UCR Releases Report on CT Emissions University of California, Riverside released a new CT report, “Evaluation of Emissions from Thermal Conversion Technologies Processing Municipal Solid Waste and Biomass.” To access the report, please click here [PDF, 559 KB].
County Releases Illuminating Emissions Factsheet A new County study has shown that the short-listed conversion technologies will have no difficulty in meeting emissions standards. Data was examined from each technology and compared to existing regulations, as well as alternatives to conversion such as landfill disposal and incineration. The report shows that conversion is a superior option. To access the factsheet, please click here [PDF, 155 KB]. County of Los Angeles Releases Phase III/IV RFP for Conversion Technology Project As part of Los Angeles County's conversion technology efforts, a request for proposals (RFP) for environmental consulting services has been issued. The RFP covers Phase III, the development of a demonstration facility, and Phase IV, the siting of commercial facilities in Los Angeles County. Responses are due January 15, and a pre-proposal conference will be held on December 15 in Alhambra. The full RFP is available here. [PDF, 5.3 MB] A Look at International Environmental Solutions (IES) IES is one of the four technology suppliers participating in the Southern California Conversion Technology Demonstration Project. Click here to watch a short video by the Economic Report presenting IES’ advanced pyrolytic process of converting solid waste into renewable energy and valuable byproducts. Sacramento Investigates Plasma Gasification for Waste Management The City of Sacramento currently sends all of their waste to a landfill in Nevada, at significant cost, and has been considering an exclusive agreement proposal by a plasma arc gasification company to manage their waste stream instead. On January 15, 2009, the Sacramento City Council directed staff to restart the project process following a model similar to Los Angeles County’s Conversion Technology process. You may find more information within the following two articles here [PDF, 60 KB] and here [PDF, 11 KB]. Finding a Sustainable Future at the Dump Plasma gasification technology creates a new paradigm for waste recycling and sustainability because it can rearrange atoms in molecules of low-value waste into molecules of high-value products. You may read more about how plasma gasification is being used to handle today’s waste here [PDF, 63 KB]. Trash Into Treasure Santa Barbara County is on its way to becoming a pioneer in waste-conversion technologies in order to better manage about 200,000 tons of trash buried each year at the Tajiguas Landfill. You may read more about Santa Barbara County’s efforts here [PDF, 63 KB]. Canada Establishes GHG Protocol for Non-Incineration Thermal Waste Conversion Canada establishes GHG Protocol for Non-Incineration Thermal Waste Conversion here [PDF, 376 KB]. California's Renewable Energy Disconnect - Article in MSW Management A critical linchpin in reaching California's green power, greenhouse-gas-reduction, and petroleum-reduction goals is maximizing use of the state's abundant biomass resources from the forestry, agricultural, and urban sectors. To read this article, please click here [PDF, 47 KB]. Cities Give Trash to Energy Plants a Second Look Spurred by growing landfill costs and demand for energy, local governments are investigating and investing in waste-to energy, both expanding existing plants and proposing new ones. To read this article, please click here [PDF, 47 KB]. Waste–to–energy plans get EU’s nod of approval On October 20, 2008, the European Union revised its waste management hierarchy to include all forms of CTs and highly efficient incinerators as “recovery” rather than disposal; California should take a cue from the EU and follow suit. To read the article, please click here [PDF, 14 KB]. Schwarzenegger orders faster push for renewable energy Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order calling on utilities to provide one–third of their power from renewable resources by 2020. To read the article, please click here [PDF, 20 KB]. What Obama presidency means for clean tech With the incoming administration and Congress, renewable energy advocates and environmentalists said they anticipate a comprehensive national energy plan focused on fostering clean-energy technologies. To read the article, please click here [PDF, 18 KB]. Alabama partners to study MSW-to-diesel conversion The city of Bay Minette, Ala., has been awarded $195,000 to work with Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., and Cello Energy in Bay Minette, Ala., to explore the feasibility of converting the city’s municipal solid waste into a synthetic fuel that is similar to No. 2 diesel fuel oil. To read the article, please click here [PDF, 13 KB]. Converting waste to fuel good idea The San Bernardino Sun, one of the Inland Empire's largest newspapers, has editorialized in favor of transforming green waste into ethanol. The editorial discusses BlueFire Ethanol's recent successes and highlights the local advantages that conversion technologies would bring. To read the article, please click here [PDF, 225 KB]. Santa Cruz County looks into CTs The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is considering approval of a plasma arc gasification project in Watsonville. The proposed 200-ton per day facility will be developed by Carslbad-based adaptiveARC. Santa Cruz County is one of many California jurisdictions currently pursuing advanced conversion technologies. To read the article, please click here here [PDF, 35 KB]. Waste-to-ethanol embraced in Kentucky Biomass Magazine reports that Pike County, Kentucky will open a 1,500 ton per day waste-to-ethanol facility that will entirely replace the Count's landfill. The Agresti Biofuels plant will separate recyclables and convert the remaining cellulosic material will be transformed into millions of gallons of ethanol each year. To read the article, please click here here [PDF, 129 KB]. Local cities embrace conversion technologies In the past month, two of Los Angeles County’s largest cities have passed resolutions endorsing the County’s conversion technology program. The city councils of Long Beach and Lancaster, which together account for nearly 650,000 residents, each asked the County to keep their city in mind for future conversion technology projects. These join existing resolutions adopted by the cities of Glendale and Calabasas. Please click the appropriate link to view the Long Beach [PDF, 62 KB] or Lancaster [PDF, 107 KB] resolutions. These resolutions and those adopted by other cities such as Glendale and Calabasas can also be found in the new Local Support section. Ethanol facility receives approval Alternative fuels pioneer BlueFire Ethanol has received approval from the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission to construct a $30 million facility at the Lancaster landfill. The BlueFire plant will produce millions of gallons of ethanol from wood and green wastes through an advanced acid hydrolysis technology. To view an article that appeared in the Daily News, please click here [PDF, 33 KB]. County finalist gets spotlight treatment in Press-Enterprise International Environmental Solutions, one of the four finalists for the Southern California Conversion Technology Demonstration Project, received an extended look from The Press-Enterprise's Jennifer Bowles. The article offers an inside look at the up-and-coming technology developer and its involvement in Los Angeles County's conversion technology program. To read more, please click here. [PDF, 67 KB] CA County's solid waste future profiled in major newspaper The Long Beach Press-Telegram has published a lengthy article exploring Los Angeles County's efforts to provide a sustainable future for solid waste. The piece provides an in-depth analysis of both the conversion technology and waste-by-rail programs. To read the article, please click here [PDF, 3 MB] CleanTech to convert MSW into ethanol Ethanol Producer reports that CleanTech Biofuels is building a demonstration facility in Colorado that will produce 36,000 gallons of ethanol per year, all from municipal solid waste. CleanTech is using California-developed technology to produce a cellulosic biofuel. The facility is slated to open in August. To read more, please click here [PDF, 38KB] Influential state body recognizes conversion as climate change solution A report commissioned by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has found that widespread adoption of conversion technologies in California has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly five million metric tonnes. It should be noted that this is a very conservative estimate, as the study does not take into account savings from transportation and landfill avoidance. The Economic and Technology Advancement Advisory Committee's (ETAAC) report lists conversion technologies as one of the key climate change solutions for California. To view the entire study, please click here. [PDF, 4.19 MB] Time Warner Cable highlights conversion LA County's conversion technology program was recently profiled by Time Warner Cable. County civil engineer Coby Skye was interviewed and provided insights on why conversion is so badly needed and the benefits it can offer to Southern California. Click here to view the clip. [Requires Quicktime, 4.0mb] Leading waste trade comes out strong for conversion The editor of solid waste trade journal MSW Management wrote a lengthy endorsement of conversion technologies in the magazine’s January/February issue. John Trotti discussed the current regulatory environment and advocated for common-sense changes that allow for a reasonable and equal footing for proven conversion technologies. Click here to view the editorial and a guest editorial by Fred Rubin can be found here. Promising plasma gasification technologies profiled Biomass discussed several up-and-coming companies seeking to convert solid waste into clean energy through the use of plasma gasification. Geoplasma LLC has plans to build a commercial facility in St. Lucie County, Florida, while PlascoEnergy Group recently opened a plant in Ottawa, Ca processing 85 tons per day of municipal solid waste. Click here to view the article. [PDF, 736 kb] What happens to America’s e-waste? As part of the greening of America, new focus has been placed on recycling electronic devices. But where does your old desktop computer go? National Geographic magazine explores this question in an in-depth investigation of e-waste recycling in Ghana, the destination of many of America’s discarded televisions and computers. Click here to view the article. [PDF, 311 kb]
Final Report Released The County has released its final Phase II Conversion Technology Evaluation Report, a comprehensive study of existing technology suppliers and materials recovery facilities throughout Southern California. To read the report or the executive summary, please click: [Report] [Executive Summary]
City of Los Angeles Receives 12 Proposals in response to their Alternative Technology RFP As part of the greening of America, new focus has been placed on recycling electronic devices. On February 7, 2007, the City of Los Angeles released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for development of commercial and emerging scale conversion technology facilities, utilizing MSW generated in the City of Los Angeles. RFP responses were due August 22, 2007, and a total of 12 technology suppliers submitted applications. The City of Los Angeles' Bureau of Sanitation is currently reviewing the submissions. More information regarding the City's efforts is available here.
Fox News Channel Features County Program
Fox News Channel recently profiled the issue of dwindling landfill capacity and the County’s conversion technology efforts. [Watch Video 1] County completes tours In 2007, representatives from the County toured the five selected technology vendor facilities located in Japan, England, Poland, the United States, and Israel. These tours provided an opportunity to gather and confirm information for our Phase II final report, set to be released October 2007. Currently the County of Los Angeles is in the final phase of partnerships with Materials Recovery Facility’s and selected technology vendors for a demonstration facility in Southern California. The Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee will continue to lead emerging waste management practices till Southern California has reached a zero-waste goal, and sustainable future.
City of L.A. launches RFP The City of Los Angeles has released its own request for proposals (RFP) from established conversion technology programs. The RFP, and other City documents, can be downloaded at http://www.lacity-alternativetechnology.org.
Governor continues support of clean energy through new initiatives In 2007, Gov. Schwarzenegger has unveiled a number of environmental initiatives that can be achieved utilizing conversion technologies. These initiatives include a new low carbon fuel standard that will promote greater reliance on clean, biomass-derived fuels; new renewable portfolio standards for electric utilities; landmark legislation combating climate change; and the Bio-Energy Action Plan. He has also brokered agreements with other states and countries to expand efforts to combat climate change. Details on these programs and other green initiatives can be found at http://gov.ca.gov/issue/environment | 
