R315-312. Recycling and Composting Facility Standards, R315. Environmental Quality, Waste Management and Radiation Control, Waste Management, Utah Administrative Code

Utah Administrative Code (Current through November 1, 2019)

R315. Environmental Quality, Waste Management and Radiation Control, Waste Management

R315-312. Recycling and Composting Facility Standards

R315-312-1. Applicability

Latest version.

(1) The standards of Rule R315-312 apply to any facility engaged in recycling or utilization of solid waste on the land including:

(a) composting;

(b) utilization of organic sludge, other than domestic sewage sludge and septage, and untreated woodwaste on land for beneficial use; and

(2) These standards do not apply to:

(a) animal feeding operations, including dairies, that compost exclusively manure and vegetative material and meet the composting standards of a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan;

(b) other composting operations in which waste from on-site is composted and the finished compost is used on-site; or

(3) These standards do not apply to any facility that recycles or utilizes solid wastes solely in containers, tanks, vessels, or in any enclosed building, including buy-back recycling centers.

(4) The composting of domestic sewage sludge, on the site of its generation, is exempt from the requirements of Rule R315-312 but is regulated under the applicable requirements of Rule R317-8 and 40 CFR 503 by the Utah Division of Water Quality.

R315-312-2. Recycling and Composting Requirements

Latest version.

(1) Any recycling or composting facility shall meet the requirements of Section R315-302-2, and shall submit a general plan of operation and such other information as requested by the Director prior to the commencement of any recycling operation.

(2) Each applicable recycling or composting facility shall submit a certification that the facility has, during the past year, operated according to the submitted plan of operation to the Director by March 1 of each year.

(3) Any facility storing materials in outdoor piles for the purpose of recycling shall be considered to be disposing of solid waste if:

(a) at least 50% of the material on hand at the beginning of a year at the facility has not been shown to have been recycled by the end of that year and any material has been on-site more than two years unless a longer period is approved by the Director; or

(b) ground water or surface water, air, or land contamination has occurred or is likely to occur under current conditions of storage.

(c) Upon a determination by the Director or his authorized representative that the limits of Subsection R315-312-2(3)(a) or (b) have been exceeded, the Director may require a permit application and issuance of a permit as a solid waste disposal facility.

(4) Any recycling or composting facility may be required to provide financial assurance for clean-up and closure of the site as determined by the Director.

(5) Tires stored in piles for the purpose of recycling at a tire recycling facility shall be subject to the requirements of Section R315-314-3.

R315-312-3. Composting Requirements

Latest version.

(1) No new composting facility shall be located in the following areas:

(a) wetlands, watercourses, or floodplains; or

(b) within 500 feet of any permanent residence, school, hospital, institution, office building, restaurant, or church.

(2) Each new compost facility shall meet the requirements of Subsection R315-302-1(2)(f)

(3) Each owner or operator of a composting facility, in addition to the operational plan required in Subsection R315-312-2(1), shall develop, keep on file, and abide by a plan that addresses:

(a) detailed plans and specifications for the entire composting facility including manufacturer's performance data for equipment;

(b) methods of measuring, grinding or shredding, mixing, and proportioning input materials;

(d) a description of any additive material, including its origin, quantity, quality, and frequency of use;

(e) special precautions or procedures for operation during wind, heavy rain, snow, and freezing conditions;

(f) estimated composting time duration, which is the time period from initiation of the composting process to completion;

(g) for windrow systems, the windrow construction, including width, length, and height;

(h) the method of aeration, including turning frequency or mechanical aeration equipment and aeration capacity; and

(i) a description of the ultimate use for the finished compost, the method for removal from the site, and a plan for the disposal of the finished compost that can not be used in the expected manner due to poor quality or change in market conditions.

(4) Composting Facility Operation Requirements.

(a) Operational records must be maintained during the life of the facility and during the post-closure care period, which include, at a minimum, temperature data and quantity and types of material processed.

(b) All waste materials collected for the purpose of processing must be processed within two years or as provided in the plan of operation.

(d) Turning frequency of the compost must be sufficient to maintain aerobic conditions and to produce a compost product in the desired time frame.

(e) During the composting process, the compost must:

(i) maintain a temperature between 104 and 149 degrees Fahrenheit (40 and 65 degrees Celsius) for a period of not less than five days; and

(ii) reach a temperature of not less than 131 degrees F (55 degrees C) for a consecutive period of not less than four hours during the five day period.

(f) The following wastes may not be accepted for composting:

(i) asbestos waste;

(ii) Hazardous waste;

(iii) waste containing PCBs; or

(iv) treated wood.

(g) Any composting facility utilizing municipal solid waste, municipal sewage treatment sludge, water treatment sludge, or septage shall require the generator to characterize the material and certify that any material used is nonhazardous, contains no PCB's, and contains no treated wood.

(h) If the composting operation will be utilizing domestic sewage sludge, septage, or municipal solid waste:

(i) compost piles or windrows shall be placed upon a surface such as sealed concrete, asphalt, clay, or an artificial liner underlying the pile or windrow, to prevent contamination of subsurface soil, ground water, or both and to allow collection of run-off and leachate. The liner shall be of sufficient thickness and strength to withstand stresses imposed by compost handling vehicles and the compost itself;

(ii) run-off systems shall be designed, installed and maintained to control and collect the run-off from a 25-year storm event;

(iii) the collected leachate shall be treated in a manner approved by the Director; and

(iv) run-on prevention systems shall be designed, constructed, and maintained to divert the maximum flow from a 25-year storm event.

(i) If the Director determines that a composting operation, which composts materials other than domestic sewage sludge, septage, or municipal solid waste, is likely to produce a leachate that in combination with the hydrologic, geologic, and climatic factors of the site will present a threat to human health or the environment, the Director may require the owner or operator of the composting facility to meet the requirements specified in Subsection R315-312-3(4)(h).

(j) The finished compost must contain no sharp inorganic objects and must be sufficiently stable that it can be stored or applied to land without creating a nuisance, environmental threat, or a hazard to health.

(5) Composting Facility Closure and Post-closure Requirements.

(a) Within 30 days of closure, a composting facility shall:

(i) remove all piles, windrows, and any other compost material on the composting facility's property;

(ii) remove or revegetate compacted compost material that may be left on the land;

(iii) drain ponds or leachate collection system if any, back-fill, and assure removed contents are properly disposed;

(iv) cover if necessary; and

(v) record with the county recorder as part of the record of title, a plat and statement of fact that the property has been used as a composting facility.

(b) The post-closure care and monitoring shall be for five years and shall consist of:

(i) the maintenance of any monitoring equipment and sampling and testing schedules as required by the Director; and

(ii) inspection and maintenance of any cover material.

R315-312-4. Requirements for Use on Land of Sewage Sludge, Woodwaste, and Other Organic Sludge

Latest version.

(1) Any facility using domestic sewage sludge or septage on land is exempt from the requirements of Section R315-312-4 when the facility has a permit or other approval under the applicable requirements of Rule R317-8 and 40 CFR 503 issued by the Utah Division of Water Quality.

(2) Any facility using organic sludge, other than domestic sewage sludge or septage, or untreated woodwaste on land shall comply with the recycling standards of Section R315-312-2.

(3) Only agricultural or silvicultural sites where organic sludge or untreated woodwaste is demonstrated to have soil conditioning or fertilizer value shall be acceptable for use under this subsection, provided that the sludge or woodwaste is applied as a soil conditioner or fertilizer in accordance with accepted agricultural and silvicultural practice.

(4) A facility using organic sludge or untreated woodwaste on the land in a manner not consistent with the requirements of Section R315-312-4 must meet the standards of Rule R315-307.