Managing Regulations and Regulators
Martin Siegel
Stock and Leader
York, Pennsylvania
Operators of composting facilities face a myriad of complicated, and often confusing, state and local regulations that impact their activitiesfrequently in not a pleasant manner. These regulatory mandates impact most facets of a composting operation. They typically dictate such factors as how operators 1) manageand controlodors, dust, and stormwater; 2) the type of materials that can becomposted; 3)the location of composting facilities;and 4) what permits and approvals must be obtained. Composters frequently also must deal with neighbors who are wary of potential environmental risks and who do not hesitate to notify regulators of actual or perceived violations.
While composters must be knowledgeable of all regulatory requirements, perhaps more importantly, they must know how and when to interact with state and local regulators. Establishinga positive relationship with regulators is often critical to the long-term success of composting facilities.
While specific regulatory requirements vary from state to state and from municipality to municipality, they generally share many general characteristics. Thispresentation will outline typical regulatory requirements pertinent to composting operations and will describe the interrelationship between state and local regulatory schemes.
Drawing upon his experiences with a state environmental regulatory agency and in the private sector advising compostersand municipal clients, the speaker will provide insights and suggestions on how to develop an effective strategy that not only identifies applicable regulatory requirements, but also includes best practices to effectively interact with regulators. The presentation will use case studies that highlight the pitfalls that could result from noncompliance with regulatory requirements, particularly in situations related to the use of agricultural and food processing wastes.