soil & mulch producer news sep/oct2010

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NEWS Serving Soil, Mulch, Compost, & Biofuel Professionals Vol. IV No. 5 September / October 2010 Continued on page 3 Attention Readers ! Are you looking for Products, Equipment or Services for your business? If so, please check out these leading companies advertised in this issue: Food Waste Tops Menu for Compost Facilities W hen it comes to operating a successful composting business, it takes more than just knowing about the meat and potatoes of the operation. It also takes knowing about pasta, fish, veggies, fruits and other foodstuffs. That’s because of the growing demand on the part of cities and counties to divert food waste to composting facilities rather than to rapidly filling landfills. Food waste is the third- largest waste stream after paper and yard waste, accounting for about 15 percent of the total municipal solid waste stream. Of the 32 million tons of food waste generated annually, only about three percent is recovered and recycled, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “There’s a tremendous opportunity there in terms of managing that waste stream,” says Loren Martin, general manager of Terra-Grow, Inc., in Lancaster County, Pa. Composting food waste not only keeps the material out of landfills and reduces greenhouse gases, but can slash costs to businesses for landfill tipping fees. And the end result is high- quality compost that can in some cases be sold by the same food waste generators to be put back into the earth. BY P.J. HELLER “The use of recycled food waste (compost) has a myriad of environmental benefits such as improving soil health and structure, increasing drought resistance, as well as reducing, and even eliminating, the need for supplemental water, fertilizers and pesticides,” the EPA says. “Think of it as ‘feeding the soil.’” Nelson Widell couldn’t agree more. “I prefer to call our (composting) operation a ‘soil manufacturing plant’ because that’s what we’re doing,” says Widell, a partner in the Peninsula Composting Group which manages the Organic Recycling Center in Wilmington, Del. “We’re making high-grade organic soils. It just so happens that our manufactured soils are considered waste by some people. To the microorganisms and mother nature, it’s food. And it’s the natural cycle.” Organic Recycling is among a growing number of companies nationwide that are now taking in food scraps along with such things as yard waste, wood and animal manure to produce compost. Terra-Grow manages both Oregon Dairy Organics and Graywood Farms, two Pennsylvania-based facilities known primarily for composting ag waste. They take in a combined BAGGING SYSTEMS Amadas Industries – pg 5 Hamer LLC – pg 11 Premier Tech Chronos – pg 14 Rethceif Packaging – pg 9 COMPOST, MULCH & WOOD WASTE FOR SALE Giorgi Mushroom – pg 21 Litco International – pg 12 The Pallet Shop – pg 20 COMPOST MIXERS & SPREADERS Roto-Mix LLC – pg 20 COMPOST COVER Compostex – pg 4 COMPOST TURNERS HCL Machine Works – pg 19 Turn and Screen – pg 16 MULCH COLORING EQUIP/ COLORANTS Amerimulch – pg 8 Colorbiotics – pg 7 TH Glennon – pg 15 PLASTIC REMOVAL SYSTEM Airlift Separator – pg 13 SHREDDERS, GRINDERS, CHIPPERS & SCREENING SYSTEMS Allu Group Inc – pg 13 Doppstadt – pg 17 Earth Saver Equipment – pg 8 Hogzilla – pg 19 Morbark Inc. – pg 2 Orbit Screens – pg 6 Peterson – pg 18 Powerscreen Midwest – pg 21 Rayco Mfg – pg 12 REMU – pg 20 (back cover) Screen USA – pg 20 Universal Equip. Mfg. – pg 19 Vermeer/Wildcat – pg 23 West Salem Machinery – pg 4 TRANSPORT TRAILERS Travis Trailers – pg 16 Trinity Trailer Mfg – pg 10

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Sep/Oct 2010 issue of Soil & Mulch Producer News

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Page 1: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

NEWS Serving Soil, Mulch, Compost, & Biofuel Professionals

Vol. IV No. 5 September / October 2010

Continued on page 3

Attention Readers !

Are you looking for Products, Equipment or Services for your business? If so, please

check out these leading companies advertised in this issue:

Food Waste Tops Menu for Compost Facilities

When it comes to operating a successful composting business, it takes more than just knowing about the meat

and potatoes of the operation.It also takes knowing about pasta, fish,

veggies, fruits and other foodstuffs. That’s because of the growing demand on

the part of cities and counties to divert food waste to composting facilities rather than to rapidly filling landfills. Food waste is the third-largest waste stream after paper and yard waste, accounting for about 15 percent of the total municipal solid waste stream.

Of the 32 million tons of food waste generated annually, only about three percent is recovered and recycled, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“There’s a tremendous opportunity there in terms of managing that waste stream,” says Loren Martin, general manager of Terra-Grow, Inc., in Lancaster County, Pa.

Composting food waste not only keeps the material out of landfills and reduces greenhouse gases, but can slash costs to businesses for landfill tipping fees. And the end result is high-quality compost that can in some cases be sold by the same food waste generators to be put back into the earth.

By P.J. Heller

“The use of recycled food waste (compost) has a myriad of environmental benefits such as improving soil health and structure, increasing drought resistance, as well as reducing, and even eliminating, the need for supplemental water, fertilizers and pesticides,” the EPA says. “Think of it as ‘feeding the soil.’”

Nelson Widell couldn’t agree more. “I prefer to call our (composting) operation

a ‘soil manufacturing plant’ because that’s what we’re doing,” says Widell, a partner in the Peninsula Composting Group which manages the Organic Recycling Center in Wilmington, Del. “We’re making high-grade organic soils. It just so happens that our manufactured soils are considered waste by some people. To the microorganisms and mother nature, it’s food. And it’s the natural cycle.”

Organic Recycling is among a growing number of companies nationwide that are now taking in food scraps along with such things as yard waste, wood and animal manure to produce compost.

Terra-Grow manages both Oregon Dairy Organics and Graywood Farms, two Pennsylvania-based facilities known primarily for composting ag waste. They take in a combined

BaggINg SyStemSamadas Industries – pg 5

Hamer LLC – pg 11Premier tech Chronos – pg 14

Rethceif Packaging – pg 9

COmPOSt, muLCH & WOOd WaSte FOR SaLe

giorgi mushroom – pg 21Litco International – pg 12

the Pallet Shop – pg 20

COmPOSt mIxeRS & SPReadeRSRoto-mix LLC – pg 20

COmPOSt COVeRCompostex – pg 4

COmPOSt tuRNeRSHCL machine Works – pg 19

turn and Screen – pg 16

muLCH COLORINg equIP/COLORaNtS

amerimulch – pg 8Colorbiotics – pg 7

tH glennon – pg 15

PLaStIC RemOVaL SyStemairlift Separator – pg 13

SHReddeRS, gRINdeRS, CHIPPeRS & SCReeNINg SyStemS

allu group Inc – pg 13doppstadt – pg 17

earth Saver equipment – pg 8Hogzilla – pg 19

morbark Inc. – pg 2Orbit Screens – pg 6

Peterson – pg 18Powerscreen midwest – pg 21

Rayco mfg – pg 12Remu – pg 20 (back cover)

Screen uSa – pg 20universal equip. mfg. – pg 19

Vermeer/Wildcat – pg 23West Salem machinery – pg 4

tRaNSPORt tRaILeRStravis trailers – pg 16

trinity trailer mfg – pg 10

Page 2: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

2 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2010

Info Request #100

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Page 3: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

3September / October 2010 Soil & Mulch Producer News

Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS

Continued from page 1

Publisher / EditorRick Downing

Contributing

Editors / WritersP.J. Heller

Mark S. KuharRobert J. Rua

Production & LayoutBarb Fontanelle

Christine Pavelka

Advertising SalesRick Downing

Subscription / Circulation

Donna Downing

Editorial, Circulation& Advertising Office6075 Hopkins RoadMentor, OH 44060Ph: 440-257-6453Fax: 440-257-6459

Email: [email protected]

For subscription information,please call 440-257-6453.

PUBLICATION STAFF

Soil & Mulch Producer News is published quarterly by Downing & A s s o c i at e s. Re p ro d u c t i o n s or transmission of Soil & Mulch Producer News, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Annual subscription rate U.S. is $19.95. Outside of the U.S. add $10.00 ($29.95).ontact our main office, or mail-in the subscription form with payment.

©Copyright 2010 by Downing & Associates

Continued on page 4

total of 1,000 tons of food waste annually from food processing companies, a grocery store chain and area college. Martin says they hope to boost the amount of food waste handled to 3,000 to 5,000 tons annually within the next three years.

Such composting facilities will become more crit ical as more cities and counties enact legislation requiring food wa s t e t o b e recycled in an effort to keep that material out of landfills. Also dr iv ing c o m p o s t i n g e f f o r t s a r e large and small b u s i n e s s e s wanting to help the environment and want ing to promote themselves as being more environmentally conscious, not to mention being able to save money. Recycling efforts are also being fueled by a public wanting to be “more green.”

Whatever the motive, there is little doubt that composting of food waste is going to be a popular item on the recycling menu.

“Composting is recycling at its finest,” says Marvin Duren, owner of family-run Marvin’s Organic Gardens in Lebanon, Ohio. “I just can’t see all this stuff going in the landfill to be buried forevermore. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

“This probably represents the greatest growth potential in recycling because food waste composting is recycling,” Widell says. “If there’s another level of breakthrough in achieving high recycling rates, it will have to come from composting.

“My view is this is a very large looming opportunity that is being demanded not only by corporate America, but also by the general population,” he adds.

Martin, too, says he is seeing a growing desire on the part of institutions such as colleges and hospitals to compost their food waste.

“I’m seeing a growing or increasing level of interest from the standpoint of those generating food waste,” he says. “People are becoming much more interested in recycling. There’s certainly a growing awareness of the value and benefit of taking material out of the landfill and turning it into a value-added product that actually enhances the soil.”

He and others in the industry also point to the substantial cost savings that can be realized, particularly in large urban areas, on landfill

tipping fees.Widell notes that in Princeton, N.J., for

example, the landfill tipping fee is $126 per ton, compared to $45 per ton charged by Organic Recycling. Duren says his fee is about half that of a landfill tipping fee.

The same is true 3,000 miles away in t h e P a c i f i c Northwest.

“ W i t h o u r m o d e l , it’s cheaper to compost than to landfill,” says Susan Thoman, d i r e c t o r o f c o r p o r a t e b u s i n e s s deve lopment for Cedar Grove Composting.

C e d a r Grove operates two composting facilities, both

of which handle yard and food waste. Its 28-acre facility in Maple Valley has a contract for the material with the city of Seattle — the first city in the nation to require all households to compost food waste — and collects additional wastes elsewhere throughout King County; it collects 195,000 tons of waste annually. Its newest facility, on 26 acres in Everett, was constructed in 2004. That site handles 228,000 tons of yard and food waste each year.

Thoman notes that about 15 percent to 20 percent of the refuse collected is food waste.

Widell says it makes sense for cities or other jurisdictions to partner with private business for composting rather than trying to do it themselves.

“I’m not in any way concerned about competition from the public sector,” he says. “There is no city government or county government anywhere that can compete with private industry. Organics processing is a big topic these days; lots of public works departments and engineering departments are talking about what they can do. But they’ll still be talking about it after I’ve got four more plants built. And they’ll spend twice as much as I will and they’ll have twice as many people running it, so they won’t be competitive.”

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer and grocery chain by sales, may be in the forefront of promoting food waste composting among businesses. The company’s objective is to create zero waste at its 4,300 stores, including Sam’s Club warehouses, in the U.S.

To achieve that goal, Walmart turned to Quest Recycling Services, a sustainability

Food Waste Tops Menu for Compost Facilities

Aerial view of the Organic Recycling Center in Wilmington, DE. Photo courtesy of Peninsula Composting Group.

Page 4: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

4 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2010

Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS

Info Request #151

Info Request #158

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CV Compost ad changes to existing ¼ page ad:

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Continued from page 1

Food Waste Tops Menu for Compost Facilitiesconsulting company based in Frisco, Texas, to help it establish a pre-consumer food waste recycling program.

Quest, launched in 2007 and which took on Walmart in 2009, arranged for waste-haulers to service Walmart’s stores in 47 states (the exceptions being Alaska, Hawaii and Oregon). Some of those haulers also do composting. Quest does not operate or manage its own compost facilities.

Although figures aren’t available specifically for Walmart, Matt Hedrick, executive vice president at Quest, says his firm so far in 2010 has diverted about 215 million pounds of food waste from landfills for the clients that it manages. Of that total, 158 million pounds were composted, 52 million pounds were used for animal feed and 5 million pounds went to waste-to-energy (anaerobic digester) plants.

“Ultimately where we would like to get to with all our customers is where we pick up their organics, we bring it back, turn it into compost, we bag it and put it back into the stores to provide a closed-loop system,” says Hedrick, adding that is something Walmart is looking at.

Marvin’s Organic Gardens receives food waste from about 160 Walmart stores in Ohio. About 50 tons per week are delivered to Marvin’s by waste-hauler Future Organics, a subcontractor of Quest Recycling.

Marvin’s combines the food scraps with both yard and animal waste in static piles on its 25-acre composting site to slowly produce compost. The process can take a couple of years, Duren says.

“I’m in no fancy hurry,” he explains. “I’m 10 years ahead of my need right now.”

Facilities that produce compost in a fraction of that time are using a lot of energy, Duren says.

“They’re in a fancy hurry,” he says. “If you can let the organisms consume it, let them do the work. The best compost . . . is highly mature.”

Duren adds that he could speed up the decomposition process using a product such as synthetic nitrogen.

“I wouldn’t help the end product, though,” he says, explaining that his goal is “working with nature, not trying to totally control it.”

Among issues compost facilities must deal with if they accept food waste, in addition to permitting, is odors, pests and pathogens and capital outlay. Also critical is ensuring that no non-organic items such as metals and plastics are included in the food waste, a policy Duren cites as a reason why some businesses are rejected from processing their food waste with Marvin’s.

“I cannot take even the smallest plastic,” Duren says. “I don’t have 500 years to wait.”

Hedrick says one of the biggest challenges to handling the amount of food waste being generated nationwide is lack of infrastructure. Duren agrees, noting that in Ohio, only 22 permits have been issued statewide to compost food waste.

“Right now the infrastructure quite honestly cannot handle it if every grocery store chain decided to jump on board and do this,” Hedrick says. “We’re probably five to 10 years off to handling everyone coming aboard.”

Composting facilities such as the Wilmington Organic Recycling Center, which opened in 2009 on a 27-acre site, are looking to fill that void. It is currently developing two projects in Massachusetts, one in New Jersey and Illinois, three in Florida and another in Maryland, according to Widell.

The Wilmington plant takes in 300 tons of food waste daily in a multi-state area encompassing New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. It also takes in 650 tons per day of yard waste and clean wood. In the first nine months of 2010, the facility generated about 30,000 tons of compost using aerated windrows.

“We built this [current Wilmington] facility under the premise of ‘if you build it they will come,’” Widell says. “We’re discovering that there’s a fairly large pent up demand for this service.”

“It’s the green thing,” Duren adds. “It’s the right thing to do.”

Cover photo courtesy of Cedar Grove Composting, www.cedar-grove.com.

Page 5: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

5September / October 2010 Soil & Mulch Producer News

Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS

The Amadas Soils & Bark Bagger is the bagger of choice for serious bark, soil andcompost bagging operations.

Amadas Industries established the standard in the bark and soils industry and now with over 30 years and millions of bags of experience, we are setting a new benchmark with innovative, modern design technology coupled with improved reliability and increased production capacity.

So, whether you’re just starting out and want a bagging system to establish the foundation of your growing business,or if you already operate a number of high productionplants and are thinking ofupgrading or automating with Form Fill and Seal equipment, let us put our experience to workfor you!

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Info Request #142

By P.J. Heller

With the federal government expected to publish its final rule for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program within

weeks, mulch producers are nervously watching to see if the grave concerns they have raised have been addressed.

“We’re hopeful,” said Bob LaGasse, executive director of the Mulch and Soil Council.

At issue is a provision inserted into the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) that provides financial subsidies for forest products — primarily those that produce mulch, wood composites, paper, pulp and packaging — that can be burned to create energy in biomass plants. The initial intent of BCAP, overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was to encourage and subsidize the growing of biomass crops.

As of Aug. 9, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency reported it had spent more than $242 million subsidizing BCAP in fiscal years 2009 and 2010. Of that amount, more than $190 million went to non-federal woody resources, with another $12.4 million going to federal woody resources, the agency said.

Making forest products eligible for the government subsidies, LaGasse and others say, created an uneven playing field with suppliers opting for the higher government payments rather than selling to mulch producers and others. The result, they argued, resulted in shortages of materials, higher prices and threatened job losses and business closures.

LaGasse noted that the addition of forest products into BCAP was done without public hearings or public comment.

“It slipped in the back door unnoticed,” he said.

The Mulch and Soil Council, along with other groups affected by the measure, responded with a furious letter writing campaign to government officials during a public comment period that ended in April. USDA reported it had received more than 24,000 comments.

“The whole concept of BCAP was originally a half decent idea,” LaGasse said. “Where it went bad was when it got applied to forest byproducts.

“The USDA has acknowledged it was not their intent to disturb the existing marketplace,” he said. “They are aware of the tremendous concerns and they have pledged every effort not to interfere with the marketplace. Whether or not they do that remains to be seen.”

LaGasse said a solution to the issue would be for USDA to go back to its original plan to provide growers with financial subsidies to raise new biomass crops on unproductive agricultural lands.

“The only part about forestry that we support at this point would be any crop subsidies for the production of plantation trees that are

Mulch Producers Await Final BCAP Rule From Feds

specifically grown and harvested for biomass,” he said.

Adding to the controversy over using forest wood for energy was a June report by the Manomet Center for Conservation and Sciences in Massachusetts that found such fuel was not

immediately carbon-neutral as had been widely assumed.

Rather, the report said, biomass harvested from actively managed, natural forests in the state results in greater greenhouse gas (GHG)

Continued on page 6

Page 6: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

6 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2010

Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS

Info Request #117

emissions than using fossil fuels. It also found that it could take decades for the resulting “carbon debt” to be paid off through the regrowth of those harvested trees.

Once the carbon debt is paid off, “biomass begins yielding carbon dividends in the form of atmospheric greenhouse gas levels that are lower than would have occurred from the use of fossil fuels to produce the same amount of energy,” it noted.

“While burning wood does emit more GHGs initially than fossil fuels, these emissions are removed from the atmosphere as harvested forests re-grow,” the organization said in a follow-up statement. “. . .The timing and magnitude of the recovery is a function of forest productivity, land management choices, and technology and fuel characteristics.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, meanwhile, is considering whether to require biomass plants to obtain greenhouse gas emission permits. Those plants are currently exempt from the requirement and have been considered carbon neutral.

Citing the Manomet report, LaGasse said it made no sense to disrupt the existing mulch and soil marketplace “that has such employment and environmental benefits in order to propagate a technology that actually has a very delayed payout.

“Here you’re taking carbon profitable businesses and putting them out of business today so that you can create this carbon deficit for the next 20 to 30 years,” he said. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

A final rule on BCAP could come by the end of September. The issue is expected to be a hot topic at the Oct. 27-29 annual meeting of the Mulch and Soil Council in Dallas.

Mulch Producers Await Final BCAP Rule from FedsContinued from page 5

Page 7: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

7September / October 2010 Soil & Mulch Producer News

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Page 8: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

8 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2010

Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS

Info Request #120

By Mark S. Kuhar

Soil and mulch producers live and die by their ability to create a consistent and viable product. So it is important when

considering screening media to identify which features are best for your operating efficiency.

Also important is the flexibility to adjust equipment for specific applications. The ability to switch to a different product specification while on the job can be critical. And a focus on productivity is always a key performance criteria.

Manufacturers are always seeking ways to improve screening products which, since the very first screens were used, were designed to do one specific job: separate and size a variety of types of materials.

There are a number of screening products designed to bring high performance and operational efficiency to materials producers. Key products include:

* Portable plants: A stand-alone shredding or grinding machine that separates and sizes product in one operation, typically utilizing a radial stacker.

* Star screens: A screen with an easy size adjustment, typically used with high-moisture materials.

* Shaker screens: A vibrating screening unit used to separate material and minimize blinding and clogging of screen media.

* Trommels: A cylindrical screening unit that uses the power of rotation to separate material.

Some of the most important things to consider when purchasing screening equipment include: 1. Will you be screening mostly wet or dry material and what type of material will you be screening (wood, compost or soil)? 2. What

particle size(s) are you looking to produce? 3. What size area (footprint) do you have available for your screening system? 4. Does the manufacturer offer a warranty period and/or maintenance support for their equipment? 5. Is the equipment easy to operate and does it allow for ease of changing out screen sizes, and 6. Does the manufacturer offer replacement parts and onsite service?

While there are well over a dozen screening equipment manufacturers in North America, the following is a short list of manufacturers (advertised in this issue) who provide screening equipment for use in topsoil, mulch and compost applications. Please note that these companies are listed in alphabetical order, and that the content of each company profile is based on the information gathered from each company.

The Meaning of Screening

Continued on next page

Screening-product manufacturers have a variety of innovative products and equipment solutions to offer soil and mulch producers.

Page 9: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

9September / October 2010 Soil & Mulch Producer News

Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS

Info Request #154

420 Industrial Parkway, Ossian, IN 46777 I Phone: 260-622-7200 I Toll Free: 866-298-1876 I Fax: 260-622-7220 I www.rethceif.com I [email protected]

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1 year payback on your machine. Rethceif equipment is so reliable you can achieve a 1 year payback on your investment.

15 minutes to change bag sizes. And no tools required.

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Talk to various film suppliers. Contact us via our web page or phone. Experience the Rethceif Difference.

Continued from previous page

Allu Groupwww.allu.net800-939-aLLu (2558) 201-288-2236

The ALLU Group, Inc., offers more than 50 models of screener and screener

crushers for materials processing. The portable devices are designed to be used with wheel loaders, backhoes and excavators; because they work with those machine’s existing hydraulics system, they do not need any extra hydraulics.

“This isn’t static. It’s mobile,” notes Dale Mickle, national sales manager in the U.S. for ALLU. “It can be used on-site, off-site, at a remote location. Any place you take your wheel loader or your backhoe or your excavator you can take the ALLU along just like any other attachment.”

ALLU, founded more than 30 years ago in Finland and with U.S. sales headquarters in Teterboro, N.J., touts the product’s ability to “replace expensive and hard-to-move screening plants.”

“The beauty of it is you can use it as a screener or use it as a crusher screener and its portability, changeability and the fact it will fit any base machine,” Mickle says.

The ALLU can screen, crush, aerate, mix, separate, and load quickly and efficiently materials like soil, mulch and green waste. Screening sizes start from 5/8” minus and also having a capacity of a half yard to six yards depending on the model. With the ALLU Screener Crusher, the amount of screening surplus is smaller than in a typical screening plant. The Screener Crusher can process a variety of materials, including topsoil, excavated soil, contaminated soil, clay, peat, bark, compost, biowaste, construction waste, milled asphalt and glass.

Amadas Industrieswww.amadas.com757-539-0231

Suffolk, Va.-based Amadas Industries has been manufacturing industrial equipment and engineered recycling systems for composting,

yard waste and construction debris, since 1963. Current product lines include trommels, peanut combines, peanut diggers, Reel Rain irrigators, cotton stalk puller/choppers, edible bean combines and other equipment for both the horticultural and recycling industries.

The company’s self-contained portable trommel features multi-product capability, overhead return conveyors and maximum throughput efficiency, according to the company.

Amadas manufactured a custom trommel system that is one of the largest on the east coast. The trommel is 60 feet long with a diameter of 96 in. It was constructed in three sections and transported to the operation site. Amadas field technicians installed all components, performed the final test, and trained the site personnel. This system has the ability to process 40-50 tons-per-hour when processing residential yard-waste material.

Amadas developed their screening equipment, for use in organics processing, by simply adapting their existing technology used in the harvesting and processing of peanuts.

According to the company, their peanut classifying system was made larger and heavier so that it could handle heavier material such as wood waste. Today the company specializes in building custom stationary trommels to handle the specific needs of each customer.

Continued on page 10

Page 10: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

10 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2010

Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS

DoppstadtUSwww.doppstadtus.com440-937-3225

Doppstadt trommels are manufactured for maximum versatility, providing numerous

innovative features that precisely control the machine’s various functions. This allows operators to realize significant production with a minimum amount of wear, fuel and labor. One of the key benefits, according to the company, is the punch plate steel drum, which provides a large active screening area, thus increasing output. And with the ability to

swap screening drums in less than 15 minutes, material processors can switch applications and end products with ease.

For customers that process organic material, extremely wet conditions can have a negative impact on productivity. To maintain high throughput in these conditions, the Doppstadt SM 720 and 720K trommels can quickly convert into a star screen with the drum insert option. Simply remove the existing drum, replace with the star screen insert, and resume operation.

Equally as effective as a dedicated standalone star screen, the star screen insert allows customers to extend the flexibility of their existing SM 720 trommel throughout any season and conditions. Wet, clumpy organic material with moisture content as high as 60% or more can continue to be processed.

The Doppstadt star screen works on a revised principle utilizing a softer urethane star design for extended life. The star shape on the shaft is oblong, rather than conventionally round, which aids dramatically in shaft cleaning. Alternate shaft speeds on the deck, are extremely effective in the stratification of material feed, leading to a cleaner oversize product and increased production rates.

“This is a great option for customers to

maintain full function of their trommel all year,” added Hugh Fagan, DoppstadtUS sales director. “It eliminates the need for many operations to invest in a second machine for only partial use in certain conditions.” Doppstadt will be releasing a star screen insert compatible with the SM 617 and SM 726 trommels later this year.

ORBIT SCREENS, Inc. www.orbitscreens.com563-922-9230

Utilizing a tilted rotating screen, Orbit Screens Inc., of Delhi, Iowa, describes its line of

screens as using “Mother Nature’s principles of

Info Request #153

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Continued from page 9

The Meaning of Screening

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Page 11: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

11September / October 2010 Soil & Mulch Producer News

Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS

material flow to effect an easy, quick and natural particle size separation.”

Orbit Screens was started in 2000 by veteran businessman and equipment developer Brad Schnittjer, whose involvement in the composting industry spans some 30 years. That background convinced him of the need for a better way to screen material for mulch-type materials.

“I came up with what I consider a better mousetrap,” he says of Orbit Screens.

Called “orbital action,” the Orbit Screens he developed utilize what he says is “mother nature’s way of separating particle sizes.”

The titled and rotating screens are designed so that when material rolls over itself, it automatically separates by particle size, with larger items coming to the surface and small particles going to the bottom.

“We captured that in the pocket of the screen as it turns. The shape of the screen and the centrifugal force and the rolling action of material separates it,” Schnittjer says.

Orbit Screens are available in two different sizes, a Series 50 with a 5-foot diameter screen, and the larger Series 60 with its 6-foot diameter screen. The equipment can process one ton of material on an ounce of fuel, Schnittjer says.

Schnittjer says a key selling point of Orbit Screens is the simplicity of the screening process and how that equates to higher value per dollar invested. The machines are designed to be

Info Request #107

Continued from previous page

trouble free and easy to service. “We think it’s probably the most general

purpose screening plant that there is,” he says.

REMU USA Incwww.remu.fi888-600-0018

Remu Ltd, a supplier of innovative screening and excavation systems in Europe, has

expanded its sales network to the United States and Canada, operating through its subsidiary Remu USA Inc.

The high-capacity Remu Combi is a non-clogging screening plant, first developed to screen mainly topsoil and compost. Because of its durable structure, it is now used more and more to separate difficult materials such

as yard waste, compost, clay and other sticky materials. The structure of the Combi is very compact but it can reach the capacity of 300 m³/h (400 y³/h).

The non-clogging screening element is built to last. The blades in the screening element of the Combi are made from steel, not rubber. This enables screening in all weather conditions.

When ordering the screening plant, the customer can decide the blade spacing for the particle size desired. Minimum blade spacing is 20 mm (3/4-in.) and it produces grain sizes of 0-15 mm (5/8-in. minus). The largest grain size that can be produced is 0-100 mm (4-in. minus).

The capacity and quality of the screening can be adjusted by changing the hydraulic screening element’s angle from five to 20 degrees.

The product also features an electronic “watch dog” that prevents clogging by starting automatic backward rotation. The backward rotating of blades cleans the screen efficiently and there is no need to stop the process for manual cleaning.

The ready-to-use Combi screening plant can be used skid-mounted as standard; available with wheels for temporary worksite use; with two axles for work site transportation; and crawler track mounted, with optional wireless remote control. Continued on page 12

Page 12: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

12 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2010

Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS

Info Request #160

www.raycomfg.com : 800.392.2686

Dispose of waste wood without breaking the bank! Finally… there is a horizontal grinder

within reach of the small contractor. The RAYCO RH1754 is the newest addition to RAYCO

Manufacturing’s line of environmental equipment. It is designed to be both compact and

affordable. Available as either towable or self propelled on a steel tracked undercarriage,

the RH1754 allows easy transportation from job to job and can be maneuvered and oper-

ated on small jobsites, inaccessible to larger machines. This unit is highly productive and

capable of grinding a wide variety of wood waste materials. It offers an economical solution

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Info Request #155

Screen USA, Inc.www.screenusa.net770-433-2440

With its line of trommels, shakers and shredding equipment,

Screen USA, Inc. focuses on the screening of high-moisture compost and organic materials with its Tornado Star Screeners, available in small, medium and large sizes, according to Rick Cohen, president. “Shaker Screens, trommel screens, and starscreens are commonly used to screen soils and compost,” he says. “The key is to know which application requires which screening technology. Screen USA dealers are thoroughly trained to apply the best screening technology for each customer’s needs. “Screen USA’s Trom406 Series of trommel screens are designed specifically for small producers utilizing a one yard or smaller loader bucket. This highly portable screening plant can be pulled down the road behind a 3/4 ton pick-up truck and can be ready to screen in only three minutes. The optional pulverizer/shredder allows producers of clumpy soil and compost to break up the material before it enters into the 4-ft. diameter by 6-ft. long screen. According to the company, the pulverizer/shredder is a key component of this screener and allows the machine to outperform larger, more expensive plants. “Another advantage of the Screen USA Trom406 is that the actual screen area is 6-ft. long,” Cohen says. For high moisture compost, Screen USA recommends a portable starscreener. Starscreeners are designed specifically for high-moisture organics. “Our Screen USA Tornado Star Screeners have a unique continuous-cleaning system that keeps the screen clean,” Cohen says. “This allows for optimal production. Another big advantage of starscreens is that the operator can change particle size by simply turning a dial. It can take up to a full day to change a screen on a trommel screen.”

Universal Equipment Manufacturing Inc.www.universalequipmentmfg.com614-586-1780

Launched about three years ago, Universal Equipment

Manufacturing prides itself on being an American company that produces its 720 Hornett trommel solely from American parts. Owner Jim Weber and vice president Bob Holmes have a combined 50 years experience in the soil and mulch industry.

The Hornett trommel was developed after Weber, who also owns Ohio Mulch, became frustrated with purchasing expensive parts from overseas. He initially started building trommels for his business, and then quickly discovered a ready market for the product. Universal Equipment, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, is a subsidiary of Ohio Mulch.

Holmes says one of the biggest selling points of the 720 Hornett trommel is availability of parts.

“The equipment here is made by Americans with American parts,” Holmes says. “You can go down the street in any city in this country and buy every single part for our machine right off the shelf. All the parts are U.S. parts that are readily available anywhere in this country.”

The 720 Hornett trommel, with its 99hp Cummins turbo-diesel engine,

Continued from page 11

The Meaning of Screening

Continued on next page

Page 13: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

13September / October 2010 Soil & Mulch Producer News

Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS

Info Request #128

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features a variety of engineering components for successful operation in handling products such as mulch, top soil, gravel, recyclables, organic wastes and yard wastes. An adjustable drum speed accommodates those various materials. Other features include easy-to-install interchangeable solid punch-plate drums that can be replaced in 15 minutes and an extra large hopper capacity (9.0 yd3) to increase production efficiency. The Hornett has a screen diameter of 7 feet and a 20-foot screen length.

West Salem Machinery Cowww.westsalem.com800-722-3530

West Salem Machinery’s (WSM) line of heavy duty

screening and size-reduction machinery is ideally suited for converting bark and wood waste into premium quality soil and landscape products, according to the company. From individual grinding and screening machines to complete bark and mulch processing systems — WSM’s products and systems are proven industry performers for creating high-value fiber and mulch products.

WSM Disc Screens are designed for high volume, rough classification of many materials including bark, wood chips, and compost material. The company reports that size and configuration are customized for each customer’s needs. WSM Disc Screens include low speed and smooth operation which eliminates the need for special support structures.

WSM vibrating screens provide high capacity, precise classification of a wide range of products and are available with optional metal detection.

Continued from previous page

Continued on page 14

Page 14: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

14 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2010

Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS

Info Request #119

Additional, optional ball deck assemblies provide additional agitation when processing wetter material.

WSM Trommel Screens are used to screen compost materials for use as landscaping and soil amendment products. WSM Trommel Screens are available in 4-, 6-, 8- and 10-ft. drum diameters and lengths from 15 to 60 ft. Production capacities are available up to 500 cubic yards per hour. The company notes its trommel screens are built for severe-duty applications and are designed to provide years of trouble free separation.

WSM oscillating screens provide efficient and effective classification of a variety of wood and bark materials. The company’s heavy duty design includes numerous features for improved operation. Production capacities are available up to 80 units per hour. All WSM oscillating screens are available with a full range of options and are designed to meet customer requirements, according to the company.

Wildcat Manufacturing Co.www.wildcatmfg.com605-925-4512

Wi l d c a t Manufacturing

Co., part of the Vermeer group of companies, builds its equipment for maximum screening e ff ic iency. Wi ldcat trommel screens were designed by actual

Continued from page 13

The Meaning of Screeningoperators, the company says. The large feed hopper sits low to the ground, so it’s easy to feed material into the screening drum. A large throat opening between the hopper and drum helps minimize material bridging, according to the company.

Additional features include:* Removable side panels expose the full length of the drum screen,

providing for easy maintenance and cleaning. * Put the finished product where you need it – loading directly into a

truck or stockpiling using the optional radial stacking conveyor that swings a full 200 degrees.

* Avoid jams because both the drum and feed conveyor are reversible.

According to the company’s Tim O’Hara, there are two major advantages to a Wildcat trommel. “The first is our tensioned screen panels,” O’Hara says. “Tensioning the screen panel adds strength to the panel allowing the customer to install a smaller diameter wire for certain applications. This increases open screening area and thereby increased production. Smaller diameter has the added ability to process wetter material due to the smaller diameter wire. The second advantage of Wildcat trommels is the Vermeer dealer network, which offers parts and service worldwide.”

Setting up a screening plant to meet the needs of the customer is critical to the success of an operation, according to O’Hara. “The most important aspect of our relationship with our customers is continued communication, adapting the unit as their needs change.”

Along with standard options such as radial and extended conveyors Wildcat offers hopper grids, electric units, magnets, specialized conveyor belting and a wide variety of screen panel selections, including stainless steel.

Mark S. Kuhar is a Medina, Ohio-based freelance writer.

Page 15: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

15September / October 2010 Soil & Mulch Producer News

Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS

For more info, go to the WHEN Advertisers' Directory at www.wastehandling.comInfo Request #150

Herbicide May be the Cause of Washington Crop Die-Off

Waste Management Acquires Majority Interest in Garick LLC

Waste Management (WM) recently acquired a majority equity interest in Garick LLC, a Cleveland, Ohio-based manufacturer of organic lawn and garden products, reports rttnews.com. The acquisition will allow Garick to expand its organic recycling services

and commercial and consumer products across North America, and adds more than 1 million tons of processing capacity to WM’s operations.

WM officials say the acquisition will help its residential, commercial and industrial customers to convert their organic waste products in soil amendments, compost and mulch. WM’s position as a leader in collecting and managing organic feedstock coupled with Garick’s experience in converting organic waste into retail products is expected to result in the development of high value-added end markets. With WM’s support, Garick will soon expand its footprint in supply and service and grow its customer base.

Crosscut.com reports that Washington State University (WSU) researchers are urging state agriculture officials to ban the use of

powerful herbicides that they believe are the cause of a mysterious crop die-off that has cost farmers in Whatcom County hundreds of thousands of dollars. The herbicide Clopyralid and its newer and more powerful spin-off Aminopyralid are mainly used by hay and grain farmers in Eastern Washington to keep down thistles and broadleaf weeds. Investigators with the Washington State Agriculture Department (WSDA) found the long-lasting herbicides still lingering in the compost at Whatcom’s decimated crop lands. Both herbicides are considered safe for human exposure.

A spokesperson for Dow Agrosciences, the subsidiary of Dow Chemical Co. that makes Clopyralid and Aminopyralid, says the company has experienced a “breakdown in the stewardship” of its products and is working with state regulators to “get to the bottom” of the Whatcom crop die-off. It won’t be easy. Tracking a long-lasting herbicide as it makes its way through the supply chain – from the manufacturer to the farm to the truck to the composting facility and then back to the farm – will be a daunting task.

Clayton Burrows, owner of Alm Hill Gardens, a 70-acre organic farm in Everson, blames the herbicides for costing him $250,000 in produce. This year, Alm Hill Gardens has produced just 20 pounds of tomatoes. The farm averages about 3,000 pounds annually. When investigators told Burrows

they found traces of Clopyralid and Aminopyralid in the compost he used on his tomatoes, beans, peas and raspberries he was shocked. Burrows soon heard from several other organic farmers in the area who had experienced the same thing – poor yields, and traces of both Clopyralid and Aminopyralid.

Back in 2008, Dow pulled both herbicides from the UK market in response to repeated complaints, but they were never pulled from the US market. Since then, however, both herbicides have been reintroduced in the UK. The advantage of Clopyralid and Aminopyralid is that they take a long time to decompose in compost and can continue to kill weeds for as much as a year after first application. More than a half dozen

commercial composters have filed lawsuits against Dow, alleging that Clopyralid’s longevity is a product defect and that Dow should have realized the herbicide would eventually make its way into compost and kill crops.

According to WSU researchers, they also linger on hay and lawns. Even in concentrations as minute as 2 to 3 parts per billion, these herbicides can kill crops for more than 14 months after initial application. Unusually, WSU researchers add, when Clopyralid and Aminopyralid-treated hay and grass is composted, the herbicides actually become more potent as they break down more slowly than other organic materials in the compost.

Page 16: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

16 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2010

Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS

Info Request #162

Shortage of FSC Wood Could Increase the Cost of Green Construction

The United States is in the thick of a “green trend.” Increased awareness of and commitment to sustainability and

improving the environment through reduced carbon emissions and energy use have led to more consumer demand for “green” products, including green construction, according to a recent report in sciencedaily.com. Even with the downturn in the housing market, a 2008 poll showed that 91 percent of registered voters nationwide would still pay more for a house if that meant a reduced impact on the environment.

The same is true for the commercial building industry, as construction companies prioritize environmental investments as a smart return on investment over the life of the structure. In

fact, green building products and services in the United States are expected to grow to $60 billion in 2010.

Whether private or commercial, most construction projects require a substantial amount of wood. While wood is already considered a renewable, carbon-friendly resource, the use of wood alone is insufficient for most building projects. Additionally, using wood certified through the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) only garners one point toward Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification -- the ultimate goal of green builders. Further, sawmills must also seek FSC certification in order for wood to be fully categorized as FSC-certified.

A new study by Pat Penfield of the Whitman

School of Management at Syracuse University, and René Germain of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, reveals that the low LEED point for use of FSC wood, coupled with both a shortage of FSC-certified sawmills and a shortage of FSC wood in New York state, may cause a bottleneck for green construction. Their paper, “The Potential Certified Wood Supply Chain Bottleneck and Its Impact on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Construction Projects in New York State,” was published in Forest Products Journal, Vol. 60, No. 2.

“New York has approximately 1.46 million acres of FSC-certified forestland,” says Penfield. “But 27 percent of the builders we surveyed report having difficulty locating suppliers for this wood -- there simply are not enough FSC-certified sawmills. Nearly half of the builders perceive a shortage of FSC-certified wood in the marketplace.”

Penfield and Germain found that builders prefer to buy their wood locally, but more than 30 percent are forced to purchase FSC-certified wood outside of New York State, for which they usually pay a premium price.

“These findings suggest a lack of product in New York state,” says Germain. “Lack of supply combined with premium prices could potentially discourage use of FSC-certified wood and increase the use of non-wood, thereby defeating the well-documented benefits of using a sustainable resource.”

Penfield and Germain recommend increasing the supply of FSC-certified wood by encouraging more New York state sawmills through price premiums to seek FSC certification. They also recommend raising the points allotted to FSC-certified wood toward LEED certification.

“The ultimate goal should be to increase the use of wood from well-managed forestlands in construction,” says Penfield. “If the shortage is not addressed, the role of FSC-certified wood in green construction in New York State could be detrimentally impacted.”

Source: sciencedaily.com.

Info Request #156

Page 17: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

17September / October 2010 Soil & Mulch Producer News

SCreen. better.Grind It.Shred It. Screen It.

Screen Super-Wet Material (with no build-up. seriously.)Replace any SM 720 trommel drum with our star screen module, and maintain dry production rates through rain, winter or other high-moisture conditions. For even greater productivity, our Tri-Flex three-way standalone star screen can produce three end products. The unique elliptical star shape coupled with alternating shaft speeds keeps stars free of build-up, maximizing performance all day long. Ready to learn more? Visit www.DoppstadtStarScreens.com today.

www.DoppstadtStarScreens.com 440-937-3225

elliptical star shape

robust material action

feed auger

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Info Request #129

Page 18: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

18 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2010

Info Request #127

2710C 4700B 4800E 5000H 5710C 6750B BTR

800-269-6520 • www.petersoncorp.com • PO BOX 40490 • Eugene, OR 97404

Waste In, Products OutHigh volume wood waste recyclers know that when it comes to creating the highest volume products at the lowest cost per ton, nothing reduces urban wood waste, stumps, or brush like a Peterson horizontal grinder!

Just one look at a Peterson can show you why we build the most innovative grinders in the market. For nearly thirty years, Peterson’s attention to detail and drive to build the highest quality, highest volume producing machines make a Peterson a sure investment.

Want to see what a Peterson Horizontal Grinder can do? Give us a call at 800.269.6520 or visit us at www.petersoncorp.com.

Page 19: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

19September / October 2010 Soil & Mulch Producer News

Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS

Info Request #152

—introducing—720 Hornett trommel Screen

for High Capacity Screening

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Info Request #136Info Request #106

Pull-Type, PTO Driven, Heavy Duty

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Dos Palos, CA 93620 • 209-392-6103www.hclmachineworks.com

email: [email protected]

Maine Composter Battles Government Over Pollution Accusations

The pressherald.com reports that Robert St. Onge, the owner of Winterwood Farm composting, has been found

guilty of contempt in connection with a long-running dispute with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) over pollution in a nearby stream. St. Onge is appealing the ruling. Winterwood Farm was, until recently, one of the state’s largest recyclers of lobster shells, cow manure and other organic waste. The farm produces compost that is popular among gardeners.

Reportedly, in October 2005 heavy rains washed nitrogen from Winterwood Farm into nearby Lords Brook, a tributary of Kennebunk River. After the storm, residents living downstream of the farm began complaining of terrible odors and reporting a sticky white fungus coating the stream bed. DEP investigators later ruled that Winterwood did not have the capability to contain stormwater discharge and ordered the operation shut down until the problem could be addressed. St. Onge, however, continued accepting and composting waste after the order was issued and refused to enter into a consent agreement to prevent a repeat incident.

St. Onge claims the DEP has been inflexible in allowing him to address the problem, despite offers to assist him made by the DEP and other government agencies. He recently filed for bankruptcy, and his lawyer says he is appealing the contempt ruling in order to get a chance to tell his side of the story.

attn: 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.

Page 20: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

20 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2010

Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS

Info Request #105

Info Request #104

Cell 620.408.8330

ROTO-MIX® L LC • 2205 E . W yat t E a r p • D o D g E C i t y, K S 67801 • 620. 225.1142 • Fax 620.225.6370 • W W W. r oto m i x . Co m

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Take time today, call for more information

Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo Returns November 3 – 4, 2010

The Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo, Canada’s only national trade show serving the waste, recycling and public

works markets, will return to the International Centre in Toronto this November 3 – 4, 2010 with the largest event in its history. More than 200 exhibiting companies are expected to participate in the 13th edition of the event. Product categories will include composting systems, scrap recycling, public works, landfill operations, transfer stations, recycling equipment, trucks & heavy equipment, waste treatment, software and more. Addressing the ever-growing issue of waste management, collection and recycling, the Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo 2010 will attract hundreds of serious buyers from the private industry as well as the federal, provincial and municipal governments.

New to the show this year is the Canadian Waste Sector Symposium (CWSS), produced by the Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA). “Together the Canadian Waste Sector Symposium and the Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo provide business and municipalities with unparalleled opportunities to learn, network and keep abreast of waste industry technology - a unique Canadian opportunity and experience,” said Rob Cook, president of the Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA).

The CWSS will take place November 1 – 3, 2010 at the Westin Bristol Place Hotel in conjunction with CWRE. The 2 ½ day event will include options for three facility tours (Composting & Organics Processing; MRF’s and Transfer Stations; Electronics Recycling, Collection and Processing) and 1 ½ days of sessions covering a variety of the most relevant topics facing the industry. Seminar topics will include Hazardous Waste Management, Organic Waste Management, EPR & Waste Sector Servicing, Green Energy, Waste Disposal & Transfer, Human Resources, Marketing & Promotion, Waste Audits and Servicing and more. To register online, please visit www.CWRE.ca.

Both hard and soft wood material, exported from Nigeria

• Excellent for making fuel pellets •

For more information please contact the Eglone Group at 345-325-3507 CST

or [email protected] or visit www.eglone-group.com.

Raw Sawdust Available!

Page 21: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

21September / October 2010 Soil & Mulch Producer News

Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS

Info Request #108

For sale

2001 Farwick/Komptech Hurrikan Separator $49,9882300 Hours. Very Good Condition. Well Maintained. Must See. Machine is located in Kansas City, Missouri.

Contact Greg or John Ph: (816)478-9119 or (816)809-9491

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1999 Wildcat RHC6230 $55,000Great running Trommel. It’s a must see. Call for onsite demo of this machine. Machine is located in Kansas City, Missouri.

Contact Greg or John Ph: (816)478-9119 or (816)809-9491

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POWERSCREEN MIDWEST - MAIN

Composter to Expand Despite Odor Complaints

The associated Press reports that the Washington-based compost company Cedar Grove plans to triple its capacity to produce compost despite vehement odor complaints by the residents of the

nearby towns of Everett and Marysville. Cedar Grove converts food and yard waste into commercial compost products. Currently, the company processes roughly 195,000 tons of waste annually.

According to The Herald of Everett, Cedar Grove has filed its intent to expand its capacity three-fold with state and federal agencies. The company’s officials maintain that for now they have no immediate plans to process more compost, but admit they would like to construct an electricity plant. Residents of Everett and Marysville are concerned that expanded operations will result in an increase in odor emissions.

California Egg Farm Will Run on Poultry Waste

Olivera Egg Ranch in French Camp, California (just south of Stockton) plans to power its operations with a readily abundant, easily procured byproduct – chicken manure, reports The Los

Angeles Times. At Olivera, there’s more than enough chicken manure to go around, prompting its managing partner, Edward Olivera, to think “why not make it work for us?” The ranch plans to construct an anaerobic manure digester capable of turning poultry waste into methane gas to power a 1.4-megawatt fuel cell and generate electricity.

Olivera Egg Ranch will reportedly use more than 1 million pounds of poultry waste a week to power its operations – thus reducing its electricity bills and disposal costs. By sending the waste to the digester, rather than its long-standing manure lagoons, the ranch can also begin to mend relations with its neighbors who have complained for years about noxious odor emissions.

The digester will be designed by G3 Power Systems Inc., a Novato, California power systems company. Methane gasses created inside the digester will power a fuel cell designed by FuelCell Energy Inc., a Danbury, Connecticut manufacturer. It will take about 22 days from the time the manure enters the digester for it to be heat-sterilized. The resulting solid material will be suitable for animal bedding and the liquid byproduct will be used as a soil amendment on nearby farm fields.

EPA Doles Out $16 Million for Brownfield Cleanup Projects

The EPA recently announced plans to distribute more than $16 million for brownfield cleanup projects in communities representing 27 state or local governments, reports epa.gov. EPA officials say

the funds will help remediate polluted sites, boost local economies and create jobs. The US is currently home to an estimated 450,000 abandoned contaminated waste sites in need of remediation. Since the EPA began its brownfields cleanup program, the agency has reportedly doled out more than $96 million in funding and facilitated more than $2.5 billion in redevelopment investment.

The proposed projects being considered for this latest round of funding include: a mill redevelopment project in North Dam Mill, Biddeford, Maine that will provide both housing and economic development opportunities to revitalize a downtown area and create open space to be used by the community; cleanup of the former Swift Factory in Hartford, Connecticut that will be converted into a green business co-location center to provide below-market rent to artisan businesses and companies creating green products; and the redevelopment of more than 38 acres of a former manufacturing plant as an industrial park in the towns of Dixmoor and Harvey, Illinois.

Page 22: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

22 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2010

Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWSBiomass Power Association Refutes the Claims of Biomass Study

Renewableenergyworld.com reports that Bob Cleaves, president and CEO of Biomass Power Association (BPA) is calling a recent report released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) on biomass

fuels misleading and refutes the group’s claim that the BPA and its members advocate harvesting trees for energy production. The vast majority of biomass facilities, says Cleaves, use wood waste material and industry byproducts to produce clean energy. “The (EWG) study has no relevance to how biomass power is generated in this country today and no relevance to how it will be generated in the foreseeable future,” he adds.

The EWG has claimed that the biomass power industry will not be able to reach its goal of generating 25 percent of all US electricity from renewable sources by 2025 without harvesting whole trees. According to the EWG report, it would take the equivalent of clear-cutting between 18 and 30 million acres of forest to make the goal. Cleaves says the BPA is not aware of any facilities using whole trees for energy and maintains that it would not be an economically sustainable approach to biomass. In addition, he adds, the costs of cutting down one tree outweigh the potential energy benefits of biomass.

The EWG’s has also claimed that the American Clean Energy and Security Tax will lead to the burning of whole trees. Cleaves disputes this claim, noting that government tax credits are only available for waste wood products and organic byproducts, not merchantable timber.

2010 Organics Recycling Assoc.of Ohio Annual Conference

friday, Oct. 22, 20108:00am - 3:00pm

Ramada Plaza Hotel & Conference Center Columbus, OH

Sessions include:“The • New Paradigm and Competition for Organics” - moderated by Michael Greenberg of GT Environmental.

Methane Collection o Anaerobic Digestion o Waste to Energy o Compostingo Where is this all headed?o

Patrick • Garity, St Louis Composting, The fight to keep landfill yard waste bans in place.

Beau D• aane, Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District, Cleveland Green Venues (Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Q Arena and more!)

Joe Go• icochea, Ohio EPA, Interactive Mapping System for Food Scrap Diversion

Update• s from the OEPA and ODNR and more!

For further information, please contact Linda Robertson at [email protected], visit our website at

ohiocompost.org, or call 330-241-9382.

conference registration

required

MSC is pleased to announce the 2010 Annual Meeting Program for Dallas, October 27-29, 2010. Council

VP & Program Chair Steve Liffers (Coastal Supply Co.) has assembled an exciting agenda full of timely and valuable topics critical to the profitable operational future of MSC member companies. This year we are taking a critical look at:

• National Health Care Impacts for Your Business• Raw Materials Supplies• How to Deal with the Ongoing Economic Depression• What’s in Store for the Mid-Term Elections• Getting to Market with New Transportation Challenges• Environmental Markets and Carbon Credit Changes• Sustainability and Its Impact on Soil Products

Special Keynote PresentationWe are extremely excited to have among our cadre of expertspeakers one of the foremost U.S. economists and futurists, Dr. Lowell Catlett, of the University of New Mexico. Dr. Catlett has a unique take on trends in healthcare, agriculture, the environment, education and more. He is a consultant to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, Defense and Labor. See Dr. Catlett’s Keynote session description (below) and check out his website at: http://lowellcatlett.com.

Experts on Every TopicAlso on our program are leading authorities in health care, politics, trucking, forest processing, environmental markets including:

Mike Beene, General Counsel, National Association for the Self-Employed Rebecca Brewster, President, American Trucking Research InstituteBrian Jackson, Asst. Prof., North Carolina State UniversityHugh Whalan, Business Development Director, Environmental Credit Corp.Paul Short, President, Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss AssociationDavid Crow, President, DC Legislative & Regulatory Services

NEW Low, Low, Low CostThis year we have dropped the cost for additional registrants from the same company by more than half to $150 advanced registration. This is an important program for everyone; so, BRING EVERYONE!

THANK YOU to Our Sponsors!The level of speaker programming this year is higher than ever and made possible only through the very generous support of our program sponsors:

For more information contact: Mulch & Soil Council • 10210 Leatherleaf Ct. • Manassas, VA 20111703.257.0111 • Fax: 703.257.0213 • [email protected]

Coming Out From Under. . . .39th MSC Annual Meeting ProgramGrand Hyatt Hotel @ DFW, Dallas, TXOctober 27-29, 2010

FOR SALE:Hogged Hardwood material.

Can be used for mulch, boiler fuel, etc. material is located in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Contact Jacob weaver at

814.425.2500 ext. 224 or [email protected]

Page 23: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

23September / October 2010 Soil & Mulch Producer News

Info Request #141

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The WILDCAT LOGO is a trademark of Wildcat Mfg. Co, Inc. VERMEER is a trademark of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the United States and / or other countries.

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Page 24: Soil & Mulch Producer News Sep/Oct2010

InsIde ThIs IssueFood Waste Tops Menu for Compost Facilities

PAGE 1

Mulch Producers Await Final BCAP Rule From Feds

PAGE 5

The Meaning of Screening –A Look at 9 Screening-Product Manufacturers

PAGE 8

Shortage of FSC Wood Could Increase the Cost of Green Construction

PAGE 16

EPA Doles Out $16 Million for Brownfield Cleanup Projects

PAGE 21

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

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Ph: 440-257-6453 • Fax: 440-257-6459Email: [email protected]

VOL. IV NO. 5 SeP / OCt 2010

Info Request #130

REMUREMU USA Inc.

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REMU screening buckets and plants• Screen without crushing (no sharp particles in the screened material)• Particle size starts from 5/8” minus (0-15 mm)• Models for nearly every size and type of base unit• Bucket volumes form 0,1 to 8 cupic yards• Lowest fuel and maintain costs

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