Texas Administrative Code
Title 30 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Part 1 - TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Chapter 330 - MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Subchapter D - OPERATIONAL STANDARDS FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILL FACILITIES
Section 330.171 - Disposal of Special Wastes

Universal Citation: 30 TX Admin Code § 330.171

Current through Reg. 50, No. 13; March 28, 2025

(a) Type IV and Type IVAE landfills may accept special wastes consistent with the limitations established in § 330.5(a)(2) of this title (relating to Classification of Municipal Solid Waste Facilities) and the waste acceptance plan required by § 330.61(b) of this title (relating to Contents of Part II of the Application).

(b) The acceptance and/or disposal of a special waste as defined in § 330.3 of this title (relating to Definitions), that is not specifically identified in subsection (c) or (d) of this section, or in § 330.173 of this title (relating to Disposal of Industrial Wastes), requires prior written approval from the executive director.

(1) Approvals will be waste-specific and/or site-specific and will be granted only to appropriate facilities operating in compliance with this chapter.

(2) Requests for approval to accept special wastes must be submitted by the generator to the executive director or to a facility with an approved Special Waste Management Plan and must include, but are not limited to, the following:
(A) a complete description of the chemical and physical characteristics of each waste, a statement as to whether or not each waste is a Class 1 industrial waste as defined in § 330.3 of this title, and the quantity and rate at which each waste is produced and/or the expected frequency of disposal;

(B) for Class 1 industrial solid waste, a hazardous waste determination as required by § 335.504 of this title (relating to Hazardous Waste Determination);

(C) an operational plan containing the proposed procedures for handling each waste and listing required protective equipment for operating personnel and on-site emergency equipment; and

(D) a contingency plan outlining responsibility for containment and cleanup of any accidental spills occurring during the delivery and/or disposal operation.

(3) A vacuum truck, as used in this section, refers to any vehicle that transports liquid waste to a solid waste disposal or processing facility. A vacuum truck must transport liquid waste to a landfill that has a sludge stabilization and solidification process or to a Type V processing facility for sludge, grease trap, or grit trap waste. The owner or operator shall submit written notification to the executive director of the liquids-processing activity as required in § 330.11 of this title (relating to Notification Required).

(4) Soils contaminated by petroleum products, crude oils, or chemicals in concentrations of greater than 1,500 milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) total petroleum hydrocarbons; or contaminated by constituents of concern that exceed the concentrations listed in Table 1, Constituents of Concern and Their Maximum Leachable Concentrations in § 335.521(a)(1) of this title (relating to Appendices) must be disposed in dedicated cells that meet the requirements of § 330.331(e) of this title (relating to Design Criteria).

(5) The executive director may authorize the receipt of special waste with a written concurrence from the owner or operator; however, the facility operator is not required to accept the waste.

(6) The executive director may revoke an authorization to accept special waste if the owner or operator does not maintain compliance with these rules or conditions imposed in the authorization to accept special waste.

(c) Receipt of the following special wastes does not specifically require written authorization for acceptance provided the waste is handled in accordance with the noted provisions for each waste.

(1) Medical wastes that have not been treated in accordance with the procedures specified in Chapter 326 of this title (relating to Medical Waste Management) must not be accepted at a landfill unless authorized in writing by the executive director. The executive director may provide this authorization when a situation exists that requires disposal of untreated medical wastes in order to protect the human health and the environment from the effects of a natural or man-made disaster.

(2) Dead animals and/or slaughterhouse waste may be accepted at any Type I or Type IAE landfill without further approval from the executive director provided the carcasses and/or slaughterhouse waste are covered by three feet of other solid waste or at least two feet of earthen material immediately upon receipt.

(3) Regulated asbestos-containing material (RACM) as defined in 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 61 may be accepted at a Type I or Type IAE landfill in accordance with subparagraphs (A) - (I) of this paragraph provided the landfill has been authorized to accept RACM. The facility operator proposing to accept RACM shall provide written notification to the executive director of the intent to accept RACM.
(A) To receive authorization to accept RACM, the owner or operator shall dedicate a specific area or areas of the landfill to receive RACM and shall provide written notification to the executive director of the area or areas to be designated for receipt of RACM. After initial authorization to receive RACM is issued, additional areas may be designated by providing written notice to the executive director.

(B) The location of the area designated to receive the RACM must be surveyed and marked by a registered professional land surveyor and identified on a current site diagram that is maintained at the landfill. A copy of the current site diagram identifying the RACM area must be submitted to the executive director immediately upon completion of the diagram. The operator shall maintain a record of each load of RACM accepted as to its location, depth, and volume of material.

(C) Upon closure of the unit that accepted RACM, a specific notation that the facility accepted RACM must be placed in the deed records for the facility with a diagram identifying the RACM disposal areas. Concurrently, a notice of the deed recordation and a copy of the diagram identifying the asbestos disposal areas must be submitted to the executive director.

(D) Delivery of the RACM to the landfill unit must be coordinated with the on-site supervisor so the waste will arrive at a time it can be properly handled and covered.

(E) RACM must only be accepted at the facility in tightly closed and unruptured containers or bags or must be wrapped with at least six-mil polyethylene.

(F) The bags or containers holding the RACM must be placed below natural grade level. Where this is not possible or practical, provisions must be made to ensure that the waste will not be subject to future exposure through erosion or weathering of the intermediate and/or final cover. RACM that is placed above natural grade must be located in the landfill unit such that it is, at closure of the landfill unit, not less than 20 feet from any final side slope of the unit and must be at least ten feet below the final surface of the unit.

(G) The bags or containers holding the RACM must be carefully unloaded and placed in the final disposal location. The RACM must be covered immediately with 12 inches of earthen material or three feet of solid waste containing no asbestos. Care must be exercised in the application of the cover so that the bags or containers are not ruptured.

(H) A contingency plan in the event of accidental spills (e.g., ruptured bags or containers) shall be prepared by the owner or operator prior to accepting RACM. The plan must specify the responsible person(s) and the procedure for the collection and disposal of the spilled material.

(I) RACM that has been designated as a Class 1 industrial waste may be accepted by a Type I landfill authorized to accept RACM provided the RACM waste is handled in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph and the landfill operator complies with the provisions of § 330.173(g) - (i) of this title.

(4) Nonregulated asbestos-containing materials (non-RACM) may be accepted for disposal at a Type I, Type IAE, Type IV, or Type IVAE landfill provided the wastes are placed on the active working face and covered in accordance with this chapter. Under no circumstances may any material containing non-RACM be placed on any surface or roadway that is subject to vehicular traffic or disposed of by any other means by which the material could be crumbled into a friable state.

(5) Empty containers that have been used for pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or rodenticides must be disposed of in accordance with subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph.
(A) These containers may be disposed of at any landfill provided that:
(i) the containers are triple-rinsed prior to receipt at the landfill;

(ii) the containers are rendered unusable prior to or upon receipt at the landfill; and

(iii) the containers are covered by the end of the same working day they are received.

(B) Those containers for which triple-rinsing is not feasible or practical (e.g., paper bags, cardboard containers) may be disposed of under the provisions of paragraph (6) of this subsection or in accordance with § 330.173 of this title, as applicable.

(6) Municipal hazardous waste from a very small quantity generator (VSQG) may be accepted at a Type I or Type IAE landfill without further approval from the executive director provided the hazardous waste is not regulated hazardous waste, was not generated by a VSQG during a calendar month in which the VSQG generated hazardous waste during an episodic event, and the amount of hazardous waste does not exceed 220 pounds (100 kilograms) per month per generator, and provided the landfill owner or operator authorizes acceptance of the waste.

(7) Sludge, grease trap waste, grit trap waste, or liquid wastes from municipal sources can be accepted at a Type I or Type IAE landfill for disposal only if the material has been, or is to be, treated or processed and the treated/processed material has been tested, in accordance with Test Method 9095 (Paint Filter Liquids Test), as described in "Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Wastes, Physical/Chemical Methods" (United States Environmental Protection Agency Publication Number SW-846), as amended, and is certified to contain no free liquids. Prior to treatment or processing of this waste at the landfill, the owner or operator shall submit written notification to the executive director of the liquids processing activity as required in § 330.11 of this title.

(d) Used oil filters from internal combustion engines must not be intentionally and knowingly accepted for disposal at landfills permitted under this chapter except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection.

(1) Used oil filters must not be offered for disposal by a generator and/or be intentionally and knowingly accepted for landfill disposal unless the filter has been:
(A) crushed to less than 20% of its original volume to remove all free-flowing used oil; or

(B) processed by a method other than crushing to remove all free-flowing used oil. A filter is considered to have been processed if:
(i) the filter has been separated into component parts and the free-flowing used oil has been removed from the filter element by some means of compression in order to remove free-flowing used oil;

(ii) the used filter element of a filter consisting of a replaceable filtration element in a reusable or permanent housing has been removed from the housing and pressed to remove free-flowing used oil; or

(iii) the housing is punctured and the filter is drained for at least 24 hours.

(2) Used oil filters (to include filters that have been crushed and/or processed to remove free-flowing used oil) must not be offered for landfill disposal by any non-household generator and must not be intentionally or knowingly accepted by any landfill permitted and regulated under this chapter.

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