9503TTRANSFER1996_INSP_20190201

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

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UNIT TYPE:
Lined
MSWLF LCID YW Transfer Compost SLAS COUNTY: Watauga
Closed
MSWLF HHW White
goods Incin T&P FIRM PERMIT NO.: 95-03
CDLF Tire T&P / Collection Tire Monofill Industrial Landfill DEMO SDTF FILE TYPE: COMPLIANCE

Date of Site Inspection: February 1, 2019 Date of Last Inspection: January 9, 2018

FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS:
Watauga County Transfer Station
336 Landfill Road
Boone, North Carolina 28607

Watauga County Permanent HHW
336 Landfill Road
Boone, North Carolina 28607

GPS COORDINATES: N: 36.22032 W: 81.63165

FACILITY CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER:
Name: Rex Buck, Operations Services Manager
Telephone: [phone]
Email address: [e-mail]

FACILITY CONTACT ADDRESS:
842 West King Street, Suite 1
Boone, North Carolina 28607

PARTICIPANTS:
Rex Buck, Operations Services Manager – Watauga County
Donna Watson, Administrative Assistant II – Watauga County
Charles Gerstell, NCDEQ – Solid Waste Section
Kim Sue, NCDEQ – Solid Waste Section

STATUS OF PERMIT:
A Permit to Operate 9503T-TRANSFER-1996 Watauga County Transfer Station and 9503-HHW-2015 Watauga
County Permanent HHW was issued to Watauga County on May 29, 2016. This permit shall expire on August 26,
2020.

PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT:
Comprehensive Inspection

STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS:
N/A

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 2 of 4

OBSERVED VIOLATIONS:
None

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

1.) The facility is permitted to receive waste generated within Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Watauga, and Wilkes Counties.
2.) All waste is transported to Foothills Environmental Landfill (Permit #: 14-03).
3.) A gate was provided at the entrance to the facility to prevent unauthorized access.
4.) The Permit to Operate and Operations Manual were verified. Both documents were current and available upon
request.
5.) Tonnage reports for January 2018 through January 2019 were verified. The facility received 55,506.65 tons of
waste during this time.
6.) Certified Transfer Station Operations Specialist Certification:
x Jim Fink (expires 7/19/21)
x Scott Gregg (expires 3/12/19)
x Jimmy Johnson (expires 11/16/19)
x Dale Miller (expires 5/19/21)
x David D. Miller (expires 3/3/19)
x Terry Scott (expires 11/16/19)
x Douglas Allen Stanbery (expires 7/19/21)
x Ryan A. Woodring (expires 7/19/21)
7.) Waste Screening Reports were verified for January 2018 through January 2019. Reports appeared to be performed
with adequate frequency and provided good documentation of observed unacceptable waste streams and final
disposition of those wastes. Since the previous inspection, it was evident that facility staff had made an effort to
screen all types of waste loads as requested on the previous inspection.

Operations Inspection of the Transfer Station:

8.) Two separate entrances are provided for waste acceptance. The public enter on the south side of the building while
commercial vehicles and larger public vehicles enter on the east side of the building.
9.) No unacceptable waste streams were observed.
10.) A heavy buildup of residue was observed on the grates covering the leachate drain along the east side of the
facility. Mr. Jimmy Johnson and Mr. Buck explained that the grates are usually cleaned on a weekly basis.
However, due to the recent freezing temperatures, the hose which supplies water for cleaning of grates was frozen
at the time of inspection. Please ensure that the grates are properly cleaned once temperatures have warmed to
ensure proper function of the drain. It is recommended that alternative practices be considered in the future such as
temporarily storing the hose in a warm location during extremely cold periods.
11.) The interior walls of the facility were in need of pressure washing.
12.) A large portion of the facility floor had been repaired since the previous inspection. This work included removing
a portion of the old floor near the trailer loading bay, installing rebar, and pouring new concrete. The County’s
efforts to maintain the floor of the facility are greatly appreciated.
13.) Windblown waste from the transfer station was well controlled at the time of inspection. A small amount of
windblown waste was observed on the right side of the access drive between the scale house and the transfer
station. This material appeared to be the result of waste being lost from possible uncovered loads being brought to
the facility. Please ensure that windblown waste around the facility is addressed on a regular basis.
The item(s) listed above were observed by Section staff and require action on behalf of the facility in order to come into or maintain compliance
with the Statutes, Rules, and/or other regulatory requirements applicable to this facility. Be advised that pursuant to N.C.G.S. 130A-22, an
administrative penalty of up to $15,000 per day may be assessed for each violation of the Solid Waste Laws, Regulations, Conditions of a Permit,
or Order under Article 9 of Chapter 130A of the N.C. General Statutes. Further, the facility and/or all responsible parties may also be subject to
enforcement actions including penalties, injunction from operation of a solid waste management facility or a solid waste collection service and any
such further relief as may be necessary to achieve compliance with the North Carolina Solid Waste Management Act and Rules.
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 3 of 4

14.) During the previous inspection, an area of bare and discolored soil was observed at the northwest corner of the
asphalt lot located just west of the transfer station. No liquids were observed flowing into this grassed area at the
time of inspection. As noted on the previous report, it is recommended that this area be repaired, and a
containment method be provided along the edge of the asphalt area to collect and potential spills. This can include,
but not be limited to the installation of a containment berm.

Operations Inspection of the White Goods Area:

15.) White goods containing chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants (CFCs) are collected at the northwest corner of the
bailing/recycling building.
16.) Previously, it has been the facility’s practice to stack white goods on their sides. During this inspection, it was
discussed that white goods should be stacked upright to ensure the integrity of the device prior to CFC removal.
Mr. Buck explained that white goods would be stored in an upright manner in the future.

Operations Inspection of the Tire Collection Area:

17.) Tires are collected into a covered trailer at the loading dock on the west side of the bailing/recycling building. All
tires were maintained within the trailer at the time of inspection.

Supporting Comments:

18.) A convenience area for public disposal of wastes and recyclables is provided on the north side of the access road
across from the scale house.
19.) Electronics are collected within the bailing/recycling building and then placed on wooden pallets and shrink
wrapped for placement into a covered trailer.
20.) Florescent bulbs and batteries are collected at the bailing/recycling facility. Bulbs are placed in cardboard
containers prior to shipment to the County’s designated electronics vendor.
21.) Windblown plastics and paper associated with recycling activities was observed along the wooded area located
waste of the bailing/recycling building. This condition has been observed during previous inspections and can lead
to nuisance conditions. Please ensure that this material is collected and returned to the proper location. Installation
of a device such as fencing along the wooded area was discussed to catch windblown material and allow for more
efficient collection of the material.

Operations Inspection of the HHW Facility (9503-HHW-2005):

22.) The facility consists of a steel building with three separate compartments for the collection of HHW.
23.) The facility was not in operation at the time of inspection. The facility operates on designated collection days
starting in April and ending in November.
24.) All compartments were closed and locked at the time of inspection.
25.) All compartments were well managed.
26.) Please ensure that all drums containing materials are provided with a label noting the date each period of
accumulation began.
27.) Secondary containment was provided for all collection compartments. The secondary containment has no outlet.
28.) A fire suppression system was provided to control fire at the facility. The system was last serviced on December
2018.

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 4 of 4

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding this inspection report.

________________________________________ Phone: [phone]
Charles T. Gerstell
Environmental Senior Specialist
Regional Representative

Sent on: 2/11/19 X Email Hand delivery US Mail Certified No. [ _]

Copies: Deb Aja, Western District Supervisor - Solid Waste Section
Digitally signed by Charles T. Gerstell
DN: cn=Charles T. Gerstell, o=Divsion of Waste
Management, ou=Solid Waste Section,
email=[e-mail], c=US
Date: 2019.02.11 15:43:54 -05'00'