1806COMPOST_INSP_20171206

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: December 6, 2017 Date of Last Inspection: October 6, 2016
FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS:
City of Hickory Compost Facility
702 Cloninger Mill Road
Hickory, North Carolina 28601
GPS COORDINATES: N: 35.78609 W: 81.30431
FACILITY CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER:
Name: Andrew Ballentine, Solid waste Manager
Telephone: [phone]
Email address: [e-mail]
FACILITY CONTACT ADDRESS:
Post Office Box 398
Hickory, North Carolina 28603
PARTICIPANTS:
Andrew Ballentine, Solid Waste Manger – 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 August 23,
2012 and expired on June 8, 2017. However, a permit renewal application has been submitted to the Solid Waste Sectio
for review.
PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT:
Comprehensive Inspection
STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS:
15A North Carolina Administrative Code 13B .1406(9)(B) states: “The temperature of all compost produced shall be
monitored sufficiently to ensure that the pathogen reduction criteria is met.”
15A North Carolina Administrative Code 13B .1406(10) states: “Compost process at Type 1 facilities shall be
maintained at or above 55 degrees Celsius (131 degrees F) 3 days and aerated to maintain elevated temperatures.”
During the previous inspection, Mr. Ballentine was unable to provide temperature records for the most recent compost
period. Therefore, the City of Hickory was found in violation of 15A NCAC 13B .1406(9)(B) and .1406(10) in that
records could not be provided verifying that temperature requirements had been met.
In order to achieve compliance, the City of Hickory was required to monitor the temperature of all future compost
produced to ensure that the pathogen criteria was met. All compost must be maintained at or above 55-degrees Celsius
(131-dgrees F) for 3 consecutive days and aerated to maintained elevated temperatures. Temperature logs were required
to be recorded and made available to the Solid Waste Section upon request.
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
Page 2 of 3
Inspection of the facility on December 6, 2017 found that temperature data for the previous composting season had been
recorded and was made available upon request. It appeared that temperature requirements were being met. Therefore,
this violation is considered resolved. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
OBSERVED VIOLATIONS:
None
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. The west gate was closed and locked upon
arrival at the site. The east gate was open as City of Hickory vehicles were actively brining loads of leaves to the
site.
3. The facility had proper signage.
4. The Permit to Operate and Operations plan were verified. The subject documents were being maintained in a three-
ring binder inside a locked storage shed on the west side of the site. Both documents were current and available
upon request. During the previous inspection, the documents could not be accessed as a mouse nest was found
within the three-ring binder. It was recommended that the documents be kept at an alternate location to ensure they
could be provided upon request. However, since the last inspection, Mr. Ballentine explained that city staff had
taken measures to repair the building to prevent vectors from entering.
5. All temperature records are also housed within the locked storage shed on the west side of the site. It appeared that
the required temperature requirements were being met.
6. The access road was of all-weather construction and well maintained. Soils were very wet at the time of the
inspection as a result of heavy rains experienced on site the previous evening prior to inspection.
7. Leaves were actively being brought to the site at the time of inspection, and were being placed in stockpiles prior to
being placed into designated windrows.
8. One stockpile of finished compost was on site at the time of inspection.
9. A large stockpile of unground land clearing debris was located on the western portion of the site.
10. No objectionable odors were observed.
11. Some slight ponding was observed at the southeast corner of the land clearing debris stockpile as a result of recent
rains. Please be sure to monitor this area for prolonged ponding once soils dry.
12. It appeared that required buffers were being maintained. Please give special attention to the location of compost
activities on the east side of the site. Please ensure that a 200-foot buffer is provided between compost activities and
residences and dwellings.
13.It appeared that adequate access had been provided around stockpiles of ground and unground material to allow for
access by firefighting equipment.
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: 12/8/17 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: 2017.12.08 08:53:22 -05'00'