Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 391-3-6-.17 - Sewage Sludge (Biosolids) Requirements
(1)
Purpose. The purpose of Rule
391-3-6-.17 is to establish
requirements for the beneficial use of sewage sludge through land application.
This rule includes general requirements, pollutant limits, pathogen and vector
attraction reduction requirements, operational standards, management practices,
monitoring, record keeping reporting, and permitting requirements.
(2)
Definitions. All terms used
in this Rule shall be interpreted in accordance with the definitions as set
forth in the Act unless otherwise defined in this Paragraph or in any other
Rules of this Chapter:
(a) "Aerobic digestion"
is the biochemical decomposition of organic matter in sewage sludge into carbon
dioxide and water by microorganisms in the presence of air.
(b) "Agricultural land" is land on which a
food crop, feed crop, or a fiber crop is grown. This includes land used as
pasture.
(c) "Agronomic rate" is
the sludge application rate based on a dry weight basis determined:
1. to provide the amount of nitrogen needed
by the food crop, feed crop, fiber crop, cover crop or vegetation grown on the
land; and
2. to minimize the amount
of nitrogen in the sewage sludge that passes below the root zone of the crop or
vegetation grown on the land to the groundwater.
(d) "Anaerobic digestion" is the biochemical
decomposition of organic matter in sewage sludge into methane gas and carbon
dioxide by microorganisms in the absence of air.
(e) "Annual pollutant loading rate" is the
maximum amount of a pollutant that may be applied to a unit area of land during
a 365-day period.
(f) "Annual
sludge application rate" is the maximum amount of sewage sludge (dry weight
basis) that may be applied to a unit area of land during a 365-day
period.
(g) "Applier" is the person
who applies bulk sewage sludge to the land.
(h) "Biosolids" means any sewage sludge, as
defined in
391-3-6-.17(2)(gg),
that fulfills all requirements under this chapter, and is used in a beneficial
manner.
(i) "Bulk sewage sludge" or
"bulk biosolids" is sewage sludge that is not sold or given away in a bag or
other container for application to the land.
(j) "Cover crop" is a temporary crop, such as
winter rye or clover, planted to protect the soil from erosion and to provide
humus or nitrogen when plowed under.
(k) "Cumulative pollutant loading rate" is
the maximum amount of an inorganic pollutant that may be applied to an area of
land.
(l) "Density of
microorganisms" is the number of microorganisms per unit mass of total solids
(dry weight) in the sewage sludge.
(m) "Domestic sewage" is water waste and
wastewater from humans or from household operations that are discharged to or
that otherwise enter a treatment works.
(n) "Dry weight basis" means calculated on
the basis of having been dried at 105 degrees Celsius until reaching a constant
mass (i.e., essentially 100 percent solids content).
(o) "Exceptional quality sludge" is sewage
sludge that meets the pollutant concentrations in
391-3-6-.17(5)
Table 3, one of the Class A pathogen requirements in
391-3-6-.17(7)(a)
and one of the vector attraction reduction requirements in
391-3-6-.17(8)(a) through
(h).
(p) "Facility" means any NPDES point source
or any other system or activity that may be regulated by the Water Protection
Branch of the EPD, including land application systems regulated under
391-3-6-.11, and industrial
pretreatment systems regulated under
391-3-6-.08.
(q) "Feed crops" are crops produced primarily
for consumption by animals.
(r)
"Fiber crops" are crops such as flax and cotton.
(s) "Food crops" are crops consumed by
humans. These include, but are not limited to, fruits, vegetables, and
tobacco.
(t) "Forest" is a tract of
land thick with trees and underbrush.
(u) "Land application" or "applied to the
land" means the spraying or spreading of sewage sludge on the land surface; the
injection of sewage sludge below the land surface; or the incorporation of
sewage sludge into the soil at agronomic rates for the purpose of soil
conditioning or fertilization of crops or vegetation grown in the
soil.
(v) "Land with a high
potential for public exposure" is land that is frequently used by the public.
This includes but is not limited to public parks, ball fields, cemeteries,
plant nurseries, turf farms, and golf courses.
(w) "Land with a low potential for public
exposure" is land that the public uses infrequently. This includes, but is not
limited to, agricultural land, forest, and a reclamation site located in an
unpopulated area.
(x) "Monthly
average" is the arithmetic mean of all measurements taken during the
month.
(y) "Other container" is
either an open or closed receptacle. This includes, but is not limited to, a
bucket, a box, a carton, and a vehicle or trailer with a load capacity of 2,200
pounds or less.
(z) "Pasture" means
land on which animals feed directly on feed crops such as legumes, grasses,
grain stubble, or stover.
(aa)
"Pathogenic organisms" are disease-causing organisms. These include, but are
not limited to, certain bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and viable helminth
ova.
(bb) "pH" means the logarithm
of the periodical of the hydrogen ion concentration.
(cc) "Pollutant" is an organic substance, an
inorganic substance, a combination of organic and inorganic substances, or a
pathogenic organism that after discharge and upon exposure, ingestion,
inhalation, or assimilation into an organism either directly from the
environment or indirectly by ingestion through the food chain, could, on the
basis of information available to the Administrator of EPA, cause death,
disease, behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutations, physiological
malfunctions (including malfunction in reproduction), or physical deformations
in either organisms or offspring of the organisms.
(dd) "Pollutant limit" is a numerical value
that describes the amount of a pollutant allowed per unit amount of sewage
sludge (e.g., milligrams per kilograms of total solids); the amount of a
pollutant that can be applied to a unit area of land (e.g., pounds per acre);
or the volume of a material that can be applied to a unit area of land (e.g.,
gallons per acre).
(ee) "Preparer"
is either the person who generates sewage sludge during the treatment of
domestic sewage or a combination of domestic sewage and industrial wastewater
in a treatment works or the person who derives a material from sewage
sludge.
(ff) "Reclamation site"
means drastically disturbed land that is reclaimed using sewage sludge or
product derived from sewage sludge. This includes, but is not limited to, strip
mines and construction sites.
(gg)
"Sewage sludge" means solid, semi-solid, or liquid residue generated during the
treatment of domestic sewage or a combination of domestic sewage and industrial
wastewater in a treatment works. Sewage sludge includes, but is not limited to
scum or solids removed in primary, secondary, or advanced wastewater treatment
processes. Sewage sludge does not include ash generated during the firing of
sewage sludge incinerator, grit and screenings generated during preliminary
treatment of domestic sewage in a treatment works, treated effluent, or
materials excluded from definition of "sewage sludge" by O.C.G.A. §
12-5-30 -.3(a)(1).
(hh) "Sludge management plan" means a
detailed plan of operation for land application of sewage sludge, or any other
method of sewage sludge disposal other than co-disposal in a permitted sanitary
landfill. The plan shall, at a minimum, comply with the regulations and any
additional requirements established by the EPD pursuant to the Federal Act
Section 405(d), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and 40 CFR
503.
(ii) "Specific oxygen uptake
rate (SOUR)" is the mass of oxygen consumed per unit time per unit mass of
total solids (dry weight basis) in the sewage sludge.
(jj) "Stockpile" means to place sewage sludge
on land in piles or in any other manner that does not constitute application to
the land as defined in
391-3-6-.17(2)(u).
(kk) "Total solids" are the materials in
sewage sludge that remain as residue when the sewage sludge is dried at 103 to
105 degrees Celsius.
(ll) "Treat or
treatment of sewage sludge" is the preparation of sewage sludge for final use
or disposal. This includes, but is not limited to, thickening, stabilization,
dewatering of sewage sludge.
(mm)
"Treatment works" is either a Federally owned, publicly owned, or privately
owned device or system used to treat, recycle or reclaim either domestic sewage
or combination of domestic sewage and industrial wastewater.
(nn) "Unstabilized solids" are organic
materials in sewage sludge that have not been treated in either an aerobic or
anaerobic treatment process.
(oo)
"Vector attraction" is the characteristic of sewage sludge that attracts
rodents, flies, mosquitos, or other organisms capable of transporting
infectious agents.
(pp) "Volatile
solids" is the amount of the total solids in sewage sludge lost when the sewage
sludge is combusted at 550 degrees Celsius in the presence of excess
air.
(qq) "Wetlands" means those
areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a
frequency and duration to support, and that under normal circumstances do
support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated
soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar
areas.
(3)
Coverage.
(a) This rule applies
to any person who prepares sewage sludge for land application or who applies
sewage sludge to the land, to any sewage sludge applied to the land, and to the
land on which sewage sludge is applied.
(b) This rule does not apply to:
1. Processes used to treat sewage or
processes used to treat sewage sludge before final use or disposal, except as
provided in
391-3-6-.17(7) and
391-3-6-.17(8).
2. Sewage sludge determined to be hazardous
in accordance with 40 CFR 261.
3.
Grit and screenings generated during preliminary treatment of domestic sewage
or a combination of domestic sewage and industrial wastewater in a treatment
works.
4. Sludge generated during
treatment of process wastewater at an industrial facility. A facility operated
by the federal government is an industrial facility for the purpose of this
rule if it treats any wastewater generated by an industrial process.
5. Disposal of sewage sludge by means other
than land application at agronomic rates with the exception of sewage sludge
applied to reclamation sites.
6.
Domestic, commercial, or industrial septage, or any mixture thereof.
7. Sludge generated during treatment of
drinking water.
8. Sewage sludge
with a concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) equal to or greater
than 50 milligrams per kilogram of total solids (dry weight basis).
9. The incineration of sewage
sludge.
10. Ash generated during
the firing of sewage sludge in a sewage sludge incinerator.
(c) Other exclusions:
1. The operator of any treatment Processes to
Further Reduce Pathogens as described in 40 CFR 503 Appendix B, or any
treatment process determined by the EPD to be equivalent to a Process to
Further Reduce Pathogens which results in the derivation of compost from sewage
sludge shall obtain a Solid Waste Handling Permit from EPD according to
391-3-4, unless the composting operation is part of a treatment works already
regulated by an NPDES, LAS or other permit from EPD, in which case that permit
will be modified in accordance with this rule to incorporate any necessary
requirements for regulating the composting operation. Compost derived from any
Processes to Significantly Reduce Pathogens as described in 40 CFR 503 Appendix
B shall comply with the requirements contained in this rule.
2. The operator of any treatment process
which consists of heat drying or incinerating sewage sludge shall obtain an Air
Quality Permit from EPD in accordance with 391-3-1 and a processing permit by
rule in accordance with
391-3-4-.06(3)(d).
3. If sewage sludge is ultimately
disposed of by land application or surface disposal, and is not beneficially
used as a recovered material, the owner or operator of the site shall obtain a
Solid Waste Handling Permit from the EPD in accordance with 391-3-4.
(4)
Permits
Required. The requirements in this Rule shall be implemented through a
permit:
(a) All facilities in Georgia which
generate sewage sludge from the treatment of domestic (or industrial) sewage
shall obtain either an NPDES permit as described in
391-3-6-.06, a land application
system (LAS) permit as described in
391-3-6-.11, or a local or State
pretreatment permit as described in
391-3-6-.08 through -.10, regardless
of their method of handling sewage sludge.
(b) Facilities in Georgia which handle sewage
sludge by one or more of the following requirements, as applicable:
1. If a facility intends to utilize land
application or intends to sell or give sludge away as a means of sludge
handling, the facility shall submit a Sludge Management Plan to the EPD for
approval. The Sludge Management Plan shall, at a minimum, comply with the
requirements contained in
391-3-6-.17 as well as any
additional requirements as determined by the EPD. Upon approval by the EPD, the
plan will become part of the facility's NPDES or LAS permit.
2. If bulk sewage sludge from more than one
permittee will be land applied to the same site or sites, or if both bulk
sewage sludge from a permittee and an industrial sludge will be land applied on
the same site or sites, the owner or operator of the site shall obtain an LAS
permit in accordance with
391-3-6-.11.
(c) If the sewage sludge is generated outside
of the State of Georgia but will be transported to a site in Georgia for land
application, the owner or operator of the site shall obtain an LAS permit in
accordance with
391-3-6-.11.
(d) Any person who prepares sewage sludge
shall ensure that the applicable requirements in this part are met when the
sewage sludge is land applied, fired in a sewage sludge incinerator, or
disposed of by any means other than landfilling in an approved municipal solid
waste landfill.
(e) Any person who
uses or disposes of sewage sludge through any practice for which requirements
are established in this Rule shall comply with these requirements.
(5)
Pollutant Limits.
(a) Bulk sewage sludge and sewage sludge sold
or given away in a bag or other container shall comply with the pollutant
ceiling concentration limits in Table 1 as well as the following requirements:
1. Bulk sewage sludge applied to agricultural
land, forests, public contact sites, or reclamation sites shall comply with
either the pollutant concentration limits in Table 3 or, in the event that the
pollutant concentration limits in Table 3 cannot be met, with the cumulative
pollutant loading rates in Table 2.
2. Bulk sewage sludge applied to lawns and
home gardens shall comply with the pollutant concentration limits in Table
3.
3. Sewage sludge sold or given
way in bags and containers as defined in
391-3-6-.17(2)(y)
shall with the pollutant concentration limits in Table 3 or the annual sewage
sludge application rates which are based on the annual pollutant loading rates
in Table 4. Annual sewage sludge application rates shall be calculated in
accordance with EPD requirements.
Table 1 -- Ceiling Concentration Limits
|
Pollutant |
Ceiling Concentration (mg/kg)* |
|
Arsenic |
75 |
|
Cadmium |
85 |
|
Copper |
4300 |
|
Lead |
840 |
|
Mercury |
57 |
|
Molybdenum |
75 |
|
Nickel |
420 |
|
Selenium |
100 |
|
Zinc |
7500 |
* Dry weight basis
Table 2 -- Cumulative Pollutant Loading Rates
|
Pollutant |
Cumulative Pollutant Loading Rate (lbs/acre) |
|
Arsenic |
37 |
|
Cadmium |
35 |
|
Copper |
1338 |
|
Lead |
268 |
|
Mercury |
15 |
|
Nickel |
375 |
|
Selenium |
89 |
|
Zinc |
2498 |
Table 3 -- Pollutant Concentration
|
Pollutant |
Monthly Average Concentrations (mg/kg)* |
|
Arsenic |
41 |
|
Cadmium |
39 |
|
Copper |
1500 |
|
Lead |
300 |
|
Mercury |
17 |
|
Nickel |
420 |
|
Selenium |
100 |
|
Zinc |
2800 |
* Dry weight basis
Table 4 -- Annual Pollutant Loading Rates
|
Pollutant |
Annual Pollutant Loading Rate (lbs/acre/year) |
|
Arsenic |
1.8 |
|
Cadmium |
1.7 |
|
Copper |
67 |
|
Lead |
13 |
|
Mercury |
0.76 |
|
Nickel |
19 |
|
Selenium |
4.5 |
|
Zinc |
125 |
(6)
Operational Standards -- Pathogens
and Vector Attraction Reduction.
(a)
The Class A pathogen requirements contained in
391-3-6-.17(7)(a)
shall be met when bulk sewage sludge is applied to a lawn or home garden or
when sewage sludge is sold or given away in a bag or other container for
application to the land.
(b) The
Class A pathogen requirements contained in
391-3-6-.17(7)(a)
or the Class B pathogen requirements contained in
391-3-6-.16(7)(b)
and the site restrictions described in
391-3-6-.17(7)(c)
shall be met when bulk sewage sludge is applied to agricultural land, forests,
public contact sites, or reclamation sites.
(c) Sewage sludge that is applied to the land
shall meet one of the vector attraction reduction requirements contained in
391-3-6-.17(8)(a) through
(h) except that bulk sewage sludge that is
applied to agricultural land, forests, public contact sites, or reclamation
sites may instead meet the vector attraction reduction requirements contained
in 391-3-6-.17(8)(i) or
(j).
(7)
Pathogen Requirements. This
paragraph contains the requirements for a sewage sludge to be classified as
either Class A or Class B with respect to pathogens as well as specific site
restrictions for land application of a Class B sewage sludge.
(a) Class A Sewage Sludge. To be classified
as Class A with respect to pathogens the sewage sludge shall meet the
requirements in
391-3-6-.17(7)(a)1.
as well as the requirements of one of the six alternatives described in
391-3-6-.17(7)(a)2. through
(a)7. The Class A pathogen requirements shall
be met either before or at the same time the vector attraction reduction
requirements are met, with the exception of the vector attraction reduction
requirements in
391-3-6-.17(8)(f) through
(h).
1.
Either the density of fecal coliform in the sewage sludge shall be less than
1000 Most Probable Number per gram of total solids (dry weight basis), or the
density of Salmonella sp. bacteria in the sewage sludge shall be less than
three Most Probable Number per four grams of total solids (dry weight basis) at
the time the sewage sludge is land applied or is prepared for sale or given
away in a bag or other container for application of the land.
2. Alternative 1. The temperature of the
sewage sludge shall be maintained at a specific value for a period of time.
(i) When the percent solids of the sewage
sludge is seven percent or higher, the temperature of the sewage sludge shall
be 50 degrees Celsius or higher; the time period shall be 20 minutes or longer;
and the temperature and time period shall be determined using equation (3),
except when small particles of sewage sludge are heated by either warmed gases
or an immiscible liquid.
Click here to view image
Where,
D = time in days.
t = temperature in degrees Celsius.
(ii) When the percent solids of the sewage
sludge is seven percent or higher and small particles of sewage sludge are
heated by either warmer gases or an immiscible liquid, the temperature of the
sewage sludge shall be 50 degrees Celsius or higher, the time period shall be
15 seconds or longer, and the temperature and time period shall be determined
using equation (3).
(iii) When the
percent solids of the sewage sludge is less than seven percent and the time
period is at least 15 seconds, but less than 30 minutes, the temperature and
time period shall be determined using equation (3).
(iv) When the percent solids of the sewage
sludge is less than seven percent; the temperature of the sewage sludge is 50
degrees Celsius or higher; and the time period is 30 minutes or longer, the
temperature and time period shall be determined using equation (4).
Click here to view image
Where,
D = time in days.
t = temperature in degrees Celsius.
3. Alternative 2. The sewage
sludge pH shall be raised to above 12 standard units and shall remain above 12
standard units for 72 hours. At the end of the 72 hour period, the sewage
sludge shall be air dried to achieve greater than 50 percent solids. The
temperature of the sewage sludge shall be maintained above 52 degrees Celsius
for at least 12 hours while the sewage sludge pH is above 12 standard
units.
4. Alternative 3. The sewage
sludge shall be analyzed before pathogen treatment to determine whether the
sewage sludge contains enteric viruses.
(i) If
the density of enteric viruses is less than one Plaque-forming Unit per four
grams of total solids (dry weight basis), the sewage sludge shall be considered
Class A until the next monitoring episode.
(ii) If the density of enteric viruses is
equal to or greater than one Plaque-forming Unit per four grams of total solids
(dry weight basis), the sewage sludge shall be analyzed for enteric viruses
after pathogen treatment. The sewage sludge shall be considered Class A if the
density of enteric viruses after pathogen treatment is less than one
Plaque-forming Unit per four grams of total solids and the values or range of
values for the pathogen treatment process operating parameters are documented.
Once the enteric virus reduction is demonstrated for the pathogen treatment
process, the sewage sludge shall be considered Class A as long as the pathogen
treatment operating parameters are consistent with the documented values or
ranges of values.
5.
Alternative 4. The sewage sludge shall be analyzed before pathogen treatment to
determine if the sewage sludge contains viable helminth ova.
(i) If the density of viable helminth ova is
less than one per four grams of total solids (dry weight basis), the sewage
sludge shall be considered Class A until the next monitoring episode.
(ii) If the density of viable helminth ova is
equal to or greater than one per four grams of total solids (dry weight basis),
the sewage sludge shall be analyzed for viable helminth ova after pathogen
treatment. The sewage sludge shall be considered Class A if the density of
viable helminth ova after pathogen treatment is less than one per four grams of
total solids and the values or range of values for the pathogen treatment
process operating parameters are documented. Once the viable helminth ova
reduction is demonstrated for the pathogen treatment process, the sewage sludge
shall be considered Class A as long as the pathogen treatment operating
parameters are consistent with the documented values of ranges of
values.
6. Alternative 5.
The density of enteric viruses in the sewage sludge shall be less than one
Plaque-forming Unit per four grams of total solids (dry weight basis) or the
density viable helminth ova in the sewage sludge shall be less than one per
four grams of total solids (dry weight basis) at the time the sewage sludge is
either land applied, prepared for sale, or given away in a bag or other
container for application to the land.
7. Alternative 6. The sewage sludge shall be
treated in one of the Processes to Further Reduce Pathogens as described in 40
CFR 503. Appendix B or treated in a process determined by the EPD to be
equivalent to a Process to Further Reduce Pathogens.
(b) Class B Sewage Sludge. To be classified
as Class B with respect to pathogens the sewage sludge shall meet one of the
following alternatives.
1. Alternative 1.
Seven samples of the sewage sludge shall be collected at the time of land
application. The geometric mean of the density of fecal coliform in the samples
shall be less than either 2,000,000 Most Probable Number per gram of total
solids or 2,000,000 Colony Forming Units per gram of total solids.
2. Alternative 2. Sewage sludge that is to be
land applied shall be treated in one of the Processes to Significantly Reduce
Pathogens as described in 40 CFR 503 Appendix B or treated in a process that is
equivalent to a Process to Significantly Reduce Pathogens, as determined by the
EPD.
(c) Restrictions for
Land Application Sites Receiving Class B Sewage Sludge.
1. Food crops with harvested parts that touch
the sewage sludge/soil mixture and are totally above the land surface shall not
be harvested for 14 months after application of sewage sludge.
2. Food crops with harvested parts below the
surface of the land shall not be harvested for 20 months after application of
sewage sludge when the sewage sludge remains on the land surface for four
months or longer before incorporation, or for 38 months after application when
the sewage sludge remains on the land surface for less than four months before
incorporation.
3. All other crops,
as well as feed crops, and fiber crops shall not be harvested for 30 days after
application of sewage sludge.
4.
Animals shall not be allowed to graze on the land for 30 days after application
of sewage sludge.
5. Turf grown on
land where sewage sludge is applied shall not be harvested for one year after
application of the sewage sludge when the harvested turf is placed on either
land with a high potential for public exposure or a lawn, unless otherwise
specified by the EPD.
6. Public
access to land with a high potential for public exposure shall be restricted
for one year after application of sewage sludge.
7. Public access to land with a low potential
for public exposure shall be restricted for 30 days after application of sewage
sludge.
8. Additional restrictions
as may be determined by the EPD.
(8)
Vector Attraction Reduction.
Sewage sludge that is land applied, including sewage sludge sold or given away
in a bag or other container for application to the land, shall meet one of the
vector attraction reduction requirements contained in
391-3-6-.17(8)(a) through
(8)(h) except that bulk sewage sludge that is
applied to agricultural land, forests, public contact sites, or reclamation
sites may instead meet the vector attraction reduction requirements contained
in 391-3-6-.17(8)(i) or
(8)(j).
(a)
The mass of volatile solids in the sewage sludge shall be reduced by at least
38 percent.
(b) If the mass of
volatile solids in an anaerobically digested sewage sludge cannot be reduced by
at least 38 percent, vector attraction reduction can be demonstrated by
anaerobically digesting a portion of the previously digested sewage sludge in
the laboratory in a bench-scale unit for 40 additional days at a temperature
between 30 and 37 degrees Celsius. The volatile solids shall be measured at the
beginning and end of the forty day test period. Vector attraction reduction is
achieved when the volatile solids in the sewage sludge are reduced by less than
17 percent over the test period.
(c) If the mass of the volatile solids in an
aerobically digested sewage sludge cannot be reduced by at least 38 percent,
vector attraction reduction can be demonstrated by aerobically digesting a
portion of the previously digested sewage sludge that has a maximum of 2
percent solids in the laboratory in a bench-scale unit for thirty additional
days at 20 degrees Celsius. The volatile solids shall be measured at the
beginning and end of the thirty day test period. Vector attraction reduction is
achieved when the volatile solids in the sewage sludge are reduced by less than
15 percent over the test period.
(d) The specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR)
for sewage sludge treated in an aerobic process shall be equal to or less than
1.5 milligrams of oxygen per hour per gram of total solids (dry weight basis)
at 20 degrees Celsius.
(e) Sewage
sludge shall be treated in an aerobic process for at least fourteen days.
During that time, the temperature of the sewage sludge shall be maintained
above 40 degrees Celsius with the average temperature above 45 degrees
Celsius.
(f) The sewage sludge pH
shall be raised to 12 standard units or higher by addition of alkaline material
and shall remain at 12 standard units or higher for two hours and then 11.5
standard units or higher for an additional 22 hours without the addition or
more alkaline material.
(g) If
sewage sludge does not contain unstabilized solids generated in a primary
wastewater treatment process, the percent solids shall be equal to or greater
than 75 percent based on the moisture content and total solids before mixing
with other materials.
(h) If sewage
sludge contains unstabilized solids generated in a primary wastewater treatment
process, the percent solids shall be equal to or greater than 90 percent based
on the moisture content and total solids before mixing with other
materials.
(i) Injection of Sewage
Sludge.
1. Sewage sludge shall be injected
below the surface of the land.
2.
No significant amount of the sewage sludge shall be percent on the land surface
within one hour after the sewage sludge is injected.
3. Class A sewage sludge shall be injected
below the land surface within eight hours after being discharged from the
pathogen treatment process.
(j) Incorporation of Sewage Sludge.
1. Sewage sludge shall be incorporated into
the soil within six hours after land application.
2. Class A sewage sludge that is to be
incorporated into the soil shall be applied to the land within eight hours
after being discharged from the pathogen treatment process.
(9)
General
Requirements.
(a) No person shall land
apply sewage sludge except in accordance with the requirements in this rule and
the permit as well as any additional requirements as determined by the
EPD.
(b) No person shall land apply
bulk sewage sludge subject to the cumulative pollutant loading rates in
391-3-6-.17(5)
Table 2 to a site on which any of the cumulative pollutant loading rates in
391-3-6-.17(5)
Table 2 have been reached.
(c) No
person shall land apply bulk sewage sludge to a site on which the nitrogen
requirements have been met for the calendar year.
(d) The preparer shall provide the person who
land applies bulk sewage sludge written notification of the analytical results
obtained in accordance with
391-3-6-.17(11) and
391-3-6-.17(13).
(e) The person who land applies sewage sludge
shall obtain information needed to comply with the requirements in this
subpart.
1. Before bulk sewage sludge subject
to the cumulative pollutant loading rates in
391-3-6-.17(5)
Table 2 is applied to the land, the applier shall contact the EPD to determine
if bulk sewage sludge subject to cumulative pollutant loading rates has been
previously applied to the site.
(i) If bulk
sewage sludge has been applied to the site and the cumulative amount of each
pollutant applied to the site is known, that amount shall subtracted from the
cumulative pollutant loading rate for each pollutant in
391-3-6-.17(5)
Table 2 to determine the additional amount of each pollutant that can be
applied to the site. For arsenic, mercury, and selenium, the cumulative amount
of each pollutant applies to the site since July 20, 1993 shall be utilized for
the calculations. For copper, lead, zinc, nickel, and cadmium the cumulative
amount of each pollution applied to the site since the first bulk sewage sludge
application shall be utilized for the calculations.
(ii) If bulk sewage sludge subject to the
cumulative pollutant loading rates in
391-3-6-.17(5)
Table 2 has been applied to the site and the cumulative amounts of pollutants
applied to the site are unknown, no additional amount of each pollutant shall
be applied to the site.
2. Before bulk sewage sludge is land applied,
the applier shall contact the EPD to determine whether bulk sewage sludge has
been previously applied to the site. If bulk sewage sludge has been previously
applied to the site, the amount of mineralized nitrogen from previous sewage
sludge applications that is available for crop uptake, as well as the amount of
nitrogen from other sources that is available for crop uptake, shall be taken
into account in determining the agronomic loading rate.
(f) When a preparer provides bulk sewage
sludge to an applier, the preparer shall provide the applier notice and
necessary information to comply with the requirements in this
subparagraph.
(g) When a preparer
provides sewage sludge to another preparer, the person who provides the sewage
sludge shall provide the person who receives the sewage sludge notice and
necessary information to comply with the requirements in this
subparagraph.
(h) The applier shall
provide the owner or lease holder of the land application site notice and
necessary information to comply with the requirements in this
subparagraph.
(i) Any person who
land applies bulk sewage sludge subject to the cumulative pollutant loading
rates in 391-3-6-.17(5)
Table 2 shall provide written notice to the EPD before the initial application
to a site, and the EPD shall retain the notice and provide access to it. The
notice shall include:
1. The location, by
either street address or latitude and longitude, of the land application
site.
2. The name, address,
telephone number, and permit number (if appropriate) of the person who will
apply the bulk sewage sludge.
(10)
Management Practices.
(a) Bulk sewage sludge shall not be applied
to the land if it is likely to adversely affect a threatened or endangered
species listed under section 4 of the Federal Endangered Species Act
(16 U.S.C. §§
1531-
1544) or its designated critical
habitat.
(b) Bulk sewage sludge
shall not be applied to an agriculture land, forest, a public contact site, or
a reclamation site that is flooded, frozen, or snow covered so that the bulk
sewage sludge enters a wetland or others waters of the State of Georgia except
as provided in a permit issued pursuant to the Georgia Water Quality Control
Act and 391-3-6-.06.
(c) Site restrictions, buffer areas, and any
additional EPD requirements shall apply to the land application of bulk sewage
sludge. Class B sewage sludge shall also be subject to the site restrictions in
391-3-6-.17(17)(c).
Reduction of buffer areas on sites where exceptional quality sludge is land
applied will be considered by the EPD upon written request. However, in no case
shall bulk sewage sludge be applied to areas located 35 feet or less from
waters of the State of Georgia.
(d)
Bulk sewage sludge shall not land applied at greater than agronomic rates
except on reclamation sites. Agronomic rates shall be calculated using the
sludge application rate determination procedures as determined by the EPD. The
application rate for sewage sludge on reclamation sites shall be determined on
a case-by-case basis.
(e) Sewage
sludge that is sold or given away in a bag or other container for land
application shall have a label affixed to the bag or other container or an
information sheet shall be provided to the person who receives the sewage
sludge. The label or information sheet shall contain the following information.
1. The name and address of the person who
prepared the sewage sludge.
2. A
statement that application of the sewage sludge to the land is prohibited
except in accordance with the instructions on the label or information
sheet.
3. The annual sludge
application rate that does not cause any of the annual pollutant loading rates
in 391-3-6-.17(5)
Table 4 to be exceeded.
(f) Under no conditions may sewage sludge be
stockpiled at a land application site.
(11)
Monitoring.
(a) The pollutants listed in
391-3-6-.17(5), the
pathogen density requirements listed in
391-3-6-.17(7) and
the vector attraction reduction requirements listed in
391-3-6-.17(8)(a) through
(8)(h), and any additional parameters
contained in the permit, shall be monitored at the frequency listed in Table 5.
Table 5 -- Monitoring Frequency
|
Amount of Sewage Sludge (dry tons/year)* |
Frequency |
|
0 - 300 |
once/year |
|
300 - 1600 |
once/quarter |
|
1600 - 16000 |
once/two months |
|
16000 or greater |
once/month |
*The "amount of sewage sludge" refers to either the amount of bulk sewage sludge (dry weight) applied to the land or the amount of sewage sludge (dry weight) received by a preparer that sells or otherwise distributes sewage sludge in a bag or other container for application to the land.
(b) After the sewage sludge has
been monitored at the frequency in Table 5 for two years, the EPD may reduce
the monitoring frequency for the pollutants listed in
391-3-6-.17(5). In
no case shall the monitoring frequency be less than once per year.
(12)
Analytical
Methods. Representative sewage sludge samples shall be analyzed in
accordance with the methods contained in
40 CFR
503.8. Test methods used to determine
toxicity, such as the Toxicity Characteristic Leachate Procedure, may be used
to determine whether sewage sludge is hazardous, but shall not be used for the
purpose of determining compliance with any of the inorganic pollutant
requirements contained in this rule.
(13)
Recordkeeping.
(a) Persons who prepare bulk sewage sludge
for land application or who sell or give away sewage sludge in a bag or other
container, shall develop the following information and retain it for five
years:
1. The concentration of each pollutant
listed in
391-3-6-.17(5), and
any additional parameters required by the permit.
2. One of the following certification
statements.
(i) Certification statement of
persons preparing bulk sewage sludge for land application: "I certify, under
penalty of law, that the Class (insert "A" or "B") pathogen requirement in
391-3-6-.17(7) and
the vector attraction reduction requirements in
391-3-6-.17(8) has
been met. This determination has been made under my direction and supervision
in accordance with the system designed to ensure that qualified personnel
properly gather and evaluate the information used to determine that the
pathogen requirements and the vector attraction reduction requirements have
been met. I am aware that there are significant penalties for false
certification including the possibility of fine and imprisonment."
(ii) Certification statement for persons
preparing sewage sludge that is sold or given away in a bag or other container:
"I certify, under penalty of law, that the management practice in
391-3-6-.17(10)(e);
the Class A pathogen requirement in
391-3-6-.17(7)(a),
and the vector attraction reduction requirement in (insert one of the vector
attraction reduction requirements in
391-3-6-.17(8)(a) through
(h) have been met. This determination has
been made under my direction and supervision in accordance with the system
designed to ensure that qualified personnel properly gather and evaluate the
information used to determine that the management practice, pathogen
requirements, and vector attraction reduction requirements have been met. I am
aware that there are significant penalties for false certification including
the possibility of the fine and imprisonment."
3. A description of how either Class A or
Class B pathogen requirements are met.
4. A description of how the vector attraction
reduction requirement is met.
5.
The annual sludge application rate that does not cause the annual pollutant
loading rates in
391-3-6-.17(5)
Table 4 to be exceeded shall also be retained by the preparer when the sewage
sludge is sold or given away in a bag or other container.
6. All other information required as
described in the permit.
(b) The person who land applies bulk sewage
sludge shall develop the following information. The information in
391-3-6-.17(13)(b)1. through
5. shall be retained indefinitely. The
information in
391-3-6-.17(13)(b)6. through
10. shall be retained for five years.
1. The location, by either street address or
latitude and longitude, of each site on which the sewage sludge in
applied.
2. The number of acres on
which sewage sludge is applied for each site.
3. The date and time of each application of
sewage sludge for each site.
4. For
bulk sewage sludge subject to the cumulative pollutant loading rates in
391-3-6-.17(5)
Table 2, the cumulative amount of each pollutant listed in
391-3-6-.17(5) in
pounds per acre for each site.
5.
The amount of sewage sludge, in dry tons, applied to each site.
6. The following certification statement: "I
certify, under penalty of law, that the management practices in
391-3-6-.17(10),
the site restrictions in (insert
391-3-6-.17(7)(c)
only if the sewage sludge is classified as Class B), the vector attraction
requirements in (insert
391-3-6-.17(8)(i) or
(8)(j), if one of those requirements is met),
and additional requirements set forth by the EPD, have been met for each site
on which bulk sewage sludge is applied. This determination has been made under
my direction and supervision in accordance with the system designed to ensure
that qualified personnel properly gather and evaluate the information used to
determine that the management practices and site restrictions (and the vector
attraction reduction requirements if applicable) have been met. I am aware that
there are significant penalties for false certification including the
possibility of fine and imprisonment."
7. A description of how the management
practices in
391-3-6-.17(10) and
any additional management requirements set forth by the EPD, or if applicable,
contained in the permit, are met for each land application site.
8. A description of how the vector attraction
reduction requirements in either
391-3-6-.17(8)(i) or
(j) are met, if applicable, for each land
application site.
9. A description
of how the site restrictions are met for each land application site.
10. On sites where the sewage sludge is
subject to the cumulative pollutant loading rates in
391-3-6-.17(5)
Table 2, the following certification statement and description shall be
developed:
(i) "I certify, under penalty of
law, that the requirements to obtain information in
391-3-6-.17(9)(e)
have been met for each land application site. This determination has been made
under my direction and supervision in accordance with the system designed to
ensure that qualified personnel properly gather and evaluate the information
used to determine that the requirements to obtain information have been met. I
am aware that there are significant penalties for false certification including
fine and imprisonment."
(ii) A
description of how the requirements to obtain information in
391-3-6-.17(9)(e)
are met.
(14)
Reporting.
(a) Each facility or person that is permitted
under this Rule shall submit to the EPD an annual report containing the
information required in
391-3-6-.17(13)
pertaining to the most recent calendar year. The report shall be submitted to
the EPD no later than February 19 of the following year.
(b) Any facility permitted under this Rule
that generates sewage sludge shall submit to the EPD a monthly report of the
volume and concentration, or weight in dry pounds, of solids removed from the
facility during that month. This report may be included with the monthly
Discharge Monitoring Report described in
391-3-6-.06(11) but
in any case must be submitted to the EPD no later than the 15th day of the
following month.
(c) The federal
NPDES Electronic Reporting rule, 40 CFR Part 127 and associated amendments,
became effective on December 21, 2015. The monthly and annual reporting
requirements noted above may include the electronic submission of such items,
as applicable and approved by EPD.
(15)
Compliance Period.
Compliance with the standards for land application of sewage sludge shall be
achieved in accordance with the dates contained in
40 CFR
503.2.
(16)
Addition of More Stringent
Requirements. On a case-by-case basis, the EPD may impose additional or
more stringent requirements when necessary to protect public health and the
environment.
(17)
Right to
Monitor and Assess Fees.
(a) The local
governing authority in which a land application site is located may assess the
generator of the sewage sludge and the owner of the land application site
reasonable fees for environmental monitoring of the site and may hire persons
to monitor the site. The assessed fee shall be limited to charges incurred for
monitoring those parameters contained in the approved sludge management plan
and the permit. Payment of the assessed fee shall be made prior to the
application of sewage sludge. Failure to pay such fees, if assessed, shall be
grounds for the local governing authority to seek an injunction to stop the
land application of sewage sludge.
(18)
Application for a Permit.
(a) Any facility with a Georgia NPDES permit
that generate sewage sludge for land application, either as bulk sewage sludge
or for sale or given away in a bag or other container, or for disposal by any
means other than disposal in an approved municipal landfill, shall submit the
following information with a NPDES permit application at least 180 days prior
to the expiration date of the existing permit.
1. The information required in
391-3-6-.06(5).
(b) Any facility with an NPDES
permit that proposes to land apply bulk sewage sludge or that currently land
applies sewage sludge but does not have an approved sludge management plan,
shall submit the following additional information:
1. Description of the proposed land
application site(s):
(i) Location map(s) with
the site(s) clearly denoted.
(ii)
Topographic map(s) with the following features identified and labelled:
I. Site boundaries (including buffer
areas);
II. onsite access
roads;
III. portions of the
100-year flood plain;
IV. location
of any soil borings;
V. location of
houses;
VI. location of
wells;
VII. surface water,
including ditches and intermittent streams.
(iii) Soil survey map(s) with application
site(s) clearly denoted.
(iv) An
aerial photograph of the site(s), if available.
2. Soil series descriptions for each series
represented, as described in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and University
of Georgia, College of Agriculture soil survey(s) for the county(ies) in which
each site is located.
3. Soil
analysis performed within the last six months, conducted in accordance with the
requirements set forth by the EPD.
4. Analysis of the sewage sludge performed
within the last six months to include the parameters listed in
391-3-6-.17 as well as any
additional parameters required by the EPD.
5. The name of the facility generating the
sewage sludge.
6. The amount of
sewage sludge to be applied per year. If some of the sewage sludge will be
dewatered and some will be liquid, state the amount of each type.
7. Whether the sewage sludge is to be
dewatered, liquid, or both and the percent solids.
8. The proposed method for meeting the
pathogen reduction requirements in
391-3-6-.17(7) and
vector attraction reduction requirements in
391-3-6-.17(8).
9. The site use, crops to be grown on site
and whether site will be used for grazing.
10. The proposed method of application to the
land and a description of operational procedures.
11. A letter of agreement between the
permittee and the owner of the site, if the owner is not the
permittee.
12. The proposed method
for transporting the sludge to the application site.
13. Any other information that the EPD may
require.
(c) Any facility
with a LAS permit that generates sewage sludge for land application and has an
approved sludge management plan, or generates sewage sludge for disposal by any
means other than disposal in an approved municipal landfill shall submit the
following information with a LAS permit application at least 180 days prior to
the expiration date of the existing permit:
1. The information required in
391-3-6-.11(5).
(d) Any facility with a LAS permit
proposing to land apply sewage sludge, or that currently land applies sewage
sludge but does not have an approved sludge management plan, shall submit the
information listed in
391-3-6-.17(18)(b)1. through
(b)13.
(e) Any person owning or operating a land
application site or sites where bulk sewage sludge from more than one permittee
is land applied, or where both bulk sewage sludge from a permittee and an
industrial sludge are applied shall submit the following information with a
land application system permit application:
1. The information in
391-3-6-.11(5).
2. The information in 391-6-.17(18)(b)1.
through (b)13.
(f) Any
person owning or operating a land application site on which bulk sewage sludge,
generated outside the State of Georgia, is currently land applied, or is
proposed to be land applied, shall submit the following information with a land
application system permit application:
1. The
information in 391-2-6-.11(5).
2.
The information in
391-3-6-.17(18)(b)1. through
(b)13.
(19)
Notice and Public
Participation.
(a) Notice must be
provided for any planned significant changes to the permittee's sewage sludge
use or disposal practices or sites.
(b) Notice will be made in accordance with
the provisions of Rule
391-3-6-.26. The public notice for
permits with an approved Sludge Management Plan will also include publication
in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the area affected by the
discharge.
(20)
Terms and Conditions of Permits. All permits, issued under Rule
391-3-6-.17 shall contain the terms
and conditions required to comply with one or more of the following:
391-3-6-.06 and
391-3-6-.11.
(21)
Schedules for Compliance.
Notwithstanding any requirements contained in Paragraph
391-3-6-.17(20),
should a schedule for compliance with any requirement of
391-3-6-.17 exceed one year, the
milestone dates in the schedule shall not be more than six months
apart.
(22)
Modification,
Revocation, Reissuance, and Termination of Permits. Modification,
revocation, reissuance, or termination of any permit issued pursuant to this
Rule shall comply with one or more of the Rules listed in
391-3-6-.17(20)
above.
(23)
Duration,
Continuation and Transferability. Any permit issued under this Rule will
comply with the requirements of one of more of the following:
391-3-6-.06(15),
391-3-6-.11(11).
(24)
Enforcement. Any person who
violates any provision of the Act, any rule promulgated and adopted pursuant
thereto, or any term, condition, schedule or other requirements contained in a
permit issued pursuant to the Act shall be subject to enforcement proceedings
pursuant to the Act.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.