spring 2011 compost communicator

Spring 2011

Compost

Comm

unicator

Austin2012Table of Contents 3 PreSidenT’S GreeTinG

4 eXeCUTiVe direCTOr’S MeSSAGe

6 AbOUT AUSTin And 2012 COnferenCe HQ

6 USCC bOArd MeMberS & OffiCerS Membership New Members

7 MeMberS COrner Synagro acquires Hypex ACP Update

10 2011 COnferenCe PHOTOS

11 STA SPOTliGHT On WeSTern lAke SUPeriOr SAniTAry diSTriCT

12 leGiSlATiVe UPdATe U.S. Composting Council Helps Fight Landfill Ban Repeals

13 beST Of liST SerVe

14 in THe neWSAAPFCO Update Virginia Streamlines Compost Facility Permitting Processes

Executive Director’s Message Stu Buckner

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President’s Greeting Frank Franciosi

Records were set in every category during our 2011 conference in Santa Clara: more attendees (over 1100); more exhibitors; more demonstrators; more sponsors, and more money raised to fund the USCC’s many programs than ever before. The pre-conference workshops were packed and the social events were a huge success. The equipment demonstration day at the Newby Island Composting Facility was the most well attended in USCC conference history. See some of the 2011 conference photos inside this issue. Our work is cut out for us to improve upon this next year, and we are already hard at work trying to make that happen for you. Please visit www.compostingcouncil.org and check your mail for information about what lies ahead in 2012.

A new Spring Season—Spring is seen as a time of growth and renewal. Spring has been celebrated with rites and festivals in many cultures, signifying its importance to their civilization. Spring is associated with the sowing of crops and the beginning of new life. For

composters, it is a very busy time of the year. Most of us can make or break our year based on our Spring sales performance. I wish all of you a very successful Spring season.

As we change seasons, we also changed our leader-ship at the USCC. I am honored to serve as your new President. I want to take this time to thank Wayne King for his dedicated service over the past two years. As Past President, Wayne will Chair the Strategic Alliance Committee. Wayne’s hard work has left the Council in great shape. He has sown seeds in areas that will posi-tion our organization to grow in many ways. It is my plan to germinate these seeds to grow into healthy policies and programs during my tenure as President. We are coming off of the most successful conference in USCC history, but we plan to continue to improve our product by making our conferences even more interesting to our core members. We must also reach out to new groups like educators and landscape architects and make them a part of our conference audience. We are in the process of planning for Austin 2012, and we hope to deliver to you a new and improved annual conference.

Your Board is made up of fifteen talented and commit-ted individuals who have assembled a 5 Year Strategic Plan. This will be the Council’s road map and it will guide us with our annual work plans. Committees are

now aligned with this document and have assigned USCC staff to execute their meetings and work plans. Please contact the Chairperson if you want to get involved with one of these Committees. This is a great way to contribute to your industry.

For those of you have not seen our new website, please take some time to go online and register. Our new site is more robust and user-friendly. We have improved on getting our communications out in a timelier manner. This is extremely important, especially with time sensi-tive information from our Legislative & Environmental Affairs Committee (LEAC). Please go to the Advocacy section of the website to find this information. We now have a “Looking to Buy Compost” section that is linked to Google Maps. We’ve also added a section for

“Home Composting.” Look for this section to expand with more consumer information about composting and compost use.

Our Market Development Committee (MDC) is working on finalizing the new “Consumer Use Program.” This program will link the Compost Technical Data Sheet from the STA Program to three consumer end-use applications: Lawns; Trees & Shrubs; and Flower & Vegetable Gardens. This program will help consumers understand both the benefits and uses of compost on the landscape and in the garden. The MDC is also working with the Communications, LEAC and ICAW Committees on the long awaited National Branding & Marketing Program. They are finalizing a Request for Proposal to go out in April and hope to identify a firm to work within the second quarter of this year. This is an important milestone for the Council. We want to mainstream composting and compost in every home in America. Our message must be crafted to be simple and direct. We must convey to the public who we are, the benefits of what we do, and the product that we manufacture.

Spring also reminds us that International Compost Awareness Week is just around the corner. I have to brag that this year’s poster winner is from Raleigh, NC. Heather Lawrence’s art deco style poster is just outstanding. I would like to thank Heather and all of the other poster contest artists for their hard work. Please take some time to go on our website to view all of the posters. Please contact our Chair, Jeff Ziegenbein at [email protected] if you have activities planned for ICAW. We would like to post these activities on the website.

We are now positioned to re-launch the Composting Council’s Research & Education Foundation (CCREF). This is a separate Non Profit 501(c) 3 Foundation. Our By-laws and Board have been restructured to engage participation from composters, educators, researchers and philanthropists. We need a healthy CCREF to con-tinue to fund compost research. The CCREF will need your financial support to be a vibrant self-sustaining organization. To donate to this cause, please visit the website under the “Foundation” menu.

Membership; it all happens because of you! I want to thank you for your continued support of our industry. This year please take the challenge of bringing a new member to our Council. With our new membership categories, there is no excuse—we have a place for everyone. I wish you all a great Spring season.

COMPOST COMMUniCATOr iS ediTed by STU bUCkner & Al rATTie

USCC 20th Annual Conference & Tradeshow17–20 January 2012 Renaissance Austin Hotel Austin, TX

04 | Spring Issue Compost Communicator

20th Annual Conference & Tradeshow | Jan 2012

Executive Director’s Message Stu Buckner

USCC’s 19th Annual Conference & Tradeshow—bigger, better & More Successful than ever!The USCC’s 19th Annual Conference & Tradeshow was another huge success. More than 1,100 composting and organics recycling professionals and 130 exhibi-tors attended the Conference on January 24–27 in Santa Clara, CA. Hosted by a record 62 sponsors, the Annual Conference attracted a national and interna-tional audience, with representatives from nearly every state and 18 countries. The program featured 13 pre-conference workshops and training courses and more than 100 educational and technical presentations on every aspect of; Composting & the Benefits of Compost Use, Food and Organics Diversion, Anaerobic Digestion and Bioenergy, Carbon Credits, Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Compost Education, Sales and Marketing, International Developments, plus a full day Compostable Plastics Symposium.

The conference also featured a record number of Equipment Demonstrations by many of the leading equipment manufacturers and suppliers in the industry. Demo day attendance was an all time high! eQUiPMenT deMOnSTrATed inClUded:

p Grinding and shredding equipment from rotochopper, Peterson, komptech, Morbark, duratech, Hammel, doppstadt USA, bandit

industries and Vermeer Corporation. p Screening equipment from McCloskey international,

doppstadt USA, komptech, Peterson, Terra-Select and Wildcat

p Air classification equipment by Airlift Separator/Hawker Corp., Terra-Select and komptech

p Waste reduction/Pulper & Hydra-Extractor by Somat p Mixing Equipment from rOTO-MiX and Supreme international

p Screening buckets and other attachments from Allu p Turning equipment from komptech, Vermeer

Corporation, backhus, Wildcat, Midwest biosystems & Scarab Manufacturing and leasing

p Bagging Equipment by rotochopper p Compost Application Equipment by ecolawn p Front end Loaders and Excavators from CAT (by Peterson Tractor) and John deere (by Pape equipment)

The 6th Annual Compost Showcase had a different look this year, focusing on establishing compost branding. Special thanks and congratulations to STA partici-pants Engel & Gray and the Inland Empire Regional Composting Authority for putting together 2 excellent examples of product branding and walking away with some very nice prizes from Midwest Labs and Reotemp Instruments as a result.

2012 ShowCASe it’s not too early to think about it!

It’s not too early to start thinking about next year’s conference and your compost branding concepts and programs. We need everyone’s creativity and input to raise the visibility and viability of compost as a main-stream horticultural product. Please bring them to the 2012 conference to share with all.

2010 USCC AwArd wInnerSThe USCC would like to congratulate the winners of the USCC’s 2010 Annual Awards. Among this year’s conference highlights were awards presented for out-standing achievements in the composting industry.

THeSe inClUded:

Composter of the year—Awarded to Ron Miesbauer, South Kern Compost Manufacturing Facility, Taft, CA Synagro’s South Kern Compost Manufacturing Facility is one of the newest and largest commercial compost facilities utilizing air emission control devices in the United States. The 44-acre facility receives and processes over 600 wet tons per day of biosolids,

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Composting Performance



combined with bulking agents in the produc-tion of high-quality soil amendment products. The Facility set the current standards for Best Available Control Technology for VOC & ammonia emissions

from co-compost facilities in the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. The Facility, along with all of Synagro’s California operations, recently received the 2010 CalRecycle for Waste Reduction Award for assist-ing municipalities across the State of California with State-mandated recycling and diversion requirements. (Lorrie Loder accepted the award for Synagro)

Composting Program of the year—Awarded to Greg Gelewski, Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency, Syracuse, NY OCRRA is a non-profit public benefit corpora-tion charged with man-

aging trash and recycling for Onondaga County. OCRRA offers a series of programs promoting waste reduction and recycling, reaching homeowners, apartment dwell-ers, businesses, industrial operations, and institutions including schools and universities. Onondaga County’s commercial and residential outlets consistently recycle more than 60% of waste. The agency was able to pro-cess over 1,000 tons of food and food process wastes in 2010 on a minimal foot print and without regulatory violation. Now, OCRRA’s goal is to develop an innova-tive, 13-acre Yard and Food Waste Composting Facility to cost-effectively optimize the region’s recycling and reuse opportunities.

Hi kellogg Award for Outstanding Service to the Composting industry—Awarded to Craig Coker, Coker Composting and Consulting, Vinton, VA Craig has over 30 years experience in

the planning, permitting, design, construction and operation of organics recycling facilities processing a variety of feedstocks, as well as in the marketing and sales of compost and compost-amended horticultural products. He is an experienced compost operations trainer, having worked with the Carolinas Composting Council, the North Carolina Composting Council, the U.S. Composting Council and PROP in the delivery of educational courses and seminars.

rufus Chaney Award for research excellence—Awarded to Dr. Fred Michel, The Ohio State University Compost Research Group, Wooster, OH

Dr. Fred Michel has played a significant role in the advance-ment of the science of composting since 1992 at Michigan State University. His educational background provides a

strong basis for analytical research into the biochem-istry of the composting process. Dr. Michel’s research in composting has continued since he joined The Ohio State University in 1999. Dr. Michel has been a prin-ciple investigator or collaborator for 13 funded com-posting research projects. His research has addressed optimization of the composting process, analysis of changes in biochemistry and microbial communities during composting, and utilization of finished compost.

The H. Clark Gregory Award to Promote Grassroots efforts in Composting—Awarded to Alice Waters, Chez Panisse Foundation “The Edible School Yard”Alice Waters is Chef,

Author and proprietor of Chez Panisse. Chez Panisse has helped create a community of local farmers and ranchers whose dedication to sustainable agriculture has assured the restaurant a steady supply of fresh and pure ingredients for over 40 years. In 1996, Alice’s commitment to education led to the creation of The Edible Schoolyard at Berkeley’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School: a one-acre garden, an adjacent kitchen-classroom, and an “eco-gastronomic” curriculum. By actively involving students in all aspects of the food cycle, The Edible Schoolyard is a model public educa-tion program that instills the knowledge and values we need to build a humane and sustainable future.

USCC Clean Water Award—Awarded to Ron Alexander, R. Alexander Associates, Inc. Apex, NC Ron has over two decades of experi-ence in the compost industry. He was

instrumental in drafting AASHTO specs for compost blankets, berms and socks and working with state DOTs on the adoption of AASHTO specs across the U.S.. These specifications were the first federally approved standards and have served as a blue print for many subsequent standard specs for compost in erosion and sediment control. Ron has also helped to secure funding and coordinate university research and project implementation for compost blanket and sock performance, and flood control applications with WRAP in the UK.

Outstanding Service Award—Awarded to Ginny Black, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Paul, MN Ginny began her professional career in 1981, as a

citizen lobbyist advocating for the protection of the Environment. She was hired by the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance in 1987 and assisted MN counties in planning and implementing programs to recycle and safely dispose of the garbage generated by the business and residential sectors. In 2002 and 2009, she received the Public Service Award from the Recycling Association of Minnesota. In 2010 she was recognized by the Environmental Hall of Fame for her work and also received the “Lifetime Stewardship” Award from Minnehaha Creek Watershed. Currently, she is the Organics Recycling Specialist for the State and assists the private, public and non-profit sectors in reusing and recycling food residuals and non-recy-clable paper and is serving as committee chair of the Composting Council Research & Education Foundation.

These winners have given generously of their time and talent to further the compost industry and to protect the environment for future generations. Please join the USCC in thanking them for their efforts.

2011 AwArdSit’s not too early to think about them!

Ron Alexander ([email protected]) is the new Chair of the USCC’s Awards Committee and the Nominations Committee. Ron would like more input, from more USCC members, about who should receive awards at next year’s conference and why. It’s not too early to put your thinking cap on and give this important issue and these prestigious awards some thought as you conduct your daily business in our composting world.

There will be 7 spots to fill on the USCC Board next year. These include 3 Composter slots and 4 affiliate positions. These Board positions are very important to the management and direction of the USCC. They are your representatives within our organization and they are elected to office by you. Please start to give this matter some serious thought now.



next year’s USCC Annual Conference & Trade Show is scheduled for January 17–20, 2012 at the renaissance Austin Hotel. Another tremendous event is planned, with the most comprehensive program of workshops & training seminars, educational & technical sessions, and tours & equipment demonstrations available. Next year’s program will continue to be expanded to provide you with additional opportunities for professional growth & career advancement.

The Call for 2012 Papers will be released soon. If you have a topic or a session that you would to present or have developed, contact dr. Stuart [email protected] | 631.737.4931

Visit www.compostingcouncil.org or call the USCC at 631.737.4931 for more information.

AboUT AUSTIn & 2012 ConferenCe hQWe do know that the USCC Annual Conference Schedule is a full one. We also know that many of the attendees like to take in some of the local sites and entertainment venues while in town. Here’s a peek at what awaits you in Austin in that regard. entertainment—As the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin hosts a variety of live music every night of the week. The multi-faceted arts scene offers tradi-tional artwork alongside the avant-garde, and is growing as rapidly as the city itself. Filmmakers have taken an interest in Austin, realizing the town has more to offer than an attractive setting. The city is overflowing with creative and talented people ready to share and entertain.

Music—Whether you are a music fan searching for that up-and-coming band, or a musician looking for the perfect sound, you can carve out your niche here. The music scene has something for everybody: blues, jazz, fusion, pop/rock, reggae, hip-hop, hard rock, country, Latino, classical, folk, experimental and psychedelic. With 100 or more venues to choose from it may seem like a daunting task; for help, pick up The Chronicle, Austin’s free weekly entertainment guide, and you will find information on all of the music venues and what acts will be gracing each stage.

Museums—The Austin Museum of Art hosts ten to twelve exhibitions annually, pre-senting significant 20th-century American visual art. Works by artists from Mexico and the Caribbean are also represented, as well as local and Texan artists. The Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria is another beautiful place to enjoy diverse artwork created by 20th-century artists from around the world. The Mediterranean-style villa that is home to the museum was built in 1916 and is surrounded by lush gardens and quiet paths. For a multicultural Latin American experience visit the Mexic-Arte Museum, featuring three galleries that exhibit works from Mexic-Arte’s permanent collection, along with touring and self-curated shows. If it’s a beautiful day in Austin, you must visit the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum. Charles Umlauf’s work is showcased here in the outdoor Xeriscape garden, where visitors linger by the pond. This casual setting is home to 62 bronze and cast pieces.

USCC Conference HQ—Encounter an Austin hotel unlike any other and discover the distinct style and diverse personality of the Lone Star State at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. Nestled in the picturesque hills of Texas Hills Country, this luxury Austin hotel provides a tranquil environment surrounded by nature trails and 95 breathtaking acres. Enjoy close proximity to Downtown Austin, University of Texas, Sixth Street, and The Domain Shopping Center, less than two miles away. From the dramatic nine-story atrium to the stylish oversized rooms and fine dining at Banderas, their upscale amenities rival the finest hotels in Austin, TX. Discover more about the Renaissance Austin Hotel at: www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/aussh-renaissance-austin-hotel/

neW bOArd MeMber eleCTed

Debra Darby, Mirel Bioplastics

re-eleCTed Or APPOinTed fOr AnOTHer TerM

Ron Alexander, R. Alexander Associates, Inc; Frank Fransciosi, Novozymes; Carrie Gregory, Pierce County Recycling, Composting & Disposal; Chuck Wilson, A-1 Organics

OffiCerS eleCTed by THe bOArd

President: Frank Franciosi, Novozymes Vice President: Andrew Kessler, Turning Earth, LLCTreasurer: Craig Coker, Coker Composting & ConsultingSecretary: Lorrie Loder, Synagro

MeMberShIpThe USCC is, as you are all well aware, a national not-for-profit organization dedi-cated to the development, and expansion of the composting and organics recycling industry in the U.S. There has been a significant increase in participation in the USCC as evidenced by membership growth of more than 600% over the past several years. More and more composters, organics management professionals, composting, anaerobic digestion, other system and equipment suppliers, and other professionals affiliated with our industry are supporting our organization. Your help is still needed to expand the USCC and strengthen its position as THE national organization for composting and organics recycling. Make a commitment this year to recruit a new member, join a committee and become more active in the association. This is your association and it impacts your business! Remember, if each member brought in just one new member, the organization would double in size. More members mean more possibilities for our future!

new MeMberS2011 got off to a great start with USCC membership. 63 new members have joined to date.

Ken Haggerty, 3XR, Inc., Toronto CanadaLinda Anson, Portland ORFrank Orlett, Burrtec Waste & Recycling Services, Palm Desert CARyan Begin, Billerica MAJennifer Crawford, Fishers INEva VanWingerden, Be Green Packaging, LLC, Santa Barbara CA Josephine Valencia, City of San Antonio Solid Waste TX Corey Kirschhoffer, CLK Systems, Inc., Wadsworth ILToby Billings, City of Richland WABrian Smith, Carolina Compost, Camden NCJohn Collett, City of Newport News VARobert Comper, Folsom CATom Musch, CWS Industries, Seattle WAMichael Foote, City of Gillette WYTeddy Robinson, Capital Earth Works, Nashville TNArt Marquez, Chino Valley Compost, LLC, Chino CAJoey Costa, County of Santa Barbara CALauren Mills, Common Ground Compost, LLC, Austin TXDerek Downey, Davis CAKevin Dolan, San Francisco CATyler Miller, Dirt Hugger, Hood River ORHolly Ly, E3 Products, LLC, City of Industry CAJohn Alecca, EarthTones Mulch, San Leandro CA

2012 Conference & Tradeshow Austin, TX

Board Members & Officers for 2011



Members Corner

Chaiyos Siripoke, Enviromend Systems, Santa Clara CAPeter Gallins, Gallins Family Farm, Winston-Salem NCChristopher Girard, Pinole CARichard Gertman, San Jose CAAnnemarie Voit, Hammel—California, Upland CAJoanne Hurley, Runaway Branding Solutions, Voldosta CAWemimo Azeez, Imaflex, Inc., Montreal CanadaPatrick Joyce, Joyce Farms Recycling, Inc., Essex ILFred Martin, Kapstone Paper and Packaging Corporation, Roanoke Rapids NCGilda Knietz, Louisburg KSAlisa Keesey, Santa Cruz CAAndrew Larsen, Salt Lake City UTBen Luckens, McKinleyville CATania Levy, San Rafael CAChristopher Kreis, MLF Soil Consulting, San Francisco CARichard Martel, Martel Welding, Tewksbury MAJennifer Squire, Nature’s Footprint, Bellingham WAAndrew Carpenter, Northern Tilth, Belfast MEJohn O’Neill, Los Angeles CADave Smith, Otter Farm, LLC, Winchendon MAJohn Rustenburg, Operator Air Filtration, Ontario CanadaPhil Gosh, Organics by Gosh, Austin TXKim August, Organic Matters, Lake Bluff FLHenry Polur, Washington Twp. NJJessie Gill, Project Zero Consulting, Houston TXGreg Kohls, Randolph County Sheltered Industries, Moberly TXWilliam Read, Florence ALAmanda Capps, So-Ida Compost, Jerome IDDennis Tracz, Lexington VAJohn Bronson, Topsoil Etc., Inc., Baltimore MDCara Unterkofler, Centreville VAMartin Shuttleworth, Vancouver Waste Services, Albany NYJerry Waller, University of Wisconsin, River Falls WIEmily Viau, Stanford CAPeyton Wise, Easton MDJohn Wick, Nicasio CAJim Osborn, Whittier Fertilizer Company, Pico Rivera CACollene Wells, Chicago ILRamin Yazdani, Yolo County Planning & Public Works, Woodland CANing Zhang, Corvallis OR

Synagro Technologies Acquires Hypex Centrifuge repair Services—HyPex Acquisition to Strengthen Current Suite of Services and Reduce Emergency Repair Downtime for CustomersSynagro Technologies, Inc. announced that it has completed the acquisition of the assets of HyPex, Inc.’s Centrifuge Repair Service business, based in Lansdale, PA. The acquisition complements Synagro’s

strong stable of dewatering services and now provides customers with services that include maintenance, process optimization and emergency repair to reduce downtime and increase productivity.

“HyPex is a strategic acquisition for Synagro as it enables us to bring better, faster solutions to our customers, both on an emergent basis and as a part of

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standard operations,” explained Bill Massa, president and CEO of Synagro. “Synagro has elected to drive growth through targeted acquisitions that enhance the value-added proposition to our customers which continues to position Synagro as the provider of choice for municipalities and industrial customers.”

HyPex is well-known for its centrifuge installation and repair capabilities. The acquisition will combine the Company’s deep knowledge with Synagro’s best in class dewatering services. Customers will now capture benefits that include reduced downtime during repairs, faster and all-encompassing response to emergency situations upgraded installation services, preventative maintenance and improved overall efficiency.

“HyPex is proud to become part of an organization that will help expand our customer base, and one that will help us service customers in a more comprehensive nature,” stated Jim Hasson, HyPex founder and presi-dent. “Together, we look forward to serving our custom-ers with the same expertise and efficiency to which they have been accustomed, with the added resources that an organization like Synagro can provide.” “We look forward to continuing the HyPex team tradition of delivering top quality service and share best practices to support and serve our combined customer base,” continued Massa.

About HyPex: HyPex provides superior support and repair services for all decanter and basket centrifuges nationwide by offering its customers experienced personnel and outstanding customer service at a reasonable price. This makes it possible for customers to continue to receive repairs, rebuilds and parts for their equipment at a far lower cost than replacement. To accomplish this, HyPex has put together a team with over 125 years of centrifuge service experience. HyPex specializes in servicing all brands of centrifuges, including decanters/baskets and pushers. Customers from many industries look to HyPex to cost-effectively keep their centrifuges running year after year.

About Synagro: Synagro Technologies, Inc., head-quartered in Houston, TX, is the largest recycler of organic by-products in the United States. Providing essential environmental solutions to over 600 public and private water and wastewater treatment facilities in the municipal and industrial sectors, the Company operates in every part of the nation and employs more than 850 people.

Synagro was also recently recognized by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) as a CalRecycle 2010 Waste Reduction Award Program (WRAP) winner for its environmentally sound business strategies and enhanced recycling efforts. Synagro shares the honor of receiving this award with other 2010 winners such as the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants and AT&T Park,

which instituted a Green Team to work with fans to separate recycling and composting and Costco Palm Desert that diverted nearly five million pounds of waste in 2009 through composting, recycling and reuse.COnTACT:

Jamie kinder [email protected] | 410.284.4120 ext. 179

ASSoCIATIon of CoMpoST prodUCerS—USCC CA ChApTer UpdATe The Association of Compost Producers (ACP) repre-sents over 170 members within California and under-stands that issues facing California composters often travel east, eventually affecting many other areas in the country. ACP became an official USCC State Chapter in December 2010 and kicked off its first official meet-ing at the USCC annual conference in Santa Clara. Two of the major issues:

p economy—Like most areas within the country (and around the globe), California has been hit hard by the struggling economy. Composters and compost users alike are finding the housing market downturn and serious budget challenges have delayed or can-celled many of the development projects planned for the state. The poor economy continues to be the major issue within the state challenging the compost industry. ACP is working to boost up demand through research and education touting the benefits of compost.

p regulations—Air districts from Los Angeles and Kern County both have pending compost regula-tions that would significantly impact composting operations in their areas in the state, representing most of the compost operations in the state. ACP and others have worked closely with the air districts to modify their implementation process, by learning more about the cost/benefits of their proposed changes. The proposed rules for green waste chip & grind and composting operations require mitigation strategies ranging from covering active compost piles with 6” of finished compost each time it is turned to spraying the piles with water after creating the pile and after each turn. The alternatives are costly and challenging to implement, prompting affected companies to band together to voice their concerns. ACP has a seat at the table to move these regulations in a direction of creating a level playing field for all green residual management companies in the affected areas.

ACP Ongoing ActivitiesContinuing on, With its Past 15 years of Work For the past 9 of ACP’s 15 year history, its members have been holding regular monthly meetings to work on its agenda of fulfilling its Mission of expanding

compost quantity and quality (price) markets in California. Its staff and members work ongoing each month in the areas of:

p ACP Administration & Membership—including implementing the work for USCC state chapter

p International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW-Calif.)

p Agriculture/Compost Use Index Market Expansion Task Force, including Conferences & Presentations

p Sustainable Landscape Conversion Initiative p Conferences & Presentations p Compost Research Actions/Proposals p Compost Legislative Tracking & Input to Working Groups

All USCC members are encouraged to contact the ACP to set up tours and meetings when they visit the state. Please direct all inquiries to dan noble Executive Director of the [email protected]

Also, for more information about ACP, please visit their website at: www.healthysoil.org.

Members Corner (continued)



Equipment Demonstrations at US Composting Council’s 19th Annual Conference & Tradeshow



“Hey—got any of that good dirt for sale today?” The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) likes that question, especially when they have a great sup-ply like this year, but just one thing—it’s not dirt, it’s compost—and not any old compost!

Garden Green® Compost is produced year-round at WLSSD’s organics composting facility, an STA partici-pant since 2006. Each step of the 6 month compost-ing process is closely monitored to ensure a premium finished product. They combine leaves, ground brush and yard trimmings with source separated food waste collected from local restaurants, schools, institutions and household food waste drop off sites.

The daily compost recipe is tailored to blend optimum mixtures of yard and food waste in an industrial mixer. The freshly mixed feedstock is placed on top of long beds of woodchips. These windrows receive air through pipes embedded in the woodchips. The process is com-pletely natural; only water and air are added to enhance the work of the beneficial microorganisms in breaking down the organic material. A blanket of compost is spread over each windrow to insulate the pile and to serve as a biofilter to help control odors. Temperatures in the piles are closely monitored to ensure that weed seeds and pathogens are destroyed. A lengthy curing phase follows the 7 day pathogen destruction period (temperatures of 130 degrees F or above), followed by screening to remove the larger wood chips, and then by even more finished curing.

Sound picky? You bet, but that’s good news for customers who only want good stuff for their yards and gardens. The WLSSD Organics Composting Facility

operates under a Minnesota Pollution Control permit that protects the community and the environment and also ensures that the compost is safe.

Good? Absolutely, but they go way beyond the minimum requirements. WLSSD is a registered member of the US Composting Council’s Seal of Testing Assurance Program. WLSSD’s customers already know they get consistently great results using Garden Green® compost. What they might not know is that every batch of Garden Green is sampled and put thorough a battery of tests by an independent, accredited lab—before it ever goes on sale. This “characterizes” the compost and provides information on its traits—pH, moisture content, maturity, particle size, nutrients—and ensures that no heavy metals or pathogens are present. When customers purchase compost, they know exactly what they are getting—high quality, certified compost. Test results are available for Garden Green® they purchase on any particular day. This information is posted on their website, available at the point of purchase at WLSSD

facilities and from retailers who carry bagged product, or by calling the WLSSD hotline and requesting it.

Discriminating shoppers read labels; savvy garden-ers should do the same. Scrutinize the label on soil amendments you are purchasing. Look for clear use instructions, an ingredients list and contact informa-tion—and the STA seal. Then you’ll know exactly what you are using to grow vegetables and top-dress the lawn where your kids and pets play. Like the label says, Garden Green®, it’s “Compost you’ll dig!”—For all the best reasons throughout the growing season.

COnTACT Heidi ringhofer [email protected] Susan darley-Hill [email protected] call 218.722.3336

STA Spotlight on Western Lake Superior Sanitary District STA Participant since 2006



The US Composting Council and its membership is working hard to fight attempts by state legislatures to repeal long-standing bans on the disposal of leaves and other yard debris in landfills in Georgia and Michigan. Both states have seen similar efforts in the past few years turned back by recycling supporters with help from the USCC and local composters.

Often done under the guise of “energy independence” or even “fighting global warming”, there is little secret to what the real reason that large waste companies are pushing these repeals is: money. The combination of the economic downturn and increased environmental awareness has reduced the amount of material going into landfills, and the repeal of these bans would provide ready cash in the form of “tip fees”. “It’s a classic ‘lose-lose’ situation,” explained Frank Franciosi, President of the USCC. “You fill up the landfill faster, which means you have to site a new landfill sooner, and you take one of the easiest materials to recycle away from the processors, so it no longer gets manufactured into valuable soil products.”

To fight these repeals, the US Composting Council (USCC) is taking a two-pronged approach. First and foremost it is working with groups within the affected

states to lobby the legislatures and rally their sup-porters. “We provide matching funds to help the local groups hire lobbyists and get organized,” Franciosi continued, “because each state’s needs are unique and the issues and strategies are different.”

The landfill industry suggests that demands for the production of renewable energy are driving the use of bioreactor landfills. Even though the actual impact of the energy generated from adding yard waste would be very small, these landfill managers claim that the benefit would be extraordinary. They ignore the very obvious concerns with methane emissions from landfills to the atmosphere which composting avoids. They also fail to mention that the loss of an existing composting infrastructure means that companies like Wal-Mart and Whole Foods who have made a commitment to composting their vegetative wastes will have to drive longer distances to find destinations to recycle their food residuals.

In addition to working with the state groups, the USCC will be working to gain support from allied organiza-tions and other supporters across the country. “We are putting a ‘member alert’ system in place to make it easy for friends of composting to send letters to

the appropriate policy makers,” explained Dr. Stuart Buckner, Executive Director of the USCC. “We are also building a library of resources to help people advocate for more sensible policies such as composting and recycling”.

“Fighting these battles costs money, “Buckner contin-ued, “and some of these landfill ban opponents have deep pockets.” We hope members and supporters take the opportunity to contribute to the Save the yard debris ban fund by using the Support legislative Advocacy button at compostingcouncil.org or calling the USCC at 631.737.4931.

Legislative Update US Composting Council Helps Fight Landfill Ban Repeals



Best of the List Serve

This feature is not intended to provide detailed & thor-ough answers to the questions or issues raised. They can be found, in some cases, by examining the volumes of compost science research. The edited dialogs printed are just that, with some answers yet to be determined. This section is presented to provide a summary of the thoughts and suggestions of those who participated in an exchange that generated much interest and many responses.

Q: I’m a freelance writer and I’m working on a story on compostable dinnerware (plates, forks, et al.). I’d like to make the case for getting these products into a compost bin or facility-and not in a landfill. Consumers are buying these products then throwing them in the trash figuring it’s better than throwing out a plastic fork. Even in a landfill, at least it will eventually decompose. My question is: will it?

Most product websites will only say their products will decompose in a landfill as fast as other organic mate-rial like apple cores. So, I was trying to find research on how long organic material will last in a landfill before decomposing. I did find some references to “two years.” But I also found references to the Garbage Project, where they found 25-year-old heads of lettuce perfectly intact when excavating landfills.

Let me know if you know of any facts, figures or research about organics in landfills that I might use for reference.

1. The longevity of stuff in a landfill depends on 1) how biodegradable it is and 2) the zone of the land-fill it is in and how favorable that is for biological activity. If the zone is dry, bacteria won’t be active, until eventually water gets to that zone. If there is some toxicity that inhibits microbial activity, again the bacteria will not break down the stuff in that zone until the toxin has dispersed, been neutralized or the bacteria have acclimated to the toxin. Non-biodegradable plastic dinnerware will last [almost] indefinitely because it is not biodegrad-able. I’m surprised by your example of lettuce because lettuce is very biodegradable and contains enough water to support biological activity. Paper on the other hand is dry and if there’s no moisture in that part of the landfill it will survive a long time. Essentially the biochemistry of a landfill is like an anaerobic digester. Initially bacteria convert organic matter to volatile fatty acids (VFA) which makes that area of the landfill acidic and metals will be sol-ubilized, then methane producing bacteria (which grow more slowly than acid producers) feed on the VFAs and produce methane. The acidity disappears and the metals are re-precipitated. Breakdown will happen eventually but landfills are not [normally] optimized for biodegradation so it might take a long time. Putting biodegradable stuff in landfill means there will be emission of methane (a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 100 years) even when landfill gas is being extracted

and used as non-fossil energy—because landfills leak somewhat. That’s not a very clear answer to your question but like so many environmental issues, it is not straight forward and depends on different factors. It’s not rocket science but neither is it very predictable.

2. Apparently Dr. William Rathje at the University of Arizona unearthed a surprising amount of organic material in while excavating landfills in his garbage project. Lettuce, carrot tips, onion parings . . . much of them decades old. There was even a 25 year old hot dog. They also found, as you suggested, very old papers, totally intact. 40 year old papers! Anyway, your answer did answer other questions I had (about methane) so thanks for all of this.

3. Biodegradable or compostable dinnerware is a hot research topic right now. There are currently no set standards for how long and under what conditions these products should be breaking down. Many of these products require heat to break down, and many compost facilities are having difficulty getting these materials to break down during their normal composting cycle. BioCycle magazine did an article on one composter’s experiments with the breakdown of these materials in the August 2010 edition which can be read here: www.jgpress.com/archives/_free/002141.html Another issue with diverting these products from the landfill is whether or not the local composting facility will accept these items. Additionally, most of these products will not break down in home composting piles. So, while it is nice that com-postable products are emerging as an alternative to plastics, there are still many questions as to the true advantages gained by using them (e.g., methane generation in landfills etc.). You might also contact Californians Against Waste and/or the US Composting Council to discuss some of these issues.

4. Dr. Rathje’s landfill-drilling studies demonstrated the extremely variable decay time (by decades or centuries) for organic and even “putrescible” mate-rials in landfills. I believe the only place he found little or no “mummified” organic items was in a water-saturated zone deep in New York’s Fresh Kills landfill. So moisture is probably the most important factor for organic materials, although heat, oxygen, chemical interactions, pressure and other physical and chemical forces play a part. And as others have written, the fact that something decays in a landfill is probably a negative rather than positive. Simplistic factoids about “how long it takes to break down” for various natural and synthetic materials are virtually meaningless unless the exact environ-mental conditions are defined.

5. You’ve received some great responses, addressing the question whether compostable products break down in landfills—it depends on the landfill and the product, but if they do breakdown, methane

will likely be released, which is a negative outcome. Because of this, many compostable products companies actually work to show that their products won’t breakdown any quicker in a landfill than conventional plastics. However, I think there is a bigger argument for keeping compostable products out of landfills. Certified (ASTM/BPI) compostable products are designed to perform well in a specific end-of-life scenario—to biodegrade in a commer-cial composting facility. Some may also compost in a backyard bin, but the U.S. doesn’t currently have a certification for this (unlike Europe). The main point: Compostable products facilitate the diversion of food waste from disposal options (like landfills, where they generate harmful methane gases). Diverting these organics to composting avoids those greenhouse gases, recycles organics back to the soil as growing material for plants, and ultimately completing a carbon cycle. Sending these products to a landfill therefore completely negates the intended benefit. There may be some upfront benefits if the product was made from renewable materials, but again, the point is that they are compostable (ie, beneficial if they end up in a composting environment). I’ve done a lot of research on compostable products and packaging, for BioCycle, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and a bioplastics producer.

6. I would like to share with you all a strategy to eliminate landfill in developing countries such as Vietnam. www.esrla.com/pdf/composting.pdf

7. In no way could I ‘dis’ composting and recycling or promote landfills, but just a bit of info to add to this discussion. All modern landfills are lined before filling and when being built have pipes put into them to extract land-fill gas and liquors. When the day’s layer of mixed waste is on, that area is capped with soil or rubble, and when the whole landfill is full, it is capped with an impermeable cap, as harvesting the landfill gas is an important earner for the operators. It is usually burnt in a turbine and puts electricity into the grid (as well as CO

2 into the air). A landfill is actually an efficient anaerobic digester, as the methane is extracted for many years. Methane does escape whilst the landfill is being created, but by no means all the biodegradable materials release all their carbon into the air this way. The other output, liquid, is often treated on site to make it suitable to put back into circulation . . . it is, as you can imagine, pretty disgusting stuff, with a high biochemical oxygen demand, but plenty of bubbling air through it allows the bacteria to remove most of the toxins. So, when talking about putting compostables in landfills, the methane issue is real, but possibly not as big as one might initially think.



AApfCo UpdATe ron AlexAnder

The recent Annual AAPFCO meeting was held in Savannah, Georgia from February 20th to the 23rd. There was good attendance again at the meeting considering that many states continue to have travel restrictions. There were, however, some influential Control Officials, and some from key agricultural states, again not in attendance.

labeling and Terms Committee—The definition for anaerobic ‘digestate’ products, sponsored by the USCC, was brought up at the meeting, and along with some other definitions, was recommended by the Committee to be placed into ‘official’ status by the AAPFCO Board.

definition: Digestate is the liquid or solid material pro-cessed through anaerobic digestion. Labeling digestate materials shall be designated by prefixing the name of the feedstock from which it is produced, i.e., cow manure digestate, biosolids digestate, etc.’

The AAPFCO Board approved the definition and it was placed into ‘official’ status, awaiting membership (final) approval at the August meeting. The USCC has supported the creation of the definition for ‘digestate’

in order to support current and future USCC members, and the organics recycling industry at large.

by-Products & recycled Products Subcommittee (of the Environmental Affairs Committee)—The By-Products & Recycled Products Subcommittee met to discuss a variety of subjects, with one being the most relevant to the composting industry. It relates to the required use of a cautionary statement for fertilizers and soil amendments containing beneficial microbes that are also known to be human pathogens. This issue was raised because many microbially-based products have come into the marketplace, some of which are also known to be, or to contain, human pathogens.

This issue is significant to the composting industry since comparisons to these microbial products are being made with compost and other organic matter-based products. This is because both of these types of products can contain human pathogens, along with beneficial microbes. The Working Group within the Subcommittee presented a series of proposed ‘cau-tionary statements’, which were discussed, and sent back to the for additional work. It is assumed that one recommended ‘cautionary statement’ will be brought to the Committee for review at the August meeting. Another important debate, yet to be had, is when the

actual cautionary statement will be triggered and required for use on a label. Uniform bills Committee—The Soil Amendment Subcommittee of the Uniform Bills Committee was reabsorbed back into the Committee and its outstand-ing issues were discussed within the larger Committee meeting. The Uniform Bills Committee met to discuss a variety of subjects, with four being of relevance to the composting industry.

First, the Committee discussed potential modifications to the updated Uniform Soil Amendment Bill language (already pending ‘official’ status). During the meeting, a Working Group (in which the USCC was involved) presented its suggested modifications to the ‘notes’ within the Bill. This language is relevant because it better defines when ‘mulch’ and ‘potting mix’ products are exempted from requirements of the model regula-tion. The following language was slightly modified at the meeting and approved as an editorial change to the Uniform Bill.

note 5: Mulch is a soil amendment when the product labeling claims to be only a soil amendment or provides direction for incorporation into soil.note 6: Potting Mix is a soil amendment when the

In The News



product labeling claims to be only a soil amendment or provides direction for incorporation into soil.

This new Bill language was then approved by the AAPFCO Board at the Business Session, placing it in ‘official’ status.

Secondly, a standard list of Vermicompost Label Claims, which required editorial changes, was approved by the Committee. It was also approved by the AAPFCO Board, placing it in ‘official’ status. Future discussion will determine where this list, as well as other standard-ized lists of soil amendment labeling claims will be housed. The concept of developing these standardized lists came from a USCC effort to make it easier for Control Officials to review claims made by individual composters, and allow for more standardized claims to be made from state to state.

Third, a Statement of Uniform Interpretation and Policy (SUIP) was proposed in order to allow organic matter-based fertilizers to make nutrient claims, while allowing for some soil amending claims. This is already allowable, as long as the claims can be substantiated, but some states require that the fertilizer be registered as both a fertilizer and soil amendment. The proposed SUIP would recommend that States not require dual registration. The proposed SUIP was approved by the Committee and sent to the AAPFCO Board for review.

SUiP #29—Organic fertilizers whose label or label-ing includes statements regarding the presence of organic matter and claims consistent with established agronomic benefits that organic matter imparts on soils need not be dual-registered as a soil conditioner provided that the product is registered as a fertilizer.

The other relevant issue to composters on the agenda pertained to SUIP 25—Metals in Fertilizers, which the USCC was involved in developing. The SUIP creates heavy metal limits for Phosphate and micro-nutrient fertilizers, and in some states it is used to regulate all fertilizer products. Having been a SUIP for several years, it was suggested it should be placed in the Uniform State Fertilizer Bill, and pertain to all fertil-izer products. After much discussion, the Committee agreed with this suggestion. As such, this recom-mendation was put before the AAPFCO Board for consideration. Also, a Working Group was put together to modify the SUIP language to made it suitable to fit in the Uniform Bill. A USCC representative will be involved in this Working Group. Keep in mind that com-post, manure and biosolids products are exempt from the SUIP, even if the products are labeled as fertilizers. This Working Group was inactive in between the last two AAPFCO meetings.

The AAPFCO 2011 Annual meeting is scheduled for August in Austin, Texas.

VIrgInIA STreAMlIneS CoMpoST fACIlITy perMITTIng proCeSSeS CrAIg Coker

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has simplified and streamlined the processes for obtaining a Solid Waste Composting Facility Permit

as part of a comprehensive re-write of the State Solid Waste Management Regulations. The net effect of this change will shave over a year off the permitting timeline and over $125,000 in likely permitting costs compared to how permits were issued previously.

The major positive impacts of the new regulations are to expand the list of composting activities that can be done without a permit from DEQ, ease the require-ments for yard trimming composting and to streamline the permitting process to allow non-exempt activities to be permitted under a regulatory approach called Permit-By-Rule (PBR). This approach allows DEQ to issue a permit to a regulated activity if the permit applicant stipulates, verifies and guarantees that the regulated activity will be planned, designed, built and operated in accordance with the applicable regulations, and those conditions are incorporated into the facility’s operating permit.

new exemptions to permitting include: p Composting of animal carcasses onsite at the farm of generation. This new exemption provides greater flexibility for the agricultural operations to manage mortalities in response to the recent changes in rendering facility requirements.

p Composting of pre-consumer food waste and kitchen culls generated onsite and composted in containers designed to prohibit vector attraction and prevent nuisance odor generation. This new exemp-tion allows restaurants and businesses to operate in-vessel composting units at the site of generation to encourage food waste recycling.

p Vermicomposting, when used to process certain feedstocks in containers which is designed to prohibit vector attraction and prevent nuisance odor generation. If offsite feedstocks are received, no more than 100 cubic yards of materials may be onsite at any one time, without approval from DEQ.

revised exemptions to permitting include: p Increases to the educational composting exemption from 5 tons to 100 cubic yards. This increases the quantity allowed for educational operations and also establishes a volume rather than weight limit. These facilities rarely have scales to track the weight of compost, therefore cubic yards is a more appropri-ate unit of measurement.

p Expansion of the general exemption for operations permitted by the state water control board to specifi-cally address composting operations permitted under Virginia Pollution Abatement (VPA) or Virginia Pollution Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) requirements. Facilities that accept biosolids with the intent to compost and land apply must obtain a VPA or VPDES permit prior to operation

p Expansion of the exemption for clean wood combus-tion residues (i.e., wood ash) to include when they are used for pH adjustment in compost and as a liquid absorbent in compost.

Other changes in the new regulations include: p Expanding the list of allowable feedstocks to vegeta-

tive waste composting operations to include manure from herbivorous animals and Category I feedstocks (Plant or plant-derived pre-consumer materials).

p Removing the prohibition on siting composting facilities in areas where depth to the seasonal high groundwater table is less than 2' (although hard-ened composting pads, run-on berming and runoff management are required).

p Allowing composting pads to be built of 12" of compacted gravel underlain by a 60-mil HDPE liner with leachate collection above the liner and leak detection below.

In response to feedback received from the composting industry in Virginia, the sampling and analysis require-ments for composting operations have been revised in an effort to reduce operating expense:

p Tonnage thresholds are now based on “tons of finished compost per 365-day period”, rather than

“average compost in dry tons produced per day”. The revised table is shown below.

MiniMUM freQUenCy Of AnAlySiS

Amount of finished compost1 frequency2(tons per 365-day period)

Less than 320 Once per year

Equal to or greater than 320 Once per quarter but less than 1,653 (four times/year)

Equal to or greater than 1,653 Once per 60 days but less than 16,535 (six times/year)

Equal to or greater than 16,535 Once per month (12 times per year).

1Either the amount of finished compost applied to the land or prepared for sale or give-away for application to the land (dry weight basis). 2After the finished compost has been monitored for two years at the frequency in the above table, the facility may request that the department reduce the frequency of monitoring.

p The maximum temperature rise for the Dewar Compost Self-Heating Flask has been changed from 10° to 20° Celsius above ambient.

p The analysis requirements to demonstrate parasite destruction has been significantly revised removing ascaris ova as the indicator in favor of the density of viable helminth ova. In addition, the regulation requires testing of the finished compost once per quarter for a period of one year to demonstrate viable helminth ova reduction. Once the viable helminth ova reduction has been demonstrated for the composting process additional helminth ova testing will not be required provided the composting operating parameters and incoming waste streams are consistent with the values or range of values documented during the initial helminth ova reduc-tion demonstration.

p The analysis requirement for bacteria pathogens was revised. Amendment 7 provides two options for demonstrating bacteria pathogen densities at the time the finished compost is prepared for sale or given away in a container for application to the land. The options are: 1. The density of fecal coliform in the finished com-post shall be less than 1000 Most Probable Number (MPN) per gram of total solids , or 2. The density of Salmonella sp. bacteria in the finished compost shall be less than three (3) MPN per four (4) grams of total solids.

These regulatory modifications should help the growth of the composting industry in Virginia in the coming years.

The US Composting Council would like to thank the following companies for their generous support of the 19th Annual Conference.

City of Santa Clara

City & County of San Francisco

Peterson Tractor

Agromin

Thank You Sponsors

dOUble GOld: COnTribUTiOn Of $15,000–$19,999

The City of San José

diAMOnd: COnTribUTiOn Of $10,000–$14,999

Chamness Technology MSW Management MagazineThe Biodegradable Waste Handling & Equipment Products Institute News (WHEN)

PlATinUM: COnTribUTiOn Of $7,500–$9,999

BioCycle Magazine RecologyComposting News Resource Recycling MagazineEnvironmental Credit Corporation Vermeer CorporationPortable Plants & Equipment

GOld: COnTribUTiOn Of $5,000–$7,499

Allied Waste/Republic Services Recycling Product NewsBASF/EcoFlex SynagroCalRecycle Waste ManagementHeritage Bag Z-Best ProductsNovamont

SilVer: COnTribUTiOn Of $2,500–$4,999

A-1 Organics Harvest PowerAlameda County Waste Komptech USA, Inc. Management Authority NatureWorks, LLCBiogroup USA (Biobag) NCM Odor ControlCity and County of San Francisco Peninsula Compost CompanyGore Cover Systems Supreme InternationalGreen Roofs for Healthy Cities Scarab Manufacturing & Leasing

brOnZe: COnTribUTiOn Of $1,000–$2,499

Agromin Good Green GracesALLU Group Kellogg Garden ProductsAmerican Recycler Midwest BiosystemsAmadas Industries Mirel Bioplastics by TellesBradco Environmental Pak-SherCedar Grove Packaging REOTEMP InstrumentsCity of Santa Clara ROTO-MixCortec Corporation Soil and Mulch Producer NewsEcoSafe 6400 St.Louis Composting Compostable Bags We Care OrganicsGlad Bag

benefACTOr: COnTribUTiOn Of $500–$999

California Organics Recycling Resource Recovery Systems Council (CORC) International—KWDT Environmental CompostersKessler Consulting SPI Bioplastics Council

spring 2011 compost communicator

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