EnerTech’s high-tech waste-to-energy biosolids facility in Rialto has officially commenced operation the company announced on Thursday.
The facility is using the “SlurryCarb” process to turn 270,000 wet tons of biosolids from several local agencies into “e-fuel” – dried pellets that can be used to fire nearby cement kilns. The Atlanta based company also release some great photos of the new facility. HDR was the consulting engineer on the project was .
The announcement got nice press in the PE, NYT and on Reuters (links and pictures after the jump…).
LACSD and IEUA are inviting the media to a special ceremony on Friday May 8th at 10:00am to inaugurate a brand new high-tech composting facility which is housed entirely indoors. The facility combines biosolids from wastewater treatment plants together with tree trimmings and other discarded organic matter in order to form a nutrient rich compost.
“Innovative and progressive projects start with innovative and progressive leadership, that is what we have in this collaborative effort between the boards of IEUA and the Sanitation Districts,” said Steve Maguin, LACSD’s General Manager.
LABS hosted a dinner meeting on the project in 2007.
Centrifuge at the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant in Carson. (Credit: LACSD)
By Wendy Wert, Training Coordination Committee Chair
and Jon Hay, CWEA Biosolids Committee Chair
On January 27, 2009, the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Biosolids Committee hosted a specialty conference “Reducing Solids Handling & Disposal Costs through Dewatering System Optimization” at the Carson Community Center in Carson, CA.
This one-day biosolids specialty conference, which trained 80 people, consisted of a series of technical presentations and a tour of the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) in Carson. During the morning session, the opening remarks were presented by the conference chair followed by seven technical presentations, orientation for JWPCP tour. During the afternoon session, conference attendees traveled by bus to JWPCP where they toured solids handling and odor control facilities, heard three technical presentations, and participated in panel discussion with the speakers.
The brand new processing facility in Rialto will use the SlurryCarb process to turn wastewater sludge into clean burning fuel pellets called “e-fuel”. The fuel is then used by nearby cement facilities to fire their kilns.
According to Atlanta based EnerTech:
On October 15th the plant began start-up by accepting its first truckload of biosolids. The event was observed by representatives from the five municipalities currently providing biosolids to the facility.
And the Orange County Sanitation District points out in a news release:
On November 3rd OCSD will send an average of 11 trucks a day to EnerTech’s Rialto facility. This is the equivalent of 225 tons of biosolids, which is about 1/3 of what OCSD produces. This new facility is OCSD’s closest recycling location. It is an environmentally-friendly way of recycling biosolids and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
EnerTech’s Rialto facility website.
By Wendy Wert
Sewer Leaks Editor
On September 18, 2008, the Los Angeles Basin Section (LABS) of CWEA hosted a dinner and training seminar at the TAIX Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. At the event, featured speaker, Omar Moghaddam, Regulatory Affairs Division Manager with the City of Los Angles (CLA) Bureau of Sanitation discussed the program.
File under bizarre: the Senate cancelled this hearing after learning two of the witnesses were using their appearance as leverage in their lawsuit against a Georgia University.
The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works was scheduled to hold a hearing on Thursday morning and might reschedule the hearing, according to news sources. The Committee’s website.
By Wendy Wert
Sewer Leaks Editor
On August 12-15, the City of Los Angeles (CLA) underwent a comprehensive five-year audit as part of their commitment to the National Biosolids Partnership (NBP). The NBP is an alliance of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and WEF, with advisory support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is committed to developing and advancing environmentally sound and sustainable biosolids management practices that go beyond regulatory compliance and promote public participation in order to enhance the credibility of local agency biosolids programs and improved communications that lead to public acceptance.
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New research ongoing at Virginia Tech University is looking at plant growth when biosolids are used as a soil amendment. According to Chris Peot, a member of Virginia Biosolids Council which is underwriting the research, writes:
“The research shows that microorganisms in biosolids, when breaking down the organic matter, release naturally occurring essential plant growth hormones, allowing the crops to resist stressful conditions such as drought.”
(Hat tip: WEF)
The City unveiled a redesigned biosolids website earlier this in order to improve public outreach and meet the standards of a biosolids environmental management system. The site includes better access to public records as well as background information on each of the City’s biosolids projects. This includes Green Acres, the T.I.R.E. project at the Port and several composting operations.
“It has been reconstructed to provide a new more attractive look and is better organized as well as more user friendly,” said Cynthia Ruiz, President of the Board of Public Works.
The new website is: www.lacity.org/san/biosolidsems
The Atlanta Journal Constinution has an update on the Rialto biosolids facility being built by EnerTech, a private company based in Atlanta. Later this year EnerTech’s facility will take in 700 wet tons of bioslids daily from five local sanitation districts and convert it to 145 dry tons of energy pellets (called e-pellets). The pellets are sold to local cement kilns. HDR is the consulting engineer on the project.
“In the past, that might have been fairly expensive,” said Mike Sullivan supervising engineer for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, another participant. “But with other alternatives disappearing and the cost of diesel fuel rising, it’s becoming much more [attractive].”
AJC story here. Rialto project updates here.
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) filed an amicus curiae brief today in the Kern County biosolids litigation. Three SoCal cities are defending the use of biosolids as a beneficial, land applied agricultural fertilizer. Money quote from WEF:
The WEF brief documents the scientific, technical, and regulatory foundation for the safety of land application… WEF has a long-standing position in support of biosolids recycling, including support for land application as one of several management options available to public agencies under the EPA’s Part 503 regulation.
WEF believes the California decision could have wide ranging impact on biosolids recycling nationwide.
On Monday, August 13, 2007 U.S. District Court Judge Gary Allen Feess released his final ruling nullifying Measure E. Kern County’s voter-approved Measure E suspends use of imported treated biosolids as fertilizer on unincorporated land within Kern County. This issue has been litigated for roughly a decade.
The Commerce Clause of the Federal Constitution and the California Integrated Waste Management Act are cited as the legal basis for the decision. Kern County permits management of its biosolids in incorporated areas. Measure E, did not allow similar management activities in unincorporated areas this was interpreted as a violation of the Commerce Clause. In addition, the Waste Management Act encourages recycling practices such as the use of treated biosolids as a soil amendment. County supervisors will decide soon whether to appeal Feess’ ruling.
Inland Empire Regional Composting Facility - Operations Schematic
By Wendy Wert
Sewer Leaks Editor
On March 22, 2007 the Los Angeles Basin Section (LABS) of CWEA hosted a dinner and training meeting at Taix French Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles.
John Robinson presents at Taix in Los Angeles John Robinson of MWH discussed key design, permitting and construction features for the largest fully enclosed indoor composting facility in the world. With limited biosolids application sites in California, Inland Empire Utilities Agency and Los Angeles County Sanitation District formed a Joint Powers Authority in order to construct the facility – the Inland Empire Regional Composting Authority.
