{"id":20766,"date":"2021-07-27T17:10:50","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T21:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/?post_type=article&#038;p=20766"},"modified":"2024-06-24T17:14:42","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T21:14:42","slug":"rhode-island-on-farm-composting-rules","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/es\/article\/composting-for-community\/rhode-island-on-farm-composting-rules","title":{"rendered":"Rhode Island \u2013 On-Farm Composting Rules"},"template":"","class_list":["post-20766","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","article_type-state-policy","initiatives-composting-for-community","topics-on-farm-composting","topics-permitting","impact_areas-climate-and-environmental-justice","impact_areas-food-security","authors-brenda-platt"],"acf":{"details":{"featured_image":"","background_color":"tan","article_type":[36],"initiative":15,"display_event_fields":false,"start_date":null,"end_date":null,"start_time":null,"end_time":null,"time_zone":"America\/New_York","virtual_event":false,"location":"","topics":[101,99],"impact_areas":[16,18],"abstract":"Rhode Island requires most small-scale composters to submit a registration to the state.  Certain composting activities such as applying agricultural manures or composting agricultural by-products produced on-site may be conducted without a registration.  In order for an agricultural composter to accept paper, yard trimmings, or food scraps from off-site they must receive approval from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.\u2026 ","authors_tax":[601]},"sidebar":{"title":"\u00cdndice"},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Rhode Island Department of Environment Management (DEM)\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dem.ri.gov\/programs\/agriculture\/\"><b>Division of Agriculture<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> requires most small-scale composters to submit registration paperwork to the state under the \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/risos-apa-production-public.s3.amazonaws.com\/DEM\/REG_9932_20180806195253.pdf\"><b>Rules and Regulations for Agricultural Composting<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d Certain composting activities\u2013such as applying agricultural manures or composting agricultural by-products produced on-site\u2013may be conducted without departmental registration. In order for an agricultural composter to accept paper, yard trimmings, or food scraps from off-site, they must receive approval from the Department of Environmental Management.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State regulations specify that if an agricultural composter accepts leaf or yard trimmings, wood waste, recyclable paper, or shells and bones generated off-site, then they must register with the Division of Agriculture and maintain operating records. However, Rhode Island tailors agricultural <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">food scrap<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> composting regulations based on the amount of material accepted. Registration and approval by the Department is solely required if an agricultural composter accepts:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not more than ten tons per day of pre-sorted produce and\/or pre-sorted vegetative scraps<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not more than one ton daily of pre-sorted kitchen, restaurant and\/or municipal food scraps<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not more than one half ton daily of unprocessed meat and fish wastes<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If more material is accepted than allowed for in the above list, the composter must comply with the \u201cputrescible waste composting facilities operating standards\u201d and apply for a full permit, as stated in Rhode Island\u2019s solid waste regulations. These stricter regulations require the composter to demonstrate more stringent compliance with water pollution standards, erosion control practices, and a detailed facility operation plan. The application requires the creation of a site plan and map that lists any occupied structures within 250 feet of the compost pad, public water sources within 500 feet, and other information including a description of the soil type, water table, and access roads.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rhode Island also requires that composters adhere to specific performance standards, although they are less encompassing than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/articles\/performance-based-composting\/\"><b>performance standards<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in other states such as those in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/articles\/oregon-on-farm-composting-rules\/\"><b>Oreg\u00f3n<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. RI\u2019s performance standards prohibit illegal dumping of waste material at a composting facility and minimization of odors, noise, drift of materials, and \u201crisk to humans or the environment.\u201d<\/span>\r\n<h3><b>Other Organic Waste Processing<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although agricultural composting remains under the jurisdiction of the Rhode Island DEM\u2019s Division of Agriculture, when the state\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/articles\/rhode-island-food-waste-recycling\/\"><b>disposal ban on organic wastes<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> came into effect in 2016 additional oversight of newly developed organics processing capacity was needed. Hence, in January 2016, Rhode Island\u2019s DEM proposed changes to <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dem.ri.gov\/pubs\/regs\/regs\/waste\/swrg16_1.pdf\"><b>Solid Waste Regulations<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No. 1 and No. 8, which pertain to \u201cGeneral Requirements\u201d and \u201cWaste Composting Facilities,\u201d respectively. Changes to these regulations were adopted in April 2016, and now classify composting operations based on pile size into small, medium, and large categories. Materials on a site that are counted in this classification are those being stored for future composting and materials currently involved in the composting process. Stores of finished compost product is not considered when classifying a site.<\/span>\r\n<h4><strong>Small-scale<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small facilities processing leaf, yard, and putrescible wastes are those with piles under 25 cubic yards, and are not required to obtain DEM approval. Such sites must produce Class A finished compost, be open to inspection visits by DEM personnel, and not pose any human or environmental health hazards or nuisances.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small-scale operations may accept materials such as food scraps, manures from herbivores, hay\/straw, corrugated cardboard that has been shredded, and uncontaminated woody debris. Under Rule 8.C.1(C), small-scale operations are prohibited from accepting: \u201cdiseased plants, black walnut tree leaves and twigs (releases possible harmful substances), grease, fats, meat scraps and bones, fish scraps and bones, shellfish, dairy products and eggs, oily foods, pet wastes (from dogs, cats, etc.), diapers, sanitary products, coal ash, and charcoal ash.\u201d<\/span>\r\n<h4><strong>Medium-scale<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medium facilities are operations with composting piles larger than 25 cubic yards, but smaller than 600 cubic yards. To operate a medium-sized facility, one must register with the Rhode Island DEM and meet the requirements for Rule 8.D.00. Thereafter, if the would-be facility operators are not contacted with notification of application deficiencies within 21 days, then they are able to begin composting after that period.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medium-scale operations are subject to many of the same DEM requirements as small-scale counterparts, including the acceptable and prohibited materials listed for small-scale operations. Feedstock material exceptions for medium-scale facilities are \u201cgrease, fats, meat scraps and bones, fish scraps and bones, shellfish, dairy products and eggs, and oily foods.\u201d These materials could receive DEM approval for composting if a 60 day pilot program at the site successfully results in the operation being able to store and process the materials without producing any nuisances.<\/span>\r\n<h4><strong>Large-scale<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Large facilities are operations with composting piles greater than 600 cubic yards. According to the definitions contained in Regulation No. 1, there are two kinds of large-scale operations: facilities for putrescible materials and facilities for yard waste. Regulation No. 8 contains specific parameters for any method of composting (e.g. windrow or in-vessel) that might be in use at either a large-scale putrescible or leaf waste facility.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The compost pads, drainage systems, buffer zones, and other aspects of a large-scale operation must be designed to prevent human and environmental health problems. These include but are not limited to: water quality, vector control (gulls, rodents, and insects), and air quality (each facility must establish an odor complaint hotline).<\/span>\r\n<h4><b>M\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n<\/b><\/h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full text of Rhode Island\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/risos-apa-production-public.s3.amazonaws.com\/DEM\/REG_9932_20180806195253.pdf\"><b>Rules and Regulations for Agricultural Composting<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (effective 2001)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full text of Rhode Island\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dem.ri.gov\/pubs\/regs\/regs\/waste\/swrg16_1.pdf\"><b>Solid Waste Regulations<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (as amended April 2016)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full text of Rhode Island\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dem.ri.gov\/pubs\/regs\/regs\/waste\/swrg16_8.pdf\"><b>Regulations for Organic Waste Recycling Facilities<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (as amended April 2016)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">University of Rhode Island \u2013 <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/web.uri.edu\/ceoc\/compost-education-programs\/\"><b>Compost Education Programs<\/b><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Publicaci\u00f3n original del 30 de julio de 2012.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Updated July 27, 2021<\/span><\/p>","":null,"settings":""}}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is 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