Best Practices for Source Separated Compostable Materials Compost Facilities

1. Best Practices for Source Separated Compostable Materials Compost Facilities Ginny Black Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Prevention Assistance Division Business and Market Development Unit

2. Barriers to Composting Source Separate Compostable Materials (SSCM) • Collection costs • Processing costs • Finished compost quality

3. Why are compost regulations a barrier? Compost facility regulations viewed by MN Composters to be a cost barrier; specifically: • 1 x 10-7 impermeable standard for the compost pad • Storm water pond requirement

4. How do other states regulate compost facilities accepting SSCM?

5. States Included in this Presentation • Minnesota (MN) • Wisconsin (WI) • Iowa (IA) • Kansas (KS) • Illinois (IL)

6. Common Permit Categories • Exemptions • Sitting Criteria • Facility Plans and Specifications • Performance Standards • Operational Criteria • Finish Compost Testing • Health & Safety Standards (not market standards)

7. Exemptions • Household backyard composting • Yard Waste composting • On-Site Agriculture: crop residue, animal mortalities • Wood waste (sometimes) Note: Compost created from these processes were often required to be used on-site.

8. Common Sitting Criteria • Buffer Distances from: • Wetlands, lakes, streams, rivers • Neighbors (houses & businesses) • Wells • Road right of ways • Airports

9. Facility Plans and Specifications • Location on map • Signage • Facility Material flow diagram (receiving, processing, composting, curing, screening…) • Design calculations based on amt. of materials to be processed • Equipment specifications • Storm water management plan • Leachate management plan • Fire plan • Secure Access

10. Performance Standards • Method of composting • Not detrimental to surface water or ground water • No significant adverse impact on: • endangered/threatened species • air quality

11. Operational Criteria • Specific operational times for processing materials received (storage prior to processing, most common) • Compost process: PFRP, pile temperature, moisture levels • Prevent leachate from leaving the site • Prevent water run-on to facility • Minimize water ponding • Proper storage and disposal of non-compostable materials (recyclables/MSW) • Manage materials in accordance with best management practices to minimize odor, dust, noise, litter and vectors • Annual reporting

12. Finished Compost Geared toward environmental protection, not specific market specifications: • Metals • Pathogens • Maturity • Agronomic (pH, N, P, K, soluble salts) • Inerts

13. Sporadic Requirements • Closure Plans • Operator/staff Training • Yard waste compost regulations • Most had something in rule, but details varied

14. MN SSCM Regulations

15. MN Compost Facilities • Permit by Rule - Yard waste only • Solid Waste (SSCM & MSW) • Silent on Manure & Biosolids

16. MN SW Compost Facility • Solid Waste Permit • SSCM or MMSW • Liner, permeability ≤ 1 x 10-7 • Ponding (storm water-Leachate storage/treatment)

17. WI SSCM Regulations

18. WI Compost SSCM Facility Regulations • Yard & Vegetable food waste w capacity of ≤ 50 yds3 • Yard Waste w capacity of ≤ 20,000 yds3 Vegetable Food Composting of ≤ 500 yds3 Note: Vegetable food does not include meat.

19. Yard and Vegetable Food Waste Compost Facility ≤ 50 yd3 • Exempt from: Initial Site Inspections, Closure, Environmental Review, Environmental Monitoring, Financial Responsibility, as well as, location criteria, plan of operation submittal, licensing and all other requirement of this chapter • A Low or impermeable pad is not required • No specific storm water or leachate management is required.

20. Yard Waste ≤ 20,000 yds3 & Vegetable Food ≤ 500 yds3 Compost Facility • Initial Site Inspections • No low or impermeable pad is required for this type for facility. • Exempt from: Environmental Review, Environmental Monitoring, Financial Responsibility, as well as, location criteria, plan of operation submittal, licensing and all other requirement of this chapter

21. IA SSCM Regulations

22. IA SSCM Regulations Three Types of Facilities • Permit by Rule (yard waste only) • Small Compost Facilities • Solid Waste Composting

23. Small Compost Facilities • Food waste: key to this regulatory category • Yard and ag wastes also accepted • ≤ 2 tons/week (excluding bulking agent) • All Weather Pad (compacted soil, compacted granular aggregates, asphalt, concrete or similar impermeable material) • Access during inclement weather • Prevent surface/ground water contamination

24. IA Solid Waste Compost Facility • MSW and SSCM > 2 tons/week • Impermeable pad: 1 x 10-7 • Storage area all weather surface

25. KS SSCM Regulations

26. KS SSCM Regulations • Surface of composting area shall be capable of supporting equipment used • Composting area shall be graded to prevent ponding of liquids

27. IL SSCM Regulations

28. IL SSCM Regulations • Only Landscape regulations • Could not find any other compost regulations governing other types of organic materials

29. Minnesota Grant Project

30. Minnesota Grant Project Two Projects: • Carver County (two sites) • Co-Collecting Yard Waste and SSCM • Resource Recycling Technologies & City of Burnsville • Co collecting SSCM and MSW • Delivering to YW Composting Facility • No pad requirements • BMP for storm water mgnt. • Finished compost testing

31. Other Economic Issues • Differences between composting and landfilling • Collection: additional truck = additional cost • Processing: • 100 tons of feed stock = 50 tons of finished compost • Liability remains with landfills, decreased w composting • Contamination: non-biodegradable plastics = MN state legislation banning the use of non-biodegradable plastics when collecting organics, can use totes, debag at site, or biodegradable bags

32. Other Issues • Green House Gas • Appears to be carbon neutral or slightly positive • Unanswered question on carbon sequestration • Incorporation in soil • Plant growth • Water filtration/infiltration (greatest benefit)

33. Why bother composting? • Healthy Soils • Inerts (clay, sand) • Organic matter • Micro-organisms • Water & air • Reduce compaction post construction • Replace top soil • Reduce water consumption • Manage Storm water – reduce pollution

34. Why bother composting? Improves the soil structure, porosity, and bulk density – creating a better plant root environment Encourages vigorous root growth Allows plants to more effectively utilize nutrients, 4 weeks later

35. Why bother composting? Two Harbors – Late Nov. Dormant seeding Two Harbors Early spring Increases moisture infiltration and permeability (heavy soils) – improving drainage, moisture infiltration rates and reducing erosion and runoff Two Harbors - Late summer seeded compost blanket vs. seeded straw mat

36. Why bother to compost? Benefits of using compost: • Improves moisture holding capacity (light soils) – reducing water loss and nutrient leaching • Improves cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soils – improving their ability to retain nutrients for plant use • Enables soils to retain nutrients longer • Aids the proliferation of beneficial microbes

37. What do we value? • Sustainability • Conservation of resources • Wise use of resources • Healthy soils • Clean water How do we bring those values into our economic structure? What are our responsibilities in bring those values into our economic structure?

38. Thank You For Your Attention Ginny Black Ginny.black@state.mn.us