1806_INSP_20230616

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 1 of 3

UNIT TYPE:
Lined
MSWLF LCID YW Transfer Compost X SLAS COUNTY: Catawba
Closed
MSWLF HHW White
goods Incin T&P FIRM PERMIT NO.: 1806-COMPOST-
CDLF Tire T&P / Collection Tire Monofill Industrial Landfill DEMO SDTF FILE TYPE: COMPLIANCE

Date of Site Inspection: June 16, 2023 Date of Last Inspection: June 16, 2022

FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS:
City of Hickory Compost Facility
702 Cloninger Mill Road
Hickory, North Carolina 28601

GPS COORDINATES (decimal degrees): Lat.: 35.78609 Long.: -81.30431

FACILITY CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER:
Name: Andrew Ballentine
Telephone: [phone]
Email address: [e-mail]

FACILITY CONTACT ADDRESS:
Post Office Box 398
Hickory, North Carolina 28603

PARTICIPANTS:
Andrew Ballentine, Solid Waste Manager – City of Hickory
Herb Collins, Site Attendant – City of Hickory
Charles Gerstell, NCDEQ – Solid Waste Section

STATUS OF PERMIT:
A Permit to Operate a large Type 1 Solid Waste Compost Facility was issued to the City of Hickory on January 3, 2018.
The permit expired on June 8, 2022. A permit renewal application has been submitted to the Solid Waste Section and is
under review.

PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT:
Comprehensive Inspection

STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS:
N/A

OBSERVED VIOLATIONS:
None

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 2 of 3

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

1. The facility consists of a Large Type 1 Solid Waste Compost Facility. Compost is produced from brush, leaves,
limbs, and grass clippings. Mulch is produced from land clearing debris.
2. Gates were provided at each entrance to prevent unauthorized access when the facility is closed to the public.
3. The facility had proper signage.
4. The Permit to Operate and Operations Plan were verified. Both documents were current and available upon
request.
5. Temperature Records were submitted by Andrew Ballentine via e-mail on June 27, 2023. It appeared that
temperature requirements were being met.
6. Two stockpiles of finished compost and two small stockpiles of ground mulch were on site at the time of
inspection.
7. A site attendant was on site while the facility was open to the public.
8. No active compost windrows were on site at the time of the inspection.
9. No standing water was observed.
10. No offensive odors were observed.
11. A small amount of dust was observed while facility staff was loading compost with heavy equipment. Please
ensure steps are taken to control excessive dust on site. This could include wetting the surface area down around
stockpiles to minimize dust generated by heavy equipment.
12. No unacceptable waste streams were observed within the compost area during the inspection. Multiple waste cans
are provided onsite for collection of observed waste streams.
13. A gravel filter system was provided around the storm inlet located on the western portion of the site. The device
had been repaired since the last inspection and was well maintained.
14. The facility access road was of all-weather construction and well maintained.
15. Permit Condition #31 of the approved Permit to Operate requires stockpiles of finished compost be limited to a
maximum of 30 feet high and 50 feet wide. The two stockpiles of finished compost were measured and found to
be in exceedance of the permissible dimensions. All stockpiles on site must be adjusted to meet the maximum
dimensions allowed under Permit Condition #31. Should an operational change be needed in this regard, please
contact the permitting branch to discuss alternative practices.
16. Measurements taken at the facility indicated that the location of compost stockpiles may have encroached into the
200-foot required buffer between compost areas and residences to the east. Please ensure a 200-foot buffer is
maintained between compost areas and all residences. A follow-up inspection will be performed in the future to
further verify compliance with this buffer requirement. It is recommended that permanent markers be installed to
mark the limits of compost areas to ensure operations do not encroach with the required site buffers.
17. During the inspection, a large oil laden stain was observed near the entrance to the facility on the east side of site.
Mr. Collins stated a hydraulic line had failed on the loader resulting in hydraulic fluid to deposit onto the ground.
This condition has been referred to the Underground Storage Tank Section at the Mooresville Regional
Office.
6/16/23: View of oil stain observed on site (photo by
C.Gestell)
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: 6/28/23 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=Division of Waste Management,
ou=Solid Waste Section, email=[e-mail], c=US
Date: 2023.06.28 15:02:45 -04'00'