Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: 4/5ths
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Jim Eggemeyer, Director, Office of Sustainability
Subject: Grant Agreement for the South Bayside Waste Management Authority for Organics to Energy Pilot Project
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation to:
A) Adopt a resolution authorizing a grant agreement with the South Bayside Waste Management Authority for the implementation of an organics to energy pilot project for a term ending June 1, 2020, and for an amount not to exceed $1,000,000; and
B) Approve an Appropriations Transfer Request appropriating $1,000,000 from the Office of Sustainability Non-General Fund Capital Reserves to Other Charges to contribute to the South Bayside Waste Management Authority’s Organics to Energy pilot project.
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BACKGROUND:
The South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA) is a joint powers authority consisting of 12-member agencies located in southern San Mateo County, including the County. The SBWMA manages the Shoreway Environmental Center in San Carlos and provides strategic oversight, management, and support of the service providers that collect, process, recycle, and dispose of materials for its member agencies.
In the field of waste management, there have been several pieces of legislation passed by the California legislature which focus on reducing the amount of organics disposed of in landfills. This material decomposes to release methane gas, a contributor to climate change. AB 1826 requires that, starting in January 2019, all businesses that produce over four cubic yards of solid waste a week, as well as all multifamily dwellings over five units, must compost their organic materials. SB 1383 furthermore reduces the amount of organic material that is allowed into landfills as disposal.
DISCUSSION:
To reduce the amount of organics entering the landfill waste stream, the SBWMA plans to develop infrastructure at its Shoreway Environmental Center facility to process their landfill stream to extract the organic waste. This waste would then be sent to an anaerobic digestor to extract the methane, which would then be used to generate energy. This process reduces the amount of organic material disposed of in a landfill, thereby increasing the overall capacity of the landfill as well as the overall diversion rate.
The SBWMA intends to start with a pilot project that would be a smaller scale of the Organics Extractor (OREX) Press. This pilot project would extract an estimated 50 tons per day of organic material that would be converted into a slurry for a wastewater treatment plant to process. It would also capture over 90 percent of the organic material in the waste stream that would otherwise go into the landfill.
This pilot project will provide a better understanding of the process and pave the way for a larger version of the OREX Press, which would significantly increase processing capacity and reduce the amount of organic material entering landfills. This reduction in organic material works towards fulfilling the state’s requirements under SB 1383.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be roughly $3,500,000. The cost will be split between this grant, funds from CalRecycle, and SBWMA’s budget.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the grant agreement and resolutions as to form.
SHARED VISION 2025:
Approval of these resolutions contribute towards the Shared Vision 2025 outcomes of an Environmentally Conscious Community by reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated from landfills, as well as a Collaborative Community by solidifying a partnership with other cities and agencies through the SBWMA.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
Measure |
Projected Completion Date |
|
Project Commissions |
September 1, 2019 |
|
90 days production is achieved |
June 1, 2020 |
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the grant agreement is from February 26, 2019, to June 1, 2020, for a not-to-exceed amount of $1,000,000. This contribution to the SBWMA will be funded entirely from the County’s AB 939 fund, which is designated for the implementation of the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan and the waste reduction and diversion programming. Approval of the Appropriations Transfer Request will appropriate funds in the amount of $1,000,000 from the Office of Sustainability Non-General Fund Capital Reserves to Other Charges.