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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9233T_Wake County EWTS Response + Ops Plan_20220624 Environmental Services TO: Amanda Thompson, Environmental Senior Specialist NCDEQ, Solid Waste Section FROM: Roy Baldwin, Solid Waste Facilities Manager-Projects Wake County Solid Waste CC: John Roberson, PE, Solid Waste Director Wake County Solid Waste DATE: June 23, 2022 SUBJECT: East Wake Transfer Station Facility Inspection Compliance Report Follow Up This memo is in response to the Facility Compliance Inspection Report received by our office on May 25, 2022. Wake County values our partnership with NCDEQ and we are working diligently to make sure that we are in full compliance with NCDEQ rules and regulations. As discussed during the site inspection, the County has a Capital Improvement Plan for the East Wake Transfer Station (EWTS). As part of that plan, the County bid out facility repair work for the EWTS earlier this year, however, the County was not prepared for the bids to come in at twice the anticipated cost. For this reason, the County has had to re- bid the project. The latest version of the Request for Bids for the EWTS Repair Project is currently posted on Wake County’s website (RFB #22-066) with bids due to the County in mid-July. We anticipate the project starting in late summer/early fall. In accordance with the requested 30-day response, please see below the responses and actions taken by the Wake County Solid Waste Management Division (WCSWMD) and Stafford Transport of NC (CEI) to address the items identified in the Report. DEQ - OBSERVED VIOLATIONS: 15A NCAC 13B . 0405 ( a) ( 10) The facility has one staff member who is dedicated to picking up windblown waste. Windblown waste was actively being picked up during this inspection; however, large amounts of windblown waste were observed throughout the facility. A large amount of windblown waste was observed within the riprap along the eastern wall of the transfer station and on the surrounding grounds around the transfer station. Chain link fencing had been installed along the southern wall of the transfer trailer bay to help stop windblown waste from leaving the transfer trailer bay. New and older windblown TEL 919 856 6186 FAX 919 856 6233 Solid Waste Management P.O. Box 550 ▪ Raleigh, NC 27602 waste was observed in the fencing and on the ground. In the transfer station, waste was observed in the fire hose pits and behind and on top of the push walls. It was recommended during this inspection, that brushes or additional steel plating be installed in the transfer trailer bay to help direct the waste into the transfer trailers. WCSWMD response: CEI has picked up existing litter on and around the property and are currently using two staff members, one of whom does litter pickup full time, to police the grounds for litter. CEI has replaced the tarping in the riprap area with new industrial-strength tarping. CEI has power-washed and cleaned debris from the chain-link fencing in the transfer trailer bay. New litter control bay matting will be installed to help direct the waste into the trailers during the EWTS Repair Project referenced above. Nightly cleaning of the fire hose pits has been implemented by CEI. (See Attachment A) DEQ ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: DEQ - 11. During this inspection, several large areas of cracks and holes were observed throughout the tipping floor. Some of the concrete has come loose and been removed during daily operations. A "pothole" filled with waste was observed near the center of the eastern bay of the tipping floor. Based on a memorandum received by the Section after the inspection, the " pothole" will be temporarily repaired with high-strength concrete until the entire tipping floor can be replaced. It was recommended during the inspection that the subsurface soils be evaluated. WCSWMD response: The pothole patch was completed on June 11, 2022, and a follow-up email was submitted to your office on June 14, 2022. The recommendation of testing the subsurface soils will be completed as part of the EWTS Repair Project referenced above. (See Attachment B) DEQ - 12. The steel plating along the push walls and within the transfer trailer loading bay have been damaged and are peeling away from the wall in several places. The damage to the steel plating was also identified in the Transfer Station Assessment Report. It is recommended that the steel plating be either repaired or replaced so that they function properly, and waste does not get caught behind the steel plating. WCSWMD response: The recommended repairs will be made during the EWTS Repair Project referenced above. DEQ – 13. Waste was observed in the grates over and within the leachate drains. The leachate drains are connected to the City of Raleigh wastewater system via a pumping system. The pumping system is inspected quarterly, and maintenance records were reviewed during this inspection. Ensure that the waste is removed from the leachate drains so that the drains function properly. WCSWMD response: CEI has implemented a new nightly procedure to clean out the leachate drains. DEQ – 15. A water leak was identified in the water line near the western end of the transfer trailer loading bay. Some waste was observed within the standing water. The water leak should be repaired. The standing water with waste in it should be treated as leachate and directed into the leachate collection system. WCSWMD response: CEI has removed the standing water and directed it into the leachate collection system. The hydrant is currently under contract with Crawford Sprinklers to be repaired once the parts arrive. After the repair is complete, existing soil will be removed and replaced around the yard hydrant. DEQ – 16 & 17. All waste shall be removed from the tipping floor, truck loading bays, and from behind push walls by the end of each day of operation and disposed of properly. The facility should be cleaned in accordance with 15A NCAC 13B .0405 ( a)( 11). WCSWMD response: CEI is up to date on all requirements of this regulation and has implemented the required procedural changes to be in compliance with the end-of-day closure. Their power washer vendor has been instructed on the new areas to be cleaned in accordance with the regulation. DEQ – 18. Please update DEQ and any other contacts within the operations plan. WCSWMD response: See Attachment C for the updated Operations Plan and Procedures Manual (OPPM) for the East Wake Transfer Station (EWTS). DEQ – 19. Corrective measures are necessary as a result of this inspection and should be complete within 30days receipt of this report. WCSWMD response: WCSWMD and CEI have worked together to complete many of the corrective actions identified in the Report and we have every intention to meet all DEQ’s recommendations. Some of the outstanding action items will be completed as part of the EWTS Repair Project that is referenced above and will not be able to meet the 30-day timeframe. Because of the timing of the EWTS Repair Project, with work hopefully starting in late summer/early fall, we are requesting an extension on the deadline to complete the outstanding items. It is the intention of WCSWMD to have all the repairs completed by the end of the year. Attachment A Attachment B Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 1 OPERATIONS PLAN AND PROCEDURES MANUAL EAST WAKE TRANSFER STATION 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose This Operations Plan and Procedures Manual (OPPM) for the East Wake Transfer Station (EWTS), Permit No. 9233T, has been prepared in accordance with the North Carolina Solid Waste Section Rules 15A NCAC 13B .0402 – Operational Requirements for Transfer Facilities and addresses pertinent operational requirements outlined in Rule .0505 – Operational Requirements for Sanitary Landfills. This OPPM also addresses any changes that may have occurred in the operational status of the East Wake Transfer Station since the LOS permit issue date of March 13th, 2019. This OPPM addresses the following operational requirements: •Waste Acceptance Criteria •Facility Operations •Disease and Vector Control •Signage and Safety Requirements •Access and Security Requirements 1.2 Facility Location The East Wake Transfer Station (EWTS), owned by the City of Raleigh Department of Solid Waste Services and operated by the Wake County Solid Waste Management Division, is located on City of Raleigh property immediately adjacent to the closed Wilders Grove City of Raleigh landfill and directly east of the new City of Raleigh Solid Waste Division offices located at 630 Beacon Lake Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610. The site is bounded by Crabtree Creek, I-440, former soil borrow areas, and the closed landfill south of the main disposal unit that closed in 1997. The transfer station facility is situated on a 14.7-acre tract of land at the south end of Corporation Parkway that includes a tipping building, concrete tipping floor, two open pits with metal-plated concrete push walls for loading transfer trucks, covered truck loading facilities (lower transfer tunnel) and concrete access roads. The East Wake Transfer Station property is zoned by Wake County as 1-1 (light industrial) and therefore suitable for the operation of public facilities including solid waste transfer stations. The addresses for the East Wake Transfer Station structures are: Attachment C Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 2 Scale House: 840 Corporation Parkway Raleigh, NC 27610 Offices: 830 Corporation Parkway Raleigh, NC 27610 Transfer Station Building: 820 Corporation Parkway Raleigh, NC 27610 1.3 Facility Description This Operations Plan has been developed for the continued operation of the East Wake Transfer Station (EWTS) for the Life-of-Site (LOS). The transfer facility is owned by the City of Raleigh and is designed to operate as a tipping system under the operational authority of Wake County. The County controls and operates the gates and scale house at the EWTS with Wake County Solid Waste Management Division (SWMD) staff. Wake County has contracted with Stafford Transport of NC, Inc. (Stafford) to operate the transfer facility and serve as the waste hauling contractor. The transfer station operator will be responsible for waste acceptance, tipping floor management, loading, and hauling of MSW waste, as well as general facility operation and maintenance. The SWMD and transfer facility operator will be required to comply with the provisions outlined in this Operations Plan. The current contract between Wake County and Stafford is in effect until June 30, 2029, with an option for an additional 4-year extension. The East Wake Transfer Station consists of a tipping building enclosure, tipping floor, tipping building apron, and paved concrete access roads to the apron area on the north side of the building and lower drive-thru truck bays or transfer tunnel on the south side of the building. The tipping floor enclosure consists of a metal building with a metal roof, a concrete tipping floor, concrete push walls with metal plating for added wear, and two push pits for loading trucks entering the facility on the lower level or transfer tunnel. The transfer trailers are loaded using (2) rubber-tired front-end loaders with 5 CY buckets and (1) rubber-track excavator with a 30-foot boom to compact the loaded waste in the transfer trucks. No stand-alone compactors or weigh hoppers are used at the transfer facility. Three exhaust fans are located along the south or rear wall of the transfer building for odor control and to maintain air quality within the operating area/tipping floor. The high-strength concrete tipping floor, concrete push walls, Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 3 and metal plating used to protect the concrete push walls are being replaced and/or upgraded as part of an upcoming renovation project (Fall 2022). These upgrades will include replacing the tipping floor, renovating the pits and litter control brackets, and repairing the metal-plated push walls. Wash water from the concrete tipping floor and the two lower drive-thru bays used for loading trucks is collected and directed to an onsite lift station for discharge to the City of Raleigh sewer system and treatment at the City of Raleigh Wastewater Treatment Plant. The same process is used to collect rainwater that comes in contact with the waste. The transfer station facility will continue to transfer all MSW waste received at the facility to the South Wake Subtitle D Landfill during the life of the said landfill. (Currently estimated to be open until 2040) Only MSW generated within Wake County will be accepted at the EWTS. The transfer station operator maintains an office at the facility through which the operator can be contacted. Contact information is provided in this updated Operations Plan. The facility office is equipped with a telephone service and will have a responsible person in charge available at all times while the facility is in operation. The operator will also provide an on-call service seven days per week so that the County can contact the operator in the event of an emergency or in the case of unexpected or special waste disposal activities at the transfer facility. The operator will keep the County informed at all times as to the name and contact information of the employee on-call. The operator will also designate an employee as a safety officer for the transfer facility. The transfer facility operator currently conducts monthly onsite safety and/or training meetings. The operator will maintain detailed records of all transfer station operations and make such records available for inspection by the County or any authorized representative of the County and/or the City of Raleigh. All dealings, contacts, etc. between the County and the transfer station operator will be directed to the primary contact person designated by each party. The primary contact persons for issues concerning the operation of the East Wake Transfer Station are: Wake County – Mr. Roy Baldwin, Solid Waste Facilities Manager-Projects Wake County Solid Waste Management Division P.O. Box 550 Raleigh, NC 27602 (919) 856-5695 roy.baldwin@wakegov.com Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 4 EWTS Operator – Mrs. Wendy Allred, Terminal Manager Stafford Transport of NC, Inc. 830 Corporation Parkway Raleigh, NC 27610 (919) 212-8080 Wallred@customecology.com 2.0 WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA 2.1 Acceptable Waste The transfer station will accept only those wastes for which the facility is permitted, namely the municipal solid waste (MSW) to be disposed of in the permitted South Wake Subtitle D Landfill. The East Wake Transfer Station will accept only MSW waste (i.e. residential, commercial and industrial waste) generated within the Wake County service area. No waste will be accepted from outside of Wake County. C&D waste generated by Wake County residents through the convenience center program, is only accepted on Saturdays and is sent to Brownfield C&D Landfill located at 2600 Brown Field Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610. Permit number 92-31. 2.2 Prohibited Waste No commercial C&D waste will be accepted at the East Wake Transfer Station. In addition, barrels and drums will not be accepted unless they are empty and perforated sufficiently to ensure that they contain no liquids or hazardous wastes. Yard wastes will not be accepted, along with infectious waste, medical waste, animal waste, animal carcasses, sludge, or radioactive waste. Aluminum cans and plastic bottles, if encountered within the waste stream, are approved by the NCDEQ as being acceptable for disposal given the stringent nature of the recycling process. A report will be prepared by the transfer station operator to document any attempted delivery of waste that the transfer facility is not permitted to accept, including waste from outside the permitted transfer station service area. Reports will be presented to Wake County for reporting to the NCDEQ Solid Waste Section. Scrap tires, lead acid batteries, wooden pallets and/or “white goods” will not be accepted at the EWTS. However, any plastic bottles or aluminum cans included in the waste will remain in the waste. Otherwise, no recyclables are accepted at the East Wake Transfer Station. Regulated medical waste/sharps, hazardous or Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 5 liquid wastes will not be accepted at EWTS. No special waste handing or processing of waste materials or wood waste will be performed at the EWTS. 2.3 Waste Screening Procedures Transfer station staff are trained to visually screen waste loads as they come into the facility for any prohibited wastes. Should unpermitted wastes be found within the waste stream, the area where the waste is located on the tipping floor will be coned off and monitored until being collected by the generators of the waste or properly disposed of at approved solid waste facilities by contracted vendors. Random inspections of incoming loads will be conducted at the transfer facility at a rate to be determined by the transfer station operator but will be conducted at least on a bi-weekly basis. Haulers will be asked to describe the origin and contents of their waste load as part of the random screening. For any attempted unacceptable wastes delivered to the transfer facility, the facility operator is to record the following. • Date, time, and name of the inspector • Hauler name, driver name, and type of truck • Source of load • Description of load • Record estimated quantity • Provide photos and/or videos as appropriate • Final disposition of waste load when appropriate Waste that is not acceptable will be reloaded onto the waste truck that brought it to the transfer station and removed from the facility. Where this is not practical or safe, a properly trained and equipped hauling contractor will be contacted to properly handle and dispose of the waste load. 3.0 TRANSFER STATION OPERATIONS 3.1 Operating Hours The East Wake Transfer Station operating hours are from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Saturday. Any changes in the operating hours will be updated on facility signage before going into effect. The City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services will have access to the facility Tuesdays through Friday from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM for additional disposal time. All vendors currently using the facility will be notified prior to any change in operating hours should new operating hours Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 6 go into effect. In the event of an emergency or for needed maintenance the transfer facility may, in addition, be open on Sundays and/or outside of regular work hours, as needed, to address unexpected or unplanned events. For planned operations, the transfer station will be closed on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Signage has been posted at the entrance to the transfer station facility identifying the days and hours of operation. 3.2 Facility Access Vehicle access is restricted to the access road by a locked gate at the southern end of Corporation Parkway one hundred yards after the location of the transfer station scale house. There are no other access roads into the transfer station facility. All waste haulers are directed to pass over one of two inbound weigh scales. All other vehicles are directed to the bypass lane, which is controlled by a remote barrier arm. Access to the transfer facility during operating hours is controlled by scale house personnel. Automated weighmaster kiosks are scheduled to be installed in the Fall of 2022 to assist the City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services with accounting for their additional allotted time for disposal. Only, those with business at the transfer facility, including customers, staff, maintenance personnel, etc. are allowed access to the facility. The transfer facility is not open to the public. Gates at the entrance of the transfer station will be locked to restrict vehicle access when the transfer facility is closed. The entire perimeter of the transfer facility is fenced to restrict pedestrian access. The perimeter fencing is visually checked on a regular basis to identify any breaches in the fencing and to make repairs as needed. The transfer station operator’s main office building and adjacent buildings are locked when the facility is closed. Surveillance cameras have been installed to monitor the facility after hours. Any unauthorized facility access or illegal dumping will be reported to the Wake County Solid Waste Management Division, the City of Raleigh, the NCDEQ Solid Waste Section, and the City of Raleigh Police Department. An incident report will be kept on file by the transfer station operator. 3.2 Tipping Floor Operations Collection vehicles delivering residential, commercial, and/or industrial waste to the transfer facility will first proceed to the East Wake Transfer Station scale house to be weighed in using one of the two inbound weigh scales. Waste delivery vehicles are then directed via signage and concrete access roads to circle around the south side of the transfer building to then enter the transfer building on the north side to discharge their waste load within the enclosed transfer building on the concrete tipping floor. Waste delivery vehicles will be directed Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 7 onto the concrete tipping floor by the transfer station attendant to an area designated by the attendant. Once the waste vehicle is in position and the waste has been inspected by the attendant the waste load will be discharged directly onto the tipping floor. The waste delivery vehicle will then be given the OK to leave the tipping floor by the transfer station attendant once the area to depart is clear of any personnel or obstructions. Unloaded waste vehicles are then directed back to the scale house to weigh out empty to determine the waste tonnage delivered to the transfer facility by each waste vehicle. Operators using one of the two available front-end loaders with protective hard rubber padding on the underside of the front bucket and specially designed hard rubber tires, will then push the discharged waste along the concrete tipping floor to either one of two open pits located at the south end of the upper-level tipping floor. Open top transfer trailers will pull into the lower drive-thru truck bay or transfer tunnel to align themselves beneath the open pits. Once the transfer trailer is in position the operator will load and compact the waste into the transfer trailer by pushing the waste from the tipping floor into either one of the two open pits ready to accept waste. Once the transfer trailer(s) are completely loaded, they are compacted in place using a rubber-tracked excavator with a boom. Each load is then driven directly to the permitted South Wake Subtitle D Landfill for disposal. All loads will be covered with tie-down tarps during transport to control wind-blown trash/unintentional litter. The loaded transfer trailers are first weighed in at the South Wake landfill scale house prior to unloading at the working face and then weighed in again at the scale house when empty to determine the waste tonnage delivered to the landfill. Weigh tickets generated at both the transfer station scale house and the landfill scale house are provided to Wake County to determine the tonnages delivered to each waste facility for reporting to the NCDEQ Solid Waste Section and for invoicing the waste generators. The tipping floor and two lower drive-thru bays will be washed down periodically during daily operations when applicable and at the end of each workday to remove accumulations of waste residue, which otherwise could become a safety hazard. The wash water drains to the transfer tunnel where it is collected in a sewer lift station and then discharged to the City of Raleigh sewer system for treatment at the City of Raleigh Wastewater Treatment Plant. Rainwater or runoff water into the facility that has come in contact with waste is also considered leachate and collected and treated using the same process as the wash water. Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 8 The transfer station operator will have the right to reject materials or reject unacceptable loads in accordance with the permit conditions that would cause a violation of the Solid Waste Section standards, rules, or regulations. The transfer station operator will take the title of the waste when accepted at the East Wake Transfer Station and will retain the title until the waste is disposed of in the permitted South Wake Subtitle D Landfill. As stated above, the County limits the delivery of waste to the transfer station to waste generated within Wake County. The transfer station operator will provide all the equipment and labor needed to receive and process waste deliveries in a reasonable and efficient manner, including having backup equipment and additional labor on-call as needed to address transfer station operations. The transfer station operator will operate the East Wake Transfer Station in accordance with all prescribed permit conditions, applicable laws, and permits, standards, rules, and regulations. The transfer station operator will make reasonable efforts to accommodate delivery of waste during other than regular work hours following reasonable notice from the County. Waste should never be remaining on the tipping floor at the end of the workday. Any special circumstances that result in waste being left on the floor will be reported to NC DEQ and Wake County via email. The transfer station operator will provide traffic control while equipment is operating on the tipping floor and while waste vehicles are entering and departing from the transfer facility. Any equipment that becomes inoperable while the transfer station is operational will be removed so as not to obstruct the traffic flow. The transfer station operator will be required to always have backup equipment available, so as not to delay daily operations should equipment breakdowns occur. The transfer station operator will be required to comply with Rule .0505(8)(c) of the North Carolina Solid Waste Management Rules by obtaining and maintaining a valid Wake County Solid Waste Haulers License. The transfer station operator will be responsible for all utility expenses associated with the operation of the East Wake Transfer Station. The operator will also be responsible for the protection of existing transfer station infrastructure including buildings, paved access roads, and drainage ways at the transfer station facility, within the City of Raleigh property limits, associated with the operation of the transfer station. Any damage to the City of Raleigh property resulting from actions of the transfer station operator or the operator’s employees will be restored or repaired to a condition satisfactory to the County Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 9 and City of Raleigh at the operator’s expense. Failure of the operator to make repairs as a result of damage to the existing facilities will result in Wake County making the necessary repairs and deducting the costs for repairs from payments due to the transfer station operator. The transfer station operator will not be held responsible for any property damage caused by the City, County, or other outside parties using the transfer facility, including independent waste haulers. The transfer station operator will be responsible for meeting all health, environmental, and safety standards applicable to the operation of the East Wake Transfer Station together with any ancillary facilities. If any unacceptable waste is detected in a delivery, the waste load and vehicle will be isolated from all other transfer station operations, and the waste screening protocol implemented by the transfer station operator to include notifying the appropriate authorities and contacting the generators of the waste. Records will be maintained by the transfer station operator as to the designated disposal location for unacceptable waste. A certified transfer station operator will be required to be onsite at all times. All transfer station employees are to be certified in hazardous waste identification. All vehicles, containers, trailers, and other equipment are required to be maintained in good repair, appearance, and sanitary condition at all times. Each vehicle operating at the transfer station is to be clearly identified with vendor identification and contact numbers. The transfer station operator will be responsible for daily cleanup of the work site including picking up litter, refuse, and other items (e.g. refuse spilled while loading transfer trailers or other daily operations). In transporting the waste to and from the transfer station facility, the transfer station operator will be responsible for enforcing that all waste vehicles cover, contain, tie-downs or by some other method to enclose all solid waste such that leaking, spillage, and blowing of waste is prevented. The transfer station operator will also be responsible for compliance with all local, state, and federal rules, regulations, and laws concerning the transportation of waste materials and equipment associated with the operation of the East Wake Transfer Station, including but not limited to OSHA, DOT and DMV requirements. All solid waste collected at the transfer station will be transported to and disposed of at the permitted South Wake Subtitle D Landfill solid waste facility. The transfer station operator will not be charged for the disposal of solid waste at the South Wake landfill. Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 10 4.0 DISEASE AND VECTOR CONTROL 4.1 Vector Control In accordance with Rule .0505(12)(a), Wake County will be responsible for providing effective vector control measures for the protection of human health and the environment. Vector control at the transfer facility includes airborne or water-borne sources. Disease vectors are defined as any rodent, flies, mosquitoes, or other animals, including insects, capable of transmitting the disease to humans. Control of disease vectors will be maintained by implementing a daily cleaning program, which will include but not be limited to the removal of waste, leachate, and ponded water from the transfer station tipping floor and other operating areas within the facility. The removal of waste from the tipping floor at the end of each day’s operation will protect against the migration of vectors into and from the transfer station. Stagnant or ponded water will be prevented from occurring to control mosquito breeding. 4.2 Rodents and Flies To control potential disease vectors the County may retain the services of a licensed exterminator or other professionals to abate the problem. However, vectors such as flies and rodents are not expected to be of concern with the removal of the waste and wash down of the tipping floor at the end of each day’s operation. 5.0 SIGNAGE AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS 5.1 Signage Signage at the East Wake Transfer Station has been posted to comply with Rule .0505(9)(a)(b)(c) addressing the hours of operation, contact information for both the County and the transfer station operator, a description of the types of waste accepted at the facility, what wastes are prohibited from being accepted at the facility, the facility permit number, emergency contact numbers and other warnings or restrictions associated with delivering MSW waste to the transfer facility. Signs have also been posted at the entrance to the facility and an additional sign at the locking gate pass the scale house. Additional signs within the facility direct traffic to the weigh scales and all visitors and work staff to the Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 11 bypass lane and the transfer station offices. Inside the facility, signage has been posted directing the waste haulers to the tipping floor apron area and transfer trailers to the lower truck bay. The signage currently posted addresses all the items noted above. Should there be any changes to the operating hours, traffic control, etc.; the signage will be promptly updated. 5.2 Open Burning of Waste In accordance with Rule .0505(10)(a), the open burning of waste will not be permitted at the East Wake Transfer Station. 5.3 Fire Protection and Prevention In accordance with Rule .0505(10)(b), the transfer station operator will be responsible for providing equipment to control accidental fires and will also be responsible for arranging with the local fire protection agency to provide fire- fighting services when needed. In addition, the transfer station building will be equipped with the required number of fire extinguishers and one fire hydrant, to effectively control accidental fires. Rate of rise type heat detectors, from Simplex, are located in the transfer tunnel to detect any increases in temperature for fire prevention purposes. The system of detectors is monitored by an alarm service controlled by Wake County GSA. The City of Raleigh fire department is automatically dispatched to the EWTS when the system is activated. Audible and visual alarms located on the tipping floor level will also be activated. The transfer station operator will assist the fire department wherever possible by helping to separate and/or isolate the source of any fire. All transfer facility buildings will be equipped with the number and type of fire extinguishers required by the City of Raleigh Fire Department and applicable fire codes. The transfer station operator and fire department staff will conduct periodic inspections of fire suppression equipment and promptly service or replace equipment as needed. The transfer station operator in addition to performing monthly fire extinguisher checks also conducts monthly safety meetings to address any safety or fire-related concerns. Should a “hot load” be delivered to the transfer facility the load will be discharged on the tipping floor away from other waste so the fire cannot spread and to allow sufficient clearance for firefighters to extinguish the fire. For any “hot loads” discharged on the tipping floor, the nature of the waste in the load is to be visually checked for any hazardous or toxic materials. Should the potential for any toxic or hazardous materials be observed, the Fire Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 12 Department is to be contacted immediately. If needed, the area around the waste load can be contained by placing loads of soil around the waste in question. Vehicles, personnel, and other waste are to be kept at a safe distance until the situation is resolved. Once the “hot load” has been extinguished and it has been determined that no hazardous or toxic materials are present, the waste can be loaded into a transfer trailer for transport to the landfill. The South Wake Landfill superintendent will be notified of the trailer containing the remnants of the hot load in advance. 5.4 Notification of Fire The transfer station operator will be required to contact Wake County directly by phone or in-person to report fires that accidentally occur at the East Wake Transfer Station. The County is to be notified as soon as possible, but no later than the end of the workday that a fire has occurred. The transfer station operator will be required to document such events as part of their required daily record keeping. 5.5 Safety Equipment All operations staff and visitors working on the tipping floor will be required to wear proper safety equipment, including steel toe shoes, safety vests, as well as eye and hearing protection. In addition, all workers will be required to wear gloves, hard hats or harnesses, as appropriate, for added safety protection. All personnel will be properly trained in the proper use of safety equipment and safety procedures. All heavy equipment, including waste trucks, are to be equipped with backup alarms. Restricted areas for equipment and personnel are to be clearly marked and cordoned off. 6.0 ACCESS AND SECURITY REQUIREMENTS 6.1 Transfer Station Access and Security All vehicles delivering waste to the transfer station will be required to enter and exit through the access control gate at the entrance to the transfer station. Unauthorized vehicle access to the transfer facility will not be permitted and will be monitored by the scale house and transfer station operators throughout each day’s operation. Unauthorized vehicles will be redirected to the appropriate waste disposal facilities. Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 13 6.2 Attendant Wake County will provide a full-time scale house attendant located inside the scale house at the entrance to the East Wake Transfer Station during normal transfer station operating hours to weigh incoming waste loads and outgoing empty waste vehicles. Both the scale operator and the transfer station operator will work together to verify that all waste vehicles delivering waste to the East Wake Transfer Station comply with the permitted transfer station operations. 6.3 Access Roads The transfer station operator will be responsible for maintaining and cleaning all paved access roads on a daily basis, including but not limited to the paved access roads located between the transfer station scale house and the transfer station tipping building. Wake County is to be contacted for authorization of any repairs to the transfer facility access roads associated with the operation of the East Wake Transfer Station. Operation of the transfer facility will require strict adherence to traffic controls and the traffic routes identified by signage at the facility. Portions of the access road around the tipping building are one way to maintain traffic flow. Incoming waste trucks and transfer trailers are restricted to their designated routes and are to be kept separated from one another wherever practical. Empty transfer trailers will be limited to a designated staging/storage area at the transfer facility. 7.0 MISCELLANEOUS 7.1 Litter Control The operator will also be responsible for the cleanup of wind-blown debris resulting from daily transfer station operations. At the end of each day’s operation, wind-blown debris resulting from the operation of the transfer station will be collected and returned to the transfer facility by the transfer station operator for proper disposal. Litter may be generated by uncovered or secured loads, from transfer trailer loading operations in the lower bay, as well as from the tipping floor itself. Cleanup will include all areas within the transfer station site limits, as well as other areas on adjacent City of Raleigh property that can reasonably be attributed to transfer station operations. The spillage of refuse from transfer trailers is to be minimized by requiring that all loads be covered with tie-down tarps, as well as requiring all transfer trailer operators to reduce their speed between the scales and the tipping floor. The transfer station operator will also be required to discharge all incoming loads on the tipping floor well within the covered transfer building. Maintenance of the skirts around the Wake County, NC East Wake Transfer Station – Operations Plan and Procedures Manual June 15th, 2022 Permit No. 9233T 14 transfer pits and proper staging of the transfer trailers while loading waste in the lower bay area is to be part of the daily transfer station operation to control debris. Litter fencing is to also be used by the transfer station operator to control wind-blown debris. 7.2 Dust Control The transfer station operator in addition to removing debris from all paved access roads is to use a water truck to apply water to road surfaces when needed to control dust. Road surfaces will also be kept clean by removing any mud tracked into the transfer facility to reduce creating dust when access roads are used by the transfer trucks. 7.3 Noise Abatement Noise is a normal part of facility operations at the transfer facility both inside and outside the transfer building and is therefore considered acceptable during operating hours. Given the isolated location of the transfer station, the impact of higher noise levels at the facility is less likely to have an impact on surrounding businesses. The operation of the transfer station will however comply with all noise ordinances in effect within the City of Raleigh limits. Generally, noise levels are greatest within the transfer station building during the unloading of waste trucks onto the tipping floor and while loading waste into the transfer trailers. As a result, facility staff will be provided with hearing protection while working in high noise level areas. Haulers using waste vehicles with excessively loud exhaust systems will be directed to make repairs before continuing to use the transfer facility. 7.4 Odor Control The transfer station operator will also be responsible for odor control. Three exhaust fans are located along the south or rear wall of the transfer building for odor control and to maintain air quality within the operating area/tipping floor. Wash down of the tipping floor on a daily basis will also help to reduce odors. In addition, loaded transfer trailers will be covered immediately after loading and before transport to the landfill for disposal to help control odors. Filled trailers will not remain at the transfer facility for more than 36 hours before being transported to the landfill, except under emergency conditions.