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APPENDIX A.
Generic Permit Application for a Composting Facility Combining Agricultural and Yard Wastes

Part I. Application Forms (Forms to be completed for construction and operating permits and the SEQR Short EAF Form, all available from regional NYS DEC offices)

Part II. Engineering Report


1. Table of Contents:1

2. Introduction:

This report accompanies an application to construct and operate a composting facility located in ______________________________________________2 which will process agricultural and yard wastes generated in: _________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________3

The facility will be owned by ____________________________________________4 and operated by _________________________________________________________5 For information relating to the proposed facility and this permit application contact _______________________________________________________________________6

3. Site Location: The the site of the proposed _______________________________ 7 composting facility meets all the location criteria required by 6 NYCRR Part 360 as indicated below: a.) It is not located on a floodplain8 or a regulated wetland. b.) The site and facility operation will not damage or destroy any threatened or endangered species or their habitat.

c.) Minimum horizontal separation distances are:
Item Actual distance Required minimum
property line _________ feet 50 feet
residence or place of business _________ feet 200 feet
potable water supply or well _________ feet 200 feet
surface water body _________ feet 200 feet
drainage swale _________ feet 25 feet
d.) The seasonal high groundwater level is ___________ 9 as determined by _____________ . The soil type(s) at the site is (are) _________________________10, as determined by ________________________________________________11.

4. Site Preparation: The site will be graded to minimize ponding and erosion. The slope of the final grade on the site will be approximately _________ %.12 Existing soils on the site are expected to provide a suitable base for operations, but on-site roads and other high traffic areas with be improved with an application of compacted sand or crushed stone as needed.13 A diversion swale will be installed at the uphill end of the site to divert surface water away from the site. Run-off from the site will be ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________14.

5. Operator Staff Training: Compost operation personnel will include________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________15.

The yard waste management operator's fact sheets available from Cornell Cooperative Extension will be distributed to the site operators and other appropriate county personnel prior to starting operations, and the individual pages of that guide will be posted for regular review. The compost facility supervisor will attend a one-day training workshop within one year of starting operations.

6. Compost Use:16

________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

7. Place of Operation:

The facility will be processing an agricultural and yard waste stream composed of agricultural materials, leaves, grass clippings, brush and woody waste. The estimated volumes of each type of waste are:

Type of Waste Quantities

Agricultural wastes (itemize) _________
Leaves _________
Grass clippings _________
Brush & woody wastes _________

a). Deliveries:

Yard and agricultural waste deliveries will be accepted from _________________ ______________________________________________________________________17 . Access to the facility will be controlled by _____________________18 prohibiting entry by unauthorized personnel except during scheduled hours of operation.

The facility will not accept any solid waste other than agricultural or yard waste. Any inadvertent rubbish that is found mixed with these materials will be separated out by hand and properly disposed of. Plastic bags will be hand-picked and removed at this time. Loads of yard waste containing excessive quantities of contaminants will be rejected by the facility operators.

Expected traffic will include approximately __________ private collection vehicles per day (with a typical capacity of _________cubic yards), and ______public collection vehicles per day (with a typical capacity of ________cubic yards).19 Total yard waste deliveries to the site will not exceed _______cubic yards per year.20

b). Pre-processing:

When loads containing primarily leaves arrive during the fall, they will first be dumped in the staging area (see site plan, attached). Brush and woody waste will pile in a temporary storage area prior to chipping. Grass clippings or wet manures will be mixed with leaves and or chipped brush in a ratio of one part grass or manure to a minimum of 3 parts leaves or chips. Mixing will be accomplished by a __________________21. Water from ________________22 will be added and mixed with these materials as required to achieve a moisture content of approximately 50%.

c). Active composting

The mixed waste will then be moved to the active composting area by a front-end loader and piled in windrows approximately ________feet long.23 In section, these windrows will be approximately five to eight feet tall and twelve to eighteen feet wide. As the wastes decompose and their volume decreases, windrows will be combined to maintain these approximate dimensions.

Compost windrows will be turned as needed based on weekly temperature monitoring. When the pile's internal temperature reaches 50 to 55 degrees centigrade (122 to 141 degrees Fahrenheit) the windrows will be turned and mixed with _____________________24 Turning the piles releases microbial heat and increases the porosity and oxygen flow, helping to maintain aerobic conditions. Water will be added during the turning process if needed to maintain the compost moisture content above 40%.

d). Curing and post-processing

Compost should be stabilized within six months to one year. When stable, the compost's internal temperature will no longer rise significantly above the ambient air temperature after the compost is turned. The compost will then be moved into a large curing pile for storage until distribution. Further processing of the compost, such as shredding or screening, may be performed at that time depending on cost and marketing requirements. Equipment available for shredding and screening includes:____________ ________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________25 .

8. Maintenance and Contingency Plans:

Facilities and equipment will be maintained in good working order. In case of heavy equipment failure, back-up equipment will be borrowed or rented as necessary. Contingency arrangements for a back-up front-end loader have been made with _______________ .26

The facility will be managed to minimize odor impacts on neighbors. If complaints arise, operators will attempt to schedule turning to avoid wind patterns or times of high impacts.

The facility will close during periods of very heavy rain or snow, or high winds. Windrow turning will be avoided during periods of freezing weather.

Arrangements have been made with __________________________27 to insure immediate access in case of fire. Water will be available for fire suppression from __________________________28.

9. Record keeping and annual report:

An annual report will be submitted to the Central Office and one copy to the Region ______29 office of the NYSDEC 120 days after the anniversary date of the facility's permit to operate. As indicated on the standard DEC annual report form, this report will include:

1) the type and quantity, by weight or volume, of waste received at the facility;
2) the turning frequency (if applicable) and the timing and amount of any water addition;
3) the quantity, by weight or volume, of compost produced;
4) any monitoring that occurred during the operation;
5) the quantity and timing of any seed material used;
6) the quantity, by weight or volume, of compost removed from the facility; and
7) a description of the end-product distribution and disposal system.


1The table of contents should list page numbers for the items below as well as any appendices.
2Name city, village, or town where located.
3Name municipalities served.
4 Name of owner (or lessor).
5 Name of operator.
6Name of contact.
7 Name of facility.
8 Floodplains may be acceptable if provisions have been made to prevent the encroachment of flood waters upon the facility.
9 List what the level is.
10If the soil is highly permeable (> 6 inches/hr), additional groundwater monitoring may be required. Check with your DEC regional office.
11County Soil Survey or other source.
121% to 5% is the recommended range.
13Sand is preferred for compost processing areas, as some of the base will inevitably mix with the final product.
14Options: a) directed through a vegetated buffer strip at least 25 feet wide, or b) collected behind a surface impoundment and allowed to infiltrate into the soil, c) other decisions.15List personnel requirements and their responsibilities.
16This section will be site specific but might include give-away programs to residents, use by municipal departments along roadsides and in parks, or bulk sales, either retail or wholesale. Describe the intended use, and a contingency plan if demand is not adequate.
17List days and hours of operation. Indicate any seasonal variations.
18Signs are required as a minimum. Fencing may also be appropriate at some locations.
19Indicate the numbers and capacities of collection vehicles.
20Add a generous margin of error to your best estimate.
21 A front-end loader may be used for mixing small quantities of manure or grass clippings with leaves. However, for larger quantities of yard waste tub grinders or rotating drums are more efficient. Thorough mixing is essential to prevent wet materials from matting and generating anaerobic odors.
22Specify either a tank truck or hydrant.
23Windrow length will depend on the dimensions of the site, and can be several hundred feet long.
24Specify either a front-end loader or a name the type of specialized compost turner.
25Specify any screening or shredding equipment and its availability.
26Name public works division, private contractor, or equipment rental company.
27Name the local fire department.
28Specify location or indicate on the site plan.
29Indicate DEC region number.

Part III. Facility Maps and Plans

Three plans or maps are required as part of the permit application.

1. A vicinity plan or map (minimum scale of 1:24,000). This map must cover the area within one mile of the facility, indicating zoning and land use, residences, surface waters, access roads, bridges, railroads, airports, historic sites, and other existing and proposed man-made features relating to the project.

1:24,000 is the scale of a USGS topographic quadrangle (7.5 minute series). These topographic maps have a contour interval of 10 feet, so that 5 feet contours could be interpolated from this map for the site plan described below. Where available, county soil survey maps may also be used as a vicinity map. The soil survey descriptions accompanying these maps will be useful for the engineering report, as indicated earlier. USGS and soil survey maps may be dated, so check to insure recent changes such as new buildings and roads within one mile of the facility are included. Your town or county planning department may have more current maps.

2.A site plan map (minimum scale of 1:2,400 with five feet contour intervals) that delineates the following:

  1. The location of the proposed composting site and boundary locations, and the location of the active composting area within the site;
  2. A description of the composting facility drainage characteristics identifying the direction of both site run-on and run-off, ditches, and swales together with any run-off controls that now exist or will be implemented with facility construction;
  3. A delineation of the composting staging area and storage area;
  4. The location of access roads and on-site roads;
  5. The location of property boundaries and the names and addresses of all contiguous landowners;
  6. The location of all water supply wells, buildings, residences, surface water bodies, and drainage swales within 1,000 feet of the site. Identification of all buildings owned by the applicant or operator must be included; and
  7. Existing and proposed elevation contours and direction of prevailing winds.

    Most of the requirements for this map are self explanatory. Run-on from upslope areas should be directed around the composting site, and run-off from the site itself should not be channelled directly to a surface water body, but instead directed through a grassy area where nutrients and sediment can be adsorbed. Check the required setback distances (listed in the DEC Part 360 regulations on composting) to make sure the site is in compliance. The direction of prevailing winds may influence the siting of the pre-processing area and the active composting area to minimize impacts on neighbors.

    3. A map indicating regulated wetlands and floodplains within 1,000 feet of the site, if applicable.

    This map should demonstrate that the facility is not located in a floodplain or a regulated wetland. Floodplain locations may be acceptable if adequate provisions have been made to prevent flooding of the site. Wet lowland sites are a major challenge to year-round operation and are not generally recommended.


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