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2020 Solid Waste and Moderate <br />Risk Waste Management Plan Update <br /> <br />AX0304191054PDX 4-15 <br />4.4 Composting and Yard Waste <br />4.4.1 Background <br />As a waste reduction and recycling strategy, composting is one of the highest priorities for managing solid <br />waste, as established by Chapter 70.95 RCW. Composting transforms organic wastes into valuable <br />products, such as soil amendments and mulch. From the 2008 WCS, almost 33 percent of overall MSW in <br />Kittitas County is made up of organics, of which approximately 52 percent is food waste and <br />approximately 22 percent is yard waste. This section describes current composting opportunities, <br />composting needs, and options to increase composting in the County. <br />4.4.2 Existing Conditions <br />4.4.2.1 Composting Facility <br />In July 2009, the County began operation of a facility to convert yard waste, agricultural byproducts, and <br />wood waste into compost. The purpose of this facility is to divert organic wastes from disposal and/or <br />burning and to use these materials to produce high quality compost for sale as a soil amendment <br />(Operations Plan for Kittitas County Composting Facility, 2008). It is currently located next to the <br />Ellensburg Transfer Station on land leased from the City. The County is in the process of planning for and <br />designing a new compost facility that will be co-located with the new Ellensburg Transfer Station. <br />The composting facility is open to the public for drop-off Monday-Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. all <br />year; closed on all major holidays. <br />The facility produces compost that meets the Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) as established by the U.S. <br />Composting Council. At this time, the facility is only permitted to process Type 1 (vegetative) & Type 2 <br />(manures) feedstocks: <br /> Landscaping and yard trimmings. <br /> Wood wastes (natural woody debris including land clearing stumps less than 12” and brush, and <br />clean, unpainted, and untreated dimensional wood). <br /> Straw and bedding with associated manures (primarily from nearby fairgrounds and small farmers). <br /> Residuals, in accordance with WAC 314-55-097. <br />There are no current plans to expand the feedstock list at this facility or the new facility. If future changes <br />are needed, some material types can be added without requiring a permit modification. <br />Operations personnel visually inspect truck beds as they cross the scale, as well as during unloading <br />activities, to ensure no unacceptable materials are unloaded. Haulers are directed to keep the <br />unacceptable materials in their vehicles or to reload them and to remove them from the site for proper <br />disposal. Feedstocks are inspected a final time as the material is being processed. In the event <br />unacceptable materials are found in the feedstock areas, these materials are removed from the feedstock <br />piles and disposed of in a dumpster onsite for proper disposal at the adjacent transfer facility. <br />The highest volumes received are between the months of March and August. According to permit <br />documents and the State of Washington Ecology’s 2017 Annual Composting Facility Report, the facility <br />accepts and processes up to 6,000 tons of feedstock per year (2,486 tons in 2017). <br />Compost produced is sold to city/County residents at nominal fee of $60/ton self-haul only to offset the <br />cost of production. The material handling stages include: Receiving; Bulking; Mixing and Moisture <br />Conditioning; Active Composting in Windrows; Curing; Finishing; and Product Sales and Distribution. <br />The composting facility currently uses a Turned Windrow method of composting. The new compost facility <br />is being designed for aerated static pile composting, which is expected to change the operation plan, <br />speed up the process, and utilize space more efficiently.  i) . I ,