1. find an out of sight
location, people smell with their eyes
2. down wind of neighbors
or potential neighbors.
3. near supply or at
least between supply and demand such as near landfill, feed lot,
stock yards, etc.
4. remove 4 to 8 inches of top soil before pad is built, top soil
is valuable, it will sell for more than it cost of removing it,
with top soil removed the pad is a lot more stable.
5. pad must be impervious and hard surface to accommodate truck
and tractor traffic under continuous wet conditions.
6. design pad so all
runoff drains into retention pond and no outside water can run on
to pad.
7.
slope pad for continuous drainage but not fast drainage, 2 percent
ok, if too fast, drainage carries compost material into pond
8. size pond for 25 year and 24 hr. rainfall, or larger if possible
9. TNRCC rules; not in
flood plain; not in wetland; 100 ft. or more from creeks, streams,
lakes or any state surface water 500 ft. from public well; 150 from
private well; protect all ground water; these rules designed to
keep you in business.
10.
a very important
rule is the 50 ft. set back from boundaries.
Boundary isles should kept open for truck and loader traffic and
should completely circle compost operation.
11. on down wind-side, the boundary should be more than 50 ft. if
possible.
12.
water should be piped around outer edge of boundary from a reliable
source. for fire protection and dust control.
13. if possible keep
all brush, chip and sawdust piles moist--best fire protection
14.
however, a stock pile of dry wood shavings, wood chips or other
small, absorbent carbon should be kept on hand for odor control
but keep it near water hydrant with a hose attached.
15. encircle the compost
site with evergreen trees and shrubs. the trees dampen noise, trap
dust and blowing trash and stop smell. You can't fence an odor in,
but you can fence eyes out, People smell with their eyes and on
suggestion.
16. if compost site
is behind woods build a curved road into it.
17.
if electric motors are to be used, high voltage, 3 phase electricity
is best and needed for 10 hp and up. Use electric motor on retention
pond pump when used for fire protection.
18. design operations
so trucks and personal vehicles are not caused to drive behind backing
loaders. Design for safety and efficiency.
19.
place raw materials on low end of pad, next to retention pond and
finished products up hill. You don't want raw leachates running
into ready to sell products.
20. do what it takes
to become good friends with existing and new neighbors.
21. a loud-noisy grinder
or other equipment can't be heard when operated behind a tall chip,
soil, mulch or compost pile.
22.
if regulatory agencies are called out give them the forty dollar
tour, ask them questions of how they can help you, Answer all of
their questions and show them all and more than they want to see;
they can be a big help to you or they can really hurt you if you
jerk them around.
23. always keep the site looking good; mow grass and weeds; keep
piles pushed up neat; keep blowing trash picked up; keep materials
and supplies stacked in strait, orderly fashion; a nice looking
place never smells; a disorderly place always smells.