Md. Code Regs. 26.11.42.04

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 24, December 2, 2024

Section 26.11.42.04 - Requirements for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfills

A. Active MSW Landfills With Less Than 450,000 Tons of Waste-in-Place.

(1) A person who owns or operates an active MSW landfill having less than 450,000 tons of waste-in-place shall submit to the Department a copy of the annual tonnage report required pursuant to the Refuse Disposal Permit issued under COMAR 26.04.07 which includes all the following information:

(a) Annual waste accepted;

(b) Total waste landfilled or waste-in-place; and

(c) Calculation of remaining airspace.

(2) Once the active MSW landfill reaches a size greater than or equal to 450,000 tons of waste-in-place, the owner or operator shall be subject to requirements of §B of this regulation.

B. MSW Landfills Greater Than or Equal to 450,000 Tons of Waste-in-Place.

(1) Within 90 days of the effective date of this regulation, the owner or operator of a MSW landfill having greater than or equal to 450,000 tons of waste-in-place shall perform the following:

(a) Submit an initial waste-in-place report to the Department; and

(b) Calculate the methane generation rate in accordance with the test methods in Regulation .11D of this chapter and submit a methane generation rate report to the Department.

(2) If the calculated methane generation rate is less than 732 tons per year reported, the owner or operator shall recalculate the methane generation rate annually in accordance with the test methods in Regulation .11D of this chapter.

(a) If the MSW landfill is active, the owner or operator shall submit an annual methane generation rate report to the Department until either of the following conditions is met:

(i) The calculated methane generation rate is greater than or equal to 732 tons per year; or

(ii) The owner or operator submits a closure notification to the Department in accordance with Regulation .10C(1) of this chapter.

(b) If the MSW landfill is closed or inactive, the owner or operator shall submit the following information to the Department:

(i) A final methane generation rate report in accordance with the provisions in Regulation .10C(6) of this chapter; and

(ii) A closure notification in accordance with the provisions in Regulation .10C(1) of this chapter.

(3) If the calculated methane generation rate is greater than or equal to 732 tons per year but less than 8,548 tons per year, the owner or operator shall either:

(a) Install and operate a gas collection and control system in accordance with the provisions in Regulation .05 and comply with the requirements in Regulations .04 - .11 of this chapter; or

(b) Undertake four consecutive quarterly surface emissions monitoring periods using the instantaneous surface emissions monitoring procedures specified in Regulation .11F of this chapter, in order to demonstrate that there is no measured concentration of methane of 200 parts per million by volume (ppmv) or greater.

(4) An owner or operator of an MSW landfill who chooses to conduct consecutive quarterly surface emissions monitoring pursuant to §B(3) (b) of this regulation shall begin quarterly instantaneous surface emissions monitoring no later than 90 days after the methane generation rate report is required to be submitted under §B(1)(b) of this regulation.

(5) The owner or operator who chooses to conduct consecutive quarterly surface emissions monitoring pursuant to §B(3)(b) of this regulation shall perform one of the following actions based on the monitoring results:

(a) Except as provided in Regulation .09A(1) of this chapter, if there is any measured concentration of methane of 200 ppmv or greater from the surface of an active, inactive, or closed MSW landfill, other than non-repeatable, momentary readings, the owner or operator shall cease the quarterly monitoring, and instead, install a gas collection and control system in accordance with the provisions in Regulation .05, and shall comply with the requirements in Regulations .04-.11 of this chapter beginning with the next quarter.

(b) If there is no measured concentration of methane of 200 ppmv or greater from the surface of an active MSW landfill after four consecutive quarterly instantaneous surface emissions monitoring periods, the owner or operator shall comply with all the following requirements:

(i) Recalculate the methane generation rate annually in accordance with the test methods in Regulation .11D of this chapter and submit a methane generation rate report to the Department;

(ii) Continue quarterly instantaneous surface emissions monitoring in accordance with the test methods and procedures specified in Regulation .11F of this chapter; and

(iii) Prepare and submit an annual instantaneous surface emissions monitoring report to the Department in accordance with Regulation .10C(11) of this chapter.

(c) If there is no measured concentration of methane of 200 ppmv or greater from the surface of a closed or inactive MSW landfill, the provisions of this chapter shall no longer apply provided that the owner or operator has completed all of the following requirements:

(i) Satisfied all applicable requirements for the permanent shutdown and removal of a gas collection and control system in Regulation .06 of this chapter;

(ii) Submitted a final waste-in-place report to the Department in accordance with the provisions in Regulation .10C(5) of this chapter;

(iii) Submitted a closure notification to the Department in accordance with the recordkeeping and reporting requirements in Regulation .10C(1) of this chapter; and

(iv) Submitted all instantaneous surface emissions monitoring reports to the Department in accordance with requirements of Regulation .10C(11) of this chapter.

(6) If the calculated methane generation rate is greater than or equal to 8,548 tons per year, the owner or operator of a MSW landfill shall install and operate a gas control and collection system in accordance with the provisions in Regulation .05 and comply with the requirements in Regulations .04 - .11 of this chapter.

C. Liquids Addition. If the owner or operator of a MSW landfill with more than 450,000 tons of waste-in-place adds any liquid, other than leachate in a controlled fashion, to the waste mass to reach a minimum average moisture content of at least 40 percent by weight to accelerate or enhance the anaerobic biodegradation of the waste, the owner or operator shall install and operate a gas collection and control system that meets the criteria in Regulation .05 of this chapter in accordance with the following:

(1) Install the gas collection and control system for the bioreactor before initiating liquids addition and extend the collection and control system into each new cell or area of the bioreactor prior to initiating liquids addition in that area;

(2) Begin operating the gas collection and control system within 180 days after initiating liquids addition or within 180 days after achieving a moisture content of 40 percent by weight, whichever is later; and

(3) Calculate the bioreactor moisture content in accordance with Regulation .11J of this chapter.

D. Maintenance Requirements. The owner or operator of a MSW landfill shall maintain the cover integrity in accordance with the provisions in COMAR 26.04.07.10D and implement a program for cover repairs as necessary on a quarterly basis.

Md. Code Regs. 26.11.42.04

Regulation .04 adopted effective 50:11 Md. R. 446, eff. 6/12/2023; amended effective 51:15 Md. R. 711, eff. 8/5/2024.