Construction and Demolition Debris Processing Facilities
Asbestos waste means a friable solid waste that contains more than one percent asbestos by weight and can be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder, when dry, by hand pressure. Asbestos waste also includes any asbestos-containing solid waste that is collected in a pollution control device designed to remove asbestos.
Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris means uncontaminated solid waste resulting from the construction, remodeling, repair and demolition of utilities, structures and roads; and uncontaminated solid waste resulting from land clearing. Such waste includes, but is not limited to bricks, concrete and other masonry materials, soil, rock, wood (including painted, treated and coated wood and wood products), land clearing debris, wall coverings, plaster, drywall, plumbing fixtures, non-asbestos insulation, roofing shingles and other roof coverings, asphaltic pavement, glass, plastics that are not sealed in a manner that conceals other wastes, empty buckets ten gallons or less in size and having no more than one inch of residue remaining on the bottom, electrical wiring and components containing no hazardous liquids, and pipe and metals that are incidental to any of the above. Solid waste that is not C&D debris (even if resulting from the construction, remodeling, repair and demolition of utilities, structures and roads and land clearing) includes, but is not limited to asbestos waste, garbage, corrugated container board, electrical fixtures containing hazardous liquids such as fluorescent light ballasts or transformers, fluorescent lights, carpeting, furniture, appliances, tires, drums, containers greater than ten gallons in size, any containers having more than one inch of residue remaining on the bottom and fuel tanks. Specifically excluded from the definition of construction and demolition debris is solid waste (including what otherwise would be construction and demolition debris) resulting from any processing technique, other than that employed at a department-approved C&D debris processing facility, that renders individual waste components unrecognizable, such as pulverizing or shredding. Also, waste contained in an illegal disposal site may be considered C&D debris if the department determines that such waste is similar in nature and content to C&D debris.
Uncontaminated means C&D debris that is not mixed or commingled with other solid waste at the point of generation, processing or disposal, and that is not contaminated with spills of a petroleum product, hazardous waste or industrial waste. Contamination from spills of a petroleum product does not include asphalt or concrete pavement that has come into contact with petroleum products through normal vehicle use of the roadway.
Construction and Demolition Debris Processing Facilities in New York State
As of May 2012, there are 79 regulated (permitted) C&D processing facilities and 279 registered C&D processing facilities. Registered C&D processing facilities receive and process uncontaminated and unadulterated wood, recognizable uncontaminated concrete and other masonry waste (including steel or fiberglass reinforcing embedded in concrete), asphalt pavement, brick, soil or rock that has not been in contact with a spill from petroleum product, hazardous waste, or industrial waste, and that is not commingled with other solid waste. All other C&D processing facilities are permitted. Both types of C&D processing facilities are required to submit annual operating reports.
Materials can be separated from C&D debris to be recycled or to be reused for a specific use if approved by the Department. Material that is not recovered is sent to a municipal solid waste landfill or to a C&D debris landfill. In 2010, C&D processing facilities received approximately 11.5 million tons of C&D debris and recovered approximately 6.3 million tons of material.
