Code of Maryland Regulations › Title 26 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT › Part 1 - SUBTITLES 01-07 › Subtitle 04 - REGULATION OF WATER SUPPLY, SEWAGE DISPOSAL, AND SOLID WASTE › Chapter 26.04.06 - Sewage Sludge Management › Section 26.04.06.27 - Storage Facility

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 14, July 12, 2024
A. The
				  Department may not issue a Sewage Sludge Utilization Permit to install,
				  materially alter, or materially extend a sewage sludge storage facility until
				  the storage facility meets all zoning and local land use requirements of the
				  county where the storage facility is to be located.
B. The Department may issue a Sewage Sludge
				  Utilization Permit to install, materially alter, or materially extend a sewage
				  sludge storage facility if the person applying for a Sewage Sludge Utilization
				  Permit demonstrates that the following conditions and requirements will be met:
(1) A 1,000-foot buffer zone shall be
				  maintained between the storage facility property boundary lines and the nearest
				  inhabited off-site dwelling, except that this buffer distance may be reduced if
				  the Department determines that the storage facility has adequate odor control
				  measures;
(2) A storage facility
				  may not be located in a flood prone area;
(3) A storage facility located within a
				  100-year flood plain shall be evaluated as to its hydrologic impact on
				  adjoining landowners;
(4) The
				  storage facility shall be designed, constructed, and operated to safely store
				  sewage sludge in a manner that will not cause an undue risk to the environment
				  or public health, safety, or welfare as may be determined by the
				  Department;
(5) A storage facility
				  may be located on soils of low to moderate permeability or on soils that seal
				  through sedimentation and biological action, subject to the following:
(a) The permeability of such soils may not
				  exceed 1.0 x 10-7 cm/sec as measured by appropriate test methods that are
				  acceptable to the Department; or
(b) If a storage facility is proposed on
				  other soils, the Department shall require permeability tests or use of an
				  impermeable membrane liner or soil sealant, or any combination of
				  these;
(6) The minimum
				  design capacity of a storage facility not completely enclosed shall be the
				  maximum volume of sewage sludge to be stored, plus the estimated liquid volume
				  from precipitation on the facility occurring during the period of storage,
				  minus the expected liquid volume of evaporation on from the storage facility
				  surface during the period of storage, plus the liquid volume resulting from the
				  maximum expected 25-year, 24-hour precipitation event;
(7) A storage facility may be constructed of:
(a) Compacted soils;
(b) Manufactured materials, such as asphalt,
				  steel, or reinforced concrete;
(c)
				  Fiberglass; or
(d) Other materials
				  approved by the Department;
(8) A storage facility constructed on an
				  above ground embankment shall meet the following:
(a) The minimum combined inner and outer
				  slopes of the embankment shall be 5 horizontal to 1 vertical with the wet side
				  slope not steeper than a ratio of 2:1 and the dry side slope not steeper than
				  3:1;
(b) Embankments having a
				  height of 14 feet or less shall have a minimum top width of 8 feet;
(c) Embankments having a height of 15 feet to
				  19 feet shall have a minimum top width of 10 feet; and
(d) The initial construction height of the
				  embankment may be increased over the design height to insure that the approved
				  top elevation of the embankment is maintained after settlement of the
				  embankment has occurred, subject to the following:
(i) The increase in height of the embankment
				  for the initial construction may not exceed 5 percent of the total approved
				  height when compaction rollers are used; and
(ii) The increase in height of the embankment
				  for the initial construction may not exceed 10 percent of the total approved
				  height when bulldozers or scrapers alone are used;
(9) The minimum height of the
				  storage facility after settlement shall be 10 percent greater than the design
				  storage depth for the sewage sludge, except that the Department may waive this
				  provision or reduce the freeboard requirements if the storage facility design
				  includes a secondary containment capability and the accumulated liquids are
				  routinely removed from the storage facility;
(10) The side slopes of an excavated storage
				  facility may not be steeper than 1:1;
(11) A storage facility constructed by both
				  the embankment and excavation method shall meet all of the requirements of
				  §B(8) of this regulation if the design depth of the sewage sludge impounded
				  against the embankment is 3 feet or more;
(12) The storage facility shall be located in
				  a relatively level area, usually less than 5 percent slope, and shall be
				  located no closer than 150 feet from any drainage ditch, swale, or gully, and
				  shall be bermed to prevent run-on of surface water, except that areas with
				  ground slopes of greater than 5 percent may be considered suitable for a
				  storage facility if diversion ditches, increased buffer distances, or other
				  provisions can be made to further control storm water in the area of the
				  storage facility;
(13) The cell
				  floor elevation shall be at least 2 feet above the maximum seasonal high
				  groundwater elevation;
(14) A
				  storage facility may not be located on an unstable area;
(15) The storage facility shall be lined to
				  prevent leakage of material to groundwater, with an acceptable liner being:
(a) A compacted soil layer at least 2 feet
				  thick with an installed permeability of 1.0 x 10-5 cm/sec or less in
				  combination with an artificial liner at least 30 mil in thickness with a
				  permeability of 1.0 x 10-7 cm/sec or less, as measured by appropriate test
				  methods that are acceptable to the Department; or
(b) Other manufactured storage structures
				  acceptable to the Department, including asphalt or reinforced concrete
				  structures, steel tanks, fiberglass tanks, or their equivalent;
(16) If a clay or soil liner is
				  specified, the liner shall be constructed with protective layers to prevent
				  erosion, dessication, and other sources of damage;
(17) Public access to the storage facility
				  shall be controlled; and
(18) Any
				  other conditions required by the Department to protect the public health and
				  the environment.