Solid Waste Management in Maryland

New items of interest:

» Application of Refuse Disposal Permit Requirements to Combustion of Refuse Derived Fuel

» Open Burning Fact Sheet final_7.14.10.doc - Fact sheet describes the regulatory requirements and provides examples of when materials that are solid waste can and can't be burned. (Fact sheet is in .pdf format and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view).

» Composting Operation Permitting Fact Sheet, updated 2/3/2012- UPDATED! Two-part fact sheet developed by the Land and Water Management Administrations provides guidance regarding the various types of MDE permits that may be required for commercial, governmental or experimental composting operations. Additional information on composting in Maryland can be found on MDE's Composting web page.

Program Summary:

MDE's Solid Waste Program (SWP) is responsible for assuring that society's domestic, commercial, and non-hazardous industrial solid waste is handled properly. Improper handling of these wastes can pose direct threats to both public health and Maryland's natural resources, particularly water resources. Since 1914, Maryland has had laws requiring solid waste be handled in a manner that minimizes the risk posed to public health and the environment. The impact caused by poor waste disposal practices include:

pollution of groundwater, which many Marylanders rely on for drinking water supplies;
pollution of surface water, with the potential for impacting drinking water supplies of many of the large municipalities in Maryland (e.g. Baltimore City); and,
health nuisances such as odor, rats, flies, and mosquitoes

Solid Waste Acceptance (SWA) Facilities

landfill cell being lined MDE regulates SWA facilities to ensure the proper disposal of solid waste in an environmentally acceptable manner while protecting the public health and the environment, including surface and groundwater. A Refuse Disposal (RD) Permit is required for the installation, alteration, or extension of a SWA facility. The RD Permit regulates the design, construction, operation, and monitoring of such facilities to minimize the impact on public health and the environment. Municipal, rubble, and some industrial waste landfills are required to have liners and leachate collection systems that facilitate the collection of leachate and prevent migration of pollutants out of the landfill to adjacent subsurface soil, groundwater, and surface water. (The term leachate is used to describe the liquid formed when precipitation soaks into landfill waste and migrates downward through waste due to gravity. As liquids move through the waste, they may extract substances leaching out of the waste - hence the term "leachate.") With some exceptions, processing and transfer activities are required to be conducted in an enclosed building to control odor, dust, noise, and the like. SWA facilities, which are regulated by a RD Permit, include:

Municipal landfills
Rubble [construction and demolition (C&D) debris] landfills
Non-hazardous industrial waste landfills
Land clearing debris landfills
Waste-to-energy facilities
Municipal incinerators
Special medical waste incinerators
Special medical waste processing facilities
Solid waste processing facilities
Solid waste transfer stations

Upcoming Solid Waste Public Meetings or Hearings of Interest:

Fort Armistead Road - Lot 15 Industrial Waste Landfill, Baltimore City. At 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 3, 2011, MDE hosted a Public Informational Meeting at the Curtis Bay Recreation Center, 1630 Filbert Street, Baltimore, MD 21226. This Informational Meeting concerned the Refuse Disposal Permit and Nontidal Wetlands Permit Applications for the construction and operation of the Fort Armistead Road-Lot 15 Industrial Waste Landfill at 3601 Fort Armistead Road, Baltimore City. NOTE: THIS IS A PROPOSED RE-PERMITTING AND EXPANSION OF THE RECENTLY AMENDED MILLENNIUM INDUSTRIAL WASTE/COAL COMBUSTION BYPRODUCTS LANDFILL PERMIT. For more information:

Link to the Notice concerning the Public Informational Meeting.
Link to Fact Sheet in PDF Format
Link to Phase I Report including Application Form. Note: This copy of the report does not include a copy of one large plan sheet that was too large to scan at this time. For the complete report, see the hard copy placed in the local library. The application and supporting documents will be available for public review at the Enoch Pratt Free Library (Brooklyn Branch) located at 300 E. Patapsco Avenue, Baltimore MD 21225, the Riviera Beach Public Library located at 1130 Duvall Highway, Pasadena, MD, 21122 and at the MDE by appointment after October 18, 2011.

Contacts: Frank Brown/LMA 410-537-3318; Cheryl Kerr/WMA 410-537-3911

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Special Note: Tolson RF - Final Extension of Comment Period: Due to extenuating circumstances surrounding Hurricane Irene, and in response to requests by commentors for additional time to submit comments, the written comment period regarding the proposed Tolson & Associates Rubble Landfill has been extended until close of business on November 9, 2011. This is the maximum extension to the comment period that the Department can allow by law. Written comments can be addressed to:

Mr. Horacio Tablada, Director
Land Management Administration
1800 Washington Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21230-1719.

Tolson Rubble Landfill Public Meeting and Hearing, Anne Arundel County: On August 18, 2011, at 6 pm, MDE is hosting a public informational meeting followed by a public hearing concerning the Department's tentative determination to issue a Refuse Disposal Permit for the proposed Tolson & Associates Rubble Landfill to be located at the west end of Capitol Raceway Road near Crofton, Anne Arundel County. The meeting is to provide the public with an opportunity to learn about the proposal, and the hearing is to take public comment concerning the proposal to help the Department reach a final determination in this matter. The meeting and hearing will take place at the Crofton Elementary School Cafeteria, 1405 Duke of Kent Drive, Crofton. For more information, please see the following documents:

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO)

chicken houses The Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) Section regulates discharges from farms with animals that are stabled or confined for 45 days or more in any 12-month period. Animal feeding operations will discharge nutrients and sediments to surface waters if designed, constructed, operated, and maintained such that a discharge will occur. Operations that are designed, constructed, operated, and maintained such that a discharge will not occur are MAFOs (Maryland Animal Feeding Operations). These facilities are subject to regulation through registration as a CAFO or MAFO under a General Discharge Permit for Animal Feeding Operations. The classification as a CAFO or MAFO is determined by a combination of factors including the number and type of animals, and whether the operation will discharge to waters of the State. This discharge permit requires these entities to be designed, constructed, operated and maintained according to specific standards which control or eliminate discharges of pollutants to the waters of the State.

Sewage Sludge Utilization (SSU)

land application of sewage sludge from truck

Sewage sludge (also known as biosolids) is not sewage, but rather is one of the final products of treated sewage at a sewage (wastewater) treatment plant. Sewage sludge is the fine particulate matter remaining after treatment which breaks down organic matter and destroys disease organisms in sewage. The application of sewage sludge to land returns essential nutrients to the soil, adds organic matter, and can improve the tillability and moisture retention capability of the soil. A SSU Permit is required for any person who collects, incinerates, stores, treats, applies to land, transports or disposes of sewage sludge or septage in Maryland. (factsheet)

State Biosolids (Sewage Sludge) Task Force
Sewage Sludge Utilization in Maryland 2010 Pie Chart
2010 Sewage Sludge Utilization in Maryland Wet Ton Comparison Chart
2010 Sewage Sludge Utilization in Maryland Percent Comparison

Natural Wood Waste Recycling (NWWR) Facilities

man pulling greenery toward mulcher A NWWR Facility is a facility that accepts natural wood waste such as tree stumps and limbs, brush, root mats, logs, leaves, grass clippings, unadulterated wood wastes, and other natural vegetative materials that are generated when land is cleared for construction purposed. These facilities produce a variety of products including wood chips, mulch, compost, and firewood, which may be sold to consumers. These facilities are valued because they prevent natural wood waste from entering the landfill and make useful products from such waste. Recycling natural wood waste saves valuable space, thereby extending the life of landfills in Maryland. An individual or general NWWR Facility Permit is required for persons constructing and operating such a facility. (factsheet)

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