2002-20120403INSP

11
NCDENR
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
UNIT TYPE:
Lined
X
LCID
X
YW
Transfer
Compost
SLAS
COUNTY: Cherokee
MSWLF
PERMIT NO.: 20-02
Closed
HI-fW
White
X
Incin
T&P
X
FIRM
MSWLF
oods
FILE TYPE: COMPLIANCE
CDLF
X
Tire
Industrial
DEMO
SDTF
Collection
Monofill
Landfill
Date of Site Inspection: April 3, 2012
FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS:
Cherokee County Landfill
10160 US 19/74/129
Marble, NC 28905
Date of Last Inspection: April 26, 2011
GPS COORDINATES: N: 35.18103 E:-83.90807
FACILITY CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER:
Name: Jeff Clark, Cherokee County Solid Waste Director
Telephone: [phone]
Email address: [e-mail]
Fax: [phone]
FACILITY CONTACT ADDRESS:
Cherokee County Solid Waste Department
c/o Cherokee County Courthouse
75 Peachtree Street, Murphy, NC 28906
PARTICIPANTS:
Jeff Clark, Cherokee County Solid Waste Director
Troy Harrison, Division of Waste Management/Solid Waste Section
Wanda Payne, Cherokee County Solid Waste
STATUS OF PERMIT:
Original Permit to Construct issued July 15, 1997
Original Permit to Operate issued January 9, 1998
Permit to Construct (Phase 2) issued February 19, 2004
Permit Amendment: April 1, 2005
Current Active -Permit to Operate issued December 7, 2010
Date to submit request for renewal: July 7, 2015
Permit Expiration Date: December 7, 2015
PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT:
Comprehensive Audit of MSW Landfill
STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS:
N/A
OBSERVED VIOLATIONS
1. 15A North Carolina Administrative Code 13B .1625 (a) states: "The operator of a MSWLF unit shall maintain and operate
the facility according to the operation plan prepared in accordance with this Rule"

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
Page 2 of 2
The Cherokee County Operations Plan dated July 27, 2010 (Operations Plan) states on page 67: "Loads will be
inspected on the working face of the landfill".
Cherokee County was in violation of 15A North Carolina Administrative Code 13B .1625 (a) by failure to maintain
and operate the facility according to the operation plan.
Cherokee County was in violation of the Operations Plan by conducting waste screening at the scale house while still in
the transporting vehicle and not the working face of the MSW landfill operated by Cherokee County.
To achieve compliance, Cherokee County must immediately begin conducting all waste screening at the working face of the
landfill.
Additional actions may be required by the Division of Waste Management -Solid Waste Section.
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 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.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
1. The facility consisted of an MSW landfill, tire collection site, white goods collection and processing facility,
metals, glass, yard waste, paper, plastic, cardboard, paper and electronic waste collection areas and an LCID
treatment and processing facility.
2. The service area for this facility is Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Swain Counties. At the time of the audit, the
facility was only receiving waste from Cherokee County.
3. A copy of the current permit (20-02) and the operations plan (revised 7/27/10) was available at the Cherokee
County Solid Waste Department Office located at 10160 US Highway 19, Marble, NC, adjacent to the
landfill. Operational records for the facility are also maintained at the Cherokee County Solid Waste Office.
4. A Review of training records include, but not limited to the following SWANA certifications for all facility
areas of operation:
Name
Certification
Expiration Date
Jeff Clark
MOLO
2/13/13
James Phillips
Landfill Operations Specialist
4/2/13
Jason Roland
Landfill Operations Specialist
4/2/13
5. Groundwater and surface water monitoring forms were reviewed. Sampling is done on a quarterly basis. The
last sampling events were in August 2011and February 2012. The results of the February sampling have not
been received.
6. Methane detection forms were reviewed. Methane is sampled on a quarterly basis at wells and buildings as
required and done at the same time as groundwater monitoring. The results are submitted to the Solid Waste
Section Hydrogeologist in Raleigh.
7. Tire collection forms were reviewed. Most of the forms were filled out correctly with the exception of a few
which do not have a tax ID Number.

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
Page 3 of 3
8. Fire extinguishers were located in several areas on the property.
9. The waste screening forms were reviewed. The larger loads are screened at the working face; however,
the smaller ones are still being done at the scales. Pages 66-68 of the current Operations Plan (Plan)
describes the procedures for waste screening that Cherokee County will follow. In particular, the Plan
states on Page 67: "Loads will be inspected on the working face of the landfill'. As was mentioned in
the April 26, 2011 audit report, waste screening must be done at the working face.
10. All public roads were well maintained. A sign was placed at the entrance to the facility which stated the
hours/days of operation, "No liquid or hazardous waste" and the Solid Waste Permit Number.
11. No open burning was observed.
12. The county operates a convenience center on the property for the use of private individuals with smaller
amounts of MSW to dispose. This activity is in the most current facility operations plan. The area appeared
maintained.
13. Landfill scale records indicated 3607.39 and 3275.26 lbs of MWS were received in the quarters ending in
September 2011 and December 2011 respectively.
MSW Landfill Unit.
14. The facility is required to submit a quarterly fill plan. The latest plan was received on January 11, 2012.
15. The working face was observed. Tires were being removed as needed by the compactor operator. A tarp was
being used as an alternate daily cover as approved by the permit. The working face was being kept small. No
banned items were observed with the exception of a few tires that will be removed and incidental plastic
bottles. A fence was erected around the working face to catch windblown waste.
16. No leachate breakouts were observed.
17. The intermediate cover was observed with moderate erosion. A backhoe was being used to repair
erosion. The sedimentation basin on the northeastern edge of the landfill was filled with sediment;
this will need to be repaired. There was also evidence of moderate erosion on the southwest slope
which will need to be repaired.
18. Edge of waste markers were in place all around the landfill.
19. There was a small amount of ponding water on the top of the landfill however; a rainstorm had been in the
area just a few hours before, according to Mr. Clark.
20. Areas of the landfill with vegetative cover were being well maintained.
21. All of the methane and groundwater wells were observed in good condition. Methane well MP8 was
difficult to access due to briers. Access to monitoring wells must be maintained.
22. Leachate is pumped to a collection pond before being automatically pumped to the Town of Andrews
Wastewater Treatment Plant. The pond appeared to be in good condition.
Treatment & Processing (T&P) Area
23. The facility has a wood grinding T&P area. No banned items were observed. The area consisted only of un-
ground material.

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
Page 4 of 4
Recycling
24. There was one tire trailer on site. The tires were placed inside the trailer with the exception of a few with
rims that are to be placed last.
25. The glass collection area was observed. Glass is separated into clear, brown and green and surrounded by
concrete bunkers. The area was on a concrete pad and appeared well maintained.
26. There is a small metal recycling area that appeared well maintained. No gasoline or pressurized tanks were
observed in this area.
27. Used pallets are collected and some are used for transportation of collected electronic waste.
28. The used oil collection area is located in a building with a concrete floor. The area was well maintained. An
outside contractor picks up the used oil for recycling.
29. The white goods area was observed. All items were stored in an upright position. Freon is removed by an
outside contractor, marked and then moved to the metal pile.
30. No batteries were onsite during the audit.
31. The county recycles cardboard, newspaper, aluminum, and plastic. These are bailed and sold. The area
behind the plastic collection area had some plastic that appeared to have spilled over. This needs to be
picked up.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding this inspection report.
Phone: [phone]
Troy Harrison
Environmental Senior Specialist
Regional Representative
Sent on: April 12, 2012 Email Hand delivery US Mail X Certified No. 7008 0150 0000 7473 4875
Copies: Jason Watkins, Western District Supervisor
Shawn McKee, Compliance Officer
Jeff Waite, NC Division of Land Resources/Land Quality Section