0303T_INSP_20230127

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 1 of 4

UNIT TYPE:
Lined
MSWLF LCID YW Transfer X Compost X SLAS COUNTY: Alleghany
Closed
MSWLF HHW White
goods X Incin T&P FIRM PERMIT NO.: 0303T-TRANSFER-1994
CDLF Tire T&P / Collection X Tire Monofill Industrial Landfill DEMO SDTF FILE TYPE: COMPLIANCE

Date of Site Inspection: January 27, 2023 Date of Last Inspection: April 6, 2022

FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS:
Alleghany County Transfer Facility
419 Osbourne Road
Sparta, North Carolina 28675

GPS COORDINATES (decimal degrees): Lat.: 36.49343 Long.: -81.14980

FACILITY CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER:
Name: David Spicer, Public Works Director
Telephone: [phone]
Email address: [e-mail]

FACILITY CONTACT ADDRESS:
Post Office Box 366
Sparta, North Carolina 28675

PARTICIPANTS:
David Spicer, Public Works Director – Alleghany County
Andy Harris, Facility Supervisor – Alleghany County
Charles Gerstell, NCDEQ – Solid Waste Section

STATUS OF PERMIT:
A Permit to Operate the Alleghany County Transfer Facility was issued to Alleghany County on October 11, 2019.
This permit was for the life-of-site of the facility.

PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT:
Comprehensive Inspection

STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS:
N/A

OBSERVED VIOLATIONS:
15A North Carolina Administrative Code 13B .0405(a)(10) states in part: “Windblown waste: Site staff shall
conduct daily inspections for windblown waste on the site property. Windblown litter from site operations
discovered during the daily inspections or observed on adjacent properties shall be picked up and
containerized for disposal by the end of each operating day, unless the landowner of the adjacent property
denies access to site staff.”

During the inspection, a large amount of windblown waste was observed along the eastern edge of the closed
landfill. Severe windblown waste was also observed south of the transfer station building along the wood
line. The volume of windblown waste indicted it had accumulated over a period of multiple days.

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 2 of 4

1/27/23: View of waste along eastern edge of closed 1/27/23: View of windblown waste along wood line
landfill. (photo by C. Gerstell) south of transfer station building. (photo by C. Gerstell)

Allegany County is in violation of 15A NCAC 13B .0405(a)(10) in that windblown waste was not picked up
and containerized for disposal by the end of each operating day.

To achieve compliance, all windblown waste must be picked up and containerized for disposal by the end of the
operating day. A follow-up inspection will be performed at a future date to confirm compliance.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

1. The facility consists of a transfer facility, a used oil collection area, white goods collection area, tire collection
area, metal collection area, and a Small Type-1 Compost Facility.
2. The facility is permitted to receive municipal solid waste generated within areas consistent with the service area of
the receiving landfill. Waste must be transported for disposal to an appropriately permitted sanitary landfill.
3. A recycling center is located within a building adjacent to the transfer station.
4. A gate was located at the entrance to the facility to prevent unauthorized access.
5. The facility had proper signage.

Records Review:

6. The Permit and Operations Plan were verified. Both documents were current and available upon request.
7. Tonnage records for July 2022 to present were verified. The facility received 7,111.41-tons of waste during this
time.
8. Waste screening records were verified for July 2022 to present. Screenings appeared to have been performed with
adequate frequency and provided good documentation of observed unacceptable waste streams and final
disposition of those wastes.
9. No temperatures records were verified for compost operations as no wood waste has been ground since the last
inspection.
10. Maintenance records documenting pressure washing of the tipping floor and side walls were being maintained as
required and were available for review. Records indicated facility staff were pressure washing the subject areas as
required by 15A NCAC 13B .0405(a)(11).
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 4

Operations Inspection of the Transfer Station:

11. No unacceptable waste streams were observed.
12. As noted on the previous inspection report multiple broken welds were observed in the floor of the transfer station.
Mr. Harrison stated facility staff have been in the process of repairing the damaged areas. The County is in the
process of exploring bids to repair the transfer station. Repairs will include replacement of the steel floor with
concrete and adding a 30-foot covered expansion to the tipping floor among additional work.
13. A small amount of waste was observed on the floor of the transfer trailer loading bay. Waste is removed from the
floor of the bay throughout the day.
14. Leachate drains within the floor of the transfer trailer loading bay could not be observed during the inspection due
to a trailer being located within the bay. However, there was no evidence observed indicating that the drains were
not functioning properly.
15. Near the conclusion of the inspection, an area of standing leachate was observed on the asphalt in front of the
entrance to the transfer station tipping floor. Facility staff stated the material was deposited by a waste vehicle that
had just off-loaded waste at the facility. Staff immediately placed quick drying compound on the asphalt.
x It is recommended that facility staff contact the waste hauler and discuss proper off-loading
procedures to ensure no leachate is discharged on the asphalt area in the future.
x Please ensure all compounds used to absorb the spilled leachate is property disposed of at the transfer
station building.

Operations Inspection of the White Goods Area:

16. During the inspection, multiple white goods were observed lying on their sides with varying degrees of damage.
x NCGS § 130A-309.81 states in part, “Each county is responsible for providing at least one site for the
collection of discarded white goods. It must also provide for the disposal of discarded white goods and for
the removal of chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants from white goods.”
x Handling and storing units properly is essential to managing refrigerants and preventing their release into
the environment. Units containing refrigerants should be stored separately and upright.

Operations Inspection of the Scrap Tire Collection Area:

17. Scrap tires were being collected into a covered trailer southeast of the transfer facility building.
18. All tires were maintained within the designated trailer at the time of inspection.

Operations Inspection of the Type-1 Compost Area:

19. No active composting was occurring on site at the time of inspection as material had yet to be ground.
20. During the inspection, multiple pieces of plywood were observed mixed within the stockpile of unground wood
debris.
x The facility is not approved for acceptance of engineered wood products. Please ensure all engineered
wood products to include plywood is removed from the area and properly disposed. Any such material
observed during grinding operations must also be removed.

Supporting Comments:

21. A 500-gallon above ground storage tank is provided adjacent to the entrance to the transfer facility building for
collection of used oil. A fuel tank is located adjacent to the used oil tank.
x Both tanks are contained within a concrete, secondary containment device with no outlet.
x During the inspection, dark oil staining was observed at the fill location for the used oil tank. Staining was
observed along the access road leading west from the oil tank for a distance of approximately 40-feet.
This condition has been referred to Michael Phelps, Environmental Supervisor, Underground
Storage Tank Section at the Winston-Salem Regional Office.
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 4 of 4

1/27/23: View of staining on ground at location 1/27/23: View of staining leading from oil tank along
fill port for used oil tank. (photo by C. Gerstell) access road. (photo by C. Gerstell)

22. A beneficial fill area was previously located west of the transfer facility building. Since the previous inspection,
the area is no longer being used for the placement of beneficial fill materials. Facility staff were in the process of
covering the area with soil.
x 15A NCAC 13B .0562(b)(5) requires the beneficial fill be covered with a minimum of one foot of
compacted soil and graded at a slope ratio that shall not exceed three horizonal to one vertical.
Please ensure these requirements are met.
23. Facility staff have relocated beneficial fill activities to an area west of the concrete pad designated for the
collection of white goods.
x During the inspection, a pile of unacceptable material was observed adjacent to the beneficial fill area.
Materials observed included two tires, plastic, wood, and painted wood. Mr. Harris explained this material
had been previously screened from the beneficial fill area but had not yet been removed for disposal. It
was requested that this material be removed for proper disposal. Mr. Harris submitted photos on January
31, 2023 showing the unacceptable material had been removed as requested. Thank you for attention to
this matter. In the future, please ensure unacceptable waste streams removed from the beneficial fill area
are properly disposed by the end of each working day.
24. During the inspection, a significant amount of recyclables to include cardboard, paper, and plastic was observed on
the ground adjacent to the recycling building. This material was observed adjacent to the compactor and under the
truck with the 40-yard roll-off container. Any recyclables deposited on the ground must be picked up and
properly containerized by the conclusion each operating day to prevent the creation of nuisance conditions.

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: 2/7/23 X Email Hand delivery US Mail Certified No. [ _]

Copies: Deb Aja, Western District Supervisor - Solid Waste Section
Michael Phelps, Environmental Supervisor – Underground Storage Tank Section
Digitally signed by Charles T. Gerstell
DN: cn=Charles T. Gerstell, o=Division of Waste
Management, ou=Solid Waste Section,
email=[e-mail], c=US
Date: 2023.02.07 15:21:36 -05'00'