Specialty
Air Quality
SECTOR
Commercial
TYPE
Permitting / Compliance
CLIENTELE
Private Sector
TIMESPAN
2011LOCATION
Stoneham, MA
Project Number:
3369Weiss Farm
SERVICE:
Site Assignment Assistance for Composting Operation
DESCRIPTION:
Weiss Farm is a family farm that includes an agricultural composting operation as part of its business. The Farm is operated pursuant to an Agricultural Composition Registration with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR). MDAR temporarily withheld the issuance of the registration until the Farm satisfied the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) that previous wetland concerns had been fully addressed. To address these issues the Farm entered into an Administrative Consent Order with the MassDEP, relative to wetlands violations. The ACO also required that the Farm submit an application BWP-SW17 Determination of Need for Site Assignment (DON) for the composting operation, within 30 days of receipt of the ACO. Tech expedited the preparation of the DON application in order to meet the ACO deadline. Tech worked closely with Weiss Farm on reducing the size of facility to meet the definition of a low-tech compost operation as defined in the MassDEP Composting Guideline so that the Farm could continue to operate as it always had without adding new composting equipment. As part of the DON application, Tech prepared a revised site plan, composting and windrows throughput calculations and updates to the existing compost management plan.
Key Points
- Weiss Farm entered into an Administrative Consent Order with the MassDEP, relative to wetlands violations. The ACO required that the Farm submit an application BWP-SW17 Determination of Need for Site Assignment (DON) for the composting operation.
- Tech worked closely with Weiss Farm on reducing the size of facility to meet the definition of a low-tech compost operation which bypassed the need for new composting equipment. Tech also revised both site and compost management plans.