40 CFR 257.3-5 – Application to land used for the production of food-chain crops (interim final)
(a) Cadmium. A facility or practice concerning application of solid waste to within one meter (three feet) of the surface of land used for the production of food-chain crops shall not exist or occur, unless in compliance with all requirements of paragraphs (a)(1) (i) through (iii) of this section or all requirements of paragraphs (a)(2) (i) through (iv) of this section.
(1)(i) The pH of the solid waste and soil mixture is 6.5 or greater at the time of each solid waste application, except for solid waste containing cadmium at concentrations of 2 mg/kg (dry weight) or less.
(ii) The annual application of cadmium from solid waste does not exceed 0.5 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha) on land used for production of tobacco, leafy vegetables or root crops grown for human consumption. For other food-chain crops, the annual cadmium application rate does not exceed:
| Time period | Annual Cd application rate (kg/ha) |
|---|---|
| Present to June 30, 1984 | 2.0 |
| July 1, 1984 to December 31, 1986 | 1.25 |
| Beginning January 1, 1987 | 0.5 |
(iii) The cumulative application of cadmium from solid waste does not exceed the levels in either paragraph (a)(1)(iii)(A) or (B) of this section.
(A)
| Soil cation exchange capacity (meq/100g) | Maximum cumulative application (kg/ha) | |
|---|---|---|
| Background soil pH less than 6.5 | Background soil pH more than 6.5 | |
| Less than 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 to 15 | 5 | 10 |
| More than 15 | 5 | 20 |
(B) For soils with a background pH of less than 6.5, the cumulative cadmium application rate does not exceed the levels below: Provided, That the pH of the solid waste and soil mixture is adjusted to and maintained at 6.5 or greater whenever food-chain crops are grown.
| Soil cation exchange capacity (meq/100g) | Maximum cumulative application (kg/ha) |
|---|---|
| Less than 5 | 5 |
| 5 to 15 | 10 |
| More than 15 | 20 |
(2)(i) The only food-chain crop produced is animal feed.
(ii) The pH of the solid waste and soil mixture is 6.5 or greater at the time of solid waste application or at the time the crop is planted, whichever occurs later, and this pH level is maintained whenever food-chain crops are grown.
(iii) There is a facility operating plan which demonstrates how the animal feed will be distributed to preclude ingestion by humans. The facility operating plan describes the measures to be taken to safeguard against possible health hazards from cadmium entering the food chain, which may result from alternative land uses.
(iv) Future property owners are notified by a stipulation in the land record or property deed which states that the property has received solid waste at high cadmium application rates and that food-chain crops should not be grown, due to a possible health hazard.
(b) Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). Solid waste containing concentrations of PCBs equal to or greater than 10 mg/kg (dry weight) is incorporated into the soil when applied to land used for producing animal feed, including pasture crops for animals raised for milk. Incorporation of the solid waste into the soil is not required if it is assured that the PCB content is less than 0.2 mg/kg (actual weight) in animal feed or less than 1.5 mg/kg (fat basis) in milk.
(c) As used in this section:
(1) Animal feed means any crop grown for consumption by animals, such as pasture crops, forage, and grain.
(2) Background soil pH means the pH of the soil prior to the addition of substances that alter the hydrogen ion concentration.
(3) Cation exchange capacity means the sum of exchangeable cations a soil can absorb expressed in milli-equivalents per 100 grams of soil as determined by sampling the soil to the depth of cultivation or solid waste placement, whichever is greater, and analyzing by the summation method for distinctly acid soils or the sodium acetate method for neutral, calcareous or saline soils (“Methods of Soil Analysis, Agronomy Monograph No. 9.” C. A. Black, ed., American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin. pp 891-901, 1965).
(4) Food-chain crops means tobacco, crops grown for human consumption, and animal feed for animals whose products are consumed by humans.
(5) Incorporated into the soil means the injection of solid waste beneath the surface of the soil or the mixing of solid waste with the surface soil.
(6) Pasture crops means crops such as legumes, grasses, grain stubble and stover which are consumed by animals while grazing.
(7) pH means the logarithm of the reciprocal of hydrogen ion concentration.
(8) Root crops means plants whose edible parts are grown below the surface of the soil.
(9) Soil pH is the value obtained by sampling the soil to the depth of cultivation or solid waste placement, whichever is greater, and analyzing by the electrometric method. (“Methods of Soil Analysis, Agronomy Monograph No. 9,” C.A. Black, ed., American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, pp. 914-926, 1965.)