1403_Caldwell_Foothills_MSWLF_Permit_Cell6GeologicInvestigations_FID1594887_20210728

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Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.
July 28, 2021
Ms. Jackie Drummond
Compliance Hydrogeologist
Division of Waste Management - Solid Waste Section
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Asheville Regional Office
2090 US Highway 70
Swannanoa, NC 28778
Dear Ms. Drummond:
Subject: Report of Geologic Observations
Phase 5, Cell 6A
Foothills Regional MSW Landfill, Permit No. 1403-MSWLF-1998
Lenoir, NC
CEC Project No. 310-590
On behalf of Republic Services of North Carolina, LLC (Republic) and the Foothills Regional MSW
Landfill (Foothills), Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (CEC) has prepared the enclosed Report
of Geologic Observations for the construction of Phase 5, Cell 6A. This report is submitted to satisfy
the conditions of 15A NCAC 13B. I 624(b)(7)(B)(ii).
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me with any questions at dcobb(d),cecinc.com
or 704-221-4947.
Sincerely,
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS, INC.
1
Donald M. Cobb, P.G.
Project Manager
Enclosures
cc: Derek Bouchard, Republic
Matt Cheek, HHNT
Kevin Berry, HHNT
Nathan T. Bivins, P.E.
Project Manager
3701 Arco Corporate Drive. Suite 400 1 Charlorte, NC 28273 1 p: 980-237-0373 is 980-237-0372 1 www.cecinc.com

REPORT OF GEOLOGIC OBSERVATIONS
FOR
FOOTHILLS REGIONAL MSW LANDFILL PHASE 5 CELL 6A
Prepared For:
REPUBLIC SERVICES OF NORTH CAROLINA, LLC
1070 RIVERSIDE DRIVE
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 28804
Prepared By:
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS, INC.
3701 ARCO CORPORATE DRIVE, SUITE 400
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28273
CEC Project 310-590
July 28, 2021
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Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.
3701 Arco Corporate Drive. Suite 400 1 Charlotte. NC 28273 1 p: 980-237-0373 f: 980-237-0372 1 www.cecinc.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND......................................................................I
2.0 GENERAL SITE GEOLOGY..........................................................................................3
3.0 FIELD OBSERVATIONS.................................................................................................4
4.0 CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................................6
APPENDICES
Appendix A Photographs
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. -i- Foothills Landfill —CECProject 310-590
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1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (CEC) has been retained by Republic Services of North
Carolina, LLC (Republic) and the Foothills Regional Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfill to
conduct geologic observations of the subgrade during construction of Phase 5 Cell 6A at Foothills.
This report has been prepared to satisfy the conditions of Title 15A of the North Carolina
Administrative Code, Chapter 13, Subchapter B, Section 1624, Subsection (b) Part (7)(B)(ii) [I 5A
NCAC 13B.1624(b)(7)(B)(ii)]. Typically, a report of this nature is required by the Permit to
Construct; however, in a letter dated February 11, 2021, the North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) — Division of Waste Management (DWM) — Solid Waste Section
(SWS) stated:
"Please note, due to the ongoing MSWLF Rule readoption process, the
Section is not currently issuing MSWLF Permits. Once the MSWLF Rule
readoption process is complete, the Permit will be amended to include construction
of Phase 5 and reissued. In the interim, the Section approves construction of Phase
5 in accordance with the approved plans. "
Based on CEC's prior experience with Permits to Construct issued by the SWS, a requirement for
geologic observations will be included in the amendment.
The Foothills Regional MSW Landfill (Foothills) is located at 2800 Cheraw Road in Lenoir,
Caldwell County, North Carolina, and operates under solid waste permit number 1403-MSWLF-
1998. Foothills is owned by Caldwell County and operated by Republic. The landfill currently
consists of approximately 281.8 acres. Landfill Phases 1, 2, 3, and 4, consisting of Cells 1 A/B, 2
AB, 3 A/B/C, 4, 5 A/B, and 8A have been constructed. Republic received approval to begin
construction of Phase 5 in a SWS letter dated February 11, 2021. Cell 6A will be the first
constructed cell in Phase 5.
CEC researched and referenced several documents during the preparation of this Report, as listed
below:
• Design Hydrogeologic Report — Phase 5 (Cells No. 6, 7, and 8B), Foothills Regional MSW
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. -1- Foothills Landfill —CEC Project310-590
July 28, 2021

Landfill, Caldwell County, North Carolina, Facility Permit Number 1403-MSWLF-1998,
prepared by Bunnell-Lammons Engineering, Inc. (BLE), and dated October 20, 2017
(revised March 20, 2019).
• Permit to Construct Application, Foothills Regional Landfill —Phase 5, Facility Permit No.
14-03, prepared by Hodges, Harbin, Newberry, & Tribble, Inc (HHNT)., and dated June 22,
2018.
• Phase 5 — Approval to Construct Letter, prepared by NCDEQ — DWM — SWS, and dated
February 11, 2021.
• The Geology of the Carolinas: Carolina Geological Society Fiftieth Anniversary Edition,
edited by J. Wright Horton, Jr., and Victor A. Zullo, The University of Tennessee Press,
2001.
The purpose of this report is to satisfy the conditions of 15A NCAC 13B.1624(b)(7)(B)(ii): the
subgrade of Cell 6A must be inspected by a North Carolina licensed geologist and a report prepared
noting any pertinent geologic features exposed during cell excavation.
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. -2- Foothills Landfill —CECProject 310-590
July 28, 2021

2.0 GENERAL SITE GEOLOGY
Foothills is located within the Inner Piedmont Belt of the Piedmont Physiographic Province of
North Carolina. Crystalline rocks of the Inner Piedmont Belt occur in generally northeast -
southwest trending belts in North Carolina. They typically consist of stacked highly
metamorphosed thrust sheets that are bound to the northwest by the Brevard Shear Zone and to the
southeast by the Kings Mountain Shear Zone. In addition, the Inner Piedmont includes high-grade
metamorphosed igneous and sedimentary rocks that have been exposed to multiple deformational
events; the resulting rock types include gneiss, schist, and amphibolite with northeast -southwest
trending foliation and varying degrees of dip. Sediments of Quaternary age fill stream valleys; such
sediments typically consist of sand and gravel. A transitional zone of partially weathered rock
(PWR) is normally found overlaying the parent bedrock.
Soils observed in the southern portions of Cell 6A were the result of in -place weathering of gneiss
and schist bedrock. These soils were reddish -brown to brown micaceous sands and silts with minor
amounts of clay observed.
PWR within the southern portions of Cell 6A was not observed during CEC's site visits. Some
PWR was observed along the northern cell boundary; this PWR appeared to have been moved
and/or stockpiled here during cell construction activities. The PWR in this area was observed to be
gray sand with moderate to high mica content, and some gravel -sized rocks. PWR was observed
in the northern portions of Cell 6A during the post -blasting site visit and was noted to be consistent
with significant weathering of the exposed bedrock.
Exposed bedrock outcrops were observed in the southeastern extent of Cell 6A. This bedrock
consisted of highly fractured biotite-quartz-feldspar gneiss. Alternating seams of PWR and
fractured bedrock were noted, and boulders of biotite-quartz-feldspar gneiss were observed in
relation to exposed bedrock outcrops.
A blasting plan was submitted to the SWS by HHNT, and approved in a letter dated April 30, 2021.
CEC has prepared and submitted a summary of blasting activities under separate cover.
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. -3- Foothills Landfill —CEC Project310-590
July 28, 2021

3.0 FIELD OBSERVATIONS
Donald Cobb of CEC, a North Carolina licensed geologist, conducted three site visits to Foothills
during the preparation of Cell 6A for subgrade. The following is a summary of those site visits.
April 14, 2021
Mr. Cobb was accompanied by Matthew Ginther of CEC during this site visit.
The initial clearing of vegetation and stripping of topsoil had been completed by the time of this
site visit. In addition, the northwestern portion of Cell 6A had been filled with structural fill to
bring the surface elevation up to the pre-subgrade level specified in the construction drawings
prepared by HHNT. Per the cell construction contractor, Earnhardt Grading (Earnhardt) of Stanly,
North Carolina, up to ten (or more) feet of structural fill was added to this area to achieve the desired
elevation.
At the time of this site visit, the northern and western portions of Cell 6A were largely at the
specified pre-subgrade elevation with minimal structural fill needed (except as noted above).
Excavation and blasting were still ongoing in the southeastern portions of Cell 6A. Mr. Cobb and
Mr. Ginther inspected exposed rock outcrops as noted in Section 2.0 above.
May 25, 2021
The focus of this site visit was to observe the southeastern extents of Cell 6A post -blasting. Blasting
activity within Cell 6A was limited to one area located at the southeastern cell limit. Although
bedrock outcrops in this area were observed to be generally at pre-subgrade elevations during the
prior site visit, to achieve the required vertical separation between the base liner system and
bedrock, material was required to be removed via blasting.
At the time of this site visit, blasting and post -blasting excavation within Cell 6A were largely
complete. Remnants of bedrock observed in the blasting area showed compositions consistent with
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. 4- Foothills Landfill —CEC Project310-590
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earlier observations as well as data provided in BLE's Design Hydrogeologic Report — Phase 5
(Cells No. 6, 7, and 8B) — that is, biotite-quartz-feldspar gneiss. Soils and PWR as described in
Section 2.0 were observed adjacent to the blasting areas.
June 10, 2021
Subgrade preparation activities in Cell 6A were substantially complete at the time of this site visit.
Due to recent rain events, the low-lying western portions of the cell were wet and standing water
was observed. Earnhardt was using a pump to remove this excess water from the cell. Earnhardt
representatives stated they would regrade the western portions of Cell 6A disturbed by rainfall and
subsequent pumping operations.
CEC understands that Republic notified Ms. Jackie Drummond, NCDEQ's hydrogeologist for
Foothills, about this site visit as it was intended to be the final walkthrough prior to the addition of
soil liner material to bring Cell 6A up to final subgrade elevation. Ms. Drummond was unable to
attend this walkthrough.
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. -5- Foothills Landfill —CEC Project310-590
July 28, 2021

4.0 CONCLUSIONS
Field observations during the preparation of Cell 6A for subgrade at Foothills noted general site
geology and soil types consistent with the Design Hydrogeologic Report — Phase 5 (Cells No. 6, 7,
and 8B) as prepared by BLE.
Outcroppings of bedrock were observed in the southeastern extent of Cell 6A. Earnhardt completed
a blasting program to remove this rock to meet the vertical separation requirement between the base
liner system and bedrock. PWR was observed adjacent to the areas where bedrock was removed.
CEC has prepared and submitted a blasting summary report under separate cover, which includes
survey data verifying the vertical separation requirements have been met.
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. -6- Foothills Landfill —CEC Project310-590
July 28, 2021

APPENDIX A - PHOTOGRAPHS

Photo Number: 1
Description:
_
_
View of northern portion of Cell 6A,
facing north.
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Photo Number: 2
Description:
View of eastern extent of Cell 6A, facing
north. Area of added structural fill.
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Foothills Regional MSW Landfill
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.
2800 Cheraw Road
Charlotte, NC
Lenoir, North Carolina 28645
Phone [phone] • Toll Free: 855/859-9932 www.cecinc.com
11Page

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Photo Number: 3
Description:
Typical view of bedrock outcrop and
PWR in southeastern extent of Cell 6A,
l
facing northeast. Outcrop located just
beyond cell limit.
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Photo Number: 4
Description:
4. (eh
Close-up view of fragment of bedrock;
biotite-quartz-feldspar gneiss.
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Foothills Regional MSW Landfill
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.
2800 Cheraw Road
Charlotte, NC
Lenoir, North Carolina 28645
Phone [phone] • Toll Free: 855/859-9932 www.cecinc.com
2 1 P a g e

Photo Number: 5
Description:
Overview of Cell 6A, facing east.
Photo Number: 6
Description:
Blasted area of bedrock in southeastern
portion of Cell 6A, facing southeast.
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Foothills Regional MSW Landfill
Civil &
Environmental Consultants, Inc.
2800 Cheraw Road
Charlotte, NC
Lenoir, North Carolina 28645
Phone [phone] • Toll Free: 855/859-9932 www.cecinc.com
3 1 P a g e

Photo Number: 7
Description:
Blasted area of bedrock in southeastern
portion of Cell 6A, facing north. PVV is
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visible adjacent to blasted area.
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Photo Number: 8
Description:
-
Overview of Cell 6A with subgrade
preparation work substantially
completed, facing southeast. Standing
water due to recent rain.
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Foothills Regional MSW Landfill
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.
2800 Cheraw Road
Charlotte, NC
Lenoir, North Carolina 28645
Phone [phone] • Toll Free: 855/859-9932 www.cecinc.com
4 1 P a g e