Section 391.402  General Criteria

a)         Sludge shall be applied as soon as possible after transport to the application site, unless storage is provided in compliance with the sludge storage criteria.

b)         Sludge shall not be applied on land:

1)         During precipitation;

2)         Which is saturated or with ponded water.

c)         It is not recommended that sludge be applied on land:

1)         When precipitation is imminent;

2)         Which has received greater than ¼ inch rainfall within the 24 hour period preceding the intended application time.

d)         Sludge applied to natric soils shall be incorporated.

e)         Sludge shall be applied at or below the annual nitrogen or phosphorus agronomic rate as calculated using the nutrient loading criteria pursuant to Section  391.410 for the crops grown or the heavy metal loading criteria pursuant to Section 391.420.

f)         Unless surface application is allowed by Section 391.404(a) or specified in a permit, sludge shall be incorporated as soon as possible after application to prevent odor emission and runoff potential.  Sludge shall be incorporated within 48 hours or prior to any rainfall after application whichever is more restrictive.

g)         Sludge shall not be applied to sites used for growing of commercial truck gardening fruits and vegetables that are grown and sold for direct human consumption.  For public distribution programs, it is not recommended that sludge be applied to sites for individual use that may grow leafy (lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, etc.) or root (potatoes, carrots, horseradish, etc.) vegetables unless the following conditions are met:

1)         The application rate does not exceed 10 dry tons/acre per year;

2)         The sludge does not contain more than 10 mg Cd/Kg (dry weight basis);

3)         The sludge has been aged for approximately 3 years after digestion or stabilization;

4)         All vegetables are thoroughly washed or cooked prior to consumption;

5)         Comply with Subsection 391.402 (a), (b), (c), (d), (f), (i), (j), (k), 391.403(d) and 301.404(d) as listed herein.

h)         Liquid sludge shall not be applied by spray irrigation facilities unless specifically permitted by the Agency.  Spray irrigation operations will be considered for permits if the applicant demonstrates the environmental acceptability of the project with particular attention to the following items:

1)         Type of sludge digestion utilized;

2)         Isolation from habitation;

3)         Buffer areas from application sites;

4)         Water balance and storage requirements;

5)         Spray irrigation equipment design and operational procedures;

6)         Sludge characteristics pursuant to Subpart E in this rule;

7)         Compliance with other criteria listed in this rule.

i)          Wind direction and velocity, humidity and the day of the week shall also be considered prior to sludge transport and applications with respect to neighboring activities.

j)          Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Hazardous Waste

1)         Sludge containing concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) equal to or greater than 10 mg/kg (dry weight basis) must be incorporated into the soil when applied to land used for producing animal feed, including pasture crops for animals raised for milk.  Incorporation of the sludge into the soil is not required if it is assured that the PCB content is less than 0.2 mg/kg (actual weight) in animal feed or less than 1.5 mg/kg (fat basis) in milk.

2)         Sludge containing concentrations of PCBs equal to or greater than 50 mg/kg (dry weight basis) shall not be land applied and are subject to the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq. (1982)).

3)         Sludge which exhibits the characteristics of a hazardous waste defined in 40 CFR 261.20 (1983) shall not be land applied unless it is performed in accordance with 40 CFR 264 Subpart M (1983) and Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) rules under Title 35, Subtitle G, Chapter I.  It is the generator's responsibility to make this determination.

k)         Sludge must be properly stabilized or digested to reduce odor potential and pathogen content of the sludge prior to land application. Acceptable methods include but are not limited to aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion, composting and lime stabilization.

1)         If the treatment plant sludge digestion process units are designed and operated within the requirements set forth in Illinois Recommended Standards for Sewage Works, the sludge will normally be assumed to be stablized for land application.

2)         If the sludge is to be composted or lime stabilized, the process must be designed and operated in accordance with the definitions of composting and lime stabilization specified in 40 CFR 257 Appendix II, Section A (1983).

3)         For facilities not meeting the above requirements or for other methods not mentioned, the Agency will require that sludge analysis and engineering data be submitted by the applicant to prove that stabilization and pathogen kill is obtained.

l)          If the sludge is disposed of by burial on the treatment plant grounds, the site must be designed and operated in accordance with the regulations adopted pursuant to Title V of the Environmental Protection Act.