9502LCID2016_INSP_20200320

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 1 of 4

UNIT TYPE:
Lined
MSWLF LCID X YW Transfer Compost X SLAS COUNTY: Watauga
Closed
MSWLF HHW White
goods Incin T&P X FIRM PERMIT NO.: 9502-LCID-2016
CDLF Tire T&P / Collection Tire Monofill Industrial Landfill DEMO SDTF FILE TYPE: COMPLIANCE

Date of Site Inspection: March 11, 2020 & March 20, 2020 Date of Last Inspection: February 1, 2019

FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS:
Watauga County Land Clearing & Inert Debris Landfill
336 Landfill Road
Boone, North Carolina 28607

GPS COORDINATES: Lat.: 36.22032 Long.: 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

STATUS OF PERMIT:
A Permit to Operate a Land Clearing and Inert Debris Landfill, Treatment and Processing Unit, and Landfill Gas-To-
Energy System was issued to Watauga County on April 15, 2016. The permit shall expire on June 15, 2021.

PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT:
Comprehensive Inspection

STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS:
N/A

OBSERVED VIOLATIONS:

15A North Carolina Administrative Code 13B .0566(2) states: “The facility shall only accept those solid wastes which
it is permitted to receive.”

An inspection of the facility on March 11, 2020 found multiple pieces of PVC pipe, scrap metal, vinyl, sheet plastic, an
aerosol can, a light bulb, some silt fence material and multiple pieces of painted concrete within the LCID landfill. The
subject wastes are not acceptable for disposal in an LCID landfill. In order for painted concrete to buried, it must first be
tested to determine if the material meets unrestricted use standards. The painted concrete observed during the inspection
had not been tested. As a result, Watauga County was found in violation of 15A NCAC 13B .0566(2).
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 2 of 4

3/11/20: View of metal and plastic within LCID 3/11/20: View of PVC pipe within LCID landfill.
landfill. (photo by C. Gerstell) (photo by C. Gerstell)

3/11/20: View of vinyl and metal within the LCID
landfill. (photo by C. Gerstell)

During the inspection, it was requested that all unacceptable waste streams be removed for proper disposal at the transfer
station.

Mr. Buck submitted multiple photos by electronic correspondence on March 16, 2020 which showed waste that had been
removed from the LCID landfill and placed in a roll-off container. The pictures also provided two views of the eastern
slope where the majority of unacceptable waste was observed during the inspection performed on March 11, 2020. It
appeared that all unacceptable waste streams had been removed.

A follow-up inspection was performed on March 20, 2020 to evaluate the County’s efforts to address the violation
observed during the previous inspection. No unacceptable waste streams were observed within the LCID landfill.
Therefore, this violation is considered resolved. Thank you for your cooperation in the matter.

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 3 of 4

3/20/20: View of excavated portion of LCID landfill. 3/20/20: Additional view of excavated portion of
No unacceptable waste streams observed. (photo by LCID landfill. (photo by C. Gerstell)
C. Gerstell)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

1. The facility is permitted to receive solid waste generated within, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Watauga, and Wilkes
Counties.
2. The Permit to Operate and Operations Manual were verified. Both documents were current and available upon
request.
3. A gate was provided at the entrance to the facility to prevent unauthorized access.
4. The working face was less than one-half acre at the time of inspection.
5. Majority of waste was covered with soil.
6. The landfill is used primarily for the disposal of inert debris such as concrete, rock, brick, concrete block, and
broken asphalt. Wood waste is taken to the Treatment and Processing Area for eventual grinding into mulch.
7. The access road leading to the landfill was of all-weather construction and well maintained.
8. Gas Probe “TP 1” was observed. The device was surrounded by large boulders to prevent damage from
equipment. The device was adequately labeled.
9. Surface water appeared to have been directed away from the landfill.

Operations Inspection of the Treatment and Processing Unit:

10. The facility is permitted to receive land clearing debris as defined in 15A NCAC 13B .0101(49), wooden pallets
constructed of unpainted and untreated natural wood, and yard trash as defined in 15A NCAC 13B .0101(55).
11. The facility no longer accepts pallets for grinding. All pallets are directed to the transfer station for disposal as all
waste from the transfer station is now disposed at the Eco-Safe Systems, LLC Disposal Facility located in
Blountville, Tennessee (TN Permit #: SNL820000282) which allows for the disposal of pallets.
12. Material was actively being ground during the inspection. Since the previous inspection, the facility has purchased
a tub grinder which was in use.
x Mr. Buck stated during the inspection that the facility was working with a consultant to find potential
markets for mulch generated on site. The facility is also exploring markets for possible future composting
activities and exploring different feedstocks.
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 4 of 4

x Please continue efforts to find markets for the mulch produced to ensure turnover of materials.
x All mulch produced should be maintained in defined stockpiles to allow for turning to assure that insects
and rodents do not become a nuisance as detailed in the approved Operations Manual for the facility.
13. During the inspection, it appeared that ground material from the Treatment and Processing Unit had encroached
into the area designated for the future Phase 3 area of the Land Clearing and Inert Debris Landfill. Mr. Buck
explained that the County’s plan is to start performing a second grind on this old material and screen it in order to
find a market for it and remove it from the site.
x Please make every effort to ensure that all operations associated to the Treatment and Processing
Unit are maintained to the designated area shown on the site drawings within the approved
Operations Manual for the facility.
14. The facility is permitted to operate a Type 1 Composting Unit. However, no compost operations were taking place
on site.
15. No objectionable odors were observed.
16. No standing water was observed.
17. It appeared that surface water had been directed away from the area.

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: 3/27/20 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: 2020.03.27 09:31:13 -04'00'