A.
(1) Except as provided for in Rule
1.1.B,
an individual permit or a certificate of coverage of a general permit is
required for the operation of a land application site. An individual permit or
certificate of coverage under any applicable general permit must be issued
prior to the receipt of any waste.
(2) An applicant for a new land application
site shall complete an application for coverage under any applicable general
permit or for an individual permit on forms provided by the Department. Such
submittal shall demonstrate that the facility will comply with all applicable
requirements of Rules 1.2, 1.3, and 1.8 of these regulations and the terms and
conditions of a general permit or an individual permit.
(3) Owners of existing land application
sites, which have been issued an individual permit, may request that their
permit be revoked and that they be issued a certificate of coverage under any
applicable general permit. Likewise, owners of existing land application sites,
which have been previously issued a certificate of coverage under a general
permit, may request that their certificate of coverage be revoked and that they
be issued an individual permit.
B. No waste shall be placed on saturated
grounds. Saturation may be determined by digging a hole one-foot deep at the
lowest point of the ground and observing for 30 minutes. If water appears in
the hole, the soil is considered to be saturated.
C. Land application sites shall be located in
a hydrologic section where the historic high water table is at a safe depth
below the zone of incorporation.
D.
The application area shall be located a minimum of 300 feet from any inhabited
building unless the applicant can justify otherwise. Furthermore, the
Department may require larger buffer zones when circumstances
warrant.
E. Land application of
wastes shall be conducted by incorporation into the soil, by injection below
the land surface, or by other appropriate means of application, as approved by
the Department. Incorporation should normally be accomplished by applying the
wastes uniformly and disking or plowing until the waste is adequately turned
under the soil or thoroughly mixed with the soil. Incorporation shall be
accomplished during or immediately following application.
F. Wastes which contain significant amounts
of nitrogen shall be applied at an agronomic rate not to exceed the plant
available nitrogen levels specified in Table 1 of this rule, unless data can be
presented to justify otherwise.
G.
The soil pH shall be maintained at or above 6.5 unless otherwise authorized by
the Department.
H. The annual
loading rate for cadmium shall not exceed 0.45 pounds/acre/year.
I. The cumulative (life-time) application of
pollutants shall not exceed the levels specified in Table 2 of this rule or
where applicable, the levels specified in 40 CFR
503.
J. In addition to the requirements in these
regulations, land application of sewage sludge must be conducted in a manner
which complies with 40 CFR
503 - Standards for the Use and Disposal of Sewage
Sludge, which are incorporated herein and adopted by reference.
K. Where sewage sludge is applied to public
contact sites, access to the facility shall be controlled to restrict
unauthorized personnel during operation and for at least 12 months following
final application.
L. Where sludge
is applied, grazing by animals shall be restricted during operation and for 30
days thereafter.
M. Prior to land
application, sewage sludges and other pathogen-containing sludges shall be
treated by a process to significantly reduce pathogens (PSRP) or by a process
to further reduce pathogens (PFRP). The PSRP's and PFRP's are listed in Table 3
of this rule.
N. Where sludge is
applied, no crops that will be consumed raw by humans shall be planted until at
least 18 months have passed from the date of the last application. For all
other crops grown for indirect human consumption, at least 30 days shall pass
between the date of the last application and the date the crop is
planted.
O. Limitations may be
placed on the loading rates of other contaminants when necessary to protect the
environment and public health.
P.
Where the permit applicant and the solid waste generator are not the same
person, the generator shall be responsible for ensuring that the waste
characteristics are compatible with a safe disposal operation. Monitoring data,
which characterizes the solid waste, shall be provided to the permittee by the
generator on a regular basis as required by the permit. All other monitoring
(groundwater, surface water, soils, etc.) shall be the responsibility of the
permittee and shall be determined on a site-specific basis.
Q. If substances that may be deleterious to
human health are placed on the land in amounts that are in excess of those
established as acceptable for growing food chain crops, notice of such shall be
given to future landowners (via notice to the deed). When soil analyses show
that such levels of contaminants are no longer present, the notice to future
landowners shall not be required.
TABLE 1
MAXIMUM PLANT AVAILABLE NITROGEN LEVELS
TO BE APPLIED TO CROPLANDS
|
CROP
|
MAXIMUM P.A.N. LBS/AC/YR)
|
| Bahia grass |
160 |
| Bermuda grass |
300 |
| Fescue |
120 |
| Grain sorghum |
180 |
| Silage sorghum |
300 |
| Millett |
150 |
| Rye grass |
220 |
| Alfalfa, clover, vetch |
450 |
| Cotton |
180 |
| Corn |
240 |
| Soybeans |
300 |
| Wheat |
135 |
Other cover vegetation may be grown, if approved by the
Department
TABLE 2
MAXIMUM CUMULATIVE POLLUTANT LOADING RATES TO BE
APPLIED AT LAND APPLICATION SITES
| Metals Loading Rates |
| CEC* |
CEC* |
CEC* |
| <5 |
5-15 |
>15 |
| kg/ha |
(lb/ac) |
kg/ha |
(lb/ac) |
kg/ha |
(lb/ac) |
| Lead (Pb) |
500 |
(455) |
1000 |
(890) |
2000 |
(1780) |
| Zinc (Zn) |
250 |
(222) |
500 |
(445) |
1000 |
(890) |
| Copper (Cu) |
125 |
(111) |
250 |
(222) |
500 |
(445) |
| Nickel (Ni) |
125 |
(111) |
250 |
(222) |
500 |
(445) |
| Cadmium (Cd) |
5 |
(4.4) |
10 |
(8.9) |
20 |
(17.8) |
*CEC - Cation Exchange Capacity,
meq/100
TABLE 3 PROCESSES TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE
PATHOGENS (PSRP)
Aerobic Digestion: The process is
conducted by agitating sludge with air or oxygen to maintain conditions at
residence times ranging from 60 days at 15 °C to 40 days at 20 °C, with a
volatile solids reduction of at least 38 percent.
Air Drying: Liquid sludge is allowed
to drain and/or dry on under-drained sand beds, or paved or unpaved basins in
which the sludge is at a depth of nine inches. A minimum of three months is
needed, two months of which temperatures average on a daily basis above 0
°C.
Anaerobic Digestion: The process is
conducted in the absence of air at residence time ranging from 60 days at 20 °C
to 15 days at 35 - 55 °C, with a volatile solids reduction of at least 38
percent.
Composting: Using the within-vessel,
static aerated pile or windrow composting methods, the solid waste is
maintained at minimum operating conditions of 40 °C for 5 days. For four hours
during this period the temperature exceeds 55 °C.
Lime Stabilization: Sufficient lime
is added to produce a pH of 12 after 2 hours of contact.
Other Methods: Other methods or
operating conditions may be acceptable if pathogens and vector attraction of
the waste (volatile solids) are reduced to an extent equivalent to the
reduction achieved by any of the above methods.
PROCESSES TO FURTHER REDUCE PATHOGENS
(PFRP)
Composting: Using the within-vessel
method, the solid waste is maintained at operating conditions of 55°C or
greater for three days. Using the static aerated pile conditions of 55°C or
greater for three days. Using the windrow composting method, the solid waste
attains a temperature of 55°C or greater for at least 15 days during the
composting period. Also, during the high temperature period, there will be a
minimum of five turnings of the windrow.
Heat Drying: De-watered sludge cake
is dried by direct or indirect contact with hot gases, and moisture content is
reduced to 10 percent or lower. Sludge particles reach temperatures well in
excess of 80 °C, or the wet bulb temperature of the gas stream in contact with
the sludge at the point where it leaves the dryer is in excess of 80 °C.
Heat Treatment: Liquid sludge is
heated to temperatures of 180°C for 30 minutes.
Thermophillic Aerobic Digestion:
Liquid sludge is agitated with air or oxygen to maintain aerobic conditions at
residence times of 10 days at 55 - 60 °C, with a volatile solids reduction of
at least 38 percent.
Other Methods: Other methods or
operating conditions may be acceptable if pathogens and vector attraction of
the waste (volatile solids) are reduced to an extent equivalent to the
reduction achieved by any of the methods described above.
Any of the processes listed below, if added to one of the
PSRP processes listed in this Table 3, may be acceptable as the Processes to
Further Reduce Pathogens.
Beta Ray Irradiation: Sludge is
irradiated with beta rays from an accelerator at dosages of at least 1.0
megarad at room temperature (ca. 20 °C).
Gamma Ray irradiation: Sludge is
irradiated with gamma rays from certain isotopes, such as 60 Cobalt and 137
Cesium, at dosages of at least 1.0 megarad at room temperature (ca. 20
°C).
Pasteurization: Sludge is maintained
for at least 30 minutes at a minimum temperature of 70 °C.
Other Methods: Other methods or
operating conditions may be acceptable if pathogens are reduced to an extent to
the equivalent to the reduction achieved by any of the above
methods.
