(1) Transfer stations and drop box facilities - Applicability.

(a) These standards apply to transfer stations and drop box facilities as defined in WAC 173-350-100.

(b) These standards do not apply to:

(i) Storage or treatment of solid waste in outdoor piles subject to WAC 173-350-320;

(ii) Storage or recycling of solid waste in surface impoundments subject to WAC 173-350-330;

(iii) Recycling and material recovery facilities subject to WAC 173-350-210;

(iv) Storage of waste tires subject to WAC 173-350-350;

(v) Handling of moderate risk waste subject to WAC 173-350-360; and

(vi) Waste containers placed at the point of waste generation subject to WAC 173-350-300.

(2) Transfer stations and drop box facilities - Permit exemptions. In accordance with RCW 70.95.305, drop boxes managed in accordance with the terms and conditions of Table 310-A are exempt from solid waste handling permitting. If a facility does not operate in compliance with the terms and conditions established for an exemption under this subsection, the facility may be subject to the permitting requirements for solid waste handling under this chapter. In addition, violations of the terms and conditions of this subsection may be subject to the enforcement provisions of RCW 70.95.315.

(3) Transfer stations and drop box facilities – Permit requirements - Location. There are no specific location standards for transfer stations or drop box facilities subject to this chapter; however, facilities must meet the performance standards of WAC 173-350-040.

(4) Transfer stations and drop box facilities – Permit requirements - Design. Transfer stations and drop box facilities must be designed so that the facilities can be operated to meet the performance standards of WAC 173-350-040, and the following design standards:

(a) Transfer stations must:

(i) Control public access, and prevent unauthorized vehicular traffic and illegal dumping of waste;

(ii) Be sturdy and constructed of easily cleanable materials;

(iii) Provide effective means to control rodents, insects, birds and other vectors;

(iv) Provide effective means to control litter including, but not limited to, orientation of the tipping floor in a manner that prevents prevailing winds from moving waste outside the collection area when other structures are not in place to prevent this;

(v) Provide a tip floor made of impervious material such as concrete or asphalt to prevent soil and groundwater contamination. The surface must be durable enough to withstand damage from operating equipment. The jurisdictional health department may approve other types of surfaces if the applicant can demonstrate that it will prevent soil and groundwater contamination;

(vi) Cover the tipping floor to protect it from precipitation;

(vii) Convey leachate from the tipping floor and any ancillary areas likely to collect leachate, such as wash down areas, to a surface impoundment, tank, or sanitary sewer, or use other methods approved by the jurisdictional health department to prevent uncontrolled discharges;

(viii) Provide for stormwater runoff collection and discharge from a twenty-five year storm;

(ix) Provide pollution control measures to protect air quality; and

(x) Provide all-weather surfaces for vehicular traffic.

(b) Drop box facilities must:

(i) Control public access, and prevent unauthorized vehicular traffic and illegal dumping of waste;

(ii) Provide detachable containers constructed of durable, watertight materials with a lid or screen on top that prevents litter, the loss of materials during transport, and access by rodents and other vectors. When reliably watertight detachable containers cannot be assured, the containers may alternatively be placed on an impervious surface with run-on and runoff controls;

(iii) Be designed so that customers may easily place waste directly into drop boxes; and

(iv) Provide all-weather surfaces for vehicular traffic.

(5) Transfer station and drop box facilities – Permit requirements – Documentation.

(a) The owner or operator must submit facility drawings and construction documents for, at a minimum, any proposed addition or modification of elements described in subsection (4) of this section to the jurisdictional health department for review and approval. The facility drawings and construction documents for proposed construction of engineered features must be prepared by a professional engineer registered in the state of Washington, and must include:

(i) An engineering report that presents the design basis and calculations for the engineered features. The engineering report must demonstrate that the proposed design will meet the performance standards of WAC 173-350-040;

(ii) Scale drawings of the facility including the location and size of waste handling areas, fixed equipment, buildings, stormwater management features where applicable, access roads, traffic patterns, and other constructed areas and buildings integral to facility operation;

(iii) Design specifications for the engineered features of the facility as applicable; and

(iv) For new construction, a construction quality assurance plan that describes monitoring, testing, and documentation procedures that will be performed during construction of the facility, to ensure the facility is constructed in accordance with the approved design.

(b) The owner or operator must provide copies of the construction record drawings for engineered features at the facility and a report documenting facility construction, including the results of observations and any testing carried out as part of the construction quality assurance plan, to the jurisdictional health department and the department. The owner or operator must not commence operation in a newly constructed portion of the facility until the jurisdictional health department has determined that the construction was completed in accordance with the approved engineering report/plans and specifications and has approved the construction documentation in writing.

(6) Transfer stations and drop box facilities – Permit requirements – Operating. The owner or operator of a transfer station or drop box facility must:

(a) Operate the site in compliance with the performance standards of WAC 173-350-040 and this subsection. In addition, the owner or operator must develop, keep, and follow a plan of operation approved as part of the permitting process. The plan of operation must be available for inspection at the request of the jurisdictional health department. If necessary, the plan must be modified with the approval, or at the direction of the jurisdictional health department. Each plan of operation must include the following:

(i) A description of the types of waste materials to be handled at the facility;

(ii) A description of the procedures used to ensure that dangerous waste and other unacceptable waste are not accepted at the facility;

(iii) A description of how waste materials are to be handled on-site including maximum site capacity, methods of adding or removing waste from the facility and equipment used, and how operators will ensure adequate dumping capacity at all times;

(iv) A description of how the owner or operator will ensure the facility is operated in a way to:

(A) Control litter, dust, and nuisance odors;

(B) Control rodents, insects and other vectors;

(C) Prohibit scavenging;

(D) Provide a sign at the site entrance that identifies the facility and shows at a minimum the name of the site; and

(E) Ensure that handling of waste capable of attracting birds does not pose an aircraft safety hazard.

(v) A description of how operators will inspect and maintain the facility to prevent deterioration or the release of wastes to the environment that could pose a threat to human health, including the inspection form operators will use. Inspections must be as needed, but at least weekly, unless an alternate schedule is approved by the jurisdictional health department as part of the permitting process;

(vi) A description of how operators will maintain operating records on the amounts (weight or volume) and types of waste received or removed from the facility, including the form or computer printout used to record this information. Facility annual reports must be maintained in the operating record. Facility inspection reports must be maintained in the operating record, including at least the date of inspection, the name and signature of the inspector, a notation of observations made, and the date and nature of any needed repairs or remedial action. Significant deviations from the plan of operation must be noted in the operating record. Records must be kept for a minimum of five years and must be available upon request by the jurisdictional health department;

(vii) Safety and emergency plans; and

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

(b) For transfer stations, the plan of operations must also address how the operators will:

(i) Provide attendant(s) on-site during hours of operation. Materials may be transferred after hours without an attendant on-site if other controls approved by the jurisdictional health department are in place;

(ii) Immediately summon fire, police, or emergency service personnel in the event of an emergency;

(iii) Remove or otherwise manage leachate from containment structure(s) to prevent soil and/or groundwater contamination; and

(iv) Remove waste from the tipping floor at a frequency approved by the jurisdictional health department.

(c) For drop box facilities, the plan of operations must also address how the operators will service the facility as often as necessary to ensure adequate dumping capacity at all times. Storage of waste outside the drop boxes is prohibited;

(d) Prepare and submit an annual report to the jurisdictional health department and the department by April 1st on forms supplied by the department. The annual report must detail the facility's activities during the previous calendar year and must include the following information:

(i) Name and address of the facility;

(ii) Calendar year covered by the report;

(iii) Annual quantity of each type of solid waste handled by the facility, in tons;

(iv) Destination of waste transported from the facility for processing or disposal; and

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

(7) Transfer station and drop box facilities – Permit requirements - Groundwater monitoring. There are no specific groundwater monitoring requirements for transfer station and drop box facilities subject to this chapter; however, facilities must meet the performance standards of WAC 173-350-040.

(8) Transfer stations and drop box facilities – Permit requirements - Closure. The owner or operator of a transfer station or drop box facility must develop, keep, and follow a closure plan that includes:

(a) Notification to the jurisdictional health department ninety days in advance of closure of a transfer station or drop box facility.

(b) Removal of all waste to a facility that conforms with the applicable regulations for handling the waste; and

(c) Methods of removing waste.

(9) Transfer station and drop box facilities – Permit requirements - Financial assurance. There are no specific financial assurance requirements for transfer stations and drop box facilities subject to this chapter; however, facilities must meet the performance standards of WAC 173-350-040.

(10) Transfer station and drop box facilities - Permit application contents. The owner or operator of a transfer station or drop box facility must 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:

(a) Engineering reports/plans and specifications that address the standards of subsections (4) and (5) of this section;

(b) A plan of operation meeting the applicable requirements of subsection (6) of this section; and

(c) A closure plan meeting the requirements of subsection (8) of this section.