2010

Los Angeles County Public Works Department Submits Preliminary Siting Assessment to Board of Supervisors

At the request of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Department of Public Works submitted a Preliminary Conversion Technology Site Assessment on October 20, 2010. This Assessment evaluates the advantages and challenges of locating a conversion technology facility within Los Angeles County. Eleven stakeholders representing cities, solid waste companies, and industrial realestate developers within Los Angeles County submitted 16 sites to Public Works for consideration.

This preliminary site assessment considered technical factors such as site acreage, existing infrastructure, utilities, proximity to power and gas transmission lines, proximity to sensitive ecological areas, zoning, and other factors. This assessment is not intended to be comprehensive nor is it designed to rank the sites. It is intended to establish a basis for future, more detailed technical and environmental assessments. This will assist the County in advancing the development of an optimal number of conversion technology projects within the County, which will assist in meeting the long-term solid waste management needs of County residents and businesses while generating local renewable energy, and retaining jobs and economic resources within the County. To read the Assessment, press here.

Regulatory Agencies Support AB 222

The three most influential state agencies related to waste and energy (Air Resources Board, Energy Commission and the Department of Resource Recycling and Recovery) joined together to write a letter of support for AB 222 stating in part, “AB 222 supports innovation and the introduction of a range of new technologies for production of biofuels and renewable energy from organic wastes that meets California’s environmental standards.” AB 222 is currently pending consideration by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. We will continue to update our readers as this bill progresses through the legislative process.

Los Angeles County Moves Forward with Phase III/IV of Southern California Conversion Technology Project

At the April 20 , 2010 Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board took a historic step by unanimously approving a motion to 1) facilitate the development of three demonstration conversion technology projects; 2) initiate a contract for a technical consultant to assist these demonstration projects as well as establish a process for the development of commercial scale projects within Los Angeles County; and 3) initiate a feasibility study for potential conversion technology sites at County landfills and other appropriate locations within the County. This vote was a decisive statement by the County of Los Angeles in support of finding alternative ways to manage the region’s waste stream. The demonstration facilities will provide real-time data and regulatory precedent for the final phase of the project—commercial scale facilities within Los Angeles County. We look forward to providing updates on the pilot projects and feasibility study. For information regarding this historic action, please view the Board of Supervisor’s press release.

Glendale Forms Committee to Research Conversion Technologies

The City of Glendale joined a growing number of cities looking to find an environmentally-responsible alternative to landfills. On April 20, 2010, the City Council adopted a motion authorizing the city manager to assemble a project team to research, analyze, report & recommend a waste conversion project for the City of Glendale. The motion also provided funding to research emerging technologies to help meet the City’s long-term waste reduction goals. We are excited to see more and more cities looking at conversion technology as a viable alternative and looks forward to partnering with these cities in the next phase of its project.