Ala. Admin. Code r. 335-14-5-.12 - Waste Piles

(1) Applicability.

(a) The requirements of 335-14-5-.12 apply to owners and operators of facilities that store or treat hazardous waste in piles, except as 335-14-5-.01(1) provides otherwise.

(b) The requirements of 335-14-5-.12 do not apply to owners or operators of waste piles that are closed with wastes left in place. Such waste piles are subject to regulation under Rule 335-14-5-.14 (Landfills).

(c) The owner or operator of any waste pile that is inside or under a structure that provides protection from precipitation so that neither run-off nor leachate is generated is not subject to regulation under 335-14-5-.12(2) or under Rule 335-14-5-.06, provided that:

1. Liquids or materials containing free liquids are not placed in the pile;

2. The pile is protected from surface water run-on by the structure or in some other manner;

3. The pile is designed and operated to control dispersal of the waste by wind, where necessary, by means other than wetting; and

4. The pile will not generate leachate through decomposition or other reactions.

(2) Design and operating requirements.

(a) A waste pile (except for an existing portion of a waste pile) must have:

1. A liner that is designed, constructed, and installed to prevent any migration of wastes out of the pile into the adjacent subsurface soil or groundwater or surface water at any time during the active life (including the closure period) of the waste pile. The liner may be constructed of materials that may allow waste to migrate into the liner itself (but not into the adjacent subsurface soil or groundwater or surface water) during the active life of the facility. The liner must be:

(i) Constructed of materials that have appropriate chemical properties and sufficient strength and thickness to prevent failure due to pressure gradients (including static head and external hydrogeologic forces), physical contact with the waste or leachate to which they are exposed, climatic conditions, the stress of installation, and the stress of daily operation;

(ii) Placed upon a foundation or base capable of providing support to the liner and resistance to pressure gradients above and below the liner to prevent failure of the liner due to settlement, compression or uplift; and

(iii) Installed to cover all surrounding earth likely to be in contact with the waste or leachate; and

2. A leachate collection and removal system immediately above the liner that is designed, constructed, maintained, and operated to collect and remove leachate from the pile. The Department will specify design and operating conditions in the permit to ensure that the leachate depth over the liner does not exceed 30 cm (one foot). The leachate collection and removal system must be:

(i) Constructed of materials that are:

(I) Chemically resistant to the waste managed in the pile and the leachate expected to be generated; and

(II) Of sufficient strength and thickness to prevent collapse under the pressures exerted by overlaying wastes, waste cover materials, and by any equipment used at the pile; and

(ii) Designed and operated to function without clogging through the scheduled closure of the waste pile.

(b) The owner or operator will be exempted from the requirements of 335-14-5-.12(2)(a) if the Director finds, based on a demonstration by the owner or operator, that alternate design and operating practices, together with location characteristics, will prevent the migration of any hazardous constituents [see 335-14-5-.06(4)] into the groundwater or surface water at any future time. In deciding whether to grant an exemption, the Director will consider:

1. The nature and quantity of the wastes;

2. The proposed alternate design and operation;

3. The hydrogeologic setting of the facility, including attenuative capacity and thickness of the liners and soils present between the pile and groundwater or surface water; and

4. All other factors which would influence the quality and mobility of the leachate produced and the potential for it to migrate to groundwater or surface water.

(c) The owner or operator of each new waste pile unit, unit, each lateral expansion of a waste pile unit, and each replacement of an existing waste pile unit must install two or more liners and a leachate collection and removal system above and between such liners.

1.

(i) The liner system must include:

(I) A top liner designed and constructed of materials (e.g., a geomembrane) to prevent the migration of hazardous constituents into such liner during the active life and post-closure care period; and

(II) A composite bottom liner, consisting of at least two components. The upper component must be designed and constructed of materials (e.g., a geomembrane) to prevent the migration of hazardous constituents into this component during the active life and post-closure care period. The lower component must be designed and constructed of materials to minimize the migration of hazardous constituents if a breach in the upper component were to occur. The lower component must be constructed of at least 3 feet (91 cm) of compacted soil material with a hydraulic conductivity of no more than 1X10^-7 cm/sec.

(ii) The liners must comply with 335-14-5-.12(2) (a) 1.(i), (ii), and (iii).

2. The leachate collection and removal system immediately above the top liner must be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained to collect and remove leachate from the waste pile during the active life and post-closure care period. The Director will specify design and operating conditions in the permit to ensure that the leachate depth over the liner does not exceed 30 cm (one foot). The leachate collection and removal system must comply with 335-14-5-.12(2)(c)3.(iii) and (iv).

3. The leachate collection and removal system between the liners, and immediately above the bottom composite liner in the case of multiple leachate collection and removal systems, is also a leak detection system. This leak detection system must be capable of detecting, collecting, and removing leaks of hazardous constituents at the earliest practicable time through all areas of the top liner likely to be exposed to waste or leachate during the active life and post-closure care period. The requirements for a leak detection system in 335-14-5-.12(2) (c) are satisfied by installation of a system that is, at a minimum:

(i) Constructed with a bottom slope of one percent or more;

(ii) Constructed of granular drainage materials with a hydraulic conductivity of 1X10^-2 cm/sec or more and a thickness of 12 inches (30.5 cm) or more; or constructed of synthetic or geonet drainage materials with a transmissivity of 3X10^-5m²/sec or more;

(iii) Constructed of materials that are chemically resistant to the waste managed in the waste pile and the leachate expected to be generated, and of sufficient strength and thickness to prevent collapse under the pressures exerted by overlying wastes, waste cover materials, and equipment used at the waste pile;

(iv) Designed and operated to minimize clogging during the active life and post-closure care period; and

(v) Constructed with sumps and liquid removal methods (e.g., pumps) of sufficient size to collect and remove liquids from the sump and prevent liquids from backing up into the drainage layer. Each unit must have its own sump(s). The design of each sump and removal system must provide a method for measuring and recording the volume of liquids present in the sump and of liquids removed.

4. The owner or operator shall collect and remove pumpable liquids in the leak detection system sumps to minimize the head on the bottom liner.

5. The owner or operator of a leak detection system that is not located completely above the seasonal high water table must demonstrate that the operation of the leak detection system will not be adversely affected by the presence of groundwater.

(d) The Director may approve alternative design or operating practices to those specified in 335-14-5-.12(2)(c) if the owner or operator demonstrates to the Director that such design and operating practices, together with location characteristics:

1. Will prevent the migration of any hazardous constituent into the groundwater or surface water at least as effectively as the liners and leachate collection and removal systems specified in 335-14-5-.12(2)(c); and

2. Will allow detection of leaks of hazardous constituents through the top liner at least as effectively.

(e)335-14-5-.12(2) (c) does not apply to monofills that are granted a waiver by the Director in accordance with 335-14-5-.11(2) (e).

(f) The owner or operator of any replacement waste pile unit is exempt from 335-14-5-.12(2) (c) if:

1. The existing unit was constructed in compliance with the design standards of Section 3004(o)(1)(A)(i) and (o)(5) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the AHWMMA; and

2. There is no reason to believe that the liner is not functioning as designed.

(g) The owner or operator must design, construct, operate, and maintain a run-on control system capable of preventing flow onto the active portion of the pile during peak discharge from at least a 25-year storm.

(h) The owner or operator must design, construct, operate, and maintain a run-off management system to collect and control at least the water volume resulting from a 24-hour, 25-year storm.

(i) Collection and holding facilities (e.g., tanks or basins) associated with run-on and run-off control systems must be emptied or otherwise managed expeditiously after storms to maintain design capacity of the system.

(j) If the pile contains any particular matter which may be subject to wind dispersal, the owner or operator must cover or otherwise manage the pile to control wind dispersal.

(k) The Department will specify in the permit all design and operating practices that are necessary to ensure that the requirements of 335-14-5-.12(2) are satisfied.

(3) Action leakage rate.

(a) The Director shall approve an action leakage rate for waste pile units subject to 335-14-5-.12(2)(c) or (d). The action leakage rate is the maximum design flow rate that the leak detection system (LDS) can remove without the fluid head on the bottom liner exceeding one foot. The action leakage rate must include an adequate safety margin to allow for uncertainties in the design (e.g., slope, hydraulic conductivity, thickness of drainage material), construction, operation, and location of the LDS, waste and leachate characteristics, likelihood and amounts of other sources of liquids in the LDS, and proposed response actions (e.g., the action leakage rate must consider decreases in the flow capacity of the system over time resulting from siltation and clogging, rib layover and creep of synthetic components of the system, overburden pressures, etc.).

(b) To determine if the action leakage rate has been exceeded, the owner or operator must convert the weekly flow rate from the monitoring data obtained under 335-14-5-.12(5)(c) to an average daily flow rate (gallons per acre per day) for each sump. Unless the Director approves a different calculation, the average daily flow rate for each sump must be calculated weekly during the active life and closure period.

(4) Response actions.

(a) The owner or operator of waste pile units subject to 335-14-5-.12(2)(c) or (d) must have an approved response action plan before receipt of waste. The response action plan must set forth the actions to be taken if the action leakage rate has been exceeded. At a minimum, the response action plan must describe the actions specified in 335-14-5-.12(4)(b).

(b) If the flow rate into the leak detection system exceeds the action leakage rate for any sump, the owner or operator must:

1. Notify the Director in writing of the exceedance within seven days of the determination;

2. Submit a preliminary written assessment to the Director within 14 days of the determination, as to the amount of liquids, likely sources of liquids, possible location, size, and cause of any leaks, and short-term actions taken and planned;

3. Determine to the extent practicable the location, size, and cause of any leak;

4. Determine whether waste receipt should cease or be curtailed, whether any waste should be removed from the unit for inspection, repairs, or controls, and whether or not the unit should be closed;

5. Determine any other short-term and long-term actions to be taken to mitigate or stop any leaks; and

6. Within 30 days after the notification that the action leakage rate has been exceeded, submit to the Director the results of the analyses specified in 335-14-5-.12(4)(b)3., 4., and 5., the results of actions taken, and actions planned. Monthly thereafter, as long as the flow rate in the leak detection system exceeds the action leakage rate, the owner or operator must submit to the Director a report summarizing the results of any remedial actions taken and actions planned.

(c) To make the leak and/or remediation determinations in 335-14-5-.12(4)(b)3., 4., and 5., the owner or operator must:

1.

(i) Assess the source of liquids and amounts of liquids by source,

(ii) Conduct a fingerprint, hazardous constituent, or other analyses of the liquids in the leak detection system to identify the source of liquids and possible location of any leaks, and the hazard and mobility of the liquid; and

(iii) Assess the seriousness of any leaks in terms of potential for escaping into the environment; or

2. Document why such assessments are not needed.

(5) Monitoring and inspection.

(a) During construction or installation, liners (except in the case of existing portions of piles exempt from 335-14-5-.12(2)(a)) and cover systems (e.g., membranes, sheets or coatings) must be inspected for uniformity, damage and imperfections (e.g., holes, cracks, thin spots, or foreign materials). Immediately after construction or installation:

1. Synthetic liners and covers must be inspected to ensure tight seams and joints and the absence of tears, punctures, or blisters; and

2. Soil-based and admixed liners and covers must be inspected for imperfections including lenses, cracks, channels, root holes, or other structural non-uniformities that may cause an increase in the permeability of the liner or cover.

(b) While a waste pile is in operation, it must be inspected weekly and after storms to detect evidence of any of the following:

1. Deterioration, malfunctions, or improper operation of run-on and run-off control systems;

2. Proper functioning of wind dispersal control systems, where present; and

3. The presence of leachate in and proper functioning of leachate collection and removal systems, where present.

[NOTE: These inspections must be documented in accordance with 335-14-5-.02(6) (d).]

(c) An owner or operator required to have a leak detection system under 335-14-5-.12(2)(c) must record the amount of liquids removed from each leak detection system sump at least once each week during the active life and closure period.

(6) [Reserved]

(7) Special requirements for ignitable or reactive waste. Ignitable or reactive waste must not be placed in a waste pile unless the waste and waste pile satisfy all applicable requirements of 335-14-9, and:

(a) The waste is treated, rendered, or mixed before or immediately after placement in the pile so that:

1. The resulting waste, mixture, or dissolution of material no longer meets the definition of ignitable or reactive waste under 335-14-2-.03(2) or (4); and

2.335-14-5-.02(8)(b) is complied with; or

(b) The waste is managed in such a way that it is protected from any material or conditions which may cause it to ignite or react.

(8) Special requirements for incompatible wastes.

(a) Incompatible wastes, or incompatible wastes and materials, (see 335-154-5 - Appendix V for examples) must not be placed in the same pile, unless 335-14-5-.02(8) (b) is complied with.

(b) A pile of hazardous waste that is incompatible with any waste or other material stored nearby in containers, other piles, open tanks, or surface impoundments must be separated from the other materials, or protected from them by means of a dike, berm, wall, or other device.

(c) Hazardous waste must not be piled on the same base where incompatible wastes or materials were previously piled, unless the base has been decontaminated sufficiently to ensure compliance with 335-14-5-.02(8).

(9) Closure and post-closure care.

(a) At closure, the owner or operator must remove or decontaminate all waste residues, contaminated containment system components (liners, etc.), contaminated subsoils, and structures and equipment contaminated with waste and leachate, and manage them as hazardous waste unless 335-14-2-.01(3)(d) applies.

(b) If, after removing or decontaminating all residues and making all reasonable efforts to effect removal or decontamination of contaminated components, subsoils, structures, and equipment as required in 335-14-5-.12(9)(a), the owner or operator finds that not all contaminated subsoils can be practicably removed or decontaminated, he must close the facility and perform post-closure care in accordance with the closure and post-closure care requirements that apply to landfills [335-14-5-.14(11)] .

(c)

1. The owner or operator of a waste pile that does not comply with the liner requirements of 335-14-5-.12(2) (a)1. and is not exempt from them in accordance with 335-14-5-.12(1)(c) or 335-14-5-.12(2)(b), must:

(i) Include in the closure plan for the pile under 335-14-5-.07(3) both a plan for complying with 335-14-5-.12(9)(a) and a contingent plan for complying with 335-14-5-.12(9)(b) in case not all contaminated subsoils can be practicably removed at closure; and

(ii) Prepare a contingent post-closure plan under 335-14-5-.07(9) for complying with 335-14-5-.12(9) (b) in case not all contaminated subsoils can be practicably removed at closure.

2. The cost estimates calculated under 335-14-5-.08(3) and (5) for closure and post-closure care of a pile subject to 335-14-5-.12(9) (c) must include the cost of complying with the contingent closure plan and the contingent post-closure plan, but are not required to include the cost of expected closure under 335-14-5-.12(9)(a).

(10) Special requirements for hazardous wastes F020, F021, F022, F023, F026, and F027.

(a) Hazardous wastes F020, F021, F022, F023, F026, and F027 must not be placed in waste piles that are not enclosed (as defined in 335-14-5-.12(1)(c)) unless the owner or operator operates the waste pile in accordance with a management plan for these wastes that is approved by the Director pursuant to the standards set out in 335-14-5-.12(10)(a), and in accord with all other applicable requirements of 335-14-5. The factors to be considered include:

1. The volume, physical, and chemical characteristics of the wastes, including their potential to migrate through soil or to volatilize or escape into the atmosphere;

2. The attenuative properties of the underlying and surrounding soils or other materials;

3. The mobilizing properties of other materials co-disposed with these wastes; and

4. The effectiveness of additional treatment, design, or monitoring techniques.

(b) The Department may determine that additional design, operating, and monitoring requirements are necessary for piles managing hazardous wastes F020, F021, F022, F023, F026 and F027 in order to reduce the possibility of migration of these wastes to groundwater, surface water, or air so as to protect human health and the environment.

Notes

Ala. Admin. Code r. 335-14-5-.12

July 19, 1982. Amended: April 9, 1986; September 29, 1986; February 15, 1988; August 24, 1989; December 6, 1990; January 1, 1993. Amended: Filed November 30, 1994; effective January 5, 1995. Amended: Filed February 20, 1998; effective March 27, 1998. Amended: Filed March 9, 2001; effective April 13, 2001. Amended: Filed February 8, 2002; effective March 15, 2002. Amended: Filed March 13, 2003; effective April 17, 2003. Amended: February 28, 2006; effective April 4, 2006. Amended: Filed February 27, 2007; effective April 3, 2007. Amended: Filed February 23, 2010; effective March 30, 2010. Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVIII, Issue No. 05, February 28, 2020, eff. 4/13/2020.

Authors: Stephen C. Maurer; Amy P. Zachry; Michael B. Champion; Bradley N. Curvin; Theresa A. Maines, Sonja B. Favors; Brent A. Watson

Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 22-30-11, 22-30-16.