Special Waste Glen Pugh Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Solid Waste Management Presentation to Solid Waste Advisory Committee July 5, 2007

What is Solid Waste? "Solid waste" means any garbage, trash, refuse, abandoned material, byproducts, scrap, ash, sludge, and all discarded material including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, and agricultural operations, and from community activities...

What is a Special Waste?  Solid wastes that are either difficult or dangerous to manage  May include sludges, bulky wastes, pesticide wastes, medical wastes, industrial wastes, liquid wastes, friable asbestos wastes, combustion wastes, and hazardous wastes which are not subject to regulations under Department Rules thru (hazardous waste regs which refer to wastes such as household hazardous waste in small containers from households)

No Hazardous Waste How does EPA define a hazardous waste?  Characteristic Hazardous Wastes ignitability (flash point <140, gas, oxidizer) corrosivity (pH 12.5) reactivity (unstable, pressure, reacts with water) toxicity (fails a TCLP test)  Listed Hazardous Wastes from electroplating, parts washing, other industrial processes (can include solvents, chemicals, poisons, etc.)

Special Waste Approvals Two ways to authorize disposal of special wastes: 1. Special waste approval letter 2. The facility permit

Special Waste Approval Process  Waste Generator  Submits Application  Landfill  Disposal  Recordkeeping  DSWM  Reviews application  Reviews records  Reviews disposal procedures

Special Waste Re-certification The generator must annually re-certify by July 1 of each year the accuracy of the information on a form provided by the Department, certifying there has been no change in the waste stream since the original special waste approval was granted by the Department. The definition of Special Waste and the approval Process are set forth in the Rule

Examples of Special Wastes  Untreated Medical Wastes  Friable Asbestos  Municipal Sewage Sludge  Secondary Aluminum Smelter Waste  Mercury containing wastes, such as thermostats and fluorescent bulbs  Dry cell batteries

Examples of Special Wastes  Ash  Cathode ray tubes in TVs and monitors  Electronics (computers, cell phones, etc)  Recalled food waste  Dead animals  BSFR

Bulk Survey for Release (BSFR)  Quantities (at Middle Point)  Between 1999 and 2007, a total of 12,000 tons Note: Above tonnages are part of the 9,000,000 tons of total waste placed in Middle Point during that period. This represents 0.13% of the total waste stream.

Sites Receiving BSFR  Facilities (Statewide)  BFI Middle Point  BFI Carter Valley  BFI North Shelby  BFI South Shelby  WM Chestnut Ridge

Special Waste Conditions for BSFR  Waste must be placed and covered immediately upon receipt.  All radiological sensing equipment must be installed, calibrated, maintained, inspected and tested periodically. Verification records must be kept at the scale house.  A written protocol for responding to alarms is required, and must be kept at the facility.  The generator must provide an annual report including the total quantity of waste delivered to and disposed of at the landfill.