Section 332.4 - General RequirementsAll composting facilities and backyard operations shall comply with all of the following general requirements. Violations of these requirements are subject to enforcement by the commission and may result in the assessment of civil or administrative penalties pursuant to Texas Water Code, Chapter 7 ( Enforcement).
(1) Compliance with Texas Water Code. The activities that are subject to this chapter shall be conducted in a manner that prevents the discharge of material to or the pollution of surface water or groundwater in accordance with the provisions of the Texas Water Code, Chapter 26 ( Water Quality Control).(2) Nuisance conditions. The composting, mulching, and land application of material shall be conducted in a sanitary manner that shall prevent the creation of nuisance conditions as defined in § 330.3 of this title (relating to Definitions) and as prohibited by the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapters 341 and 382 ( Minimum Standards of Sanitation and Health Protection Measures; and Clean Air Act), the Texas Water Code, Chapter 26 ( Water Quality Control), § 101.4 of this title (relating to Nuisance), and any other applicable regulations or statutes.(3) Discharge to surface water or groundwater. The discharge of material to or the pollution of surface water or groundwater as a result of the beneficial use or reuse and recycling of material is prohibited.(4) Compliance with federal laws. Facility operations shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable federal laws and regulations.(5) Compliance with state laws. Facility operations shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations of the State of Texas.(6) Facility operations. Facility operations shall not be conducted in a manner which causes endangerment of human health and welfare, or the environment.(7) Operations on a municipal solid waste landfill unit. No composting activities shall be conducted within the permitted boundaries of a municipal solid waste landfill without prior approval by the executive director as required by § 305.70 of this title (relating to Municipal Solid Waste Permit and Registration Modifications).(8) Operational requirement. Operations shall be conducted in such a manner to ensure that no unauthorized or prohibited materials are processed at the facility. All unauthorized or prohibited materials received by the facility shall be disposed of at an authorized facility in a timely manner.(9) Leachate. Leachate from landfills and mixed municipal solid waste composting operations shall not be used on any composting process, except mixed municipal solid waste composting, and shall not be added after the designation of an end-product grade unless the product is reanalyzed to determine end-product quality.(10) Nonhazardous industrial solid waste. This chapter applies to the composting, mulching, and land application of only the following nonhazardous industrial solid waste when the composting occurs on property that does not qualify for the exemption from the requirement of an industrial solid waste permit pursuant to § 335.2(d) of this title (relating to Permit Required): (A) dead animal carcasses;(E) manure (including paunch manure);(H) dairy material feedstocks;(11) Industrial and hazardous waste. Any of the materials listed in paragraph (10) of this section that are not managed in accordance with the requirements of this chapter, all hazardous wastes, and any nonhazardous industrial solid wastes not listed in paragraph (10) of this section shall be managed in accordance with Chapter 335 of this title (relating to Industrial Solid Waste and Municipal Hazardous Waste).(12) Chemicals of concern. The operator of a compost facility shall address the release of a chemical of concern from a compost facility to any environmental media under the requirements of Chapter 350 of this title (relating to Texas Risk Reduction Program) to perform the corrective action.30 Tex. Admin. Code § 332.4
The provisions of this §332.4 adopted to be effective November 29, 1995, 20 TexReg 9717; amended to be effective September 23, 1999, 24 TexReg 7417; amended to be effective September 12, 2002, 27 TexReg 8593; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 47, Number 04, January 28, 2022, TexReg 0307, eff. 2/3/2022