Unless exempted under 7:26-6.3, all containerized solid waste accepted at the intermodal container facility from New Jersey sources shall be disposed of in accordance with applicable District Solid Waste Management Plans. Any out-of-State solid waste accepted at an intermodal container facility shall be disposed of consistent with the provisions set forth in the approved District Solid Waste Management Plan for the district in which the facility is located, or, where applicable, at permitted out-of-State disposal facilities authorized by the receiving state.
11. The intermodal container facility operator shall develop and maintain at the site an operations and maintenance (O&M) manual that shall describe all operating conditions and procedures of the facility. The O&M manual shall be made available to all facility personnel. The O&M manual shall be prepared in accordance with 7:26-2.10(b)9.
(h) An intermodal container facility operator shall maintain the following records at the facility site at all times and shall file reports as follows:
1. Daily records shall be maintained on forms supplied by the Department, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-2.13. These reports shall note the name of the registered transporter, transporter's DEP registration number, vehicle plate number, waste type, waste quantity, solid waste container DEP registration number, source, destination facility name and State registration number and quantity, by vehicle, of all solid waste received, transferred and shipped at the facility. The records shall specify the source and date of every shipment of waste received and the destination and date of every shipment of waste out of the facility. Quantities of solid waste shall be listed in tons and cubic yards. Quantities of liquid solid wastes shall be listed in gallons.
2. The daily records shall be compiled into standard quarterly reports, which shall be submitted to the following address within 20 days of the end of each calendar quarter:
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Sustainable Waste Management
Bureau of Solid Waste Planning and Licensing
Mail Code 401-02C
PO Box 420
401 East State Street
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0420
3. Records that document all violations of any local, State or Federal requirements including violations of the intermodal container facility authorization issued by the Department.
4. Records that document all incidents in which a transporter not registered and licensed pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-3, 16 and 16A, or container not registered pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-3, was denied transfer privileges at the facility. These records shall specify the vehicle driver's name, the vehicle license number, the vehicle registration number, the name of the company operating the vehicle, the solid waste registration number of the company, the date and time of the denial, the size of the vehicle or container, and the type of solid waste in the container. These incidents shall also be reported within 24 hours to the DEP Emergency Response 24-hour Hot Line at 1-877-WARNDEP.
(i) Any person that conducts any of the activities of an intermodal container facility as defined in this section without authorization from the Department, or without a solid waste transfer station permit issued pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-2A, shall be deemed to be operating an unpermitted solid waste facility and shall be subject to all applicable penalties pursuant to the Solid Waste Management Act, 13:1E-1 et seq., and N.J.A.C. 7:26-5.
(j) Any authorized intermodal container facility that accepts unauthorized waste, or fails to operate in compliance with the requirements of this section, shall be deemed an unpermitted solid waste facility and shall be subject to all applicable penalties pursuant to the Solid Waste Management Act, 13:1E-1 et seq., and N.J.A.C. 7:26-5.
(k) Any authorized intermodal container facility that accepts containerized solid waste from a transporter not registered and licensed pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-3, 16 and 16A shall be subject to penalties for violation New Jersey solid waste planning rules at N.J.A.C. 7:26-6, including, but not limited to, revocation of transporter, registration, certification and licensing, and revocation of intermodal container facility authorization.
(l) The Department may revoke the authorization of an intermodal container facility if that facility fails to comply with the requirements for such facilities or any law in any way related to the operation of an intermodal container facility pursuant to New Jersey statute or the Department determines that any of the causes for modification in (m) below are sufficient cause for revocation in order to protect human health, safety and the environment.
(m) The Department may modify an intermodal container facility authorization for the following reasons. The operator shall pay a fee as specified in 7:26-4.7(e) on issuance of any intermodal facility authorization modification:
1. The Department determines that there are material and significant alterations or additions to the authorized facility or operation that occurred after the Department issued the existing letter of authorization that warrant the imposition of conditions different from or lacking in the existing authorization;
2. The Department receives information that was not available at the time it issued the letter of authorization that would have warranted the issuance of conditions in the authorization different from those imposed in the existing authorization. This information may include, but not be limited to, information concerning the effects of the facility on the properties surrounding the facility or the effects of the facility on the environment;
3. A change in Federal or State laws, regulations or policies governing solid waste management;
4. The regulatory compliance record of the intermodal container facility operator;
5. A relevant judicial decision after the authorization was issued; or
6. An operator of an intermodal container facility shall request a modification of its authorization whenever the operator proposes to change any aspect of the operation as originally described in the application. Such changes include, but are not limited to, changes in the amount and type of solid waste managed at the facility.
i. A request for modification of the intermodal container facility authorization pursuant to this paragraph need not be submitted for a change in the origin or disposal location for containerized waste transported to or from the facility, provided:
(1) The waste is transported only to disposal facilities that possess all required permits and authorizations pursuant to Federal and state law where such facility is located; and
(2) The intermodal container facility notifies the Department and the district from which the waste originated of the change in origin or disposal location within 24 hours of any shipment of waste.
(n) The Department shall provide 30-day prior notice of a modification to an authorization to operate an intermodal container facility pursuant to (m) above and its reasons for determining a modification is warranted. This notice shall be sent to the operator of the facility and the host municipality and district solid waste plan implementation agency.
(o) The owner/operator of an intermodal container facility may obtain a variance from the 72-hour storage time limit in (g)1 above for ID 10 (non-putrescible), ID 13, ID 13C and ID 27 solid wastes if the Department finds, as a result of a demonstration by the owner/operator, that no additional hazard or potential hazard will be posed to human health or the environment.
1. The owner/operator shall apply to the Department for the variance. The application shall address the relevant criteria contained in (o)2 below.
2. In deciding whether to grant a variance based on no additional hazard or potential hazard, the Department will consider:
i. The types and amounts of solid wastes stored;
ii. The method of storage;
iii. Whether any contaminants are likely to be released into the environment; and
iv. Other relevant factors.
3. If a variance is granted under this paragraph, the owner/operator will be allowed to store ID 10 (non-putrescible), ID 13, ID 13C and ID 27 solid wastes at the intermodal container facility for up to 10 days. The Department shall require the owner/operator to construct and operate the facility in the manner that was demonstrated to meet the requirements for the variance. If the facility is not constructed and operated in the manner that was demonstrated to meet the requirements for the variance, the facility shall be deemed an unpermitted solid waste facility and shall be subject to all applicable penalties pursuant to the Solid Waste Management Act, 13:1E-1 et seq., and N.J.A.C. 7:26-5.
