The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

October 4, 2012

Officials hear how digester works

By Joe Pinchot Herald Staff Writer

HERMITAGE — Hermitage Municipal Authority listened to a presentation Wednesday from a firm looking to oversee the collection of food waste when the new wastewater-treatment system goes online by the end of the year.

The discussion was part of one that will go on in earnest among city officials as they try to decide how best to manage the new demands and opportunities presented by a sewage-treatment system that is designed to produce a biogas that can be burned to generate electricity, and a waste product that can be handled by anyone and used for fertilizer and fill.

“This is an operations question: How does this work best?” said City Manager Gary P. Hinkson. “Does the city do this or do we contract out?”

Officials heard from Thomas J. Krall, program director for Sustainable Resources Group of Exton, Pa., who proposed overseeing the attraction of waste food products to be put into the anaerobic digestion system – a marketing function – and/or providing labor and management to operate the food waste-receiving process.

The plant runs at about 40 percent of capacity, and the idea is to bring in food waste so that it maxes out on capacity, producing the greatest amount of biogas and marketable sludge, said Joseph P. Pacchioni, consulting engineer.

As the city’s population grows, the city would bring in less food waste over time while still maintaining full capacity, he said.

Krall said his company would look for the best food waste sources within about 100 miles of the city, including the markets in Pittsburgh, Youngstown and Erie.

The company would seek  producers that can regularly ship food waste, and those that have sporadic supplies, such as a company that has a load of ruined product because a refrigerator truck broke down, Krall said.

Much of the waste will be packaged, most likely in plastic bottles and/or cardboard, and the recycling of the plastic and cardboard will be as important as the food product, Krall said.

Documentation will be a key concern as companies want to verify that their waste product is destroyed and does not turn up somewhere unintended, a potential public relations nightmare, he said.

Companies are looking to be as landfill-free as they can, with Nestle aiming for a goal of 95 percent, Krall said.

Some companies have their own processes to dispose of their food waste. “You’re going to look for people who are discharging into a sewer and paying surcharges,” he said.

Sustainable Resources would be paid on a commission basis with a guaranteed minimum volume for the marketing work, and an hourly rate and percentage of revenue for the management work.

Authority officials will contact other companies who can do the work Krall’s firm would like to perform, said authority Manager Tom Darby Ultimately, the authority will make a recommendation to commissioners as the city is the operating authority for the treatment plant, he said.

The plant is expected to be ready to accept full loading of food waste in March.

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