0501_INSP_20211207

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 1 of 3

UNIT TYPE:
Lined
MSWLF X LCID YW Transfer Compost SLAS COUNTY: Ashe
Closed
MSWLF HHW White
goods Incin T&P FIRM PERMIT NO.: 0501-MSWLF-1993
CDLF Tire T&P / Collection Tire Monofill Industrial Landfill DEMO SDTF FILE TYPE: COMPLIANCE

Date of Site Inspection: December 7, 2021 Date of Last Inspection: November 18, 2021

FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS:
Ashe County Solid Waste Facility
739 Fred Pugh Road
Crumpler, North Carolina 28617

GPS COORDINATES (decimal degrees): Lat.: 36.52238 Long.: -81.36960

FACILITY CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER:
Name: Scott Hurley, Director – Department of Environmental Services
Telephone: [phone]
Email address: [e-mail]

FACILITY CONTACT ADDRESS:
Post Office Box 1327
West Jefferson, North Carolina 28694

PARTICIPANTS:
Mike Rutherford, Landfill Supervisor – Ashe County
Charles Gerstell, NCDEQ – Solid Waste Section

STATUS OF PERMIT:
A Permit to Operate “0501-MSWLF-1993 Municipal Solid Waste Landfill and land Clearing and Inert Debris Landfill”
was issued to Ashe County on March 31, 2015. This Permit expired on October 12, 2020. A permit renewal request
has been submitted to the Solid Waste Section and is currently under review.

PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT:
Partial Inspection

STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS:
Resolved Violation - 15A North Carolina Administrative Code 13B .1626(2)(b) states: “Except as provided in Sub-
Item (c) of this Item, the owners or operators of all MSWLF units shall cover disposed solid waste with six inches of
earthen material at the end of each operating day, or at more frequent intervals if necessary to prevent the escape of
waste and the attraction of vectors and scavenging, and to minimize fires and the generation of odors.”

During the previous inspection performed on November 3, 2021, insufficient cover was observed in the active portion
of the landfill leaving waste exposed. Exposed waste was observed in the vertical slope below the waste off-load
location. No soil cover was provided over waste along the crest of the north facing slope within the active area resulting
in multiple dogs scavenging within the exposed waste area. The inspection was performed upon initial opening of the
facility, prior to any waste being received. Waste had not been covered with a minimum of six inches of earthen
material at the end of the previous operating day. Therefore, Ashe County was found in violation of 15A NCAC 13B
.1626(2)(b).

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 2 of 3

To achieve compliance, Ashe County was required to cover all waste within the landfill with a minimum of 6-inches of
earthen material or approved alternative cover material at the conclusion of the operating day.

Inspection of the facility on November 18, 2021 found significant improvement of cover within the active landfill.
Areas immediately surrounding the working face were covered with soil along with the north facing slope. A tarp had
been used to cover the previous day’s working face. However, a small portion of waste along the vertical slope at the
off-loading area was not covered by the tarp. Waste within the vertical slope was also exposed. Staff stated all waste
had not been covered as planned as the tarp was too small to cover the waste at the base of the slope and the slope itself.
The tarp was used as a result of damage caused to the heavy equipment which is utilized to cover waste with soil within
the landfill. Although significant effort was observed to comply with the violation of 15A NCAC 13B .1626(2)(b), this
violation could not be considered resolved until inspection found all waste within the landfill covered as required at the
end of the working day.

Inspection of the facility on December 7, 2021 found all waste from the previous day’s operation had been covered with
soil as required. All waste within the vertical slope below the waste off-load location was also covered. The inspection
was performed upon initial opening of the facility, prior to any waste being received. Therefore, this violation is
considered resolved. Thank-you for your cooperation in this matter.

OBSERVED VIOLATIONS:
No new violations observed.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

1. The facility consists of a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill (MSWLF), Land Clearing and Inert Debris Landfill
(LCID), scrap tire collection area, and a white goods collection area.
2. The facility has a service area of Ashe county only.
3. A gate was provided at the entrance to the facility to prevent unauthorized access.
4. This was a partial inspection to evaluate Ashe County’s efforts to comply with the violation documented on the
inspection report issued on November 9, 2021.
5. The inspection was performed upon initial opening of the facility, prior to any waste being received.

Operations Inspection of the MSWLF Unit:

6. The working face was very small and compact.
7. No waste had yet been received at the time of the inspection.
8. Good operational cover was observed on the inactive portions of the landfill.
9. Windblown waste was well managed.
10. Edge-of-liner markers were in place.
11. Access roads were of all-weather construction and well maintained.

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

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: 12/13/21 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: 2021.12.13 11:20:49 -05'00'