1906_INSP_20170127

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 1 of 6

UNIT TYPE:
Lined
MSWLF LCID YW Transfer Compost X SLAS COUNTY: Chatham
Closed
MSWLF HHW White
goods Incin T&P FIRM PERMIT NO.: 19-06
CDLF Tire T&P /
Collection Tire
Monofill Industrial
Landfill DEMO SDTF FILE TYPE: COMPLIANCE

Date of Site Inspection: January 27, 2017 Date of Last Inspection: January 27, 2016

FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS:
McGill Environmental Systems of North Carolina, Inc. – Merry Oaks Large Type 4 SWC Facility
634 Christian Chapel Church Road
New Hill, NC 27562

GPS COORDINATES:
N: 35.63591 W: -79.00802

FACILITY CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER:
McGill Environmental Systems of North Carolina, Inc. – Merry Oaks Facility
Nick Kranz, Site Manager
w. 919-362-1161
c. 919-817-6655
f. 919-362-1141
[e-mail]

FACILITY CONTACT ADDRESS:
McGill Environmental Systems of North Carolina, Inc. – Merry Oaks Facility
Nick Kranz, Site Manager
634 Christian Chapel Church Road
New Hill, NC 27562

PARTICIPANTS:
John Patrone, Environmental Senior Specialist - Solid Waste Section (SWS)
Steve Cockman, Safety and Regulatory Compliance Manager - McGill Environmental Systems of North Carolina, Inc.
Nick Kranz, Site Manager - McGill Environmental Systems of North Carolina, Inc.

STATUS OF PERMIT:
Permit To Operate (PTO) issued June 29, 2016
PTO expiration date December 8, 2020

PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT:
Comprehensive Inspection

STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS:
None

OBSERVED VIOLATIONS:
None

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 2 of 6

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
On January 27, 2017, John Patrone met with Steve Cockman and Nick Kranz to conduct a comprehensive inspection of
the McGill Environmental Systems of North Carolina, Inc. – Merry Oaks Large Type 4 SWC Facility on Christian Chapel
Church Road in New Hill, Chatham County.

1. The facility is a Large Type 4 Solid Waste Compost (SWC) Facility. It produces compost from industrial and
municipal residuals and sludges, grease trap waste, and food and agribusiness wastes and from a variety of bulking
agents: wood ash, yard waste, wood mulch, tobacco waste, sawdust, etc. (see Operations Plan pg 13) and
additional materials as approved by the Solid Waste Section (SWS).
2. Material is received from counties within North Carolina.
3. The facility is in operation Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am to noon.
4. The facility permit, site plan, and operations plan were discussed.
5. Compost is sold in bulk to landscape supply businesses, grading companies, and to the agribusiness community.
6. The facility building is ~ 112,500 ft2.
7. Composting is conducted within the facility building. Feedstocks are off-loaded into a pit at the south end of the
building. High carbon bulking material, stored outside, is brought into the pit through a bay door. The feedstocks
and bulking materials are mixed together. The mixed material is stockpiled within the pit area until enough is on-
hand to fill an active compost bay. The mixed material is placed in positive aeration bays to meet process to
further reduce pathogens (PFRP). Each active compost bay is enclosed on three sides and has a reinforced
polyethylene laminate tarp that remains in-place across the open portion of the bay. When the material has met
PFRP it is screened by a dedicated screener located within the building and placed in bays to meet vector attraction
reduction (VAR).
8. Material removed from the active compost bays awaiting VAR that has not been screened is stockpiled in the area
allotted to even numbered bays (individual bays have not been constructed). The area also contains the dedicated
screener and a separate VAR bay.
9. Mr. Cockman stated that ~ 50 percent of the material that has met VAR is returned to the active compost process
and to the mixing and bulking pit (to include overs from the screening process) to aid in attaining PFRP.
10. Material is considered cured after meeting VAR. Cured product is screened by a dedicated screener. The screener
and feed-hopper are located within the building at the north end. The screened material deposits outside of the
building onto a concrete pad.
11. At certain times of the year material that has met VAR and has not been screened is stockpiled outside in
operational areas until needed/ready to be screened.
12. Screened compost is considered finished product. Finished product is stockpiled outside in a dedicated storage
area.
13. The facility has 10 individual active compost bays (Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19) and a triple-wide bay
curing area (constituting what would be bays Nos. 21, 23, and 25) and curing bay 20.
14. Each bay has a positive aeration fan (three fans in the triple-wide bay curing area).
15. An active compost bay is constructed with a layer of wood chip, seven feet of mixed material to be composted,
and one foot of finished compost along the front of the pile, facing the open end of the bay.
16. A front end loader combines materials in the mixing and bulking pit and transfers it to the active compost bays.
When material has met PFRP, a second front end loader transfers it to be screened and places it in curing bays to
meet VAR. When material has met VAR, a third front end loader transfers it to be screened and manages compost
on site.
17. Mr. Cockman stated that each front end loader is dedicated to a prescribed operation and that if secondary use is
required the front end loader’s bucket will be decontaminated.
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 6

18. The mixing and bulking pit and the active compost bays exhaust fans route to a biofilter [unit] located outside,
adjacent to the building.
19. There are five biofilters. The biofilters are constructed atop a pad consisting of soil-cement [clay, fly ash, lime,
and concrete].
20. The biofilters consist of a layer of wood chip, perforated pipe, a layer of compost, and a second layer of wood
chip.
21. Mr. Cockman stated that the biofilter media was replaced in September 2015.
22. A maintenance pathway (an area that does not contain filter media) abuts each biofilter. Each biofilter is ~ 37’
wide and 3’ high and each maintenance pathway is ~ 30’ wide.
23. Active compost bay groups Nos.: 1, 3 and 5, Nos.: 7 and 9, Nos.: 11 and 13, and Nos.: 15, 17, and 19 each
exhausts through a manifold to one of four biofilters and the mixing and bulking pit exhausts to a dedicated
biofilter.
24. There are a total of 19 fans serving the compost process: 14 positive aeration and 5 negative aeration (mixing and
bulking pit, PFRP, and VAR).
25. The facility has three positive aeration fans serving the material meeting PFRP screening process and storage area
(prior to VAR/curing).
26. High carbon nitrogen ratio bulking material is stored outside behind the building. Clean wood and yard waste is
ground ~ every 4 to 6 weeks. A portable grinder is brought on site to grind the material. Mr. Cockman stated
that there is ~ 2,500 tons of bulking material on site.
27. Stockpiling of high carbon ratio feedstocks and finished product shall be limited to 50’ in width x 30’ in height.
28. Sludge is off-loaded directly into the mixing and bulking pit.
29. The facility has a 120,000-gallon sludge aboveground storage tank (AST). Mr. Cockman stated that absorbent
material is on-hand in case of a leak and that bagged sand and hydrated lime is kept in a shipping container stored
on site. The facility no longer pumps sludge into the AST, it only removes it. It is estimated that there is 5
thousand gallons of sludge in the AST and that it will be empty in ~ 2 years. At that time the AST will no longer
be in use.
30. A vehicle scale test was conducted by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services on
February 10, 2016 – approved.
31. A vehicle scale repair and test was conducted by Central Carolina Scale, Inc. on January 29, 2016.
32. The facility maintains throughput records. The amount and type of material received was verified for 2016. The
facility received 88,933 tons of feedstocks and bulking materials. The amount of compost created and sold is
35,505 tons. Mr. Cockman stated that there is ~ 3,000 yd3 of overs and unscreened compost on site.
33. The amount of finished compost on site as of January 23, 2017 is 12,200 yd3.
34. The facility annual report (FAR) was received by the SWS dated July 15, 2016. Facility throughput for July 2015
through June 2016 is 80,654.33 tons. The amount of compost produced is 31,962.49 tons. The amount sold and
given away is 31,962.49 tons. Zero compost was stockpiled on site.
35. The facility produces Grade A compost. An information pamphlet is provided for customers in the office and on-
line material is available at the facility website: www.mcgillcompost.com. The customer product manifest has a
caution note for proper use.
36. The facility uses a program from the University of Maine to monitor bulk density, C:N ratio, and moisture content.
Moisture content is verified by hand. Records for 2016 were verified.
37. Compost bay temperature records for PFRP and VAR were verified for 2016.
38. Temperature probe calibration was conducted in December 2016 (manual probes are compared to active compost
bay electronic probes). The record was verified.
39. Mr. Cockman stated that the facility obtains samples for analysis from screened cured compost. The material
sampled is kept separate from compost stored for sale.
40. The facility had total metals analysis conducted by Pace Analytical Services, Inc. in Eden, NC. Records were
verified for 2016.
41. The facility had total metals, pathogen (fecal coliform and salmonella), total nitrogen, and manmade inerts
analysis conducted by Soil Control Lab in Watsonville, CA and A&L Great Lakes Laboratories, Inc. in Fort
Wayne, IN. Monthly records were verified for 2016.
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 4 of 6

42. When pathogen analysis is conducted, if fecal coliform and salmonella are tested, both select pathogens must
pass/be within their respective required limit.
43. The facility shall maintain a record of additional pathogen analysis conducted for test result verification and a log
tracking the retested product.
44. The facility has a 20,000-gallon water tank available for yard maintenance and fire prevention.
45. The facility has a water tank trailer used for dust control.
46. Mr. Cockman stated that twice a day the facility applies ACF 32 odor treatment directly to the mixing and bulking
pit using the water tank trailer.
47. The facility has a BAT odor control system that will be activated if there is significant odor and other control
methods have been unsuccessful.
48. The facility maintains an odor management log. Three odor complaints were received in 2016 (April 11th,
November 9th, and November 10th). In response to the complaints facility personnel spoke with the complainants,
visited the area in question, and adjusted the PFRP fans to coincide with the type of materials in the bays.
49. During the inspection there was no odor detected at the facility boundary.
50. The facility has a stormwater discharge National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System General Permit
NCG240000, Certificate of Coverage NCG240005, effective 08/13/12 – expiration 09/30/16. The facility
received notification dated May 31, 2016 from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality –
Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources stating that the General Permit will be renewed for another year
before revising the permit.
51. The facility has three stormwater retention ponds.
52. The facility is required to prevent the accumulation of stormwater on storage areas, processing areas, and access
roads.
53. There was no indication of erosion or runoff.
54. Leachate from the compost process shall remain in the building.
55. The Moncure Fire Department can be contacted to address an emergency at the facility.
56. Access roads are of all-weather construction.
57. The facility is secured by a locked gate.
58. The facility has proper signage. The permit identification number has faded. Please replace/update accordingly.
59. The PTO expiration date is December 8, 2020.
60. The PTO renewal application shall be submitted to the SWS by August 8, 2020.

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding this inspection report.

Phone: [phone]

John Patrone
Environmental Senior Specialist
Regional Representative

Sent on: February 1, 2017 X Email Hand delivery US Mail Certified No. [ _]

Copies: Deb Aja, Western District Supervisor - SWS
Jessica Montie, Compliance Officer – SWS
Tony Gallagher, Composting & Land Application Branch Head – SWS
Corinne Law, Environmental Specialist – SWS
Steve Cockman, Safety and Regulatory Compliance Manager - McGill Environmental Systems of North
Carolina, Inc. – Merry Oaks Facility (c. 919-542-8903, [e-mail])
Peter Bashaw, Chief Operating Officer - McGill Environmental Systems of North Carolina, Inc. – Merry
Oaks Facility (c. 919-410-1492, [e-mail])
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 5 of 6

Digital pictures taken on January 27, 2017
by John Patrone, DWM – SWS

Mixing and bulking pit PFRP bays (w/tarps), VAR (front right), compost (front left)

Stored material meeting PFRP (to be screened) Screened material to be placed in VAR bays

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

Page 6 of 6

VAR bay 20 Compost to be screened

Biofilter units - representative

New concrete pad for screened compost Stored screened compost