ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM AT KSC

Permitting & Compliance - Waste Management - KSC Class III Landfill

Kennedy Space Center (KSC) operates an unlined Class III solid waste landfill on Schwartz Road under a permit issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Operation of solid waste landfill facilities are regulated by Florida Administrative Code (FAC) Chapter 62-701. KSC landfill policy and requirements can be found in the Kennedy NASA Procedural Requirements Document (KNPR) 8500.1 Chapter 14.

The Institutional Services Contractor (ISC) operates the KSC landfill according to the approved Landfill Operating Plan and permit conditions. The NASA Environmental Assurance Branch (EAB) oversees regulatory/permit compliance, performs internal inspections, and submits all required reports (operating, monitoring, etc.) to FDEP.

Waste materials that may be received at the KSC landfill

  • Yard Trash—Vegetative matter resulting from landscaping maintenance or land clearing operations, including materials such as tree and shrub trimmings, grass clippings, palm fronds, trees, and tree stumps;
  • Construction and Demolition Debris—Materials considered to be not water soluble and non-hazardous in nature, including but not limited to steel, brick, glass, concrete, asphalt, pipe, gypsum wallboard, dry electrical equipment, and lumber. This includes rocks, soils, tree remains, trees, and other vegetative matter, which normally results from land clearing or development;
  • Shredded Waste Tires—"Shredded waste tire" means a tire that is no longer suitable for its originally intended purpose because of wear, damage, or defect, and that has been reduced in size by cutting, grinding, shredding, milling, or rasping;
  • Non-friable/non-regulated asbestos containing materials (NRACM) (see policy and guidance below);
  • Carpet and furniture;
  • Cardboard;
  • Paper and packing materials;
  • Glass and plastics;
  • Non-pressure treated wood and wood scraps;
  • Certain polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) bulk product wastes (see policy and guidance below);
  • Certain Spent Blast Media – In general, spent blast media shall be managed and disposed of as a controlled or hazardous waste according to the procedures and requirements in Chapter 13 of KNPR 8500.1 (KSC Environmental Requirements). On a case-by-case basis, the NASA EAB may approve the disposal of spent blast media in the KSC landfill if it meets certain conditions (it is non-hazardous waste under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulations; an unregulated waste under Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulations; and a low risk for creating leachate which may require future remedial action, etc.). Organizations and contractors must obtain approval by submitting a completed Spent Blast Media Disposal Certification form (KSC form 28-1117) to the NASA EAB. If approval is granted, the signed form must accompany the waste upon delivery to the landfill;
  • Other waste materials specifically approved by FDEP that are not expected to produce leachate which poses a threat to public health or the environment. Waste generators must contact the NASA EAB who will request approval from FDEP; and
  • Clean soil (will be used as landfill cover material)

Waste materials not authorized for disposal at the KSC landfill

  • Any waste not permitted by FDEP regulations to be disposed of in a Class III landfill as defined in FAC Chapter 62-701;
  • Hazardous wastes as described by Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulations;
  • Liquid and oily wastes (containerized or non-containerized);
  • Paint/coating chips and paint/coating chips mixed with blast media unless approved by the NASA EAB;
  • Petruscible waste and general office trash;
  • Pressure treated wood (especially chromated copper arsenate treated wood);
  • Liquid PCBs;
  • Oil-containing or oil-contacted electrical/mechanical equipment (drained or not drained);
  • Friable/regulated asbestos containing materials (RACM);
  • Biomedical waste;
  • Lead-acid batteries;
  • Tires (other than "shredded waste tires”);
  • White goods or appliances;
  • Small capacitors;
  • Fluorescent light ballasts;
  • Drums (empty or full); and
  • Contaminated soil.

Non-Friable/Non-Regulated Asbestos Containing Materials

The KSC Class III landfill will only accept non-friable/non-regulated asbestos containing materials (NRACM) for disposal. Before disposing of NRACM in the KSC landfill, organizations and contractors must obtain approval by submitting a completed Landfill Non-Friable Asbestos Form (KSC Form 28-1084) to the NASA EAB. Friable/Regulated Asbestos Containing Materials must be disposed of off-Center at an appropriate facility (i.e. Brevard County Landfill). If disposal of the NRACM waste in the KSC/Schwartz Road Landfill is not approved, it is the responsibility of the generator to find an appropriate offsite disposal site.

Once written approval from the NASA EAB has been obtained, the following procedures are to be followed prior to the acceptance of NRACM wastes at the landfill:

  • The waste generator/hauler must notify/make arrangements with the KSC landfill operator at least 24 hours before the delivery of NRACM waste. The waste generator/hauler must provide the quantity of the waste and the scheduled arrival date at the landfill
  • NRACM will only be accepted at the KSC landfill Monday through Friday during regular landfill hours (but not after 1400 hours)
  • The physical dimensions of the waste shall be within the handling capabilities of the landfill disposal equipment (8 foot sections)

Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Bulk Product Waste

There is documented existence of PCBs in various building materials (such as paints, coatings, caulk, mastic, window glazing, adhesives, dry cable insulation, etc.) across KSC and NASA-operated facilities at CCAFS. The KSC Class III landfill accepts certain types of PCB Bulk Product Waste for disposal. PCB Bulk Product Waste is defined in 40 CFR 761 as waste derived from manufactured products containing PCBs in a non-liquid state at any concentration where the concentration of PCBs at the time of designation for disposal is ≥50 parts per million.

PCB Bulk Product Waste Acceptable for Disposal in the KSC Landfill:

  • Construction and demolition debris (including dry electrical equipment – those that do not use oil as a heat transfer or dielectric fluid) that contains or may contain PCB bulk product waste provided there are no materials in the debris that are specifically prohibited for disposal in the landfill

PCB Bulk Product Waste Not Acceptable for Disposal in the KSC Landfill:

  • Oil-Containing or Oil-Contacted Electrical/Mechanical Equipment (drained or not drained)

KSC organizations and contractors may assume that suspect materials are PCB Bulk Product Waste without sampling but must manage the materials according to PCB Bulk Product Waste storage requirements in 40 CFR 761 (e.g. store the waste on a lined impervious surface or in sealed container that is covered from precipitation) until it is disposed of.

KSC Class III Landfill Points of Contact

  • Rodney Brown (321-867-9081)
  • Diane Ely (321-867-1083)