Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 250 - Department of Environmental Management › Chapter 150 - Water Resources › Subchapter 10 - Wastewater And Storm Water › Part 3 - Rules and Regulations for Sewage Sludge Management (250-RICR-150-10-3) › Section 250-RICR-150-10-3.9 - Land Disposal

Current through June 14, 2024
A. This rule
				  applies to the disposal of sludge by burial. All applications for land disposal
				  sites are to be in accordance with the design and operational requirements for
				  solid waste landfills as promulgated by the Office of Waste Management, Rhode
				  Island Department of Environmental Management. (Sludge burial at a solid waste
				  landfill is covered under §
										3.16 of this Part). All
				  land disposal sites must operate under an Order of Approval and must meet the
				  following requirements.
B.
				  Condition of Sludge. Sludge that is land disposed must be treated by one or
				  more of the Processes to Significantly Reduce Pathogens listed in §
										3.28 of this Part. Such
				  treatment is the responsibility of the owner or operator of the facility
				  performing the Process to Significantly Reduce Pathogens. Sludge that meets the
				  hazardous waste criteria shall not be land disposed.
C. Groundwater. A minimum of five (5) feet of
				  soil is required between the lowest level of deposited sludge and the seasonal
				  high groundwater table as determined by a DEM-licensed Class IV soil evaluator
				  in accordance with the procedures described in Part 6 of this Subchapter. The
				  determination of the seasonal high groundwater table must be witnessed by the
				  Department. In addition, a minimum of five (5) feet of soil is required between
				  the highest level of bedrock and lowest level of deposited sludge. If the owner
				  or applicant seeks a variance from the separation distances under §
										3.22 of this Part, the
				  Director may require the installation of an impermeable liner system and
				  leachate collection and treatment system or other means to prevent leachate
				  from reaching the groundwater as a condition for the granting of such
				  variance.
D. Surface Water. No
				  sludge shall be land disposed within 200 feet of any body of surface water. No
				  sludge shall be land disposed within one thousand two hundred (1200) feet from
				  the center line of the following freshwater rivers: Ashaway River, Beaver
				  River, Blackstone River, Chepachet River, Clear River, Falls River, Flat River,
				  Hunt River, Moshassuck River, Moosup River, Narrow River, Pawcatuck River,
				  Pascoag River, Pawtuxet River, and Wood River. No sludge shall be land disposed
				  of in the watershed of any surface water used as a public drinking water
				  supply. The Director may, if necessary, require continuous monitoring of any
				  surface watercourses in the vicinity of the proposed land disposal site. Such
				  monitoring shall be of a type and frequency determined by the Director on a
				  case by case basis and shall be the responsibility of the owner or operator.
E. Drinking Water Wells. No sludge
				  shall be land disposed within one thousand (1,000) feet of any private drinking
				  water supply well or within the Wellhead Protection Area for a public drinking
				  water supply well. Land disposal of sludge shall be in accordance with the
				  "Rhode Island Groundwater Protection Act of 1985", R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter
				  46-13.1 and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
F. Distance to Buildings. No sludge shall be
				  land disposed within six hundred (600) feet of any domestic, commercial or
				  industrial structure not associated with the proposed land disposal site.
G. Distance to Property Lines. No
				  sludge shall be land disposed within two hundred (200) feet of a property line.
H. Monitoring Wells. For the
				  purpose of monitoring groundwater conditions, the owner or operator of a land
				  disposal site shall install and maintain monitoring wells of a number and type
				  approved by the Director and at locations chosen by the Director. The owner or
				  operator of the site is responsible for analysis of groundwaters in accordance
				  with instructions of the Director. The Director shall determine the testing and
				  reporting frequency.
I. Erosion
				  Control. The owner or operator shall make provisions to have the land disposal
				  site, including the fill surface, graded and provided with a drainage system to
				  minimize surface water runoff onto and into the fill, to drain off rain water
				  falling on the fill and to prevent the collection of standing water.
J. Transportation. All transportation of
				  sludge shall comply with §
										3.14 of this
				  Part.
K. Cover Material. A soil
				  cover of at least six (6) inches shall be applied to all sludge deposits daily
				  to control disease vectors and nuisance conditions. Final cover in terminating
				  the use of a land disposal site shall be two (2) feet in depth.
L. Odor Control. Any land disposal site must
				  comply with Part 120-05-17 of this Title, or other rules and regulations
				  pertaining to odors.
M. Analysis of
				  Sludge. All sludge intended for land disposal may be required to be tested
				  using the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure for the parameters listed
				  in §
										3.31 of this Part and the
				  results submitted to the Office of Water Resources. The owner or operator of
				  the facility is responsible for all analyses. The Director shall determine the
				  testing and reporting frequency depending upon the amount of sludge
				  produced.
N. Submissions for
				  Approval. The following submissions are required as part of an Application for
				  Order of Approval for land disposal of sludge and must be stamped by a
				  registered professional engineer or land surveyor. These submissions are in
				  addition to the submission requirements listed in §
										3.8 of this Part.
1. Site Plan. A site plan shall be submitted
				  for all areas within the land disposal site. The site plan must be drawn to a
				  minimum scale of one inch to one hundred feet (1"=100'). The site plan must
				  include the following information:
a. Initial
				  ground contours at five foot intervals;
b. Final proposed contours at five foot
				  intervals;
c. Boring
				  locations;
d. Proposed leachate
				  collection and treatment systems;
e. Proposed gas controls (if any);
f. Buildings (if any);
g. Wells (if any);
h. Surface water courses (if any);
i. Roads (if any);
j. Cross section lines (see §
												3.9(N)(2) 
				  of this Part);
k. Groundwater
				  monitoring wells;
l. Legal
				  boundaries of site;
m. Power lines,
				  pipe lines, rights of way and other utilities;
n. Proposed fences;
o. Weighing facilities (if any);
p. North arrow;
q. Location of borrow areas (if any),
				  and,
r. Boundaries of areas to be
				  filled.