technology: Biowaste Useful: In New Emission Cleaning Process

Bill Siuru

A new technique for controlling sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from coal-fired boilers currently is being tested in Canada.

The process, developed by Dyna-motive Technologies Corp., Vancou-ver, British Columbia, converts bio-mass waste materials such as mu- nicipal solid waste (MSW), sawdust, sewage sludge and animal waste into a new product called Biolime. In addition to reducing emissions by using biomass as a raw material, this ap-proach recycles waste materials that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated, according to the company.

Lime and water reacted with the pyrolysis oil produced from biomass waste - approximately 70 percent of all MSW can be converted into this oil - are the main ingredients in this process. The procedure results in individual particles consisting of hollow spheres with lime on their exterior surfaces.

Calcium oxide (CaO), or lime, reacts with the coal's sulfur to form calcium sulfate (CaSO4), also called anhydrous gypsum, that can be used to manufacture wallboard. The hollow sphere provides the most surface area for the least amount of lime, thus maximizing the effectiveness of the technique to capture emissions.

Biolime reportedly will capture both SO2 and NOx. Other emission control systems reportedly will attack one or the other, but not both. In tests conducted by Dynamotive where Biolime was injected into coal-fired boilers, the procedure reportedly removed up to 95 to 99 percent of the So2 and 80 percent of the NOx emissions.

To date, the testing has been done using sawdust, but the company anticipates equal results with other waste materials. Besides sulfur and nitrogen oxides, Biolime attacks organochlorines, furans and other toxic substances. The coal's heavy metals are tied up by the carbon in the char byproduct and can be safely landfilled. Finally, the combustible material in the product provides some reduction in coal consumption and also lowers net CO2.

This system can be used with equal effectiveness in either new or existing conventional fluidized or pulverized coal combusters. It can be injected directly into the boiler, or - in the form of previously prepared solid sorbent - can be mixed with pulverized coal.

When injected into the burner, Biolime explodes like popcorn into a pourous structure with large surface areas that capture emissions. High calcium efficiency comes partly from this popcorn effect.

Capital costs involved in using the technique are relatively low, according to the company, requiring only minor alterations to existing feed and storage systems. With Biolime, utilities can burn inexpensive, readily available high sulfur coal. The process is especially attractive for states and foreign countries with high-sulfur coal reserves and abundant organic wastes.

Biolime has been bench tested, pilot tested and soon will be commercially tested in a joint project with an American boiler manufacturer in a state producing high sulfur coal. Dynamotive plans to have the product on the market by the latter half of 1997.

For more information, contact: Bill Atkinson, Dynamotive Technologies Corp., 3650 Wesbrook Mall, Vancou-ver, B.C. V6S 2L2, Canada. (604) 222-5590. Fax: (604) 222-5545. E-Mail: [email protected]

POMONA, Calif. - In its efforts to help local cities meet Assembly Bill 939's diversion requirements, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, Sacramento, Calif., has found an ally in Pomona's California State Polytechnic University's (Cal Poly) Landlab experiment.

Cal Poly established LandLab - a 339-acre center for education and research in the sustainable use of re-sources that provides for recycling, waste diversion and the efficient use of refuse disposal facilities - as a collaborative project among itself, the Sanitation Districts of Los An-geles County and the County of Los Angeles in 1985.

The majority of the LandLab site is shaped by the 200-acre Spadra sanitary landfill. Under the terms of the agreement, Cal Poly provides the land needed for Spadra's expansion in exchange for funds to support its environmental education and research programs.

One such innovative program is the compost demonstration project and conservation garden, developed as a collaborative effort of LandLab, the Casa Colina Horticultural Therapy and Training Program, and the College of Agricul-ture. The demonstrations include a large-scale compost operation; small-scale enclosures; techniques for homeowners; landscaping and irrigation systems; mulching techniques and plant selection that reveal sustainable landscape strategies for Southern California. Research on the aerobic composting of different urban organic wastes also is being conducted, as well as direct application of paper sludge and other "raw" organics to agricultural fields.

The County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles donated grinding equipment and Bengal Equipment Co., Fontana, loaned a Scat windrow turner to the project.

LandLab already has composted 1,000 tons of park leaves from the city of Claremont; 4,000 tons of greenwastes from the city of Riverside; 1,000 tons of newspaper fiber (sludge) from Smurfit, a local recycled newsprint manufacturer; and 1,000 tons of manure from Cal Poly's animal units.

Transforming these organic wastes into compost and reusing them can help conserve natural resources and recycle nutrients, improve soil physical properties, save valuable landfill space, and reduce detrimental effects on the environment.. Most communities, however, are just beginning to address the issues associated with diversion and composting of community yard wastes and need assistance in developing and maintaining effective and efficient compost programs. LandLab's compost demonstration project and resource conservation garden helps by bringing together resource conserving landscape strategies, composting demonstrations and intensive gardening techniques in one location .

Cal Poly realizes, however, that composting yard wastes is not the only solution to California's green waste problem. It believes that finding ways to reduce green waste volumes is equally important. Thus, the compost pilot project is being developed in conjunction with a low maintenance, water conserving landscape that generates minimal yard waste.

Alliance Otto Industries Inc., Charlotte, N.C., a manufacturer of solid waste systems and material handling products, has formed an alliance with Arkay Industries Inc., Miamisburg, Ohio, a manufacturer of plastic components.

Acquisitions Eastern Environmental Services Inc., Mt. Laurel, N.J., has acquired Donno Co. Inc., a Long Island, N.Y., collection and transfer station company with annual revenues totaling $13 million.

Safety Vision Inc., Houston, Clarion Sales Corp.'s largest distributor, has purchased FleetNet Inc., Clarion's Mid-West distributor, in a move designed to improve its customer service and sales territory.

USA Waste Services Inc., Houston, has acquired Empire Sanitary Land-fill Inc. and Danella Environmental Technologies Inc., a large landfill and collection operation near Scran-ton in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Downsizing Metro Waste Authority (MWA), Des Moines, Iowa, has downsized its administrative staff by 35 percent, due to lost waste stream revenue, an increasingly competitive market and expensive regulatory mandates. MWA also is scaling back on select programs and services.

New Association The New Youk State Association for Solid Waste Management and the New York State Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America, Silver Spring, Md., have formed the Federation of New York State Solid Waste Associations.

New Location The Public Recycling Officials of Pennsylvania (Prop) has moved its office from Kittanning, Pa. to Harris-burg, Pa. Prop's new address is: 301 Market St., Ste. 410, Harrisburg, Pa. 17101. (717) 232) 6775. Fax: (717) 232-6728.

Michigan-based MEC Environmental Consulting's new address is: 1003 Amelia Ave., Royal Oak, Mich. 48073-2704. (810) 585-3800.

People Frank W. Norris, Jr. has been named director of sales and marketing for Maintainer Corp. of Iowa Inc., Shel-don, Iowa.

Relocation LFG Specialties Inc., Middleburg Heights, Ohio, has relocated their Cleveland, Ohio engineering and administration offices. The new address: 705 South Friendship Dr., New Concord, Ohio 43762. (614) 826-7686. Fax: (614) 826-4948.

Shred-Tech Chicago, Mount Pros-pect, Ill., has moved their Wood Dale, Ill., office to a new location. The new address: 1907 Busse Rd., Mount Pros-pect, Ill. 60056. (800) 323-1265. Fax: (847) 589-8102.

Web Sites Jacobs Vehicle Equipment Co., Bloomfield, Conn., has established a home page on the Internet: http:// www.jakebrake.com.

Morbark, Winn, Mich., has a new World Wide Web home page: http://www.morbark.com. The company's E-Mail address is: morbark@ worldnet.att.net

Acquisitions USA Waste Services Inc., Houston, has acquired Empire Sanitary Land-fill Inc. and Danella Environmental Technologies Inc., a large landfill and collection operation near Scran-ton in Eastern Pennsylvania. Empire and Danella have annual revenues of approximately $48 million and $4 million, respectively.

Downsizing Metro Waste Authority (MWA), Des Moines, Iowa, has downsized its administrative staff by 35 percent, due to lost waste stream revenue, an increasingly competitive market and expensive regulatory mandates. MWA also is scaling back on select programs and services.

New Association The New Youk State Association for Solid Waste Management and the New York State Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America, Silver Spring, Md., have formed the Federation of New York State Solid Waste Associations.

New Location The Public Recycling Officials of Pennsylvania (Prop) has moved its office from Kittanning, Pa. to Harris-burg, Pa. Prop's new address is: 301 Market St., Ste. 410, Harrisburg, Pa. 17101. (717) 232) 6775. Fax: (717) 232-6728.

Michigan-based MEC Environmental Consulting's new address is: 1003 Amelia Ave., Royal Oak, Mich. 48073-2704. (810) 585-3800.

People Frank W. Norris, Jr. has been named director of sales and marketing for Maintainer Corp. of Iowa Inc., Shel-don, Iowa.

Relocation LFG Specialties Inc., Middleburg Heights, Ohio, has relocated their Cleveland, Ohio engineering and administration offices. The new address: 705 South Friendship Dr., New Concord, Ohio 43762. (614) 826-7686. Fax: (614) 826-4948.

Shred-Tech Chicago, Mount Pros-pect, Ill., has moved their Wood Dale, Ill., office to a new location. The new address: 1907 Busse Rd., Mount Pros-pect, Ill. 60056. (800) 323-1265. Fax: (847) 589-8102.

Web Sites Jacobs Vehicle Equipment Co., Bloomfield, Conn., has established a home page on the Internet: http:// www.jakebrake.com.

Morbark, Winn, Mich., has a new World Wide Web home page: http://www.morbark.com. The company's E-Mail address is: morbark@ worldnet.att.net

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Scrap metal from used cans is an essential ingredient in the steel making process and contributes significantly to saving natural resources, according to the Asso-ciation of European Producers of Packaging Steel (Apeal), Brussels.

Apparently, the rest of Europe agrees, with recently announced steel recycling rates reaching 41 percent, or 1 million tons, for 1995. In fact, this rate puts the steel industry well above the 15 percent reduction mandate set by the European Directive on Pack-aging and Packaging Waste for 2001.

Currently, Germany, with a recycling rate of 67 percent, is setting the trend in Europe, followed closely by the Netherlands with 58 percent; France with 40 percent; Belgium with more than 30 percent; Spain with 17 percent and the United King-dom with 16 percent. Apeal anticipates a European Union (EU) average of 60 percent by the year 2005 (see chart).

These above average rates may be attributed to uncomplicated collection methods, Apeal reported, and extensive ad campaigns. For example, the majority of recovered steel cans are extracted with magnets directly from household wastes.

In addition, large cities such as Par-is, Brussels and Madrid have raised consumer awareness about steel can recycling by promulgating impressive statistics. For example, every ton of recycled steel represents a direct savings of 1.5 tons of iron ore and 0.5 tons of coke, as well as an energy savings of 75 percent and a water savings of 40 percent, according to Apeal.

During the past five years, the steel industry has invested more than 40 million ECU in these activities.

New Association The New York State Association for Solid Waste Management, White Plains, N.Y., and the New York State Chapter of the Solid Waste Associ-ation of North America, Silver Spring, Md., have formed the Federation of New York State Solid Waste Associa-tions.

New Location The Public Recycling Officials of Pennsylvania (PROP) has moved its office from Kittanning, Pa., to Harris-burg, Pa., in December 1996. PROP's new address is: 301 Market St., Ste. 410, Harrisburg, Pa. 17101. (717) 232 6775 or (800) 769-PROP. Fax: (717) 232-6728.

Michigan-based MEC Environmental Consulting's new address is: 1003 Amelia Ave., Royal Oak, Mich. 48073-2704. (810) 585-3800.

People Frank W. Norris, Jr. has been named director of sales and marketing for Maintainer Corp. of Iowa Inc., Shel-don, Iowa.

Relocation LFG Specialties Inc., Middleburg Heights, Ohio, has relocated their Cleveland, Ohio engineering and administration offices. The new address: 705 South Friendship Dr., New Concord, Ohio 43762. (614) 826-7686. Fax: (614) 826-4948.

Shred-Tech Chicago, Mount Pros-pect, Ill., has moved their Wood Dale, Ill., office to a new location. The new address: 1907 Busse Rd., Mount Pros-pect, Ill. 60056. (800) 323-1265. Fax: (847) 589-8102.

Web Sites Jacobs Vehicle Equipment Co., Bloomfield, Conn., has established a home page on the Internet: http:// www.jakebrake.com.

Morbark, Winn, Mich., has a new World Wide Web home page: http://www.morbark.com. The company's E-Mail address is: morbark@ worldnet.att.net

New Location LFG Specialties Inc., Middleburg Heights, Ohio, has relocated its Cleveland, Ohio, engineering and administration offices to its expanding manufacturing facility in New Concord, Ohio. The new address: 705 South Friendship Dr., New Concord, Ohio 43762. (614) 826-7686. Fax: (614) 826-4948.

Michigan-based MEC Environmental Consulting's new address is: 1003 Amelia Ave., Royal Oak, Mich. 48073-2704. (810) 585-3800.

Shred-Tech Chicago, Mount Prospect, Ill., has moved its Wood Dale, Ill., office to a new location. The new address: 1907 Busse Rd., Mount Pros-pect, Ill. 60056. (800) 323-1265. Fax: (847) 589-8102.

People Frank W. Norris, Jr. has been named director of sales and marketing for Maintainer Corp. of Iowa Inc., Sheldon, Iowa, a supplier of heavy duty service, lube truck bodies and cranes.

Web Sites Jacobs Vehicle Equipment Co., Bloomfield, Conn., has established a home page on the World Wide Web. The address is: http:// www.jakebrake.com

Morbark, Winn, Mich., has launched a new World Wide Web home page: http://www.morbark.com. In addition, the company can be reached via E-mail: morbark@ worldnet .att.net