SWCD-7801_Composting_Pilot_Test_Application

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Composting Demo Test Application

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Table of Contents

Purpose of Pilot Test ................................................................. 3
Composting Entity .................................................................... 3
Facility Location ........................................................................ 3
Composting Ingredients ............................................................ 4
Feedstock Testing ..................................................................... 4
Schedule ................................................................................... 5
Methodology ............................................................................ 5
Blending .................................................................................... 7
Monitoring ................................................................................ 8
Leachate ................................................................................... 9
On-Site Storage ....................................................................... 10
End Product Testing ................................................................ 10
Record Keeping ....................................................................... 11
Product Use and Distribution ................................................. 12
End of Project Report ............................................................. 13

Composting Demo Test Application

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Purpose of Pilot Test

Currently, Enviro-Choice Recycling, LLC operates Septage Detention and Treatment Facility
(SDTF) which processes grease trap and septage waste. We produce on average 53 tons of
grease trap waste solids which are currently being landfilled. To avoid tipping fees, as well as
explore the economics of composting, our firm would like to conduct this demo test. We also
have strong relationships with local farmers who have expressed an interest in composted
materials for agricultural application. In addition, we have multiple vegetable processing
clients who send their vegetable waste to be landfilled which have also expressed interest in
composting, for economical purposes; therefore, we would also like to investigate the
practicability of composting this material as well.

Composting Entity

Name of Proposed Facility Owner: Enviro-Choice Recycling, LLC
Address of Proposed Facility Owner: Physical: 1730 Rennert Road, Lumberton, NC 28360
Mailing: PO Box, 390, Lumberton, NC 28359
Phone Number of Proposed Facility Owner: 910-738-5311
Operator of Proposed Facility: Enviro-Choice Recycling, LLC
Property Owner: Enviro-Choice Recycling, LLC

Facility Location

Site Location for the proposed facility: 3330 Saddletree Road, Lumberton, NC 28360
Driving Directions listed from the nearest obvious landmark or intersection
From Interstate 95:
Take Exit 20 in Lumberton
Take a left if coming from I-95 S/ Take a right if coming from I-95 N
Go straight for 1 mile then turn right onto Saddletree Road
Follow Saddletree Road for about 3 miles
Your destination will be on the right

County Roadmap with the site marked (See Figure 1)
Aerial Photograph of the proposed site (See Figure 1)
FEMA map showing the 100-year flood hazard area. (Figure 2)

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Composting Ingredients

The proposed waste streams to be managed under this demo application are as follows: 1)
dewatered grease trap waste (food waste), 2) vegetable waste (food waste), 3) yard waste, and
4) saw dust mainly to raise the carbon content (as needed) and bulking additives for porosity.

It is assumed that this demonstration test will last 8-12 months or until we receive approval for
a fully permitted facility (application to follow shortly). Therefore, based on this timeline it is
assumed that the estimated volumes for the life of this project will be as follows:

Dewatered Grease Trap Waste – 530 Tons
Vegetable Waste – 5 Tons
Yard Waste – 20 Tons
Saw Dust – 5 Tons

The expected range of C:N ratio utilizing this mix will be 25:1 – 30:1.

Feedstock Testing

Initial testing will be conducted during small batch in vessel trials, utilizing previously
published data for C:N ratios in the waste selected above (i.e. as published in “On-Farm
Composting Handbook,” NRAES Cooperative Extension, 1992; “Composting grease trap
wastes,” Cooker, 2006); as well as online tools for calculating C:N ratios (see
http://compost.css.cornell.edu/calc/2.html , published by Cornell University). It is assumed that
we will utilize the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&S) waste
analysis for our feedstock testing.

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Schedule

Our proposed schedule is as follows:
Task Description Duration
Construction Pad and Storage (small area for pilot test) 2-3 weeks
Batch Test Composting Windrow (typical and passively aerated),
Aerated Static Pile
3-4 weeks
Compost Aging Testing aging times for piles 4-24 weeks
Market Demonstration Final product testing for agricultural purposes 2-4 weeks
Permitting Closure A) If successful submittal of full permit
B) If unsuccessful closure of test area
8-12 weeks
Estimated Time for Demo Test: 47 weeks
Based on the proposed schedule above, ECR assumes it will not need longer than 12 months
(48 weeks) to complete this Demo Test. Should these tests show that composting is
economically feasible for our firm, we will immediately begin working to submit a final permit
application, and will assume that the demo tests will only extend until a permit is issued.

Methodology

The Proposed Composting Test Processes for this Demo Test are described below:

Conventional Windrows

Methodology:

We will place our mixture of raw materials as described above into windrow piles
approximately 15 feet wide and 8 feet tall, the length will be dependent on amount of
material utilized from volumes above, but one windrow will not exceed approximately 80
feet in length. The portion of the pilot test site used for conventional windrowing is
estimated to be 50 feet wide by 100 feet long (5,000 sq. ft. total). ECR will employ the
usage of its backhoe to turn the windrows and its dump truck to place the material.
Sawdust and yard waste will be added as needed to achieve maximum porosity of the
windrows. Once the raw materials are blended and placed by our dump truck, the
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backhoe operator will form the initial windrows per the specs provided above. ECR will
maintain a strict schedule of turning.

Aeration:

As described above, bulking materials, yard waste (mulch) and sawdust will be added to
the pile to enable air to pass from the bottom to the top of the pile. The backhoe utilized
will be a 416 Caterpillar Backhoe with an 88” bucket.

Passively Aerated Windrows

Methodology:

Passively aerated windrows will be tested utilizing a 4 feet tall by 10 feet wide windrow.
To eliminate the need for turning, 4-inch diameter PVC pipe with 2-3 rows of ½ inch
diameter holes (spaced a maximum of 12 inches between rows) will be installed above
the straw base of the compost every 12 inches in the pile. The materials will be
thoroughly mixed prior to placing on top of a straw base (derived from our farming
operations). To avoid compacting the material minimal reworking of the pile will occur
prior to covering with finished compost (obtained from prior run of conventional
windrows or purchased as needed). The piles will be 3-4 feet tall and 10 feet wide (no
longer than 80 feet) When the composting period is completed, the pipes will be pulled
out and the base material will be mixed with the compost.

Aeration:

As mentioned in the methods above, PVC pipe will be installed similar to what is used
for septic system leach fields with two rows of ½ inch diameter holes drilled in the pipe.
The holes will be oriented upward, the ends will remain open to the ambient air, and the
pipes will be placed on the composting base. Air flows into the pipes and through the
windrow because of the chimney effect created as the hot gases rise upward out of the
windrow.

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Aerated Static Pile

Methodology:

The aerated static pile method takes the piped aeration system (in the passively aerated
windrows) a step further, using a blower to supply air to the composting materials. The
blower will be used to control the process and allow larger piles than the passively
aerated windrow method (8 ft tall by 13 feet wide by no more than 75 ft long). No turning
or agitation will occur once the pile is formed. Once formed it is assumed the active
composting period will be completed in approximately three to five weeks. The
construction is similar to the passively aerated system; however, the blower is connected
to a perforated PVC which is run through the center of the pile.

Aeration:

A blower (1/2 hp or similar) will blow positive air into the pile. The cover layer will
protect the surface of the pile from drying, insulates it from heat loss, discourages flies,
and filters ammonia and potential odors generated within the pile. Pile formation will be
similar to the passively aerated pile to ensure proper porosity for the air to move through
the pile.

Blending
In general, all testing methods will use the same makeup of waste materials. Our monthly blending
recipe is estimated to be as follows:

1. Dewatered Grease Trap Waste – 45 Tons
2. Vegetable Waste – 0.5 Tons
3. Yard Waste – 1.65 Tons
4. Saw Dust – 0.5 Tons

These materials will be blended on the composting pad utilizing the backhoe (described above). To
obtain good air distribution, the sludge will be thoroughly blended with the bulking agent (yard
waste) before the pile is established. In order to contain dust and yard waste chips from leaving the
mixing area, the pile will be allowed to remain relatively wet from the grease trap waste moisture
content.
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Aerobic conditions will be maintained throughout the process, including during the curing process
utilizing adequate bulking agents and consistent turning of the pile or windrows. In the case of the
static aerated pile, additional bulking agents will be added and the temperature and aeration
flow/frequency will be closely monitored to ensure adequate aeration. This will ensure that odors
are controlled. Frequent turning ensures insect larvae will not be able to gestate in the pile, and
with the static aerated piles, the cover will be adequate to ensure that vectors are not an issue.

Proper porosity will also be maintained in the piles, through the usage of bulking agents and care
not to compact the material when mixing. Since no paper will be used in our process, this will not
be an issue restricting air flow. The vegetable wastes described above will consist of mainly pieces
of 2 inches or larger in diameter, not a puree which may also cause porosity issues within the pile.

Management of “wet” materials is described further in the Leachate section below.

Monitoring

The two primary tools we will be utilizing to monitor our composting process are a temperature
sensor and our nose. Any strong putrid odors will be treated as a sign that something is wrong and
that anaerobic conditions exist. Our windrow/pile will be turned or the static aerated pile will be
aerated more often. If this does not suffice we will test the pile to determine if another problem
exists such as a poor mix of raw materials. Whatever the case may be, our operators will be trained
to be alert to odors and then quickly identify and correct the situation.

We understand that heat produced during composting is directly related to the microbial activity,
and therefore temperature is the primary gauge for the composting process. The temperature will
be monitored and recorded daily during the pilot testing (except weekends where only one reading
over a 2-day span may be taken). We will utilize a dial thermometer with a 3-foot stem for
monitoring our pile temperatures (taken at depths less than six to eight inches). Thermometers will
be placed no more than 25 linear feet along the length of the pile away from one another, and will
be placed at varying zones of the compost throughout the pile.

In order to qualify as a process to further reduce pathogens (for a Type 3 or 4 facility, which is
what we will submit a full permit for), we will observe the following requirements for our process
(per .1406(10), (11), and (12) of the NC Compost Rules):

A) The windrow composting method, in which the following requirements apply: Aerobic
conditions shall be maintained during the compost process. A temperature of 131 degrees F
(55 degrees Celsius) or greater shall be maintained in the windrow for at least 15 days.
During the high temperature period, the windrow shall be turned at least five times.
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B) The static aerated pile composting method, in which the following requirements apply:
Aerobic conditions shall be maintained during the compost process. The temperature of the
compost pile shall be maintained at 131 degrees F (55 degrees Celsius) or greater for at
least three days.

Due to the cost of oxygen and carbon dioxide monitoring devices, and due to the fact that
temperature provides an adequate indication of the process conditions, we will rent a unit during
pilot testing. The unit we are most familiar with is the Landtec GEM 2000 gas monitor, however a
similar type instrument will be used. We plan to utilize this instrument during the initial month of
building our initial piles and several times throughout the curing process as a baseline for future
composting efforts on our site. Measurements will be taken at varying depths throughout the piles,
no less than 8 inches from the top utilizing silicon tubing and a probe.

Moisture content will be monitored in the field by the methods detailed in “Compost Pilots and
Demos;” by squeezing a handful of the composting progress. When unabsorbed water can be
squeezed out, for example, there is too much moisture. If the handful of compost refuses to form a
ball, it is too dry. If the compost forms a ball in your hand with no water escaping through your
fingers, it is within the acceptable moisture levels. In order to accurately quantify our moisture
content we also plan to dry a sample of material to remove the water and weigh the dry sample
utilizing a microwave oven. Moisture content will be calculated as follows:

Moisture Content (%) = x 100

* Total weight of the sample including the container

Leachate

The Pilot Test Site (Figure 1) will consist of clayey material from a local quarry and potentially
onsite soils as well, to a depth of no less than 18 inches. The pad will be compacted to achieve a
linear coefficient of permeability not be greater than 1 x 10(-7) centimeters per second. This
engineered pad will be sloped at a grade of 1.5-3% towards the east (Figure 1). The buffers of the
pad will have a 2-3 foot earthen dike around them to contain any runoff. All runoff will be
channeled to a sediment trap with an outfall into a small detention area/pond. During composting
any water needs to control moisture content will recycle the water in this pond. No off-site runoff
will occur, and or be allowed to flow into any nearby ditches or water bodies.

Windrows and piles will run parallel to the slope to prevent runoff from ponding on the uphill side
of windrows/piles. During heavy rain events (1-2 inches) we may cover the piles if runoff is
assumed to be an issue (soils are already wet or detention area is full). Compost materials will also
Wet Weight* - Dry Weight*
Wet Weight* - Container Weight
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follow a strict mixing requirement (as detailed above) to ensure proper proportions of wet and dry
materials.

The area to be used for the composting pilot test is currently permitted for land application of
septage and dewatered grease trap waste (water only no grease trap solids). During that process, a
full soil survey was performed by a NC licensed soil scientist, which found that there was at
minimum 18 inches of separation in the ground surface and groundwater. Due to this fact
groundwater influence or drainage at the site is not considered a limiting issue.

On-Site Storage

Prior to waste materials being composted, any grease trap or vegetable waste will be stored on the
pad. Inert materials such as the yard waste and sawdust will be stored adjacent to the pad. Due to
our current process, it is our plan only to test during the pilot phase materials which we produce
from our normal business operations. Therefore, each time we our waste will arrive in a roll-off
box (dewatered grease trap residuals and vegetable waste) and be immediately put into a compost
pile to begin its process. If on-site storage occurs it typically will be only 2-4 weeks and during
that time the waste material will be covered with a layer of powdered lime and/or composted
materials to discourage odors and/or other vectors (insects, animals, etc.). Also, since it will be
stored on the pad, leachate management will occur as detailed above.

End Product Testing

Prior to distributing the first batch of composted material, a representative sample will be collected
and tested. After the first batch is complete, we will run additional tests every 6 months
or 20,000 tons (based on our estimates during the Pilot Test this will consist of 2-3 samples).
Specific testing will be as per .1407 and .1408; metals to include arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead,
nickel, selenium, zinc by EPA Method 3050/3051 and mercury by EPA Method 7471/7470. In
order to evaluate the compost to attempt to achieve Grade A status, we will use the Appendix B
tests as provided in .1400 for enteric viruses, fecal coliform, helminth ova, and salmonella.
However, since our end usage is not required to be Grade A, should our process not meet those
requirements it will not impact our end usage during our pilot test.

Foreign matter will be tested in the composted product utilizing manual separation. Several
samples will be taken throughout the pile to measure how much trash exists in the final product.
Any man made inerts greater than one inch in size will be removed from the pile and disposed of
to a permitted landfill.
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When collecting our samples, clean equipment will be used for every sample, the samples will be
placed directly into an iced cooler after sampling, and they will be delivered to the lab quickly to
ensure accurate results.

Record Keeping

Logs will be kept on-site for temperature monitoring, gas monitoring, and waste receiving
volumes. Also, a detailed log of day to day site conditions and composting observations to include
blends and mixing processes will be kept to help us determine the best method for composting our
waste stream(s). Internally we will also track composting time and man-hours to determine if this
process is economically feasible for us.

ECR will strictly follow the record keeping requirements outlined in Section .1408 (b) of the
Compost Rules,

Record Keeping: All facility owners or operators shall record and maintain records for a minimum
of five years. Records shall be available for inspection by Division personnel during normal
business hours and shall be sent to the Division upon request:

(1) Daily operational records must be maintained, which include, at a minimum,
temperature data (length of the composting period) and quantity of material processed;
(2) Analytical results on compost testing;
(3) The quantity, type and source of waste received;
(4) The quantity and type of waste processed into compost;
(5) The quantity and type of compost produced by product classification; and
(6) The quantity and type of compost removed for use or disposal, by product
classification, and the market or permitted disposal facility;

and reporting requirements in Section .1408 (c)

Annual Reporting: An annual report for the period July 1 to June 30 shall be submitted by all
facility owners or operators to the Division by August 1, 1996 and every August 1 thereafter and
shall contain:

(1) The facility name, address, and permit number;
(2) The total quantity in tons, with sludge values expressed in dry weight, and type of
waste received at the facility during the year covered by the report, including tons of
waste received from local governments of origin;
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(3) The total quantity in tons, with sludge values expressed in dry weight, and type of
waste processed into compost during the year covered by the report;
(4) The total quantity in tons and type of compost produced at the facility, by product
classification, during the year covered by the report;
(5) The total quantity in tons and type of compost removed for use or disposal from the
facility, by product classification, along with a general description of the market if for
use during the year covered by the report;
(6) Monthly temperature monitoring to support Rule .1406 of this Section; and
(7) Results of tests required in Table 3 of this Rule.

Product Use and Distribution

Once we have composted our initial batch of material we will await analytical results for our first
use. We plan during the pilot test to apply the composted material to one of our fields currently
being farmed and/or a partner farm on non-food chain crops.

Prior to distributing our material, we will provide instructions to the user on any restrictions on use
and recommended safe uses and application rates. The following information shall be provided on
a label or an information sheet and a copy of the label or information sheet shall be submitted to
the Solid Waste Section (prior to our usage):
(1) Classification grade as outlined in the Composting Rules;
(2) Recommended uses;
(3) Application rates;
(4) Restrictions on usage; and
(5) Total N

During pilot testing no marketing to the public will occur only to farmers we currently have a
relationship with.

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End of Project Report

Once our Pilot Test is complete we will provide the Section an end of project report with the
following details:
(1) The amount and type of materials received in tons;
(2) The amount of compost produced in tons;
(3) The amount of compost distributed in tons;
(4) Copies of all test results;
(5) Monitoring records; and
(6) A narrative explanation of why the project was a success or failure.

FIGURES
Figure 1: Site LocationEsri, HERE, DeLorme, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and theGIS user communitySource: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS,USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User CommunityCounty LineCity LimitsStreetsParcelsDecember 28, 2017201700.10.20.05mi00.20.40.1km1:7,917 :*Site
12/11/2017FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer (Official)http://fema.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/print.html1/1USGS The National Map: Orthoimagery | National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA); Delta State University; Esri | Print here instead:http://tinyurl.com/j4xwp5e Support: [e-mail] | USGS The National Map: OrthoimageryFEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer (Official)Data from Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) where available digitally. New NFHL FIRMette Print app available:http://tinyurl.com/j4xwp5eNFHL (click to expand)LOMRsEffectiveLOMAsFIRM PanelsPLSSRiver Mile MarkersCross-SectionsCoastal TransectsBase Flood ElevationsProfile BaselinesTransect BaselinesLimit of Moderate WaveActionCoastal Barrier Resources0.2mi* Site