Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 9, September 27, 2024
1. The operation of all composting facilities
shall follow acceptable management practices for composting methods that result
in the aerobic, thermophilic decomposition of the solid organic constituents of
the feedstock. The following composting methods will be allowed:
a. Passive leaf composting, in which
composting leaves collected by local government programs are managed with
little manipulation after they are mixed and piled; turning shall be performed
at least quarterly or as needed to prevent odors;
b. The windrow composting method, in which
the following requirements apply: Aerobic conditions at 131 degrees Fahrenheit
or 55 degrees Celsius or greater shall be maintained in the composting mass for
at least fifteen (15) consecutive days. During the high temperature period, the
composting mass shall be turned at least five (5) times. The composting mass
shall be turned before the internal temperature exceeds 160 degrees Fahrenheit
or 71 degrees Celsius;
c. The
aerated static pile composting method, in which the following requirements
apply: Aerobic conditions shall be maintained during the composting process.
The temperature of the composting mass shall be maintained at 131 degrees
Fahrenheit or 55 degrees Celsius for at least three (3) consecutive days;
or
d. The in-vessel composting
method, in which the temperature of the composting mass shall be maintained at
a minimum temperature of 131 degrees Fahrenheit or 55 degrees Celsius for at
least three (3) consecutive days.
e. The use of other composting methods shall
require written Department approval.
2. Temperature measurements shall be as
follows:
a. The temperature of each
composting mass shall be measured daily during the first week of active
composting, and not less than weekly thereafter;
b. Temperature readings shall be taken every
50 feet along the length of a composting mass and from within the center of the
mass;
c. In-vessel composting
systems shall follow the manufacturer's recommendations for monitoring
temperatures during active composting;
d. Intervals and methods for monitoring
temperatures and any alternatives not stated in this regulation must be
included in the operational plan and approved in writing by the Department;
and
e. A record of all temperature
measurements taken shall be maintained and readily available to the Department
upon request.
3. The
moisture content in the composting mass shall be monitored regularly and
managed to achieve desired results.
4. Pile sizes and spacing. All materials
shall be maintained to:
a. Allow the
measurement of internal-pile temperatures of the compost mass as
required;
b. Enable the compost
mass to be turned as needed to result in the aerobic, thermophilic
decomposition of the solid organic constituents of the feedstock;
c. Have sufficient space around the
composting mass to allow loading and other activities described in the approved
operational plan;
d. Have
sufficient space around the composting mass to allow access of emergency
fire-fighting equipment and procedures as described and approved in the
facility operational plan; and,
e.
Provide a safe working environment.
5. Material Management shall occur as
follows:
a. Grass clippings shall be
incorporated into the composting mass within twenty-four (24) hours of arrival
at a ratio of no more than one part grass to three parts chipped or ground
carbon-rich material by volume;
b.
Food residuals and other putrescible, nitrogen-rich feedstocks shall be
incorporated into the compost mass the same day of receipt or stored not more
than seventy-two (72) hours in closed, air-tight, and leak-proof
containers;
c. If manure is stored
more than three (3) calendar days, the manure shall be stored on a concrete pad
or other impervious surface and covered with an acceptable cover to prevent
odors, vector attraction, and runoff. The cover should be vented properly with
screen wire to let the gases escape. The edges of the cover should be properly
anchored;
d. Category Three
feedstocks shall be incorporated into the compost mass upon receipt or stored
in a manner that is described in the operational plan and approved by the
Department;
e. Source separated
feedstocks shall not be combined until incorporated into the compost mass,
except as described in the operational plan and approved by the
Department;
f. Feedstocks shall be
thoroughly mixed into the compost mass in accordance with a formulaic recipe
that optimizes Carbon-to-Nitrogen ratios, moisture content, and porosity.
Feedstocks with excessive moisture content shall be delivered onto a bed of
woodchips or sawdust or otherwise managed to prevent escape of the liquids from
the compost mass; and
g. All
operations shall be performed to prevent the re-introduction of pathogens into
materials that have undergone, or are in the process of, pathogen
reduction.
6. Facilities
shall identify any chemical changes to a feedstock, or changes to the chemical
ratios of a feedstock, significant enough to alter the composting process or
the quality of the compost produced, and shall request appropriate permit
modifications from the Department for any operational plan changes required as
a result of those changes.
7. The
following information shall be maintained at all facilities that produce
compost for sale or distribution to the public and made available to the
Department upon request unless otherwise approved by the Department:
a. Daily and weekly temperature readings and
moisture observations of each composting mass that is formulated;
b. Start-up dates for each composting mass
that is formulated and the date for each time a composting mass is remixed or
turned while composting;
c. Number
of days required to produce the end product, by type; and
d. The results of all testing performed in
accordance with the quality assurance requirements of this regulation and any
corrective action taken to improve product quality to the standards in this
regulation.
8. Any
compost produced with Category Two or Category Three feedstocks and offered for
sale or distribution to the public is required to meet the physical and
biological standards listed in this regulation.
9. Compost Program Manager Certification
shall be secured and maintained as follows:
a. Unless otherwise approved by the
Department, within eighteen (18) months of the effective date of this
regulation, all permitted Type Two and Type Three facilities are required to
have an operator or one or more employees classified as a manager or supervisor
who is duly certified as a compost program manager.
b. Persons who have achieved and maintain
compost manager certification by the U.S. Composting Council (USCC), the Solid
Waste Association of North America (SWANA), or another Department-approved
training program shall be deemed certified by the Department.
c. Documentation of Compost Program Manager
Certification shall be maintained at all permitted Type Two and Type Three
facilities and made available to the Department upon request unless otherwise
approved by the Department.
