1803_INSP_20210211

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

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UNIT TYPE:
Lined
MSWLF X LCID YW Transfer Compost SLAS COUNTY: Catawba
Closed
MSWLF HHW White
goods Incin T&P FIRM PERMIT NO.: 18-03
CDLF X Tire T&P / Collection Tire Monofill Industrial Landfill DEMO SDTF FILE TYPE: COMPLIANCE

Date of Site Inspection: February 11, 2021 Date of Last Inspection: January 19, 2021

FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS:
Blackburn Resource Recovery Facility
4017 Rocky ford Road
Newton, North Carolina 28658

GPS COORDINATES (decimal degrees): Lat.: 36.60662 Long.: -81.30966

FACILITY CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER:
Name: Rodney Hamby, Landfill Superintendent
Telephone: [phone]
Email address: [e-mail]

FACILITY CONTACT ADDRESS:
Post Office Box 389
Newton, North Carolina 28658

PARTICIPANTS:
Rodney Hamby, Landfill Superintendent – Catawba County
Daniel Isenhour, Landfill Operations Supervisor – Catawba County
Charles Gerstell, NCDEQ – Solid Waste Section

STATUS OF PERMIT:
A Permit to Construct 1803-MSWLF-1997, Blackburn Resource Recovery Facility – Unit 3, Phase 2, a Permit to
Operate 1803-MSWLF-1997, 1803-CDLF-, 1803-TP-, and 1803-COMPOST-, and a Permit for Closure for 1803-
MSWLF-1981 and 18H-LCID-1989 was issued to Catawba County on June 12, 2018.

PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT:
Partial Inspection

STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS:
15A North Carolina Administrative Code 13B .0542(f)(1) states: “Except as provided in Subparagraph (3) of this
Paragraph, the owners and operators of all C&DLF units must cover the solid waste with six inches of earthen material
when the waste disposal area exceeds one-half acre and at least once weekly. Cover must be placed at more frequent
intervals if necessary to control disease vectors, fires, odors, blowing litter, and scavenging. A notation of the date and
time of the cover placement must be recorded in the operating record as specified in Paragraph (n) of this Rule.”

Inspection of the facility on January 19, 2021 found exposed waste on the inactive east facing and south facing slopes of
the construction and demolition landfill unit. Mr. Hamby explained that waste was last placed on the east facing slopes
in the summer of 2020 and on the south facing slopes in October of 2020. Therefore, Catawba County was found in
violation of 15A NCAC 13B .05429(f)(1) for failure to cover waste with six inches of earthen material as required.

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 2 of 3

Inspection of the facility on February 11, 2021 found good earthen cover on inactive portions of the construction and
demolition landfill to include the east and south facing slopes. Therefore, this violation is considered resolved.
Thank you for your attention in this matter.

15A North Carolina Administrative Code 13B .1632(i) states: “Within 120 days from the date of sampling or as
specified in the facility permit, whichever is less, the owner or operator shall submit to the Division a report that includes
all information from the sampling event; including field observations relating to the condition of the monitoring wells,
field data, laboratory data, statistical analysis (if utilized),sampling methodologies, quality assurance and quality control
data, information on ground-water flow direction, calculations of ground-water flow rate, for each well any constituents
that exceed ground-water standards, as defined in Rule .1634(g) through (h) of this Section.”

Semiannual sampling events for 2020 were performed on May 29, 2020 and September 23, 2020. These sampling
results have not yet been submitted to the Solid Waste Section as of the date of the previous inspection. Therefore,
Catawba County was found in violation of 15A NCAC 13B .1632(i) as sampling results were not submitted to the
Division within 120 from the date of sampling.

To achieve compliance, Catawba County was required to submit all sampling results to the Division as required by 15A
13B .1632(i).

Information received by Mr. Hamby on February 15, 2021via e-mail showed that sampling results should be submitted
to the Division by February 22, 2021. Therefore, compliance with this violation is considered in progress.

OBSERVED VIOLATIONS:
No new violations observed.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

1. The facility consists of a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Unit, Construction and Demolition Landfill Unit,
Treatment and Processing Unit, Small Type 1 Compost Unit, Scrap Tire Collection Area, White Goods Collection
Area, and a convenience area for the collection of used paint, electronics, used batteries, and cell phones.
2. The facility is permitted to receive solid waste generated within Catawba County only.
3. Gates are provided at the entrance to the facility to prevent unauthorized access.
4. This was a partial inspection to evaluate Catawba County’s efforts to comply with violations documented in the
previous inspection report issued on January 27, 2021. See “Status of Past Noted Violations” for comments.

Operations Inspection of the MSWLF Unit (1803-MSWLF-1997):

5. Waste was being placed into Unit 3, Phase 2 at the time of inspection.
6. The working face was small and compact.
7. No unacceptable waste streams were observed.

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 3

Operations Inspection of the CDLF Unit (1803-CDLF-):

8. Waste was being placed into Unit 2, Phase 2 at the time of inspection.
9. Edge-of-waste markers were in place.
10. Windblown waste was well controlled.
11. Good operation cover was observed on inactive portions of the landfill. Please also refer to “Status of Past Noted
Violations”.

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: 2/15/21 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: 2021.02.15 13:02:35 -05'00'