Eric Pederson, who operates a construction and demolition debris recycling company, explained how his operation works and noted that he takes wood waste to Wood Recovery Systems in Longmont. Wood Recovery Systems accepts wood waste for $2.00 per cubic yard and grinds it into mulch, compost and animal bedding. Mr. Pederson suggested that the committee visit this company to see what is involved in grinding wood waste.

The committee members then brainstormed ideas about where to collect wood wastes, what regulations might apply, how to control dust during the grinding process, what size of wood chips Holnam would require and what runoff concerns there might be. They also discussed whether the County would grind wood at the landfill or bid out the grinding, how unacceptable wood and potential contaminants (i.e. nails and other metals) would be sorted out and how ground wood would be stored and transported.

The committee identified four potential sources of wood waste: homes (yard waste), businesses (landscape companies, tree companies, furniture and cabinet manufacturers, construction and demolition debris recyclers, sawmills, etc.), forests (public and private), and construction and demolition projects (residential and commercial). The largest amount of clean wood waste would probably come from businesses and construction projects; therefore, initial diversion efforts should focus on these two sources.

The committee also thought that wood waste should be collected both at the landfill and at Holnam. The landfill would best be used as a staging site for yard wastes and construction and demolition debris. Holnam might be suited for staging clean loads from wood-based businesses, wood packaging (i.e. pallets) and forest products, particularly those coming from Poudre and Rist Canyons. The committee also recognized that private companies might establish "resource management centers" where wood waste would be collected and processed, then taken to the landfill or directly to Holnam.

Janelle Henderson expressed concerns about Larimer County being perceived as subsidizing Holnam’s operation and suggested that the landfill might best serve the public interest by collecting and grinding wood wastes and making them available to any interested end user. This could include Holnam, landscapers, composting operations, the general public or the landfill itself, which could possibly use ground wood waste as alternate daily cover.

The committee considered airspace savings at the landfill and the potential reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, both at Holnam and at the landfill, as benefits of this project.

The meeting was adjourned.