Chapter NR 538, Wis. Adm. Code Beneficial Reuse of Industrial Byproduct

40 Pages·2015·8.04 MB·English

Chapter NR 538, Wis. Adm. Code 
Beneficial Reuse of Industrial Byproduct
March 27, 2015  
FET Sustainability Webinar
Ruth O’Donnell, WDNR
NR 538 QUICK OVERVIEW
 Established January 1, 1998
 Goal = encourage beneficial use of industrial 
byproducts in a nuisance‐free and environmentally  
sound manner
http://www.we-energies.com/environmental/CoalCombustionProducts_2K11018.pdf
WISCONSIN INDUSTRIAL BYPRODUCTS 
2000 – 2013
29.5 million yd3
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 NR 538.03(4) Specific high‐volume industrial 
byproducts:  
paper mill sludge, 
coal ash, 
flue gas desulfurization material, 
foundry sand & slag, 
lime kiln dust, 
Other non‐hazardous solid waste with similar 
characteristics  
 Creates 5 categories of industrial byproducts
 Specific uses are allowed for each category
Industrial Byproducts
 RCRA non‐hazardous 
 Category (1‐5) assigned based on lab analysis  
ASTM Water Leach Test mg/L
Total Elemental Analysis mg/kg
 Potential risk to human health & the environment
Category 1 = few restrictions on use 
Category 5 = most restrictions on use & placement 
 Category standards based on:
NR 140 (drinking water)
NR 105 (surface water quality)  
NR 720 (soil cleanup)
Industrial Byproduct
Beneficial Uses Projects Category
NR 538, Appendix I
NR 538.10 5 4 3 2 1
Table 4 
x x x x x
(1) Raw Material for Manufacturing a Product
(2) Waste Stabilization / Solidification x x x x x
(3) Supplemental Fuel Source / Energy Recovery x x x x x
(4) Landfill Daily Cover / Internal Structures at landfills having a leachate
x x x x x
collection system
(5) Confined Geotechnical Fill *Byproducts and uses 
(a) commercial, industrial or institutional building subbase
need to meet structural 
(b) paved lot base, subbase& subgrade fill
(c ) paved roadway base, subbase& subgrade fill
and physical specifications 
(d) utility trench backfill
(e) bridge abutment backfill and generally accepted 
(f) tank, vault or tunnel abandonment x x x x
(g) slabjackingmaterial engineering practices for 
(h) soil and pavement base stabilization for structural improvements listed
in (5)(a) -(c) the use. 
(i) controlled low strength material (flowable) fill for structural
improvements listed in (5)(a), (d), (e) and (f)
Obligated to meet all 
(6) Encapsulated Transportation Facility Embankment
x x x x other Federal, State & 
(7) Capped Transportation Facility Embankment Local permits, zoning and 
x x x
regulatory requirements 
(8) Unconfined Geotechnical Fill
x x x
that may apply. 
(9) UnbondedSurface Course
x x
(10) Bonded Surface Course
x x
(11) Bonded Surface Course (Federal, state or municipal roadways)
x x x
(12) Decorative Stone
x x
(13) Cold Weather Abrasive X x
Regulatory Requirement Overview* 
 Initial & annual reporting 
 Industrial byproduct testing 
 Storage & transportation requirements 
 Project‐specific specifications
 Placement restrictions 
 Public participation process for large projects
 Submittal of notification to DNR requesting 
project concurrence required with some projects
 Property owner notification
 Environmental monitoring – large volume DOT 
embankment projects
* see code for all requirements
Coal Combustion Residuals
 Bottom Ash – coarse to fine‐grain, sand‐like 
 Structural fills, road bases and sub-bases,
aggregate for concrete, asphalt and masonry,
 Fly Ash – fine powder, silt, cementitious
 SiO +Al O +Fe O
2 2 3 2 3
 Concrete, structural fills, asphalt, soil stabilization
 Flue gas desulfurization gypsum ‐ CaSO
4
 Agricultural soil amendment*, source of plant
nutrients Ca & S, wallboard, cement manufacturing
and concrete production
*as allowed by NR 538.08(7)
Foundry Byproducts
 Spent sand from mold process 
 Geotechnical & structural fills, paved roadway base, sub-base,
embankments
 Slag
 Cement manufacturing, aggregate replacement
Category 2
Paper Mill Byproduct 
 Pulping sludge
used as raw material to make “soil”*
*as allowed by NR 538.08(7) 
 Used in mine reclamation, on landfills for fill purposes or to 
establish rooting zone for final grass cover