Oregon Reviews Composting Regs

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has created a 12-member work group assembled to assist the agency revise existing rules and clarifying regulations for commercial composting operations throughout Oregon. The group consists of representatives of the composting industry, local and regional governments, and DEQ staff.

DEQ solid waste officials are saying there is a need to update and clarify environmental regulations for commercial composting facilities. The rules, which are now being developed and may go into effect in 2005, will not affect residential composting, but rather commercial and municipal operations.

According to the DEQ, the focus of the rulemaking will examine making existing rules easier to understand; changing technical requirements at commercial composting facilities to protect human health and the environment, including water quality issues and challenges at commercial composting facilities; and updating the rules to reflect changes in the composting industry during the past five years.

The work group and DEQ will also discuss regulations and exemptions from DEQ permitting for some types of agricultural composting operations, with input from the agricultural community and the Oregon Department of Agriculture.