N.J. Admin. Code § 7:26-2B.7

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024

Section 7:26-2B.7 - Additional operational requirements for solid waste composting and co-composting facilities

(a) The requirements of this section are in addition to the general operational requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:26-2.11 and the solid waste facilities records maintenance requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:26-2.13.

(b) The owner and/or operator shall submit a quarterly report to the Department within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. The quarterly report shall include the following:

1. The quantity, type and source of incoming waste;

2. The quantity and types of recovered recyclables;

3. The quantity of compost produced;

4. The results of compost analysis;

5. The quantity, before blending, of compost sold or distributed, and markets;

6. The quantity of disposed residue, and sites;

7. Daily temperature readings and retention times during the composting process;

8. A summary of leachate management (collected, reused, and treated/ disposed);

9. A summary of major maintenance on leachate, temperature or other monitoring and control systems in operation; and

10. The standard procedures to assure data reliability.

(c) All compost analysis shall be performed by a laboratory certified pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:18.

(d) The facility shall be operated under the supervision and control of properly trained individuals during all hours of operation, and access to facility shall be prohibited when facility is closed.

1. The owner and/or operator shall train all employees in appropriate facility operations, maintenance procedures, and safety and emergency procedures in accordance with the training plan developed pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-2B.6(d)10.

(e) The owner and/or operator shall monitor and record the temperature of composting materials daily to ensure that the pathogen reduction criteria at N.J.A.C. 7:26-2B.6(f)11 are met.

(f) The owner and/or operator shall begin processing all incoming waste within three days. Any waste that is not processed within three days shall be sent for disposal. The owner and/or operator shall begin processing incoming waste containing grass within 24 hours unless the receiving area is fully enclosed and equipped with odor controls. For facilities without fully enclosed receiving areas, any waste containing grass that is not processed within 24 hours shall be sent for disposal.

(g) Incoming, unprocessed waste shall not be mixed with finished compost.

(h) Stored finished compost that is not sold or distributed within 15 months shall be removed for disposal or reprocessed for sale or distribution.

(i) In addition to the information required by N.J.A.C. 7:26-2.13(a), the daily record of facility operations shall include:

1. Daily temperature and moisture monitoring of the composting process;

2. Laboratory analyses;

3. The retention time of the composted material; and

4. The sale and distribution of recovered materials.

(j) The owner and/or operator shall develop a quality assurance (QA)/quality control (QC) plan to be included in the final operation and maintenance manual. Such plan shall outline the monitoring, sampling and analysis plans for testing the compost process and product.

(k) The Department shall set an appropriate monitoring and sampling schedule for the start-up period (one year) as part of the facility permit.

(l) Using information gained during the start-up period, a monitoring and sampling schedule for ongoing operations will be developed with the Department based on statistical methods for quality assurance.

(m) Representative samples of the compost shall be obtained in accordance with the approved plan. Samples of the compost produced at the facility shall be analyzed for the compost quality monitoring parameters listed in the Appendix to this subchapter, incorporated herein by reference, in accordance with the appropriate methods as approved in the sampling plan.

(n) Results of all laboratory analyses for each parameter shall be recorded and maintained at the facility and shall be reported to the Department as specified at (b) above.

(o) Any package containing compost offered for sale or distribution shall be labeled with the recommended safe uses and application rates, and restrictions, if any, on use of the product. If compost is offered for bulk sale or distribution, signs or printed literature containing such information shall be made available.

(p) Compost offered for sale or distribution shall satisfy the standards established by the USEPA at 40 C.F.R. 503. Specifically, compost offered for sale or distribution shall meet the pollutant concentrations in 40 C.F.R. 503.13(b)(3), the Class A pathogen requirements in 40 C.F.R. 503.32(A), and one of the vector attraction reduction requirements in 40 C.F.R. 503.33(b)(1) though 503.33(b)8. Compost not satisfying the standards established by the USEPA may be used only as authorized by the Department, or it shall be disposed.

(q) This subsection shall govern the closure and post-closure care of all composting and co-composting facilities.

1. The owner and/or operator of a permitted composting or co-composting facility shall not revise the final closure plan submitted pursuant to (c)12 above without prior approval of the Department. The owner and/or operator may submit an updated final closure plan, containing the proposed revisions to the Department at any time, provided that all revisions are submitted at least 180 days prior to termination of operations at the facility.

2. The owner and/or operator shall notify the Department, in writing, return receipt requested, at least 60 days prior to the date of termination of operations at the facility.

3. The owner and/or operator shall publish notice of termination of operations at the facility in a newspaper of general circulation in the district where the facility is located and in the district(s) or municipality(ies) sending at least 25 percent of their waste to the facility at least 30 days prior to the date of termination of operations at the facility.

4. Within 10 days of ceasing operation, all residuals and waste shall be removed from the site and recycled or disposed and the owner and/or operator shall arrange for a final cleaning of any containers, equipment, machines, floors and facility surfaces having come in contact with solid waste.

5. A composting facility shall be considered finally closed when all the requirements of the closure plan have been met.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:26-2B.7

New Rule, R.1996 d.578, effective 12/16/1996.
See: 28 New Jersey Register 2114(a), 28 New Jersey Register 5248(a).