Waste Diversion Project Development Team Meeting
Thursday, March 30, 2000
ATTENDANCE RECORD
Project Development Team Members Present
Eric Pederson Audrey-Lyn Stockton
Doug Ryan Bill Sansing
Philip Friedman Jerry Chura
Susie Gordon Chuck Lightburn
Scott Marsh Mick Mercer
Lucinda Smith Kurt Mackes
Members Absent
Eric Levine Trish Spaine
Dennis Lamm Ross Hilker
Kimberly Stenberg Matt Gallegos
Jim Disney Tom Maloney
Randy Fisher Gordon Benton
Staff
Janelle Henderson Scott Doyle
Steve Harem Bob Nielsen
Cheryl Kolus
Guests
Elaine Spencer Mike Cawthray
Cynthis Reffler
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm. Janelle Henderson began the meeting by distributing a written clarification of the Waste Diversion Project Team's mission. The clarification was to be printed in the North Forty News and as a Soapbox article in The Coloradoan. She explained that Larimer County's emphasis is on wood waste and other waste diversion projects. This includes, but is not limited to, Holnam's interest in burning wood wastes. The County is not involved in Holnam's Title V permit application, air quality issues (other than those relating to wood combustion) or Holnam's potential interest in other alternative fuel sources. Janelle added that if the County were to consider other alternative fuels in the future, it would go through another public process similar to this one prior to making any decisions.
Janelle Henderson, Scott Doyle and Lucinda Smith reported on the various committee meetings that have been held to date. Janelle summarized the minutes from the February 1st Fuel Source Committee meeting. Scott Doyle summarized the minutes from the February 3rd Staging/ Processing Committee meeting. Lucinda Smith summarized the minutes from the February 8th Air Quality Committee meeting. She noted that Committee members have been talking about the Title V permit process and the relation between the Title V permit and air quality issues. Members noted that air emissions would be regulated by the state. The committee came up with a list of possible emissions from wood products. Members are looking at net changes in both stack and transportation emissions. Alternative fuel sources, fuel storage, limiting fugitive emissions and transportation issues relating to air quality have all been discussed. Holnam is interested in conducting a worst-case scenario stack test.
Scott Doyle reported on the March 21st Transportation Committee meeting. Committee members noted that transporting wood waste from the landfill to Holnam on Taft Hill Road would be allowed by City of Fort Collins ordinances, as long as weight restrictions were adhered to. It was also agreed that Holnam would be responsible for exploring transportation issues and for transporting its own wood chips, however, the company would need a written agreement with the County so it wouldn't invest money and equipment needlessly.
Scott Doyle also reported on the March 23rd combined Fuel Source/ Staging/ Processing Committee meeting. Committee members discussed the pros and cons of having a staging site at the landfill and/or having one at the Holnam plant. Scott noted that the landfill would be the most feasible place to grind the wood, but said there are still questions about how to sort the wood wastes and the grinding process.
Following committee reports, the Project Development Team members discussed the information presented and developed an action plan for future work. It was noted that a fair amount of data exists on wood-burning power plants, however, committee members want data specific to wood-burning cement plants to provide for a truly similar comparison. Such data is much harder to find, although Kurt Mackes has obtained some German information. Also, Holnam has a plant in Texas that burns wood waste. Although no stack tests have been performed there, emissions have been calculated. Holnam will further investigate that plant's operations.
Kurt Mackes said he has researched burning wood wastes and should have a report available next week. Kurt said he doesn't foresee any overall air quality problems resulting from Holnam burning wood; in fact, he thought that burning wood is preferable in many ways to burning coal. Kurt has also applied for a grant from the Western Regional Biomass Energy Program on behalf of the Larimer County Biobased Resources Partnership. The grant would be used to investigate the extended use of wood as an alternate fuel source to coal and natural gas at the Holnam cement plant.
There was considerable discussion about the landfill's ability to supply all of Holnam's wood fuel needs. Janelle Henderson reported that the landfill currently receives approximately 90 tons of wood waste per day and that she was unsure how much of this could be successfully diverted for fuel. The landfill would only provide part of Holnam's fuel needs. The remainder would have to come from forest slash and wastes from primary and secondary wood manufacturers. Colorado State University is currently surveying such manufacturers from Denver to Cheyenne to determine their supply potential. A preliminary analysis indicates that many wood waste sources exist.
Janelle mentioned that Larimer County staff members have been visiting various wood grinding operations in this region. Scott Doyle recently visited the City of Loveland's operation. Mick Mercer, who oversees this operation, explained that the City of Loveland provides a free yardwaste recycling center for its residents. The city has partnered with A-1 Organics, with whom they split the costs and revenues of the program. The drop-off center is unmanned and opened 24 hours a day. Public compliance with rules and regulations is good. A-1 comes about once every two months and grinds a huge pile of wood wastes. Mick said that the program covers its costs, aside from transportation costs. Money for the latter comes from a monthly environmental fee charged to Loveland households.
Scott Doyle noted that he had designed a computer model for calculating grinding costs and airspace savings at the landfill. His model showed that over a 10-year period, wood grinding would be highly profitable in terms of additional gate revenues and airspace saved.
Many other comments were made about separating Holnam's and the County's interests and roles in wood waste diversion. Should the County's desire to save landfill space be uncoupled from Holnam's desire to burn wood wastes as an alternate fuel? Janelle Henderson noted that burning wood wastes at Holnam was only one of five wood waste diversion options being considered. The landfill could grind wood and use it as alternate daily cover, give it away or sell it for mulch or composting, grind it solely for volume reduction, or divert all wood waste to a new construction and demolition landfill on the south landfill property.
Janelle also noted that Holnam had expressed an interest in using plastics from the Larimer County Recycling Center as an alternate fuel. She reported the current market prices for plastic and stated that if the County agreed to sell these recyclables to Holnam, they would have to pay market prices. Jerry Chura stated that Holnam could not compete with the market prices. Team members briefly discussed the possibility of Holnam burning plastics not currently recycled locally. Janelle pointed out that such plastics could not be collected, sorted and baled at the Recycling Center, given its current operational limitations. Holnam would have to pursue this option on its own. Jerry Chura stated that Holnam was not interested in pursuing this option right now.
Team members discussed what should be done next. Members disagreed as to what should come first: a test burn or a determination of the economics of wood waste burning. Some members argued that it's necessary to know if this project is economically feasible before Holnam spends money on a test burn. Others thought that conducting a test burn first would determine whether the project is environmentally feasible and can be pursued. Jerry Chura noted that in order to do a test burn, Holnam needs to obtain a sufficient (1000 tons) and representative sample of wood wastes. If Holnam does end up burning wood wastes, members estimated that the landfill would provide roughly one-third of this fuel source. Kurt Mackes stated that a good mix of sources would be one-third from the landfill, one-third from forests and one-third from primary and secondary manufacturers. Thus, wood wastes from the landfill only would not be a representative sample for a test burn.
Bill Sansing noted that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) must be notified at least 30 days in advance of doing a test burn, and that the agency would dictate what must be included as wood wastes for a worst-case scenario test burn. Members committed to making a test burn happen. Bill will contact CDPHE about their requirements for a test burn.
In addition, County staff will continue to research operations at other landfills that sort and grind wood. Most members agreed that, regardless of whether Holnam burns wood wastes, a grinding operation at the landfill would benefit the County.
Members also agreed that the Team does not need to meet again until more is learned about performing a test burn.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:52 pm.