ROADS DIVISION
LANDFILL OPERATIONS
Leaf and Yard Waste
LF – PR - 16
Revised Date: March, 2015
Landfill Composting Facility – Standard Operating Procedure
Purpose:
To maintain and operate the Leaf and Yard Waste Composting Facility.
Regulatory Requirements
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Ontario Regulation 101/94 – parts IV and V (as applicable)
Guideline for the Production of Compost in Ontario (replaces the Interim Guidelines
for the Production & Use of Aerobic Compost in Ontario)
Ontario Compost Quality Standards
Applicable Health and Safety legislation
Accessibility as it relates to customer service
City of Thunder Bay RFP for Leaf and Yard Waste
Potential Health & Safety Hazards
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Receiving / Processing area : backing up and the unloading of customer vehicles
Maneuvering of heavy equipment
Exposure to dust or fibres
Flying debris from grinding process
Fire outbreaks and extreme heat from composting process
Environment (i.e. wildlife, uneven ground when walking, weather conditions, etc.)
Safety Devices:
Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is required
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Gloves
CSA approved safety shoes
Orange reflective vest or jacket
Dust mask (when required)
Clothes suitable for the appropriate weather condition (i.e. rain, cold)
Eye/hearing protection (when required)
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ROADS DIVISION
LANDFILL OPERATIONS
Leaf and Yard Waste
LF – PR - 16
Revised Date: March, 2015
Personnel:
An attendant is to be on duty at the Compost Area 8 hours a day during the normal operating
hours of the Solid Waste and Recycling Facility six (6) days a week, March to December of
each year.
Equipment operators are to be trained on all aspects of relevant equipment being used.
All on-site personnel must be deemed a ‘Competent Person’, as described in the latest
version of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Operational Equipment
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Grinder (to grind leaf and yard/clean wood waste material)
Loading device (to place material in the hopper of the grinding equipment)
Loader (to pile/move material)
Screening equipment (to screen grinded material - minimum screen size to be ¼” to
1”)
Windrow turner (or applicable alternative)
Thermometer in Celsius measurement (1 meter pointed end)
Log book
Miscellaneous tools (i.e. rake, shovel, axe, safety cones, etc.)
Site Operation
Receiving, processing and maintaining leaf and yard/clean wood waste material.
Grinding of Material
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Received material is to be stock plied on a daily basis
Grinding is to be done at a minimum monthly between April and December of each
calendar year or when a sufficient stock pile has accumulated.
Grinding is to be done where the public will not be in danger of flying debris
All material ground must be done to a sufficient size screens – yard waste to be
ground to basic compost specifications – to one inch minus. Double grinding will be
required to obtain this 1” minus result –
All material to be ground up and transferred to windrows
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ROADS DIVISION
LANDFILL OPERATIONS
Leaf and Yard Waste
LF – PR - 16
Revised Date: March, 2015
Windrow Maintenance
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Windrows are to be maintained on a seasonal basis as weather permits (i.e. March to
December)
Windrows are to be constructed with an approximate base of 12ft, a height of 6ft and
a length to suit the area provided
Windrows to be arranged parallel to the drainage slope
Windrows are to be marked for identification purposes
Windrow shape should be maintained as compaction of the material will occur
Windrows are to be litter free of plastics and other non-compostable items
Windrow are to be turned using a loader or windrow turner
Inside temperature of the composting mass (windrow) must reach 55 C on at least 15
different days
The temperature of each windrow shall be measured daily until 55 C has been
achieved
Once 55 C has been achieved, the windrow shall be turned a minimum 5 times at
regular intervals.
A temperature of at least 55 C must be maintained after the last turning and cured for
a minimum 6 month time period.
During the curing process, the windrows must be turned at least monthly and the
temperatures taken weekly.
Temperature Taking
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Temperatures are to be taken and recorded in 20’ intervals and are to be measured at
a point one metre within the composting mass (windrow) at top, middle and base.
Screening of Material
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Once material has cured and conditions have been met, material is to be screened.
Stock piles of screened material to be located in designated area (Supervisor or
designate to advise)
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ROADS DIVISION
LANDFILL OPERATIONS
Leaf and Yard Waste
LF – PR - 16
Revised Date: March, 2015
Record Keeping
Information about the overall operation and composting masses shall be kept.
The information must include at a minimum, the following:
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Temperatures of each windrow and when they were measured
When the windrow(s) were turned
Information about the curing process
Any significant problems that occurred during composting or curing
Any issues with the public
Information about each windrow must be retained for at least 3 years after the mass was
cured.
Sampling and Testing of Compost
Sampling and testing of the finished screened compost will occur before being given away to
the general public for use.
Refer to the SOP – ‘Sampling Procedure for Landfill Compost’ for details on this process
Evaluation
Supervisor or designate should review this procedure at minimum annually or if any
regulatory changes occur.
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