The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

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March 31, 2007

Waste to energy Cheese plant plans to build digester

By Patrick W. Connelly

FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP — A Fairview Township cheese producer is waiting to hear from the state Department of Environmental Protection regarding a decision that likely will benefit several Mercer County businesses, including Joy Cone Co. in Hermitage.

Fairview Swiss Cheese learned in October it was among 27 state businesses to receive funding to build an anaerobic digester to process its waste.

With that digester, company president Rick Koller said the cheese producer can also process the waste of other county businesses like Joy Cone.

That waste will in turn benefit Fairview, which can turn it into a biogas to operate a generator.

The Swiss cheese producer has submitted the paperwork to DEP, and Koller said the company is waiting to hear the agency’s decision so Fairview can implement the system.

The generator will reduce air pollution and create oil for fuel, Koller said.

Fairview hopes to break ground on the system as early as fall if a DEP decision comes soon, Koller said Friday. But DEP can sometimes take longer than eight months to make a decision, he added.

Transporting Joy Cone’s waste to Fairview Township, where it can be put to a good use, will alleviate stress on Hermitage’s sewer system, Koller said.

He said the digester will significantly cut fuel costs for Fairview, while giving Joy Cone more flexibility to expand. Koller said Fairview expects to receive the state grant money soon. It will be issued as part of DEP’s Energy Harvest Grant program, which supports projects that conserve energy or use more environmentally friendly sources to gather energy.

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