WAC 173-350-230   Land application.  (1) Land application - Applicability. This section applies to solid waste that is beneficially used on the land for its agronomic value, or soil-amending capability, including land reclamation. This section does not apply to:

     (a) The application of commercial fertilizers registered with the Washington state department of agriculture as provided in RCW 15.54.325, and which are applied in accordance with the standards established in RCW 15.54.800(3);

     (b) Biosolids regulated under chapter 173-308 WAC, Biosolids management;

     (c) Composted materials no longer considered solid waste under WAC 173-350-220(10);

     (d) Dangerous waste regulated under chapter 173-303 WAC Dangerous waste regulations;

     (e) Waste derived soil amendments exempted from permitting under WAC 173-350-200; and

     (f) Solid waste used to improve the engineering characteristics of soil.

     (2) Land application - Location standards. There are no specific location standards for land application of solid waste subject to this chapter; however, land application sites must meet the requirements provided under WAC 173-350-040(5).

     (3) Land application - Design standards. There are no specific design standards for land application of solid waste subject to this chapter; however, land application sites must meet the requirements provided under WAC 173-350-040(5).

     (4) Land application - Operating standards. The owner or operator of a land application site shall operate the site in compliance with the performance standards of WAC 173-350-040. The jurisdictional health department shall determine the need for environmental monitoring to ensure compliance with the performance standards. In addition the owner or operator shall:

     (a) Operate the site to ensure that:

     (i) For waste stored in piles on the site:

     (A) Contamination of groundwater, surface water, air and land during storage and in case of fire or flood is prevented;

     (B) The potential for combustion within the pile and the potential for combustion from other sources is minimized;

     (C) The duration of on-site waste storage is limited to one year, or less if the jurisdictional health department believes it is necessary to prevent the contamination of groundwater, surface water, air and land; and

     (D) The amount of material on site does not exceed the amount that could potentially be applied to the site during a one-year period in accordance with the plan of operations;

     (ii) For storage of liquid waste or semisolid waste in surface impoundments or tanks, the requirements of WAC 173-350-330 are met;

     (iii) Land application occurs at a predictable application rate determined as follows:

     (A) For agricultural applications, solid waste shall be applied to the land at a rate that does not exceed the agronomic rate. The agronomic rate should be based on Washington State University cooperative extension service fertilizer guidelines or other appropriate guidance accepted by the jurisdictional health department;

     (B) For the purposes of land reclamation or other soil amending activities, the application rate may be designed to achieve a soil organic matter content or other soil physical characteristic and promote long-term soil productivity, with consideration of the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio to control nutrient leaching; and

     (C) For liquid wastes, the application rate shall also be based on soil permeability and infiltration rate.

     (b) Maintain daily operating records of the amount and type of waste applied to the land, the crop and any additional nutrient inputs. Significant deviations from the plan of operation shall be noted in the operating record. Records shall be kept for a minimum of five years and shall be available upon request by the jurisdictional health department;

     (c) Prepare and submit a copy of an annual report to the jurisdictional health department and the department by April 1st on forms supplied by the department. The annual report shall detail the activities during the previous calendar year and shall include the following information:

     (i) Site address or legal description;

     (ii) Calendar year covered by the report;

     (iii) Annual quantity and type of waste received from each source;

     (iv) For each crop grown: The acreage used, the amount, type and source of each waste applied, the crop, and any additional nutrient inputs to the land, such as manure, biosolids, or commercial fertilizer;

     (v) Quantity and type of any waste remaining in storage as of December 31st of the reporting year;

     (vi) Any additional waste characterization information required to be obtained as a condition of the permit, and a summary report of that data;

     (vii) Any environmental monitoring data required to be obtained as a condition of the permit, and a summary report of that data; and

     (viii) Any additional information required by the jurisdictional health department as a condition of the permit;

     (d) Develop, keep, and abide by a plan of operation approved as part of the permitting process. The plan shall describe the facility's operation. The plan of operation shall be available for inspection at the request of the jurisdictional health department. If necessary, the plan shall be modified with the approval, or at the direction of the jurisdictional health department. Each plan of operation shall include the following:

     (i) A description of the types of solid wastes to be handled at the site;

     (ii) A description of how wastes are to be handled on-site during the life of the site including:

     (A) How wastes will be delivered to the site and meet any local agency notification requirements;

     (B) A description of the process, system and equipment that will be used to apply the waste to the land that explains:

     (I) How the equipment and system will be calibrated to deliver waste at the agronomic rate;

     (II) Whether the waste will be allowed to remain on the surface of the land, will be tilled into the soil, or will be injected into the soil at the time of application;

     (III) When the waste will be applied to the land relative to crop and livestock management practices; and

     (IV) Any proposed restrictions on application related to climatic factors including typical precipitation, twenty-five-year storm events as defined in WAC 173-350-100, temperature, and wind, or site conditions including frozen soils and seasonal high groundwater;

     (C) A description of how the waste will be managed at all points during storage and application to control attraction to disease vectors and to mitigate nuisance odor impacts;

     (iii) A spill response plan including the names and phone numbers of all contacts to be notified in the event of a spill and how the spill will be cleaned up;

     (iv) If the seasonal high groundwater is three feet or less below the surface, a management plan describing how groundwater will be protected;

     (v) A waste monitoring plan providing analytical results representative of the waste being applied to the land, over time, taking into account the rate of production of the waste, timing of delivery, and storage;

     (vi) The forms used to record volumes, weights and waste application data;

     (vii) Other such details to demonstrate that the facility will be operated in accordance with this subsection and as required by the jurisdictional health department.

     (5) Land application - Groundwater monitoring requirements. There are no specific groundwater monitoring requirements for land application sites subject to this chapter; however, land application sites must meet the requirements provided under WAC 173-350-040(5).

     (6) Land application - Closure requirements. The owner or operator of all land application sites shall notify the jurisdictional health department sixty days in advance of closure. All land application sites shall be closed by applying all materials in storage in accordance with the permit, or by removing those materials to a facility that conforms to the applicable regulations for handling the waste.

     (7) Land application - Financial assurance requirements. There are no specific financial assurance requirements for land application sites subject to this chapter; however, land application sites must meet the requirements provided under WAC 173-350-040(5).

     (8) Land application - Permit application contents.

     (a) The owner or operator of land application sites subject to this section shall obtain a solid waste permit from the jurisdictional health department. All applications for permits shall be submitted in accordance with the procedures established in WAC 173-350-710. In addition to the requirements of WAC 173-350-710 and 173-350-715, each application for a permit shall contain:

     (i) Contact information, including name, contact person, mailing address, phone, fax, e-mail for:

     (A) Any person who generates waste that will be applied to the site;

     (B) The person who is applying for a permit (the permit holder);

     (C) The person who prepares the permit application; and

     (D) The person who owns the site where the waste will be applied.

     (ii) Statement of intended use. The permit application shall contain a clear explanation of the benefit to be obtained from land application of the material. Avoidance of disposal is not adequate justification for land application of solid waste.

     (iii) An analysis of the waste which includes:

     (A) A description of the material to be applied to the land;

     (B) A description of the processes by which the material is generated and treated including all processed feedstocks;

     (C) Any pseudonyms or trade names for the material;

     (D) A discussion of the potential for the material to generate nuisance odors or to attract disease vectors, including any complaints regarding nuisance odors associated with this material;

     (E) An analysis of pollutant concentrations of the following reported on a dry weight basis:

     (I) Total arsenic;

     (II) Total barium;

     (III) Total cadmium;

     (IV) Total chromium;

     (V) Total copper;

     (VI) Total lead;

     (VII) Total mercury;

     (VIII) Total molybdenum;

     (IX) Total nickel;

     (X) Total selenium;

     (XI) Total zinc.

     (F) An analysis of nutrients at a minimum to include total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrate-nitrogen, total ammonia- and ammonium-nitrogen, total phosphorus, and extractable potassium, reported on a dry weight basis;

     (G) An analysis of physical/chemical parameters to include at a minimum: Total solids, total volatile solids, pH, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon;

     (H) A discussion of any pathogens known or suspected to be associated with this material, including those which can cause disease in plants, animals, or humans;

     (I) The concentration of fecal coliform bacteria expressed as CFU or MPN per gram of dry solid material; and

     (J) Any additional analysis required by the jurisdictional health department. The jurisdictional health department may reduce the analytical requirements of this section. Methods of analysis are to be determined by the jurisdictional health department.

     (iv) A comprehensive site characterization including:

     (A) A description of current practices and a brief description of past practices on the application site, including application of wastes, soil amendments, manures, biosolids, liming agents, and other fertilization practices, livestock usage, irrigation practices, and crop history. Also indicate whether any management plan has been prepared for the site such as a farm, forest, or nutrient management plan. Discuss any potential changes to management practices at the site;

     (B) A description of the climate at the application site including typical precipitation, precipitation of a twenty-five-year storm, as defined in WAC 173-350-100, temperatures, and seasonal variations;

     (C) A brief discussion of the potential for run-on and runoff, and typical depths to seasonal high groundwater;

     (D) An analysis of soil nutrients including residual nitrate in the upper two feet of soil in one foot increments;

     (E) A site map showing property boundaries and ownership of adjacent properties with the application areas clearly shown, and with the latitude and longitude of the approximate center of each land application site;

     (F) A topographic relief map of the site extending one quarter beyond the site boundaries at a scale of 1:24,000 or other scale if specified by the jurisdictional health department;

     (G) Show the following information on either of the maps provided or on additional maps if needed:

     (I) Location of the site by street address, if applicable;

     (II) The zoning classification of the site;

     (III) The means of access to the site;

     (IV) The size of the site in acres, and if applicable, the size of individual fields, units, and application areas;

     (V) The location and size of any areas which will be used to store the waste;

     (VI) Adjacent properties, uses, and their zoning classifications;

     (VII) Delineation of wetlands on the site;

     (VIII) Any portion of the site that falls within a wellhead protection area;

     (IX) Any seasonal surface water bodies located on the site or perennial surface water bodies within one-quarter mile of the site;

     (X) The location of all wells within one-quarter mile of the boundary of the application area which are listed in public records or otherwise known, whether for domestic, irrigation, or other purposes;

     (XI) Any setback or buffer to surface water, property boundaries, or other feature, if proposed;

     (XII) The location of any critical areas or habitat identified under the Endangered Species Act, local growth management plans, habitat conservation plans, conservation reserve program, or local shoreline master program;

     (XIII) A copy of the Natural Resources Conservation Service soil survey map from the most recent edition of the soil survey that includes the distribution of soil types with an overlay of the site boundaries; and

     (XIV) A description of the soil type(s), textural classes, and soil depths present on the site as determined by the most recent edition of the Natural Resources Conservation Service soil survey or from actual field measurements.

     (v) A plan of operation meeting the requirements of subsection (4) of this section.

     (b) Two or more areas of land under the same ownership or operational control which are not contiguous may be considered as one site for the purposes of permitting, if in the opinion of the jurisdictional health department the areas are sufficiently proximate and management practices are sufficiently similar that viewing them as one proposal would expedite the permit process without compromising the public interest. A jurisdictional health department may also require separate permits for a contiguous area of land if it finds that the character of a proposed site or management practices across the site are sufficiently different that the permit process and public interest would be best served by a more focused approach.



[Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.95 RCW. 03-03-043 (Order 99-24), § 173-350-230, filed 1/10/03, effective 2/10/03.]