soil & mulch producer news may/jun 2012
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May/Jun 2012 issue of Soil & Mulch Producer NewsTRANSCRIPT
With the increased use of shredded wood fiber (cellulose) and green waste (from ground-up shrubs and tree trimmings), being sold as a mulch
product, many bark producers and resellers are experiencing a continuing decline in traditional bark mulch sales. In most cases, wood and green waste mulch is being produced by local companies who grind various types of virgin wood, recycled wood and green waste and sell it as a “mulch product.”
This article provides an overall assessment of the situation based on the experiences of four individual business owners. It should be noted that, according to the Mulch & Soil Council, an authentic “bark” mulch product is one that contains at least 85% lignin (bark) and is generally produced from the debarking of logs at a sawmill or papermill. Unfortunately, many consumers are unaware of the difference between bark mulch and wood & green waste mulch.
Mulch Manufacturing Inc., with its corporate office in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, operates seven mulch manufacturing facilities and 28 distribution centers in states east of the
Mississippi River. Among its hardwood mulch offerings are Hardwood Bark Mulch, Black Medallion (the most popular) and “Pure & Black.”
“Bagged green mulch is a serious problem for bark producers,” says Ralph Spencer, Mulch Manufacturing’s president. “The ‘Hardwood Bark Mulch’ product is very often misrepresented by some producers who use a variety of lower cost ingredients such as ground yard waste, compost, and other types of low cost or free fiber from various waste streams such as ground pallets or yard waste debris.”
“It is very difficult to compete with these producers because they do not have the same costs as we do when using a high quality raw material,” he adds. “We do manage to sell a lot of our ‘Hardwood Bark Mulch’ products to the mass merchandisers, but our margins are much lower than that of our competition using a cheaper raw material.”
In addition to contamination problems, wood and green waste mulch can burn plants and damage the foliage surrounding them if it is not properly processed.
Bark Mulch Producers Sound Off About Green Waste & Wood Mulch
BY IRWIN RAPOPORT
NEWS Serving Soil, Mulch, Compost, & Biofuel Professionals
Vol. VI No. 3 May / June 2012
Continued on page 3
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Moreover, some sellers of wood mulch charge similar prices for bark, and this is being done by large and small companies alike.
“It is the big companies too,” says Spencer, who stresses that consumers will demand bark mulch if “they figure out the problem. But they may just assume that bark mulch is not good or didn’t work and will probably start switching to alternative products.”
Bark producers are also being hit by material shortages in certain areas due to sawmill closings and high transportation costs, along with bark also being purchased by those who want to burn it to generate power. This is increasing the overall price of bark material.
According to the Mulch & Soil Council, demand for forest byproduct (wood fiber) has increased significantly in recent years. Existing markets have been dominated by biofuels that consume almost half of mill byproducts. Other fiber product markets like furniture, composites and engineered wood consume 34 percent of the remaining materials, and particleboard another10 percent, leaving mulch a mere 6 percent of total byproduct production.
With the recent government efforts to subsidize biofuel production through programs like the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), more attention has been focused on forest fiber for energy initiatives. Market competition for natural wood fiber will continue to force the mulch and soil industry to seek alternative raw materials supplies.
J.R. Collins, the president of J.R. Collins Inc. in Thompson, Ohio, has gone from nearly 50 clients purchasing his bark mulch to less than 10. Collins’ company, since 1969, has been purchasing hardwood bark from sawmills in New York and Pennsylvania. At one point he was securing over 1,000 semi-loads of bark annually, with the mulch being sold primarily to landscapers.
According to Collins, “Many of the houses in northern Ohio use mulch because it holds in the moisture in the dry season and, by decomposing over time, builds up the soil.”
The loss of clients has hurt Collins’ business, and one of the problems, according to Collins, is the Amish loggers who clear-cut forests and grind everything into a green waste mulch.
“The woods look terrible, they don’t replant and the water erodes everything away,” he says. “It’s hard to keep up with them – they sell the
material cheaper than I can produce bark mulch and I lose customers. The Amish will cut down a 10-inch tree – you don’t get much out of such a tree. When they grind down a whole forest you
will have two bushels of bark and 100 bushels of wood in the mulch mix.”
Collins’ sales peaked at 600 to 700 cubic yards daily in the early 1970s, but has dropped-off to a current volume of only 150 cubic yards per-day.
“A lot of people still haven’t learned that cheaper is not always the best,” he says. “It takes
nitrogen to decompose wood, and green mulch pulls it (nitrogen) from the ground. The plants need nitrogen as well. Bark mulch retains its natural color
and does not require nitrogen to decompose.”He would like to see the mulch industry
intervene to solve the problem – “that’s the problem – there is no control,” and he notes that the sale of wood and green waste mulch became a problem when grinders and shredders became more affordable.
Collins says both small and large companies are selling wood and green waste mulch. He adds that it was in 1995 that non-bark mulch began to be sold in larger amounts, with the current market in his area being approximately 80 percent green and recycled wood waste (which can include pallets and construction waste) and 20 percent bark.
However, one of Collins’ clients, who switched over to selling wood and green waste mulch four years ago, is now back to selling primarily bark mulch.
“It’s a good sign,” says Collins, who is concerned that the bark supply in the northeast U.S. is declining. “There were 38 sawmills that I contacted to buy bark and now there are three.”
In northeast Ohio, bark mulch sells for about $23 per-cubic yard (wholesale) and around $28 retail, while wood and green waste mulch is being sold for up to about $14 per-yard (wholesale) and around $23 retail. However, it should be noted that wood and green waste feedstocks are often available to the mulch producer for much less than $14 per-yard, and in some markets mulch producers charge a tipping fee to landscapers who want to dispose of their green waste material. In 1997 Collins was producing 450 semi-loads of bark mulch annually. This has declined to 60 semi-loads today.
“The market is being flooded with the
Bark Mulch Producers Sound Off About Green Waste & Wood Mulch
“Ninety-nine percent of the people don’t know the difference between bark and junk mulch.
That’s the problem. If they knew where it was coming from, how
the producers are absolutely destroying the forests, they wouldn’t buy it.”
Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS
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Irwin Rapoport
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Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS
“We may not be in a crisis yet, but we’re heading that way.” So predicts Bob Broom, who agrees with others who have warned of a “silent global crisis” in the decades ahead which could
threaten humankind. Forget nuclear weapons. Ignore pandemics. Stop worrying about
the Milky Way colliding with the Andromeda galaxy. And put away that Mayan calendar.
The crisis that Broom is concerned about is as simple as dirt. In fact, it is dirt.
“We are overlooking soil as the foundation of all life on Earth,” according to Andres Arnalds of the Icelandic Soil Conservation Service. “Land degradation and desertification may be regarded as the silent crisis of the world, a genuine threat to the future of humankind. Soil and vegetation is being lost at an alarming rate around the globe, which in turn has devastating effects on food production and accelerates climate change.”
Broom agrees, pointing out that the statistics on topsoil in the world show the planet is losing soil at a dangerous rate.
“The United States is losing topsoil 10 times faster than it’s being manufactured,” he says. “China is losing it 50 times faster. Africa is into the same kind of spiral, losing topsoil by using chemicals and ignoring the fact that you need organic content in the soil to hold the water.”
The problem, Broom says, is “we’re all still looking at good old chemical fertilizers as the panacea for producing huge amounts of food. But eventually we’re just going to deplete the organic content in our topsoil so much so that we’re going to be in a crisis.”
He and others hope that it doesn’t come to that. “Some far-thinking people understand we can’t go on as we are,” he says. Broom, the director of business development for McGill Environmental
Systems, is a firm believer that compost can help save the world. “We think the need for compost is enormous,” he says. “We believe
that for mankind to survive, we need to use all the organic material that’s available to us on Earth, otherwise we’re never going to be able to grow food to feed 7 billion people.
“Eventually, people are going to wake up and say that compost is gold dust.”
A decimated food supply and climate change are not the only concerns voiced over deteriorating soil conditions. Broom and others also warn of an impending water crisis for growing crops due to soil — with less and less organic content — being able to retain as much water.
“The only way you can really increase the organic content is with compost,” Broom points out.
Studies by soil scientists show that for every 1 percent of organic matter content, the soil can hold approximately 16,000 gallons of plant-available water per acre foot of soil.
“To minimize the impact of drought, soil needs to capture the rainwater that falls on it, store as much of that water as possible for future plant use, and allow for plant roots to penetrate and proliferate,” according to Preston Sullivan of the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (ATTRA) in his report Drought Resistant Soil. “These conditions can be achieved through management of organic matter.”
“Organic matter also increases the soil’s ability to take in water during rainfall events, assuring that more water will be stored,” he says. “Ground cover also increases the water infiltration rate while lowering soil water evaporation. When all these factors are taken together the severity of
drought and the need for irrigation are greatly reduced.”Other studies report that certain types of soil organic matter
can hold up to 20 times their weight in water. Another study found that for each 1 percent increase in soil organic matter,
the available water holding capacity in the soil increased by 3.7 percent.
While it doesn’t expect to solve the world’s problems, McGill, a 21-year-old company with three composting facilities in the southeastern U.S., as well as in Ireland, is doing what it can to reduce waste streams and convert them to compost.
The company, headquartered in North Carolina, operates two composting facilities in the state. One is in
Sampson County, which opened in 1990; the other is in Chatham County and began operation in 2002. Both are
about 50 acres in size. A third plant, opened in 2008, is located near Richmond, VA, and is on 110 acres.
Three other composting facilities operate in the southern part of Ireland (company founders James McGill and Noel Lyons are both Irish). Overall, the company employs about 100 people.
The company provides organics management services to about 235 municipalities and industrial operations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
The U.S. plants annually take in more than 350,000 to 400,000 tons of material from industrial, municipal and agribusiness sources. Those materials range from food wastes, biosolids, sludge, yard wastes, “woody” materials such as sawdust and wood chips, animal wastes and other biodegradable materials.
Taking in food wastes is a growing part of McGill’s business. Broom notes that taking in food wastes is more complicated due to contaminants and thus requires more handling and additional staff.
“It’s more difficult to get grocery store food waste into our system than it is to take a tractor-trailer load of sludge from a poultry processing plant,” he says.
Haulers are subcontracted to collect and deliver the food wastes to the McGill processing facilities.
For now, McGill is concentrating on collecting food wastes from grocery stores and restaurants, rather than the public sector. Mandates by cities and counties requiring the public to save their food wastes for compost collection are “few and far between” due to both costs and politics, Broom says.
“We’re not doing nearly as many grocery stores as there are,” he adds. “Let’s concentrate on those first.”
The diversity and sources of the incoming materials makes McGill somewhat unique, according to Broom.
“Not many other facilities have quite as varied an incoming feedstock base as we do,” he says. “I also think we have more large company customers than most of the rest of the composting companies in the country put
Continued on next page
BY P.J. HELLER
Can Compost Help Save The World?
5May / June 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
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together. We have a huge private company customer base. We think that diversity makes for a more complex and superior compost.”
In the past year, McGill manufactured some 370,000 cubic yards of compost. Its uses included professional landscaping, sports turf, erosion control and agriculture.
The company’s SoilBuilder compost is sold in garden supply stores as well as to developers and for use on soccer and baseball field and golf courses. By educating buyers about the benefits of compost, McGill compost is now being included in the specifications for projects.
“We say, ‘If you make good compost, you will always sell it,’” Broom says when asked about the difficulty of selling the finished compost. “That’s our objective. It also takes education. We have a small sales staff but they have spent a lot of time educating people. So it’s not a straight sell. It’s a combination of education supported by a good product.
“It’s been a long slog,” he admits. “It’s beginning to pay off in terms of our compost being listed in the specifications for fairly large jobs.”
All of McGill’s U.S. plants utilize the same process — based on the static pile, forced aeration composting method — for producing compost, with all of the incoming materials mixed together. All of the materials are analyzed; biosolids for regulatory reasons and food wastes for composting factors, such as moisture, carbon and nitrogen content.
“Basically the balance is the same,” Broom explains. “We put everything into our matrix so we know how it will affect the compost we are making. What we end up with is a very similar product.”
That product meets or exceeds The Environmental Protection Agency’s 503 requirements for designation as a Class A Exceptional Quality compost, suitable for unrestricted end use, the company says.
The compost process can be completed in as little as six weeks. All of the composting is done indoors, in keeping with Jim McGill’s philosophy that nothing should be done outdoors. Since the mid-2000s, the company has strictly adhered to that philosophy, with primary processing, curing and storage all being handled indoors.
One of the facilities in Ireland even has trucks drive inside the building before unloading.
“We think everybody in the industry should start thinking about doing it [composting] indoors. If we’re going to be considered a professional alternative to other means of disposal . . . we need to take a more business-industrial stand and less of a farm/garden/hobby type approach to it,” Broom says.
McGill’s sophisticated operations include buildings with bio-filters to treat the air, computer rooms to monitor the process and control fans which move air through the composting mass to remove excess heat and maintain adequate oxygen supplies for the microbes. The fans can also be controlled remotely via a laptop computer.
In addition to its plants in North Carolina and Virginia, McGill also is involved in setting up compost facilities in four other states. In many cases, it can run city/county programs more efficiently and cost-effectively than the local governments, Broom notes.
In one of the new locations, McGill is providing the composting technology to deal with solids from an dry anaerobic digester.
The digester will take in food and yard wastes to produce energy. “They only lose about 20 percent of the total volume, so we’ll be
getting a post anaerobic digestion sludge material from them and mixing some more energy into it with some food waste and then composting it,” Broom explains.
McGill is also looking for new opportunities. Broom says there is unlimited opportunity.
“We’ve never stopped learning from what we do,” he says. “We are on a journey; every facility we build is better than the last one. Every facility we build incorporates some lessons we learned from the last one.”
As far as composting, “If you look at studies . . . of all the waste streams in the world, about 70 percent of it is organic,” he says. “Whether there’s a profitable way of separating that out and turning it into compost will be the $64,000 question. Nevertheless, the potential for the amount of waste that could be composted rather than be buried is huge.
“We are all very passionate about the place of compost in world,” he adds. “Eventually the rest of world will wake up to the importance of compost.”
Continued from previous page
6 Soil & Mulch Producer News May / June 2012
cheaper stuff – it should not be used - and there is no way that I can compete,” he says, noting that his mulch consists of mainly oak, cherry and hard maple. “Ninety-nine percent of the people don’t know the difference between bark and junk mulch. That’s the problem. If they knew where it was coming from, how the producers are absolutely destroying the forests, they wouldn’t buy it. When I can explain to people that bark is more effective than green waste mulch, environmentally sound and good for the soil, they’ll often buy it.”
Collins says there will always be a market for bark, especially by nurseries, institutions and homeowners who are educated and demand quality.
“Most nurseries will have nothing to do with green mulch,” he says. “One of my clients goes through one semi-load of my mulch every three days and another uses five semi-loads a week, but producers like me, who are trying to do the right thing, are still suffering. A lot of good companies are being impacted. However, some homeowners are beginning to notice the difference between bark and green mulch via their neighbors. People spend a lot of hard-earned money to buy plants, work hard to plant them and then see them do nothing.”
He adds that a Cleveland, Ohio radio show, hosted by a father and son who own a landscaping firm, tell their listeners to use bark to ensure good results. Collins hopes others will follow their example.
Until its closing in 2011, Jimmy Sharpe’s Dixie Landscape Supply in West Columbia, South Carolina also sold bark mulch.
“We had some really rigid rules that we went by, and I didn’t sell material that was not qualified or good for the soil,” he said. “The problem
with green is that it is derived from trees and debris that are completely ground-up following excavation and clearing for properties and sub-divisions. Through the years, people have called me to take green mulch off their hands so they wouldn’t have to pay to landfill it.
“The material, being green,” he adds, “can do a lot of damage to plants, shrubbery and trees. It will absorb and suck up all the nutrients from the soil. It’s not going to kill everything, but it’s not going to support the plants by giving proper nutrition through decomposition. It also prevents moisture from entering the roots.”
Sharpe, whose current business – Sharpe Landscape Supply LLC, sells mushroom compost and other products, notes that many residential homeowners do not make the connection between green mulch and damage to their lawns. He is concerned about bulk mulch producers who dye and sell green mulch that is not properly processed.
“They make it look pretty and sell it for a huge profit and it destroys the people (businesses) who are trying to make a good quality product,” he says, adding that “a lot of the time even the bulk supply yards don’t know what they are buying.”
Haigler Bozardt, a manager with Orangeberg, South Carolina-based National Wood Sourcing, is also concerned about the present situation. The firm, which operates in North and South Carolina and Georgia, sells a variety of wood products, including bark mulch with bark purchased from saw mills, produced on the spot and then shipped to customers. On an annual basis, the company sells 200,000-plus cubic yards of material.
Bark Mulch Producers Sound Off About Green Waste & Wood Mulch
“They make it look pretty and sell it for a huge profit and it destroys the people
(businesses) who are trying to make a good quality product.”
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Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS
“You can call anything mulch, and a lot of people will take anything and grind it up just to get rid of it,” he says. “The negative is that many times you don’t know what was ground-up. When these mulches decompose, they give very little nutritional value back to your soil as compared to bark mulch.”
Bozardt says “mulch is a very broad term” and more education on bark versus mulch made from wood and green waste can help as “horticulturists know what they are talking about, while your average Joe off the street wants something that is pretty and doesn’t care what it is made of. They are just looking for the cosmetic effect of it and if all they care about is price, we’re not going to get their business.”
As well, he notes, “a lot of stores only care about having the cheapest product in a bag,” adding that consumers get what they pay for because “a lot of times this material contains ground-up wood from construction and demolition debris that, instead of being properly recycled and utilized responsibly, becomes “mulch” to reduce disposal expenses.
Bark sales are up this year for Bozardt’s firm – “it has been a good year from what I have heard from other people in the industry. Bark mulch is fairly inexpensive and you get a lot of bang for your buck. Along with trimming your hedges and cutting your grass, mulch makes it look like you have a brand new yard.”
Bozardt’s firm has steady customers, but stresses that a poor economy will often lead to a reduced use of bark when budget cuts need to be made by golf courses and other high-end businesses and institutions.
Wood and green waste mulch can be a problem, but it also has its place,
Bark Mulch Producers Sound Off About Green Waste & Wood MulchContinued from page 6
says Bozardt. “The industry is very loosely regulated – it’s really nobody’s fault,” he says. “Most of the problem lies with the consumer, and it goes back to ‘people wanting the cheapest thing out there.’”
The issue of shredded wood fiber and green waste sold as a mulch product is a serious one for bark mulch producers, but it could be resolved through a combination of understanding, cooperation, compromise, good will and intervention by producers, sellers, industry associations and via the education of the consumer. It is in the interest of all stakeholders to find a common solution.
Hardwood bark mulch is a proven product and has a positive history and, as pointed out, provides nutrients and builds up the soil – this is known by long-time users of the product. While solutions are easy to envision, the elements behind the issue are complex and varied and are definitely a reflection of the economy, a changing market and shifts in the use of lumber industry byproducts.
Photos taken at J.R. Collins, Inc. bark mulch facility in Thompson, Ohio.
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Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS
Using IPM to Manage Bark Beetles in Southern Pine Forests
Preventative measures and understanding Southern pine forest ecology are the most effective ways to minimize expensive standing timber losses caused by bark beetles, according to a report on
sciencedaily.com.According to T. D. Schowalter, author of a new open-access article
in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, the keys to managing bark beetles are maintaining a diversity of healthy, site-adapted tree species and adequate spacing between host trees.
Showalter urges managers to consider that the beetles are not necessarily destructive. Sometimes they contribute to management objectives in multiple-use forests. Bark beetles are controlled naturally by environmental factors that can be manipulated through management practices, he says.
The diversity of site-adapted tree species creates a more complex environment where the beetles will detect and reach suitable hosts. He also advises selective thinning of pine density. This lowers the risk of beetle outbreaks by reducing resource availability for beetle populations. The practice also reduces competition between trees for water and nutrients, which can minimize or delay the effects of drought which weaken the trees. In addition, Showalter suggests thinning the trees to create a more open canopy, which reduces the effectiveness of pheromone communication between beetles.
For more information visit http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423162501.htm.
Wood Dust a Possible Factor in Plant Explosions
A Vancouver Sun article examined a number of explosions at fiberboard and pelletizing plants, occurring in the past several years, to deter-mine whether they may be linked to wood dust igniting. Especially
combustible are ultra-fine dust particles, such as those arising from dry, beetle-killed timber, according to one expert.
Waste wood, such as that which has been attacked by invasive species, has been in large supply recently. It is compressed into pellets and sold to fuel steam generation furnaces. Although beetle-killed timber was cited as a production and safety concern by industry as far back as 2007, some observers think not enough has been done to examine dust as the main cause of explosions at processing plants.
Neil McManus, an industrial hygienist who has authored several safety books believes dust has been the main factor in a number of explosions. He claims to be fairly certain that two separate explosions, which killed four workers this year, were caused by wood dust. Adding credence to his opinion are the observations of employees at one plant who described the dust from beetle-killed timber as extremely fine and resinous.
McManus called such dust a “very explosive powder” and he believes industry and safety regulators have failed to address safety concerns in the design of mills in the area of the province where beetle-timber is being harvested.
WorkSafeBC earlier has ordered sawmills to investigate dust levels and other hazards.
For more information visit http://www.vancouversun.com/Wood+dust+linked+least+five+explosions+mills/6533191/story.html.
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Soil & Mulch Producer NEWSCooking Better Biochar: Study Improves Recipe for Soil Additive
Houston, TX —Heating biocharcoal, or “biochar” to at least 450 degrees Celsius ensures it will have a composition that aids in water and nutrient uptake by plants, according to a new study
by Rice University scientists. “When it’s done right, adding biochar to soil can improve hydrology
and make more nutrients available to plants,” said Rice biogeochemist Caroline Masiello, the lead researcher on the new study. When charcoal is produced at lower temperatures, it can sometimes repel water, she says.
Biochar is gaining popularity—and not just for its horticultural effects. It removes carbon from the atmosphere and locks it into the soil for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years.
Two thousand years ago, South American farmers added charcoal to the poor soils of the Amazon rainforest to create soils which are still fertile today, containing as much as 35 percent of their organic carbon in the form of charcoal.
“We plan to study ways to optimize other beneficial properties of biochar, including its ability to remove heavy metals and other pollutants from soil,” Masiello said. “Ultimately, we’d like to publish a how-to guide that would show exactly what conditions are needed to produce the optimal biochar for a given situation.”
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.The study is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0961953412000438.
Scientists Turn Timber Waste Into Charcoal
According to a report on science20.com, doctoral students from the University of Washington have developed a novel way to turn timber waste into “biochar,” a charcoal substance that can be used
as a fuel or soil amendment, Science20.com reports.The stumps, brush, branches and bark left on the ground when forests
are logged, managed or selectively trimmed, are often heaped into several-ton piles and left onsite to decompose or are destroyed with controlled fires. The Pacific Northwest forestry sector annually produces about 6 million dry tons of this refuse, mainly because transportation and other logistics, as well as the expense, have prevented more productive uses. Researchers from the school’s Department of Engineering came up with a vented, heat-resistant material they made into a giant blanket. The blanket serves as a portable kiln when placed over the wood heaps. By closing the adjustable vents, decomposing plant material heats up and a slow process, called pyrolysis, takes over, which results in chunks of solid carbon, or biochar. Adjusting the vents affects the rate of smoldering and thus, the type of end product that can be derived.
Carbon Cultures, the company launched by several PhD students, received a $50,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to commercialize their invention.
The research team is conducting field tests this summer to see how well the technology scales up to larger slash piles and to look at ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of the process.
For more information visit http://www.science20.com/print/90311.
Composting in Ohio 2012: A Tour of the IndustryThursday, Aug. 23, 2012 • Wood County, Ohio
For more information, contact Mary Wicks at [email protected] or 330-202-3533.
13May / June 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
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14 Soil & Mulch Producer News May / June 2012
Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS
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There are many ways to process wood for mulch - CBI’s Magnum Force Grinders just happen to be the smartest! Engineered and built for the highest throughput, lowest operating cost, maximumdurability, and minimal downtime - CBI provides a better return on investment than any competitive system in the global market today!
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Utah Businesses Cite Future Losses, Blame Composting FacilityBusinesses cry foul over composting facility’s success
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that a group of businesses are blaming a Utah County compost facility for loss of business, depressed property values, and future loss of tax revenues. Citizens for Clean Air and Progress, which represents businesses near the plant, claims the composting
facility’s “foul odor” is driving customers away. They say their property values have taken a hit, as well. The group also claims that $75 million has been lost in tax revenues, and predicts that losses will amount to $350 million more over the next 20 years because the smell will impede real estate development.
The Timpanogos Special Service District (TSSD), which operates the compost facility, began converting green waste into compost in 1994. The compost is then sold to local gardeners and landscapers. As more people moved to the area, the compost facility expanded. Then in 2008, they added a polymer to the composting process to help the waste solids bind more easily and shed more moisture. The new chemistry altered the aroma emitted by the plant.
TSSD hired a firm to cover the compost pile at a cost of about $5 million.Those measures reduced the odor, the businesses and cities agree, but it’s not enough. Many in Citizens for Clean Air and Progress want the stuff hauled far away.
For more information visit http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54180695-78/lost-million-revenue-tax.html.csp.
Entrepreneur Offers Solution for Manure Recycling
Wellington, FL— The Palm Beach Post reports that a new horse manure recycling process developed by
Equine Eco Green, a Wellington, Florida-based start-up. Company founder, Shelly Moore Townsend believes her patented system will help solve Wellington’s illegal horse manure dumping problem.
The $7.5 million recycling plant Townsend proposes to build cleans, dries and recycles horse bedding for reuse. The method has already been patented and supported by several Wellington and Loxahatchee Groves officials because of its novel approach that is simple, yet effective.
Giant machines would separate the manure and bedding, or wood shavings, which would then be washed, rinsed, bleached and neutralized. The manure becomes organic compost and the shavings are dried.
Justin Hickey, president of J.H Hauling & Services in Wellington and Townsend’s partner in the recycling venture, says the system can save haulers money because they wouldn’t have to truck their waste as far. The facility would help the environment and protect the county’s waterways by reducing deforestation and avoiding ground water contamination, according to Townsend, who hopes to build the plant as soon as possible on about 10 acres. She predicts construction could be completed within a year, and the facility would create 60 to 100 jobs. Capacity would be 2.7 million pounds of manure and 48,000 bags of wood waste each month, Townsend said.
To raise money for the venture, Townsend has been courting private and corporate investors and evaluating possible grants. She also wants to build recycling facilities in South Miami and Ocala, Florida.
For more information visit http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/company-looks-to-curb-illegal-manure-dumping/nPMdj/.
Reach More Than 5,000 Businesses Involved in Soil,
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15May / June 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
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Info Request #116
Colorbiotics and the Colorbiotics logo are trademarks of Becker Underwood in the U.S. and / or other countries. © 2012 Colorbiotics. All Rights Reserved.
It takes water to make color enhanced mulch. But using too much weighs down your bag — and your profi ts. The patented Sahara colorant and mixing process works effi ciently, consistently and fast. It uses less colorant and half the water — cutting unwanted water weight and hefty freight costs. That means reduced wash-off, more bags per pallet and increased profi ts.
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16 Soil & Mulch Producer News May / June 2012
Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS
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2012 MSC Annual Meeting
The Sheraton Hotel165 Courtland St. Atlanta, GA
For Details Visit:www.mulchandsoilcouncil.org
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Cedar Grove Composting Cancels $20M Co-Gen Plan
According to a report in the Seattle Times, Cedar Grove Composting announced it is shelving a $20 million facility expansion in Everett, Washington. The site would have used methane gas from food and
yard waste to generate electricity. Calls for an environmental impact study by the city of Everett and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, coupled with neighbor complaints, figured in Cedar Grove’s decision.
The company had begun talks with large institutions that generate organic waste, but now says the project is no longer financially feasible. Instead, it will concentrate on smaller digester projects.
For more information visit http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018278102_apwacedargrovecompost.html.
Proposed Ban on Food Waste in Massachusetts
Boston, MA—An article in Green Lodging News reports that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is looking at ways to extend the life of the state’s landfills by diverting
food waste from commercial businesses, including hotels, to facilities with anaerobic digesters. If the regulations pass stakeholder scrutiny, they could be drafted by early 2013 and take effect by the middle of 2014.
About 100,000 tons of organic food waste is currently composted in Massachusetts each year--a small fraction of the 1.5 million tons disposed of annually. The DEP wants to divert an additional 350,000 tons of organic food waste from landfills by 2020, thus reducing operating costs to municipalities and businesses, as well as methane gas that is emitted from the landfills.
The regulations are hoped to spur entrepreneurial waste collection, processing, and the marketing activity in the state and will make Massachusetts the first state with such a comprehensive prohibition on commercial food waste. Connecticut and Vermont are working on similar programs.
For more information visit http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2012/05/24/massachusetts-planning-food-waste-ban-for-businesses?page=full.
Agricultural Microbes Get Blown Away
According to sciencedaily.com, a study conducted at the USDA-ARS Cropping Systems Laboratory has revealed new insights about soil microbes that may help modern agronomists develop effective
anti-erosion measures. The study, published in a recent issue of the Journal of Environmental
Quality, compared bacterial diversity in Michigan agricultural soils following a wind tunnel experiment. The scientists wanted to learn what happens to these soil inhabitants—who they are, the types of particles they inhabit and where they end up under erosive conditions.
By using powerful DNA sequencing technique, called pyrosequencing, the research team identified the microbes so their different behaviors and roles could be studied. The data suggest that various microbes that help build soil, detoxify contaminants, and recycle nutrients exist at different levels in the soil and inhabit different sized particles. Identifying them and knowing which ones can be carried away (and how far) provides for tailored anti-erosion solutions. Understanding the entire community of microbes in a parcel of ground, along with the climatic conditions and farming methods, provides a holistic approach to soil conservation.
For instance, farmers can plant cover crops or rotate crops to help keep soils in place, as well as to build soil organic matter, which in turn promotes soil aggregation, water penetration, and general soil health.
For more information visit http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509092415.htm.
17May / June 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
Info Request #127
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No matter what your grinding application, Peterson’s horizontal grinders can get you the volume and productivity that you demand. For more information about Peterson products, call Peterson at 800.269.6520 or visit us at www.petersoncorp.com today!
18 Soil & Mulch Producer News May / June 2012
Pro
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Pro
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s Portable Coloring Unit Now Available from Colorbiotics
Colorbiotics has in t roduced a new portable
color ing uni t . The CM200 single-pump co lo ran t in jec t ion system is a portable cart configuration — an ideal option for mulch producers that are expanding their product offerings to include color-enhanced mulch — and is designed for convenience, efficiency and quality. Equipped with peristaltic pump and 1/3-horsepower motor, the CM200 easily attaches to any grinder, trommel screen or other processing equipment for optimal colorant distribution.
The CM200 is easy to transport and setup. The single-pump injection system is also very accurate. It’s a cost-effective way for entry-level mulch producers to expand into color-enhanced mulch.
For colored mulch producers whose grinding equipment has already been outfitted with a coloring application configuration — manifold/spray bar and related “plumbing” — the CM200 system can be attached easily, usually in less than 30 minutes.
For more information, visit www.colorbiotics.com or call 888-663-6980.
Premier Tech Introduces High-Speed Stretch Wrapper
The new LW-300 Rotary Arm Stretch Wrapper from Premier Tech is a ful ly
automatic system designed to apply a mechanically pre-stretched film with tension to a pallet load. Its overhead rotary arm eliminates the need to rotate the load and allows for high-speed wrapping, reaching up to 95 loads per hour. Depending on the model chosen, it can replace up to 5 turntable stretch wrappers. An optional top sheet dispenser is also available.
The LW-300 is a rugged construction designed for low maintenance requirements and long-term reliability. Most main movements are electric which means less maintenance. The user-friendly LW-300’s HMI was developed to make quick and easy adjustments of the film feeding. With the innovative film carriage it is possible to accelerate and decelerate the feeding of the film in order to apply more plastic on the load’s corners and to keep a constant film tension for increased stability.
An option is also available to unitize the pallet with the load by applying plastic film on it. This feature enhances the stability of the pallet load.
For more information on this equipment or on any other packaging solution, contact us at 866-274-1287
or visit www.ptchronos.com.
GrinderCrusherScreen.com Introduces “Patented” Density Separator for MSW and Compost
Gr inderCrusherScreen has just introduced the “patented” GCS Waste
Density Wizard 1000 and 1200 Models of density separators. This unique machine will take a co-mingled product such as a mixture of wood, rocks, dirt, and plastic and separate it into piles of similar products. Density separators have been available for years; however, the Waste Density Wizard consist of only one machine that will screen the material, air separate the light film plastic or paper, water separate the rocks from the wood and pull out the sludge, all in one compact machine.
According to company president, Neal Kaiserman, “At GrinderCrusherScreen we deal with recyclers from across the U.S. and overseas and the demand for one machine to separate fines, film plastic, paper, rocks and wood is a common need.” The Waste Density Wizard is designed for operations that process C&D, Wood Waste, MSW and Compost. The GrinderCrusherScreen Waste Density Wizard is one of the largest advances in density separation technology in many decades.
For more information, call GrinderCrusherScreen Inc. at 770-433-2670 or visit www.GrinderCrusherScreen.com.
Bandit Model 2250XP Brings Beltless Hydrostatic Drive to Small Stump Grinders
The al l-new Model 2 2 5 0 X P s e l f -p rope l l ed s tump
g r i n d e r f r o m B a n d i t Industries uses a heavy-duty hydrostatic motor to directly power its 20-inch diameter cutter wheel. This eliminates the need for a clutch, jackshaft, drive belt, belt tensioning system and the many sheaves and bearings associated with those components. The result is a competitively priced stump grinder that requires significantly less maintenance than similar machines.
Powering the Bandit Model 2250XP is a 27-horsepower gas engine driving two hydraulic pumps—one for the self-propelled undercarriage and one for the cutter wheel. The hydrostatic motor at the cutter wheel is a heavy-duty, 40CC unit that uses an oversize bearing to manage the side-load and shock loads associated with stump grinding. With no clutch to operate, engaging the cutter wheel is literally as simple as pushing a lever. Easy-to-use machine-mounted controls are intuitive and positioned to provide good visibility while grinding.
The Model 2250XP is currently available for order. Contact your local Bandit authorized dealer
or call 800-952-0178 for details.
19May / June 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
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PacifiClean Planning Compost Facility in Kittitas County, Wash.
Dailyrecordnews.com reports that a Spokane, Washington firm is evaluating locations to build an estimated $24
million commercial-sized organic material processing facil ity in Kittitas County, Washington. The plant would be partially funded by state grants—$2 million—to create fertilizer for large-scale agricultural operations in Eastern Washington, generate electricity and produce renewable natural gas for vehicle use.
The company, PacifiClean Environmental LLC, is studying four different Kittitas County sites and meeting with county and municipal officials. Next steps include submission of a detailed application and an environmental assessment of the project, followed by a public hearing.
Larry Condon, PacifiClean principle, said the plant would be an “integrated organics processing facility.” It would use yard waste from the City of Seattle and brush and other vegetative waste from the Puget Sound/I-5 corridor area, if all goes as planned. Processing would take place in containers and covered areas to minimize odors.
At full build-out, the facility potentially would be the largest in-vessel composting system on the West Coast, six times larger than an existing commercial composting facility 26 miles west of Spokane, which began operations in 2011.
Condon said the facility could also produce and sell a variety of nitrogen-rich fertilizer products, including pellets, spreadable dry material and liquids and an erosion control product. Methane, a by-product of the composting process could be used to operate a gas-fired turbine, generating electricity used at the plant, Condon says. Excess power could be fed back to the grid, the Puget Sound Energy power distribution system. Methane could also be used to fuel tractor-trailer trucks that can use both diesel and renewable natural gas, and on-site heavy equipment that also can use both fuels. Later on, a renewable natural gas fueling station, located at the site, could be made available to the public for fueling vehicles specially fitted to use the gas. If and when it goes to full build out, the plant could require 45 to 50 employees.
PacifiClean is a subsidiary of SRM Development LLC of Spokane.
For more information visit http://www.dailyrecordnews.com/top_story/composting-plans-move-ahead/article_4d70c9dc-a699-11e1-97ad-0019bb2963f4.html.
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Deforestation Causes Cooling in Northern U.S., Canada, Study Finds
According to a report in sciencedaily.com, the impact of deforestation on global warming varies with latitude. This finding is based on new research from a team of scientists representing 20 institutions from around the world. Researchers say the surprising finding calls for new
climate-monitoring strategies.“It depends where the deforestation is,” said UC Davis atmospheric science Professor Kyaw
Tha Paw U, a study co-author. “It could have some cooling effects at the regional scale, at higher latitudes, but there’s no indication deforestation is cooling lower latitudes, and in fact may actually cause warming.”
Paw U and his colleagues found that deforestation in the boreal region, north of 45 degrees latitude, results in a net cooling effect. While cutting down trees releases carbon into the atmosphere, it also increases an area’s albedo, or reflection of sunlight. Surface temperatures in open, nonforested, high-latitude areas were cooler because these surfaces reflected the sun’s rays, while nearby forested areas absorbed the sun’s heat. At night, without the albedo effect, open land continued to cool faster than forests, which force warm turbulent air from aloft to the ground.
The researchers calculated that north of Minnesota, or above 45 degrees latitude, deforestation was associated with an average temperature decrease of 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, deforestation south of North Carolina, or below 35 degrees latitude, appeared to cause warming. Statistically insignificant cooling occurred between these two latitudes.
The researchers collected temperature data from a network of specialized weather stations in forests ranging from Florida to Manitoba and compared results with nearby stations situated in open grassy areas that were used as a proxy for deforested land.
“The cooling effect is linear with latitude, so the farther north you go, the cooler you get with deforestation,” said Lee.
For more information visit http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116132910.htm.
20 Soil & Mulch Producer News May / June 2012
Massachusetts Addresses “Biomass Loophole” and Limits Subsidies
According to Blogs.forbes.com, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is closing a tax loophole on biomass power plants, as well as limiting ratepayer-funded subsidies (known
as renewable energy certificates, or RECs). The decision follows restrictive moves by two other states. The new regulations, effective as of June 2012, acknowledge the long-held stand by environmentalists that biomass does not merit the same carbon neutral status as other renewables, such as wind and solar energy.
It takes decades for trees to mature. To absorb all the carbon released from wood burning, the young trees have to grow to a significant size. However, the Biomass Power Association and the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association contend that biomass plants in the Northeast United States are small scale and use mostly “waste wood.” Furthermore, they argue that the calculations don’t apply to all renewables in the same way.
While groups on either side continue to hash out the issues, only those biomass power plants, mainly small-scale ones, that adhere to scientific standards for climate and forest impacts will be eligible for the tax credits in Massachusetts. The regulations followed a two-year review process involving scientists, industry, and citizen groups.
The tightening of regulations is a move that may be seen as cautionary, if not an about face, for a state that was encouraging biomass development to meet what’s been seen as an expanding global demand. Now, as a result of emerging issues, the E.U. may soon follow Massachusetts’ lead and reevaluate biomass’ assumed carbon neutrality.
The new regulations will promote smaller and more efficient combined-heat-and-power biomass facilities that require less fuel and have lower net carbon dioxide emissions over time.
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21May / June 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
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Fracking Health Implications to be Studied
According to an article in Nature.com, the economic, political and health issues surrounding a method of natural gas extraction is nowhere more contentious than in Ohio. One of the hardest areas hit by the recession, gas drilling could bring the “Rust Belt” state sorely needed
jobs and money.Called ‘fracking’, for short, this type of natural gas drilling uses high pressure and chemical
fluids to fracture shale formations deep below ground. The problem is, no one can say with certainty whether or how the release of vapors from the fluids during drilling operations, possible seepage into water supplies, or accidental spills during operations or transport will have an impact on the health of workers or residents. This is partly so because composition of the fluids is considered a trade secret and also because there is a lack of historical data about the fluids.
In a recent move to grapple with the health and environmental concerns, the Ohio State legislature passed a bill that requires companies to disclose the chemicals they use during the fracking process and during the construction and servicing of the wells. The bill does not require a full listing. Physicians could request the information if they had a need to know, however.
Fracking fluids are primarily water and sand, but they also contain chemical additives that aid the drilling process. Components such as citric acid and coffee grounds are harmless. It’s the others, including benzene and toluene, that environmentalists and medical professionals believe could be dangerous.
At the federal level, the US Bureau of Land Management has drafted tougher rules to prevent companies from withholding information about fracking fluids. The US Environmental Protection Agency is studying data from air and water tests done near fracking operations before and after drilling. Data on human health impacts appears to be within reach as researchers from the Geisinger Health System, which includes hospitals, clinics and community practices in central and northeastern Pennsylvania, announced a plan to use their own 10-year database of electronic health records to map health trends before and during drilling. The database includes more than 2.6 million residents in a region that has some of the highest concentrations of fracking wells in the United States.
Scientists from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, will be investigating the incidence of asthma attacks by tapping into EPA monitoring data in areas where fracking is done. Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York, already has been looking at animal health reports for livestock pastured around fracking activity.
For more information visit http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/1.10737!/menu/main/topColumns/topLeftColumn/pdf/485556a.pdf.
Illinois Grocer and County Form Green Partnership to Compost Food Scraps
According to a report on Hinsdale.patch.com, a partnership between DuPage County, Illinois and retail grocer, Jewel-
Osco will help decrease the county’s landfill waste by 40 percent. Nearly 65 percent of Jewel-Osco’s current waste volume comes from food scraps. Starting in July, these food scraps will no longer go into DuPage County landfills, but instead be composted.
Participating in the program are 25 stores. According to John Dunsing, special projects manager of Jewel-Osco, food-scrap composting and zero waste have been company goals for some time. The program is the result of careful planning that has included community input.
DuPage County has a goal of 100 commercial locations composting food scraps by June 2013. The county will be working with businesses and waste haulers to develop commercial composting routes and help create a market for the end product of soil amendment.
Jewel-Osco already has implemented its program in 16 stores so far.
For more information visit http://hinsdale.patch.com/articles/jewel-oscos-food-scraps-to-go-into-compost-not-landfill-a5b2f4de.
22 Soil & Mulch Producer News May / June 2012
CESE to Highlight Their CEO of the Year at CWRE
Celebrating its 15th year, the Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo will be held November 14-15, 2012, at the International Centre in Toronto, ON.
With more than six months before the opening of the event, CWRE is already 60% sold out and anticipating another successful event. Hundreds of exhibitors are expected to showcase their products and technologies at this year’s show.
CWRE will offer educational opportunities through its cooperation with the Ontario Waste Management Association. OWMA will produce the Canadian Waste Sector Symposium for the third year.
Complimenting its show floor presentation for the second time, the Council of Environmental Services Industry (CESI) will hold its “CEO of the Year” awards during the Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo (CWRE), on November 14, 2012, in Toronto.
“After a first edition in Quebec, we believe it’s important to honor Canadian CEOs who helped their business flourish over the years.”
Environmental industries are important, not only for the protection of our environment, obviously, but also as market participant, creating many jobs and generating wealth in many communities,” says Perry Niro, president and CEO of the CESI.
Committed to the industry it serves, CWRE will showcase the sustainability iniatives supported by its chosen facility, the International Centre. The International Centre was named the recipient of the Leadership in Sustainabiltiy – Hospitality Award during the 2011 Partners in Project Green (PPG) Sustainability Awards which recognize the innovative and inspiring work of local businesses that are embracing sustainability.
With the unveiling of its highly anticipated Sustainable Event Guide and implementation of a Sustainable Procurement Checklist, the International Centre continues to promote the importance of a Greener Toronto. Visit http://www.internationalcentre.com/CSR for more information.
For additional details on the Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo, visit www.cwre.ca.
EPA Announces $69.3 Million to Clean Up Contaminated Sites and Revitalize Communities
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced $69.3 million in grants for new investments to provide communities with funding necessary to clean and redevelop contaminated properties,
boost local economies and create jobs while protecting public health. The 245 grantees include tribes and communities in 39 states across
the country, funded by EPA’s Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) grants, and Revolving Loan Fund Supplemental grants. The grants awarded will assess and clean up abandoned industrial and commercial properties. Nearly half of the grantees this year are new awardees who demonstrate a high level of commitment for undertaking specific projects and leveraging the funding to move those projects forward.
Approximately 29 percent of the grants are being awarded to non-urban areas with populations of 100,000 or less, 16 percent are being awarded to “micro” communities with populations of 10,000 or less, and the remaining grants are being awarded to urban areas with populations exceeding 100,000.
There are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites in America. In 2011, EPA’s brownfields program leveraged 6,447 jobs and $2.14 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funds. Since its inception EPA’s brownfields investments have leveraged more than $18.3 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding from a variety of public and private sources and have resulted in approximately 75,500 jobs. More than 18,000 properties have been assessed, and over 700 properties have been cleaned up.
See list of all awarded brownfields grants by state: http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/.
More information on EPA’s brownfields program: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/.
New Peterson Distributor in Florida
Peterson Pacific Corp recently announced that Peninsula Equipment has been appointed the new Peterson distributor for the Florida peninsula and the central pan-handle region.
“Peninsula is excited to expand on its territory and represent Peterson products in Florida. We have a long standing partnership with Peterson, and currently represent their products in South Carolina and Georgia as well. Peninsula is rapidly expanding with service and parts personnel located in Lakeland, and new branches opening in North Miami and Valdosta, GA.” said Bill Padula, VP of Peninsula.
“Peterson’s full range of horizontal grinders, disc and drum chippers, blower trucks and screens will be well represented by Peninsula—their focus on the customer and products is well respected in this region—we are excited to see what they can do with Florida” said Brian Gray, Eastern Sales Manager for Peterson.
Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS
attention: readers!Would you like more information about products and equipment advertised
in this issue? If so, please complete the Equipment Locator Service form located between pages 12 & 13 and fax to 440-257-6459.
Herbicide Lingers in Soil Amendments
According to a Montana State University study, grass clippings, compost and manure used as soil amendments and top dressings have been found to contaminate garden vegetables and ornamental
plants because they carry residues of herbicides and pesticides. According to MSU Pesticide Education Specialist Cecil Tharp,
herbicides containing 2,4-D, dicamba, picloram, aminopyralid, clopyralid aminocyclopyrachlor, picloram, clopyralid, aminopyralid and aminocyclopyrachlor can remain active in hay, grass clippings, manure piles and compost for longer than previously thought.
Tharp emphasizes the importance of reading product labels to determine safe recropping and consumption times. For instance, producers are advised to refrain from using manure as compost or top dressing if the manure comes from animals that have grazed forage or eaten hay treated with aminopyralid within three days of harvest. This is because it takes about three days for the forage or hay to run through the animal’s system, Tharp said.
For more information visit http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=11257.
23May / June 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
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Info Request #141
InsIde ThIs IssueBark Mulch Producers Sound Off About
Green Waste & Wood MulchPAGE 1
Can Compost Help Save the World?PAGE 4
Wood Dust a Possible Factor in Plant Explosions
Page 10
Entrepreneur Offers Solution for Manure Recycling
Page 14
Massachusetts Addresses “Biomass Loophole” and Limits Subsidies
Page 20
Herbicide Lingers in Soil AmendmentsPage 22
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PAIDMentor, OH
PerMIt No. 2
6075 Hopkins Road • Mentor, OH 44060
Ph: 440-257-6453 • Fax: 440-257-6459Email: [email protected]
VoL. VI No. 3 May / JuN 2012
Info Request #151