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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0591.007 2002-2004 JMYY OF 4~••i Harry Kim Barbara Bell Mayor .re- - . •y':;.~~=~-, Director 1rF Oi•N•~ l'LIIlITi~'~J II~ '~M~1TtItt DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 25 Aupuni Street, Room 210 • Hilo, Hawari 96720-4252 (808) 961-8083 • Fax (808) 961-8086 MEMORANDUM DATE: Apri12Q 2004 x«rwco .y y.-..__-.~. TO: Council Chair James Y. Arakaki ~f11e -.-1; e And Members of the Haw Co ty Council pore ~Coun ~Counctl i' ry FROM: Bazbaza Bell, Directc~ RE: Resolution No. 180- 4 Thank you for the vote of confidence in suggesting that we can achieve 95% diversion from landfills! There aze groups throughout the world who have set Zero Waste as a goal and although a diversion rate of 95% is theoretically possible, it is not a rate that has currently been achieved by U.S. municipalities, with or without high-tech waste reduction technologies. Reports indicate that the best rates achieved, between 80-85%, are accomplished through a mix of resource recovery (recycling) in combination with a high tech waste reduction technologies. These rates have been achieved only in urban settings with large economies of scale where the logistics and costs of advanced collection and disposal systems have been addressed. I believe we would be setting an unrealistic goal, especially with a 10-year timeline. However, if you aze serious about conserving our landfill airspace, we will do a rough cost estimate for the next 10 fiscal years. It is a given that more financial resources will be necessary for the manpower and equipment needed to achieve this ambitious goal. THE EXISTING PLANS: To achieve the 80% diversion rate goal set by the 2002 Update to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWMP), any waste reduction technology implemented within the County will need to draw upon the island-wide waste stream to provide cost effective processing. To avoid negative impacts to our island's environment, avoid compliance violations, and mitigate road congestion we must consider how best to: • Develop the acreage at Pu'uanahulu Landfill which has been set aside for resource recovery, • Establish a viable fleet for cross island trucking, whether privately or publicly owned, and • Fund and recruit additional staff to oversee both low and high tech resource reduction activities. Comm. No. ~ ~ • Ref. To: p~eaeeh0 Hnwai'i County is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Ref, Date Hawaii County Council Apri12Q 2004 Page 2 Additionally, we must be fiscally prudent in our adoption of a waste reduction technology such that we don't impede economic growth. The implementation of our solid waste plan to achieve the goal of 80% diversion by 2014 has been assisted by expert consultants and includes input from the State Department of Health and all the other county solid waste divisions in the State of Hawaii. The reality of implementing any plan requires modifications as new information is discovered. However, to drastically alter that plan at this point will require additional resources. The solid waste management plan adopted as a result of the ISWMP requires addressing the logistical requirements of resource recovery first. The time line provided in the EIS shows that the progress made towazd selection of a high-tech waste reduction technology is actually on track and on schedule. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Since August 2002, the Department of Environmental Management has: • Finalized the Update to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan, • Completed an action plan relative to the ISWMP's recommendations, • Established a working relationship with our regulators, the State Department of Health, • Organized atwo-day informational session for Council members from various waste reduction technology representatives, • Completed an EIS which provides specific details and timelines for our solid waste management plan, • Taken over all operations of the Kea'au Recycling and Reuse Center since the EPA grant expired. • Directed a study on island-wide Transfer Station enhancements, with priorities and levels of service, • Developed a draft RFI for waste reduction technologies, and • Conducted numerous community meetings as an integral element of all our programs. NEW INFORMATION: Also attached aze the draft executive summaries of two comprehensive studies just completed on the status of waste reduction technologies. This brand new information was not available at the time the Update to the ISWMP was finalized. The status of waste reduction technologies is changing rapidly in today's world, which prompted the California Assembly to pass Bill 2770 in 2002 to conduct a thorough analysis of waste reduction processes and products. The first reports generated by this legislation aze now available in draft form and extremely illuminating with regard to the status of existing technologies and the environmental impacts. Hawaii County Council Apri120, 2004 Page 3 Information about the actual costs associated with each technology is still insufficient, although it is cleaz that the operations of all available technologies are responsive to economies of scale. It is also cleaz that no thermal process alone can deal with 80% of the waste stream and that such diversion rates are achieved only through the combination of low and high tech modes of resource recovery. Although waste to energy is a desirable product for our island's economic growth, it should be noted that the general rule of thumb is that the net gain in energy is only around 5% of the current BTUs consumed by the population generating the waste stream. For our County, that would mean that the net energy produced would be in the range of 6-8 megawatts. Although increasing our generating capacity with anon-imported fuel source is desirable, the net gain would not provide a sizable increase to our existing generation capacity. I would like to recommend that the Council either defer action on Resolution No. 180-04, to more carefully consider the exact level of landfill diversion we will set as a County goal, or consider the attached draft. cc: Harry Kim, Mayor, County of Hawaii attachments: California Integrated Waste Management Boazd Executive Summary, Evaluation of Conversion Technology Processes and Products Executive Summary, Apri12004, Life Cycle and Mazket Impact Assessment Of Waste Conversion Technologies Draft Resolution No. 180-04 DRAFT -For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. Draft Executive Summary: Evaluation of Conversion Technology Processes and Products Prepared for: California Integrated Waste Management Board 1001 I Street P.O. Box 4025 Sacramento, CA 95812-4025 Contract Manager: Fernando Berton Submitted: April 2004 Colin Hackett Robert B. Williams William Welch Daza Salour Thomas D. Durbin Bryan M. Jenkins Joshua Pence Rizaldo Aldan College ofEngineering-Center for Dept. of Biological and Agricultural Environmental Reseazch and Technology Engineering University of California University of Califomia Riverside, CA 92521 One Shields Avenue (909) 781-5791 Davis, CA 95616 (909) 781-5790 fax Phone: (530) 752-6623 fax: (530) 752-2640 ES-i DRAFT -For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. Executive Summary The diversion of materials from landfill is one of the central goals of the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) as well as an important societal issue. Diversion efforts in Califomia have increased substantially in Califomia since the passage of AB 939 in 1989, establishing a target of 50% diversion from landfills by 2000. Although the diversion rate in Califomia is estimated to be approximately 47%, over 37 million tons of material is still disposed of in landfills. Of the materials landfilled, 79% of the material is organic (biomass and plastic cazbonaceous material) that could potentially be processed to provide chemical energy or be converted into other useful products. The 30 million tons of organic waste currently landfilled annually contain the equivalent energy of over 60 million barrels of crude oil, or could support 2370 MW of electrical power (if all energetic components were to be converted to electricity), representing about 5% of the electric capacity available to the state (51,000 MW) and 6% of electric energy consumption. There are a number of potential options for reducing the current amount of waste disposed in landfills. These include reducing the generation of waste, increasing the amount recycled, and/or diverting a portion of the stream through other conversion processes. The recycling mazket is well developed and plays an important role in the waste infrastructure. Much of the readily recyclable materials are already pulled from the waste stream, however, and barriers such as economic collection and processing remain for other materials. Programs to reduce waste at the source aze also used in azeas such as Europe. Although these programs have had some success, it is unlikely that such programs could be applied to achieve a zero waste objective. The combustion or incineration of waste is another option that has increasingly been used in Europe and Japan. Incineration remains controversial, however, due to public perceptions of environmental impacts, and it is unlikely that incineration systems could be widely applied in the State without considerable opposition, even though improvements have been made over the years to reduce harmful emissions. In order to further explore options for reducing the landfill disposal of organics, legislators and the CIWMB have put in place several different programs. These include new legislation (i.e., recently enacted AB 2770), and the initiation of information gathering activities such as technology evaluations, life-cycle analyses, and mazket assessments. One of the main focuses of these programs is the evaluation of altemative conversion technologies, or conversion methods that do not employ full oxidative combustion (commonly called incineration). These include thermochemical processes such as pyrolysis and gasification and biochemical processes such as aerobic and anaerobic digestion and fermentation. Questions remaining for these technologies include the types of feedstocks that could potentially be utilized, the technical viability of the processes, the resultant products from the processes, their environmental impacts, and financial, economic, social and political feasibilities. This report provides an in-depth technical evaluation of alternative conversion technologies to address issues related to technical viability and environmental impacts. As part of this evaluation, a comprehensive survey of companies, institutions, and technology developers was ES- I DRAFT -For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. liquid materials using thermally driven chemical processes is regazded as a continuum of processes ranging from thermal decomposition in a primarily non-reactive environment, (commonly called pyrolysis) to decomposition in a chemically reactive environment (usually called gasification if the products are primarily energetic gases or complete combustion if the products aze fully oxidized). Pyrolysis can be considered an incomplete gasification process, in which a mixture of gaseous, liquid and solid products are produced, each of which may have some irnmediate use to sustain the process. The characteristics of each of these different processes can also vary depending on the oxidizing or reducing media, process temperature and process pressure. Combustion Definition Combustion is the oxidation of the fuel for the production of heat at elevated temperatures without generating commercially useful intermediate fuel gases, liquids, or solids. Combustion of MSW or other secondary materials is generally refen•ed to as incineration. Flame temperatures range typically between 1500 and 3000°F depending on fuel, stoichiometry, fiunace design, and system heat loss. Particle temperatures in heterogeneous (e.g., reactions between solid and gas phases) combustion can differ from gas temperatures depending on radiative conditions. Continuous combustion of solids involves the simultaneous processes of heat and mass transport, progressive pyrolysis, gasification, ignition, and burning, with fluid flow. Nomrally, combustion employs an excess oxidizer to ensure maximum fuel conversion, but it can also occur under fuel rich conditions. Products of combustion processes include heat, oxidized species (e.g. cazbon dioxide [COZ], water [HZO]), products of incomplete combustion and other reaction products (mostly as pollutants), and ash. Other processes, such as supercritical water oxidation and electrochemical oxidation can produce similaz end products at lower temperatures. Gasification Defmition Gasification typically refers to conversion via the duect intemal heating provided by partial oxidation using substoichiometric air or oxygen. Alternative configurations using either indirect heating methods such as externally fired burners or autothemral methods using exothermic reducing reactions have been demonstrated. While gasification processes vary considerably, typically gasifiers operate between 1300 and 1500°F. The process is generally optimized to produce fuel or feedstock gases (either synthesis gas if used for specific chemical synthesis, or producer gas if used as fuel gas), principally consisting of cazbon monoxide (CO), HZ, methane (CH4), and lighter hydrocarbons in association with COZ and NZ depending on process used. Gasification processes can also produce liquids (tars, oils, and other condensates) and solids (chaz, ash) from solid feedstocks. However, most gasification processes aze designed to generate fuel or synthesis gases as the primary product. Fuel gases can be used in intemal and external combustion engines, fuel cells, and other prime movers. Gasification products can be used to produce methanol, Fischer-Tropsch (FT) liquids, and other fuel liquids and chemicals, (see section 4 on Conversion Products of this report). Gasification of solids with subsequent combustion of the gasification-derived fuel gases generates the same ES-3 DRAFT -For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. appropriate temperatures for the facultative and methanogenic bacteria degrading the waste substrates. The cazbon/nitrogen (C/1~ ratio of the feedstock is especially important. Biogas can be used after appropriate gas clean-up as a fuel for engines, gas turbines, fuel cells, boilers, industrial heaters, other processes, and the manufacturing of chemicals. Aerobic Digestion Definition Aerobic conversion includes composting and activated sludge waste water treatment processes. Aerobic conversion uses air or oxygen to support the metabolism of the aerobic microorganisms degrading the substrate. Nutritional considerations are also important to the proper functioning of aerobic processes. Aerobic processes operate at much higher reaction rates than anaerobic processes, but generally do not produce useful fuel gases. Fermentation Definition Fermentation is generally used industrially to produce fuel liquids such as ethanol and other chemicals (e.g., lactic acid used in producing renewable plastics from biomass). This process operates without oxygen. Cellulosic feedstocks, including the majority of the organic fraction of MSW, need pretreatment (acid, enzymatic, or hydrothermal hydrolysis) to depolymerize cellulose and hemicellulose to monomers used by the yeast and bacteria employed in the process. Ethanol and COz aze byproducts of anaerobic yeast fermentation. Ethanol inhibits microbial growth, essentially halting the process when ethanol concentration is neaz 12%. Ethanol must be distilled from the dilute fermentation product in order to be used as fuel. Processes aze also in development that would convert ethanol to hydrogen without distillation. Although fermentation and anaerobic digestion aze commonly classified sepazately, both aze biochemical feanentation methods designed ~i to produce different products. Lignin in biomass is resistant to fermentation and as a byproduct of the process is typically considered for use as boiler fuel or as a feedstock for thermochemical conversion to other fuels and products. A summary schematic of thermochemical and biochemical processing of MSW is presented in Figure FS-1. ES-5 DRAFT -For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. Physicochemica/conversion pathways Physicochemical conversion involves the synthesis of products using physical chemistry and chemical processing at ambient temperatures and pressures. It is primarily associated with the transformation of fresh or used vegetable oils, animal fats, greases, tallow, and other suitable feedstocks into useful liquid fuels and chemicals such as biodiesel, frequently by transesterification, areaction of anorganic glyceride with alcohol in the presence of catalyst. Feedstocks The feedstocks that can be utilized with alternative conversion processes aze primarily the organic materials that aze now being landfilled. These include paper, cazdboazd, plastic, food, green waste, and other waste. A summary of the waste material currently being landfilled, including the potential chemical energy of each component, is provided in Table ES-1. Thermxhemical process can potentially process all the organic portion of the waste stream that is currently going to landfill. Some presorting and/or processing of MSW would be conducted prior to thermal conversion for extraction of recyclable materials, size reduction compatible with the process, and drying of the material, if needed. The biochemical processes can convert only the biodegradable fraction of feedstocks. Metals, glass, mineral matter, and the current waste plastic streamr aze inert to biodegradation. Higher moisture feedstocks tend to be good candidates for biochemical processes. Biochemical conversion technologies prefer source-sepazated green or food waste, or the biogenic fraction of MSW after sorting. Some biochemical systems (so called `high solids' reactors) can accept unsorted MSW (shredded or crushed to appropriate size, e.g., less than 2 inches) in the reactor. The materials inert to biodegradation will simply exit as part of the digestate. Paper/cazdboazd is the lazgest category of the material (on both a mass and energy basis) that could be processed by conversion technologies. Paper and cazdboazd material comprise 11 million tons or 30% of the currently landfilled material. On an energy basis, however, paper/cardboard represents neazly half (44%) of the potential chemical energy in the waste stream. Although recycling of old comtgated containers (OCC) and old newspaper (ONP) materials is a well developed industry in California, the recycling rates for these components aze still only 52 and 58%, respectively. The collection of materials is one issue with recycling of OCC and ONP, including the problem of capturing OCC from small businesses. Although mixed paper is also recycled, the value of mixed paper as a commodity is relatively low making it more difficult to process economically. Overall, the paper/cazdboazd recycling rate in California is only slightly higher than 30%, or 4.5 million tons of material. From an energy standpoint, plastic is the second most important component of the waste stream, representing some 30% of the potential chemical energy. On a weight basis, plastics and other textiles represent 4.2 million tons. of landfilled material or 11% of the total mass. On a volumetric basis, however, plastic materials may occupy as much as 22% of the space in a ~ Plastics made from biodegradable feedstocks aze not yet commercial but aze being developed by a number of manufactures and severs(research institutions and National Labs. ES-7 DRAFT - For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not quote or cite. landfill due to their comparatively lower density. Plastic materials in the waste stream present in the highest amounts include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene (PET), and durable plastics. Although some plastic recycling markets are well developed, the overall recovery of plastics is approximately 5%. PET bottles have the highest recycling rate at approximately 35%. HDPE containers aze the next highest category of recycled plastics with a rate of 13°'0. A primary issue that impedes plastics recycling is that the cost of collecting and processing typically exceeds the value of the material. The number of new containers has also increased in recent years, resulting in corresponding decreases in the overall recycling rate even though the total amount recycled has increased. Thermochemical processes currently represent the only strategy that would be applicable for plastics conversion. With a high percentage of the total available chemical energy in mixed MSW, plastics could be attractive materials for thermochemical processes. With the appropriate thermochemical processes, it could even be possible to produce petroleum-like base products such as ethylene that could be utilized for new plastics production while correspondingly displacing petroleum use. Thermochemical techniques have previously been developed for plastics recycling. These wnversion technologies could also be applied to the growing problem azeas of electronic components, consumer appliances, and plastic packaging materials. It is worth noting that some plastic components such as PVC contain chlorine in their composition. Since chlorine is a precursor to dioxin formation, these components would either have to be preprocessed and removed from the waste stream or appropriate exhaust remediation technology would have to be used. Biochemical processes are applicable for treating the biodegradable portion of the waste stream. Primary feedstocks would be green and food wastes, although other biomass could also be converted. Lignin is lazgely undegraded in most fermentation systems (including anaerobic digestion) and hence remains as a residue of the process. Lignin represents approximately 28% of typical softwood, up to 50% for nut shells, with lower percentages for grasses, straws, and other herbaceous materials. Paper is primarily cellulose but may be coated or otherwise treated and include other constituents such as clay and heavy metals from pigments. Sludge products may have value as fertilizer or soil additives if heavy metal concentrations can be kept sufficiently low. The lower temperatures of biochemical treatment have some advantages in terms of reducing the potential formation of pollutant and hazardous species compazed with higher temperature thermal processes, but cannot process the full waste stream. Thermochemical Process Descriptions and Current Status Thermochemical Process Descriptions Pyrolysis and gasification are processes designed for the conversion of cazbonaceous feedstocks to liquid or gaseous products. Pyrolysis is an endothermic process where materials aze thermally degraded without the addition of any air or oxygen. Pyrolysis produces both gaseous and liquid products as well as residual solids, but is generally optimized for production of liquid fuels. Gasification processes aze generally optimized for the generation of energetic or synthesis gases. Gasification can occur via direct internal heating provided by partial oxidation using substoichiometric air or oxygen or by indirect heating methods. ES- 9 DRAFT - For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not quote or cite. Ititsx9bnR~:inai+~t+~E~9uc}: ' ~t~88;at~ra~dri~: orpatiri<(energy:' paper & r~r86bar4: ~rrergetta • .plesti~it: ''Gases: _ rrd TSat f~M54Y Separetioh r ( ~Gas~c (arRtional) - l. ta9iflc8tl r I oR ; Tieattrient Cleaned ~ - - ettre ( Rt+a~r` 1 ~ Removed EoergOtTc Ezhaust C)- or' . . ~i~Ash Removed.. Gases j Mechanics! N , ites{i?ira, syrithC~Sis ~ p~rticle- PreProcessing F' ~ I- `aea~xttN` Exhaust'ftue (size njduucNorr: i ~Ysi~. ; , Mattel gas ~tmr= - mtldit~al+~' 1 !Rf~ rru.+t ttemtmeM~ta dcylpgat i . _ 1 - treed~~ - - remov~- F.~tte#nal~9viher potiutarits 1 i ...:.~wrr~..:-.. ~~-c..~ [I~Raefied~~OT~ ~ Process Fearl t1~ supply FtgsSuppty IrdBrsuPP!Y) FnteMal 1 tPCessurirattori.. firom sit' t'irm+' . i ~sturrY pump sepaPrittaiii Gteem 'Cbrri6~ bon ElecUtc power ~ ec~-~ $Y~m` t ~ Tu[ti}ne j genera~r l I r l j if <3team'8efotroer Air ___1 ~ 1 j ~ Exportei! --------~---^-~-a ElectriciH tagerdt Fa~elsJCtie[ril~ats paahed 6ine• Eteect~'teeYF?ger :AsTi (3fOr. - 12ecyoted Water _ pottedLhe t~aetfl~x ..~=j73g ~gIIdLRaa Maas€low~ metals (;bndapsate~.cOntemiheMs #ached Una e~o~ead:~aMrtn;7md Rxcrdx+ts tbarecYdi .acids: bases) derxrteemmnortpdiebA,ffc.readio[~~M- !~CY4'lln9.f Figure ES-2. Schematic Diagram of Gasification Process with Front End Pyrolysis Process. ES- 11 i DRAFT - For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not quote or cite. exposure (<1 second). Rapid quenching is necessary to freeze the decomposition roducts and condense species before simpler molecules (lower moleculaz mass) aze formed that ~emain gases under ambient conditions. This process results in a product that is up to 80% liquid >~y weight. The pyrolyzing/gasifying media can also be vaned by using hydrogen and/or ste I. Significant differences in the product distribution can occur when using hydrogen and/or steam a reactant. Hydrogen gas can be used to enhance chemical reduction and suppress oxidat' n from the elemental oxygen in the feedstock. This process, known as hydropyrolysis, w s originally developed to enhance the production of energetic gases from the pyrolysis of c 1. Water or steam can also be incorporated into the thermochemical process to not only change the resultant gases and vapors but also to increase the porosity of the resultant chaz. By creatin a very high surface area and porosity, activated cazbon (chazcoal) can be formed. Steam yrolysis or gasification can also be used to achieve adequate results at lower temperature but higher pressures than processes conducted in the absence of water, or dry processes. is ability to pyrolyze and gasify wet streams of carbonaceous material using chemically reduci g processes appears to have some distinct advantages over the more traditional dry and partia ly oxidative methods. It should be noted that water and elemental oxygen are both typically fou in biomass feedstocks. Most biomass materials usually contain between 25% and 45% by mas (weight) of elemental oxygen, so some oxidative reactions will occur during pyrolysis, ven though additional oxygen is intentionally excluded from the process. Plasma azc and radio frequency (or microwave) heating is a technique for providi g heat from electricity for gasification, pyrolysis, or combustion depending on the amount of rea live oxygen or hydrogen fed to the reactor. Very high temperatures aze created in the ionized plasma (the electric azc [plasma] can reach temperatures of 9,000 - 27,000°F; the non-ionized gases in the reactor chamber can reach 1,700 - 2,200°F; and the molten slag is typically azou d 3,000°F). Plasma arc heating can provide advantages in controlling the combustion proces ,but at the same time it is less efficient that direct heating due to the need to produce electricit . As a result of this inefficiency, plasma arc technologies are often used for more specialized fee stocks such as medical waste. Catalytic cracking is a subclass of thermochemical conversion usually applied polymeric wastes to produce liquid fuels (primarily gasoline) in an oil refinery. The addition o catalysts to enhance the kinetics of this method of pyrolysis has created many commercial imp ementations that aze trade secrets and proprietary. However, the deactivation of these catalysts b the chlorine present in PVC plastics, makes the genera] application of this technology proble alit without expensive sorting and pre-treatment of the plastic from the MSW stream. Th market for petrochemicals and polymeric materials derived from petroleum is highly tom etitive on a worldwide basis. The use of catalytic cracking to convert waste polymeric materi is (plastics) into fuels is well established within oil refinery complexes worldwide. The catal 'c cracking process is shown schematically in Figure ES-4. ~I ES- 13 i__ DRAFT' - For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not quote or cite. To date, a lazge number of gasification and pyrolysis technologies have been developed and demonstrated on levels from laboratory scale through pilot and fully commercial scale. Gasification of coal remains the largest use of the different technologies, although the commercialization of gasification for waste is growing, particularly in Japan as well as Europe. In general, most of the identified pyrolysis and gasification facilities are operational at a level of 200 tons per day (tpd) capacity or less. In Europe, a limited number of pyrolysis technologies are operating at a scale above the 50,000 tons per year (tpy) for MSW or other general wastes, although a number of vendors indicated plans for development of facilities at that scale. It should be noted that some facilities operating or since abandoned have had operational issues in either commissioning or actual operation, including the now abandoned Siemans facility at Frirth. For gasification in Europe, the SVZ facility at Schwarze Pumpe in Germany is one of the largest facilities with a capacity of 450k tpy of solid waste and 55 tpy of liquid waste. There aze other gasification facilities operating a smaller level or in the planning stages in Europe, although again, the applications appear to be primarily niche applications or in areas where projects were supported by public agencies. The use of gasification for the processing of coal is more widely applied and much of this technology can be utilized for processing MSW. This includes TyssenKrupp Uhde, which has over 100 gasifiers in place primarily for coal. Gasification and pyrolysis appear to be applied at a slightly larger scale in Japan. Licensees Mitsui and Takuma of the Siemens gasification + pyrolysis process both have plants that have been in operation since the 1990s, with additional plants in the planning or construction phases. Thermoselect and Thide Environmental licensee Hitachi also have a small plants in operation. Nippon Steel has approximately a dozen plants ranging from 80 to 450 tpd, with most being operational. This includes two plants of 100 and 450 tpd capacities that have been operating since the late 1970s. Ebara/Alstom has a 450 tpd facility in place and an additional 7 plants in various stages of operation, commissioning, and planning. This includes a 1,500 tpd facility that is scheduled for commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May 2006. Hitachi metals has also commissioned a 300 tpd facility in Utashinai City, Japan with several other smaller facilities. Several facilities in Califomia or nearby states are currently operating at a small scale or are being commissioned at a larger scale. Balboa Energy Technologies Inc has issued two licenses for its pyrolysis technology to companies in the Southern California area. International Energy Solutions (IES) is one license holder. IES has constructed a 50 tpd facility in Romoland, CA and is currently in the final stages of obtaining a permit to operate. The Romoland facility will accept a variety of feedstocks, including pretreated medical waste, electronic waste and fireworks in conjunction with dried sewage sludge. The Sipprelle Investment Group in Long Beach, CA is the second Licensee and they are currently planning for a unit, with the feedstock to be determined. North American Power currently has a facility running in Las Vegas, Nevada. This facility is capable of processing a range of feedstocks including MSW, tires, industrial and medical waste, and liquid sludges. A catalytic cracking facility is also being planned in Hanford, CA for the processing of 50 tpd of mixed plastic waste with another 50 tpd of capacity planned for a second stage. Non-combustion thermochemical conversion processes for woody biomass and some energy crops have also been implemented to some degree elsewhere in North America. The FERCO gasification process, developed by Battelle operated a gasifier co-located with awood-fired ES- 15 DRAFT - For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not quote or cite. amino acids. In acetogenesis, acid forming bacteria use these by-products to generate intermediary products such as propionate and butyrate. Further microbial action results in the degradation of these intermediary products into hydrogen and acetate. Methanogenic bacteria consume the hydrogen and acetate to produce methane and carbon dioxide. A schematic of a single stage anaerobic digestion process is provided in Figure ES-6. Fermentation is used industrially to produce fuel liquids such as ethanol and other chemicals. This process operates without free oxygen. Although fermentation and anaerobic digestion aze commonly classified separately, both aze biochemical fermentation methods designed to produce different products. Hydrolysis is used to pretreat cellulosic feedstocks to sepazate the cellulose and hemicellu]ose from the cellulo-lignin matrix and depolymerize the compounds into simple sugars. Hydrolysis methods include the use of acid solutions (either strong or weak acids), enzymes, and/or hydrothermal means. A schematic of a fermentation process using a 2-stage dilute acid hydrolysis process is shown in Figure ES-7 while a fermentation process using concentrated acid hydrolysis is shown in Figure ES-8. Particulate Organic Material HYDROLYSIS Sugars, Amino acids, Organic acids ACETOGENESIS Acetate, Hydrogen METHANOGENESIS ' Methane COZ Figure ES-5. Anaerobic digestion block diagram Adapted from Gujer, W., and Zehnder, A. J. B. (1983). "Conversion processes in anaerobic digestion." Wat. Sci. Tech., 15, 127-167. ES- 17 DRAFT - For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not quote or cite. Feedstock Size Concentrated H2SOa Reduction Water 151 Stage 2nd Stage Cellulose Hydrolysis Hydrolysis Decrystallization Steam/ L' Electricity a Generation 0 'F m ~i' w m W Acid ~ agars Ethanol Reconcentration Concentration Water Fetmentor Neutralization/ Detoxification Gypsum (Adapted from http://www.ott.dce.gov/biofuels/concentrated.htmll Figure ES-8. Schematic of concentrated acid hydrolysis fermentation Ethanol can be produced once the cellulose has been hydrolyzed, and conditions are made favorable (e.g., pH and temperature). A variety of microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, or fungi) ferment cazbohydrates to ethanol under anaerobic conditions. If there is no net cell production, the maximum possible yield of ethanol is 0.51 (corresponding to 51% of the cazbohydrate mass converted to ethanol), with the balance being carbon dioxide. Typically, 5-12% of the carbohydrate is converted to cell mass, which results in the most practical ethanol production processes converting no more than 46% of the fermented cazbohydrate to ethanol. The remaining liquid broth is recycled or sent to a wastewater treatment facility for appropriate management. The lignin and residual cellulose can be dried and used as boiler fuel for electricity or steam production. When fermenting stazch materials, such as com grain, high value feed products aze produced. High value derivatives may also be possible from cellulosic feedstocks. Aerobic digestion is a biochemical process for converting biogenic solid waste into a stable, humus-like product. Aerobic conversion uses air or oxygen to support the metabolism of the aerobic microorganisms degrading the substrate. Aerobic conversion includes composting and activated sludge wastewater treatment processes. The process of composting produces useful materials, such as mulch, soil additives and amendments, and fertilizers. Aerobic processes ES- 19 DRAFT - For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not quote or cite. 3.0 2.5 a 0 2.0 c 0 E 1.5 i^ a 1.0 a m U 0.5 0.0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Figure ES-9 Growth Solid Waste Anaerobic Digester Capacity in Europe 'Data were projected for 2004 Fermentation of biomass material into ethanol is fully commercial for sugaz and starch based feedstocks. It is not yet commercial for cellulosic biomass (because of added expense or low sugaz yields of hydrolysis processes) and is the subject of intense basic research. There aze also several facilities utilizing fermentation that are operating or being commissioned. The Masada OxyNol process is under construction in Middleton, NY. This facility is permitted for 230 kta MSW and 71 kta bone dry biosolids with an output of 8.5 million gallons of ethanol per year expected. A facility is also planned for the Genahol process in Grove City, Ohio. The facility ' will be designed fora 275 kta capacity, which will yield 10 million gallons of ethanol. With respect to California, other than one full-scale landfill bioreactor demonstration project, there are no existing biochemical processing facilities using anaerobic digestion or fermentation methods in the State. There aze several proposed facilities including one for Califomia State University -Channel Islands offered by Onsite Power Systems using a design developed at UC Davis. Recent announcements indicate that Los Angeles and the City of Lancaster are investigating anaerobic digestion projects with Bioconverter LLC. In at least two jurisdictions in Califomia which aze investigating alternatives to landfill and have received proposals from technology suppliers, biochemical conversion is ranked among the finalists or even the only qualifying processes. ES- 21 DRAFT - For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not quote or cite. potential environmental impacts of California-based facilities. In addition, there aze alternative waste conversion sites under development in California. Direct measurements from these facilities aze planned as these sites come on line, providing for objective independent verification of environmental performance. Current information suggests that thermochemical and biochemical waste conversion processes can be operated in a manner that presents no greater threat to human health or the environment than current waste disposal practices. That being said, properly designed processes must address air emissions, solid waste residues, liquid wastes, nuisance factors, and risk factors. Air Emissions While biochemical processes have gained widespread acceptance for treating various feedstocks, thermochemical processes have met with resistance from the environmental community and the public at lazge. Some of this resistance has stemmed from the misperception that pyrolysis and gasification processes are vaziations. of incineration or "mass bum." It is important to note, however, that alternative thermochemical conversion processes differ in several key respects from incineration: • Pyrolysis and gasification processes use very little air/oxygen or none at all • The volume of output gases from a pyrolysis reactor or gasifier is much smaller per ton of feedstock processed than an equivalent incineration process. While these output gases may be eventually combusted, the alternative processes provide an intermediate step where gas cleanup can occur. Mass burn incineration is limited application of air pollution control equipment to the fully combusted exhaust only. • Output gases from pyrolysis reactors or gasifiers aze typically in a reducing environment, and can be treated with different technolog;es compazed with a fully combusted (oxidative) exhaust. • Subsequent combustion of low moleculaz weight producer gases from pyrolysis and gasification processes can be much cleaner than combustion of raw feedstocks (similaz to combustion ofnatural gas vs. coal). These factors make control of air emissions less costly and less complex than that required for incineration. While exhaust gas cleanup of thermochemical conversion processes may be easier than that associated with incineration, proper design of the process and emissions control systems is necessary to ensure that health and safety requirements aze met. The output gases of pyrolysis and gasification reactors (and subsequent combustion processes, if applicable) can contain a variety of air pollutants that must be controlled prior to dischazge into the ambient air. These include particulate matter (PM), oxides of nitrogen (NO,), oxides of sulfur (SOx), dioxins and fiirans, hydrocazbon (HC) gases, multiple metals, and cazbon monoxide (CO). There aze many strategies for controlling emissions from thermochemical conversion processes, and they aze highly dependent on the process requirements of each individual facility. ES- 23 DRAFT - For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not quote or cite. dust, and litter aze not typically associated with the reactor component of the system. Co-location of conversion facilities at existing solid waste facilities will not result in any increased traffic because the existing transportation infrastructure can be used and material can be transported via conveyor belts. Traffic impacts may exist due to offsite transportation of commercial products and byproducts for mazketing and disposal. Other Risks Other risks associated with altemative conversion technologies include potential acid spills in biochemical processes and leaks or breaches in high-pressure thermal conversion systems. Tt is expected that these risks can be adequately managed within the well-defined risk abatement mechanisms already in place for industrial processes. Environmental Conclusions From an environmental perspective, advanced alternative waste conversion technologies have several potential benefits over mass incineration or even landfilling. These include a potential for a lower overall environmental impact compazed with existing practice, increased conversion efficiencies to useful products, and an enhanced compatibility with existing recycling and composting operations. These advantages aze maximized when combined with existing policy requirements for waste streams. Finally, there aze no "one size fits all" regulations on pyrolysis and gasification systems (due to the wide range of process pazameters, end-use of products, and degree of air pollution control). They are generally regulated on a case-by-case basis. Socio-Economic Impacts of Alternative Conversion Processes As a resource, the organic portion of the MSW materials being buried in California landfills each yeaz represent approximately an estimated chemical energy equivalence of over 60 million barrels of crude oil or 2370 MW of electrical power. At a mazket price of over $37 per barrel, this energy resource could be considered to be worth over $2.2 billion. For thermochemical process, plastics aze a particularly attractive component of the MSW stream, since they represent over 30% of the chemical energy in California MSW, and are growing at almost twice the rate of biochemically derived organic materials. The broad implementation of altemative conversion technologies could impact the State economy in number of different ways, including the introduction of new sources of products and energy, the diversification of product mazkets, extension of landfill lifetimes, increased recycling, decreased environmental impacts, job creation, as well as the specific economic issues related to the plant itself. One of the most important economic impacts could be the introduction of new sources of products and energy. The application of conversion technologies to the waste stream could provide up to 6% of the state's current electricity consumption and help in achieving the goal of 20% renewable energy by 2017 required under the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (RPS). Other important product streams could be synthetic products including a wide range of liquid fuels and chemicals. The introduction of new production facilities for a range of fuel and chemical products could also provide a beneficial diversity to the mazketplace. This ES- 25 DRAFT - For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not quote or cite. subsequent conversion to electricity is likely to have some minimal emissions benefit. In comparison, these effects need to be evaluated against the emissions that would be generated from more traditional natural gas powerplants, as well as emissions of biogas from landfills. Similar comparisons should be made for the disposal of solid or liquid residues from conversion technologies with the corresponding direct disposal of products in landfill. It is also important that, to the degree possible, these comparisons be made from an objective technical perspective, as opposed to a purely political perspective. Recommendations The following aze recommendations related to the azea of alternative conversion technologies. • Amore formal evaluation should be conducted of conversion technology vendors interested in mazketing in California. This evaluation should include more specific information than can be obtained in a scoping study such as the present work. This information should include economic cost estimates, emissions data from third party sources, and more specific detail on commercial status, including possible site visits for a limited number of akeady commercialized technologies. This evaluation should be conducted by a neutral, independent, third party. • Improve Characterization of MSW. In order to predict the behavior of conversion systems and estimate type and quantity of emissions, detailed chemical composition and physical properties data for feedstocks is necessary. Much information exists in the literature, but a review should be done to see if sufficient data exist to compile this data for typical California waste streams. Where gaps aze identified in the data, samples of California waste stream should be analyzed to fill these information gaps. The type of chazacterization by component and by gross sample includes: o Proximate, ultimate, and other elemental analysis including ash, metals, and toxic cogeners o Higher Heating Values (HHV) o CelluloseJhemicellulose/lignin distribution in cellulosic components o Characterize protein/cazbohydtate/fats for typical food wastes Recommendations could be made on the basis of these results as to what components should bepre-sortied from MS W being used for conversion. • Investigate and make recommendations to improve estimates of solid waste generation rates (not only the disposed fraction of MSW). Survey the literature and apply models and estimates to the California waste stream to verify or improve upon existing method for estimating California waste generation. • Additional data should be collected on emissions from thermochemical conversion technologies. These emissions studies should be conducted by an independent third party and could include facilities at locations throughout the world. These emissions studies should include measurement of metals, dioxins and furans, and other hazazdous compounds in addition to criteria pollutants. The emissions results should be norrrralized to a standazd use indicator such as volume or mass of material processed so that the values can be compazed with other processes. These chazacterizations are typical of the type performed in life cycle assessment. ES- 27 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. Life Cycle and Market Impact Assessment of Waste Conversion Technologies Executive Summary April 2004 INTCCRATED WwSTE MANAGHMCNT 80wR0 Zero Waste-You Make It Happen! DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. Table of Contents Executive Summary l Background ............................................................................................................................................1 CT Descriptions and Scenarios Analyzed 1 LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT ...............................................................................................................6 MARKET IMPACT ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................................17 Abbreviations and Acronyms .....................................................................................................................28 Bibliography ...............................................................................................................................................30 Source Reference Notes ..............................................................................................................................31 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. Table 1. Summary of CT Features Technical Feasibility Yes Yes Yes Feedstock Constraints Carbohydrate fraction Carbohydrate fraction, Polyolefin plastic only lignin, plastics Possible Product(s) Ethanol, carbon dioxide Electricity Low sulfur diesel (COZ) Heat Electricity Electricity, steam, lignin Gypsum Environmental Impacts Air Combustion emissions Combustion emissions Combustion emissions Water Onsite wastewater Minimal Minimal rinse water Solid treatment (WWT) Ash and char Spent catalyst required Ash, char, gypsum Commercial Status No commercial facilities Numerous commercial Facility in Poland Masada OxyNol facilities (none for MSW Kings County, CA, received air permit fora in the United States) facility in 2004 NY facility Large demonstration Several plastic pyrolysis facility in Australia plants in Europe and Asia Featured Technology Masada Brightstar Plastics Energy LLC Vendor Concentrated Acid Hydrolysis. In acid hydrolysis, an acid (e.g., sulfuric acid) is used to convert cazbohydrates (e.g., cellulose and hemicellulose) from waste into five- and six-carbon sugars that can be fermented into ethanol or other useful products. High (i.e., greater than 90 percent) conversions of carbohydrates aze possible. Either concentrated or dilute acid can achieve the hydrolysis. Because the concentrated acid process is closer [o commercialization than the dilute acid process, it was selected for this study. The primary product from acid hydrolysis is ethanol. By-products include lignin solids, gypsum, and possibly carbon dioxide. Lignin can be burned in a boiler to create process steam and electricity for sale or process use. Gypsum maybe sold for use in a variety of processes, such as wallboard production, road bed stabilization, landfill cover, soil amendment, or land/mine reclamation. If the gypsum cannot be reused, it is landfilled. A large market exists for carbon dioxide. Two companies, Arkenol and Masada OxyNo1TM, LLC, are currently commercializing concentrated acid technology. Neither company has a commercial facility, but Masada was awazded an air permit for a facility to process 230,000 tons per year (tpy) of MSW and other wastes in Middletown, NY.~ Gasification. In gasification, feedstock is converted to syngas, primarily carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (Hz), in anoxygen-deficient atmosphere. Gasification is endothermic and requires a heat source, such as syngas combustion, char combustion, or steam. The primary product of 2 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. It is assumed that the CT facilities will be colocated at materials recovery facilities (MBEs). Other assumed transportation distances between various facilities included in the scenarios are shown in Table 2. Table 2. Transportation Distance Assumptions Waste Management Facilities Collection to MRF/CT Facility 15 Collection to Transfer Station 15 Collection to Landfill or WTE or Compost 15 Transfer Station to Landfill or WTE or Compost 45 MRF/CT or WTE or Compost Facility to Landfill 25 Remanufacturing Facilities Aluminum 500 Glass 200 Paper 250 Plastic 250 Steel 500 CT Feedstock Assumptions Table 3 summarizes the assumed annual capacities and incoming waste needs based on the composition (see Table 4) of waste landfilled in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay regions. The Greater Los Angeles region includes the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino. The San Francisco Bay region includes the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Claza, Solano, Mazin, Napa, and Sonoma. It is important to remember that CT facilities are handling waste material that is currently being (and will otherwise be) sent to landfills for disposal. Since the CT facilities can only accept certain materials in their process, they employ up-front material sepazation activities similar to those found in a mixed waste MRF (with the exception of a few pieces of specialty equipment, such as autoclaves and floatation sepazation systems). For this study, we assumed that 95 percent of the incoming unwanted materials were removed by the up-front sepazation and that 5 percent enter the CT process as contaminants. Of the material removed, we assumed the split between recovery for recycling versus landfill disposal as listed in Table 5. 4 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. Table 4. Assumed Percent Composition of Waste Sent to CT Facilities' Paper 32.5 31.5 32.2 31.6 Plastic 11.5 11.7 10.8 11.1 Metals 7.6 7.3 9.6 9.6 Glass 3.8 3.7 3.9 3.9 Organics 42.8 43.9 41.6 41.9 Miscellaneous 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.9 ' It was assumed that construction and demolition, industrial, and hazardous waste would not be sent to CT facilities. Note: values may not sum to100 percent due to rounding. Table 5. Assumed Percent of Material Recovered for Recycling and Landfill Disposal Recovered and Recycled 50 50 50 70 Removed and Landfilled 45 45 45 25 Unremoved (Process Contamination) 5 5 5 5 LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT AB 2770 included the requirement that CIWMB's report on CTs "describe and evaluate the life cycle environmental and public health impacts of CTs and compare them with impacts from existing solid waste management." To meet this requirement, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted for the selected CTs. Our general approach was to develop mass balance and life cycle inventory (LCI) modules for the selected CTs and use RTI's Municipal Solid Waste Decision Support Tool (MSW-DST) to capture the other life cycle components (e.g., collection, transfer, materials recovery, compost, combustion, landfill), energy production, transportation, and materials production activities. An LCA is not a risk assessment, but rather shows the difference in total energy consumption and emissions of proposed CT scenarios as compazed to baseline scenarios of landfill disposal and WTE. Concentrations of pollutants at a given time and location are not captured by an LCA. A study to identify concentrations would need to be site-specific and is outside the scope of this effort. Life Cycle Inventory Modules for CTs The life cycle boundaries for each CT include not only the inputs and outputs to the technology, but also processes that supply inputs to those operations, such as fuels, electricity, and materials production. Likewise, any useful energy or products produced by the CT system are captured by the inventory. In selecting parameters to include in the inventory, our goal was to identify all relevant inputs and outputs to each technology. No primary data collection was conducted for this study, because CT facilities for MSW do not currently exist in the United States. Therefore, we relied on publicly available sources of information about planned U.S. facilities or existing foreign facilities, as well as direct communication with the technology vendors. 6 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. recovered sugar is further concentrated using a reverse osmosis system. It is then neutralized and any solids are removed. The concentrated, cleaned sugar stream is sent on to fermentation, and the acid is sent to acid recovery. The acid recovery system is composed of an ion exchange bed, which will elute the acid and sugar at different times. The acid/water mix is sent to evaporation to concentrate the acid before recycling to the hydrolysis steps. The sugar solution is neutralized with lime, any gypsum formed is sepazated out, and the sugar is sent to fermentation. Ethanol is recovered from the fermentation product stream via distillation and dehydration. Non-MSW inputs to the process are water, sulfuric acid, lime, denaturant (gasoline), ammonia, and catalysts. The process generates all of its own heat, steam, and electricity. Outputs consist of the ethanol and electricity products, volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from storage, combustion emissions, ash, gypsum, treated wastewater, and spent catalysts. The gasifier will require air pollution control. Ammonia injection was assumed for control of nitrogen oxides (NOx). The ethanol and denaturant storage tanks may also require controls to minimize losses. Inert feedstock constituents for acid hydrolysis include glass, plastics, and metals. In addition, lignin and other noncazbohydrate fractions of the MSW will not be converted to ethanol. Hydrolysis technologies have air, solid, and water releases. Air emissions are generated primarily from lignin combustion with small amounts of ethanol emitted from the fermentors, storage tanks, and distillation columns. Concentrated acid hydrolysis will generate large quantities of gypsum, which may be sold, depending on market conditions. However, in some cases, the plant would have to pay to haul the excess gypsum away. If lignin is combusted onsite, ash will also be generated for disposal. Wastewater releases will occur from boiler and cooling tower blow down as well as process wastewater. Due to the relatively high potential BOD content of the process wastewater, it will be treated on-site before release to a POTW. Gasification. The process for waste gasification is illustrated in Figure B and described below. Following preprocessing in the adjacent MRF, the feedstock is sent to the main gasification area. Here, the feedstock is heated, pyrolyzed and reformed into syngas, bio-oils and char. The char is recovered from the other products via a cyclone, cooled with a water quench, and sent offsite. The syngas and bio-oils are scrubbed and cooled to recover the bio-oil. Heavy bio-oils and some of the syngas are recycled to the reformers, where they aze combusted to fuel the reformer. The majority of the syngas and the light bio-oils are combusted in reciprocating engines to generate electricity. Waste heat from the engines is converted to steam and hot water for use in the process and for export to MSW processing (i.e., the autoclave). The engine exhaust will be subject to air pollution controls. At a minimum, CO, NOx, and VOC control will likely be required. For large facilities (e.g., greater than 2 megawatts [MW]) such as the one proposed, a combination oxidation catalyst and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is used. Process inputs are composed of MSW, combustion air, water, ammonia, and catalysts. Electricity, wastewater, spent catalysts, char, emulsified bio-oil, and combustion emissions aze the process outputs. Gasification is compatible with the organic fraction (e.g., yard wastes, wood wastes) and plastic fraction of the MSW feedstock or refuse-derived fuel (RDF). Metals, glass, and other recyclables should be removed in the MRF. Power produced by the facility can be readily integrated into the power grid. Gasification produces air pollutants (e.g., NOx) and greenhouse gases (e.g., COZ) from the gas engines and the reformer. However, all emissions are expected to be controlled with SCR and 8 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. w_~. a .......1......,... ~a : ~ ~ e.:.., ~ ° ....1 ....wn Figure C. Plastics Catalytic Cracking System Diagram The process flow diagram shows only major process areas; for simplification, not all internal process streams are shown. The boundary of the CT is noted by a dotted line, with all streams crossing this line representing a life cycle material or energy input or output. The melted plastic is mixed with catalyst and reacted in the cracker. Cracked gas components leave the reactor and are sent to the distillation area. The liquid fractions (diesel and gasoline) are condensed and separated via distillation. The diesel fraction is sent to product storage. The gasoline fraction is sent to the gas turbine along with the light ends (e.g., butane and propane) from the cracking process. Plastics Energy LLC will use the H.SMARTech process and a proprietary metal silicate catalyst to crack the plastics, resulting in yields of 83 percent for diesel, 14 percent for gasoline, and 3 percent for light gases.10 The rest of the process is similar to a gas turbine facility. The gaseous and gasoline fractions are combusted in the turbine to generate electricity. The hot exhaust gas from the turbine is used to provide process heat. SCR reduces NO, emissions in the turbine exhaust. SCR will require ammonia injection and an SCR catalyst. As shown in the diagram, the system has only three inputs besides the feedstock: catalyst, water, and air. The cracking catalyst is a metal silicate; its exact formulation is proprietary. The SCR catalyst may be a zeolites or vanadium-based catalyst. The process will be almost self-sufficient in energy, requiring only 500 kilowatts (kW) from the grid. In addition to the diesel and electricity products, the process will have combustion emissions (criteria pollutants and [oxics), VOC emissions from organic storage and drying operations, 10 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. fuel, and materials (recycling) offsets. It is interesting to note [hat the energy-savings potential resulting from the additional materials recycling is significantly greater than the net energy production potential. Even the best-case landfill scenario (with gas collection and energy recovery) is significantly higher in energy consumption than the CT scenario. The WTE scenario significantly outperformed all other scenarios for net energy consumption. The factors that lead to WTE's high net energy savings include high electricity production and some steel recycling offsets. v. Wiz' SCE ~ f ~a.! . .fi kip,~ni wn '~xim x - rvw-. ~+x+ry tea. - _ Figure D. Los Angeles Region, Annual Net Energy Consumption Figure E. San Francisco Regien, Annual Net Energy Consumption 12 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. SOx emissions are also largely a product of combustion processes, and SOx offsets c:m result from the displacement of combustion activities, mainly fuels and electrical energy production, as well as the use oflower-sulfur-containing fuels. As shown in Figures H and I, the CT and landfill disposal scenarios without energy recovery from landfill gas have approximately the same level of net SOx emissions. The landfill with gas collection and energy recovery performs better than the CT scenario. As in the case of NO„ there are uncertainties about the specific air pollution control devices that would be used at CT facilities and the resulting level of SOx control that could be achieved. Catalytic cracking generates a significant SO, offset because of its production of low-sulfur diesel. It is likely that with additional air pollution controls at the acid hydrolysis and gasification facilities, the levels of SOx emissions could be reduced. The WTE scenario resulted in the lowest amount of net SO, emissions and, along with the landfill with energy recovery scenario, resulted in a net SO, savings. Figure H. Los Angeles Region, Annual Net SO, Emissions t - . Figure I. San Francisco Region, Annual Net SOx Emissions 14 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. materials offsets. WTE is again the best performer in this category because of its large energy offset and some steel recovery for recycling. Finding #4: There are not enough data to adequately assess the potential for C'I's to produce emissions of dioxins and furans and other hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). With respect to other pollutants of concern, such as dioxins and furans, toxics, and heavy metals, data were not available for all of the processes in each scenario to develop comparable results. In addition, test data were not available from the technology vendors to associate levels of these pollutants to specific waste constituents. However, we compared available data on dioxins and furans and other HAPs from CT processes to existing activities that involve the combustion of wastes and coal, as well as landfill disposal. As shown in Table 6, CT-related data were only available for gasification and acid hydrolysis. Further, the gasification data aze based on a single emission test as reported by Brightstaz, and the hydrolysis data are based on permit limits for the Masada plant in Middletown, NY (so actual emissions would probably be lower). Table 6 does not show any clear differences between HAP emission factors for the CT processes, WTE, and coal utility boilers. The CT processes, WTE, and coal boilers all have higher emission factors for mercury than landfilling does. If landfill fires are included, [he CT processes, WTE, and coal boilers all have lower emission factors for dioxins and furans than landfilling has; however, if landfill fires aze excluded, they have higher emission factors. Table 6. Comparison of Dioxins and Furans and Other Hazardous Air Pollutants Dioxins and 1.47E-04 4.72E-04 4.78E-05 1.42E-04 4.28E-04 No data furans' (6.87E-03) Lead 7.58E+Ot 1.70E+02 No data No data 3.96E+02 No data Cadmium 3.91E+00 1.19E+01 No data 1.42E+02 3.96E+01 No data Mercury 6.23E+Ot 7.86E+01 6.20E-Ot 9.46E+01 1.58E+02 No data Hydrochloric 1.64E+05 9.55E+04 No data 2.36E+04 No data No data acid e Emission factors for an average facility, in mglMg of coal fired, based on nationwide emissions data I'or 1994, from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Utility Air Toxics report.' ° Emission factors for a large combustor in 2000, in mg/Mg of waste fired, per Walter Stevenson of U.S. EPA.' `Landfll values do not include potential emissions from vehicles and equipment operating at the landfills. Parenthetical value for dioxins and furans includes landfill fires. ° Emission factors for gasification based on concentration data reported by Brightstar.'° ° Emission factors for hydrolysis based on concentration permit limits for Masada plant in Middletown, NY. r Dioxins and furans values are in mg international toxic equivalents (ITEQ)/Mg of waste or coal. Finding #5: Like recycling, CTs will likely result in greater local environmental burdens and a potential reduction in regional or global burdens. One important point to consider when reviewing and interpreting the life cycle results is that the values are summarized over different locations and time frames. Thus, [he local versus regional nature of the environmental burdens and offset benefits is not conveyed. Many of the environmental burdens associated with CTs will be local, while many of the offset benefits will be regional or global. For example, the considerable preprocessing of waste and other process steps of gasification result in the release of pollutants at the local level. Gasification also produces electrical energy, which may displace regional electrical energy production and thus regional 16 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. development of CTs in California will have negative, neutral, or positive impacts on the paper, plastic, and organic materials management industries' ability to remain viable and/or expand. It also assesses possible current and future economic and financial impacts on these industries, including changes in • Feedstock composition • Price • Employment • Output • Business elimination and creation • Competitiveness • Revenue • Profit. The objectives of the MIA aze summarized in Table 7. Table 7. Summary of MIA Objectives Effects on recycling and composting industries Effects on hauler contractual relationships as a result of increases or decreases in Effects on municipal contractual relationships feedstock supply Effects on regional recycling and composting If a tonnage effect, estimate economic gains or infrastructure losses Effects of put-or-pay contracts on recycling If a price effect, estimate economic gains or and composting businesses losses Methodology Our general approach was to collect data regarding the current mazketplace, including quantities and compositions of various waste and recycling streams; the entities that make decisions regarding disposition of these materials (generators, jurisdictions, MRF operators, and haulers); the reasons for those decisions (AB 939 regulatory mandates, political mandates, costs and transportation distances); and quality and quantity needs of paper and plastic recycling processors and exporters and the composting industry. We then modeled the relationships of material movement through the system, including prices paid at various points. We then overlaid the conversion technology system configurations, quality, composition, and price of material needs in order to estimate what might occur if such facilities were developed. Our general methods included reseazching existing reports and articles and examining them for useable data; contacting industry associations for published reports and forecasts; collecting data from CIWMB in-house databases; compiling data from in-house databases, files and reports; and conducting surveys and interviews to collect primary data and "industry expert" forecasts and opinions. In general, our work was organized into the following steps: 18 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. Table 8. Gasification Materials Disposition Paper, plastics, organics Processed by 74% 69.2% and mixed residue gasification Glass and metals, portion Recycled 7.5% 8.1 that can be recycled Construction and demolition Disposed 18.5% 22.4% debris, household hazardous waste, special waste, and the portion of the glass and metal waste streams that cannot be recycled Table 9. Acid Hydrolysis Materials Disposition Papor, organics and mixed Processed by 65°/, 61 residue acid hydrolysis Plastics, glass and metals, Recycled 12% 13% portion that can be recycled Construction and demolition Disposed 23% 26% debris, household hazardous waste, special waste, and the portion of the plastics, glass and metal waste streams that cannot be recycled Finding #3: Catalytic cracking can process 3.7-4.5 percent of the incoming waste stream. The remainder would be processed as normal at MRFs. According to facility proponents, it is most practical for catalytic cracking to accept only specially prepared loads of plastic film for processing (see Table 10). This plastic film would come from MRFs and waste normally sent to landfills because there aze no current mazkets for this material. Plastic bags must be pulled from the mixed waste stream at either clean or dirty MRFs, or can be segregated at businesses that generate a great deal of plastic film. It is technically feasible to use other types of plastics as feedstock as well, as long as PVC is excluded. Of materials that are currently disposed in landfills, approximately 10 to 11 percent are plastics. The total amount of plastics that may be suitable for catalytic cracking is likely 7 to 9 percent of all wastes currently being disposed. 20 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. equates to $7.50 of the $65 per ton processing fee. Host fees (in lieu of business license fees for the host jurisdiction) aze another significant component of the overall cost; host fees are nearly $8 per ton for the facility at Middletown, New York. Relative Size of CT Configurations Versus Regional Landfill Markets Finding #7: Based on the assumed configuration of conversion facilities that were chosen for evaluation in this study, CT tonnage would represent about 8 percent of the landfill tonnage in the Greater Los Angeles area in 2003, increasing to 11 percent of the landfill tonnage in 2010. The exact same configuration of facilities would have a greater impact on the San Francisco Bay area landfill market; CT tonnage would represent about 20 percent of the IandCdl tonnage in 2003, rising to 29 percent in 2010. The hypothetical configuration used for this study amounts to approximately 1.4 million tons of waste being sent to vazious CT facilities in each of two regions. Through growth in the number of facilities, the hypothetical annual tonnage requirement will rise to 2.2 million tons in 2010. In the San Francisco Bay azea, approximately 6.5 million tons of waste were landfilled in 2002, and in the Greater Los Angeles area, approximately 19 million tons of waste were landfilled in 2002. After accounting for population growth and growth of diversion programs, estimated disposal for the San Francisco Bay azea is approximately 6.7 million tons of waste for 2010, and 20 million tons in the Greater Los Angeles area in 2010, Role and Relative Size of Material Recovery Facilities Versus Regional CT Configurations Finding #8: MRF residuals are sufficient to supply the hypothetical configuration of CT facilities in the Greater Los Angeles area throughout the study period of 2003 to 2010. In the San Francisco Bay area, MRF residuals could comprise just over halt of hypothetical CT demand. However, all of the facilities would need specialized or additional processing in order to create appropriate feedstock-typical MRF residuals are not suitable for any of the technologies studied without further preprocessing. Residuals from "clean" MILFs, which receive and sort cleaner loads of recyclables, such as recyclables from residential curbside collection programs, amount to under 100,000 tpy in each of the two regions. Capacities of mixed waste processing facilities amount to over 600,000 tpy in the San Francisco Bay area and nearly 6 million tpy in the Greater Los Angeles area. However, residuals from any type of MRF ("dirty" or "clean") may not be attractive CT facilities. While some contaminants are removed during processing of mixed waste, so aze desirable materials, such as paper, organics, and plastics. Residuals from either source-separated or mixed- waste loads will still need to be sorted again prior to entering the CT vessel. Contaminants to the CT processes would still remain in the feedstock even after mixed waste processing. Whether residuals from mixed waste processing or other waste goes to a landfill versus a CT facility may depend primarily on transportation economics, which aze detemtined by location, travel time, and distance. Control of Hauling Arrangements in Two Regions Finding #9: According to the survey data collected for this study, in the Greater Los Angeles area, approximately 42 percent of residential waste is hauled by municipally owned and operated collection vehicles, 54 percent is hauled by private companies under contract with the City, and the remaining 4 percent is hauled by a variety of private companies who contract directly with residents. In the San Francisco Bay area, approximately 3 percent of residential waste is hauled by municipally owned and operated collection vehicles , 22 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. Impacts on Markets for Recycled Paper Finding #12: Implementation of any of the three selected technologies is not likely to increase or decrease the recycling of paper. Feedstock must be sorted prior to use at acid hydrolysis or gasification facilities. Unacceptable materials, such as metal and glass, must be removed from the mixed waste steam prior to entering the conversion process, which would slightly increase recovery of these materials. I[owever, paper is a desirable feedstock for these two technologies and it would not be recovered from the mixed waste stream for recycling. Catalytic cracking uses only plastic that is positively sorted from the waste stream and therefore would have little or no effect on paper markets. While paper is an acceptable feedstock for acid hydrolysis and gasification, the recent values of baled paper make it unlikely that paper will be directed to a CT facility. Paper markets have historically been very volatile, with high prices for a given year being twice that of low prices for that year. However, average annual paper prices have been above zero fora 10-yeaz period for all paper grades and have gone over $100 per ton for some grades of paper. Acid hydrolysis and gasification projects will require a payment (a tip fee) to accept materials, and that tip fee will likely be in the range of prices charged at local landfills ($25 to $60 per ton). Finding #13: Exports of paper, particularly to China, have increased dramatically over the past five years. These exports are exerting upward pressure on prices in the paper markets and are providing an outlet for all otthe paper that is collected. Paper exported from this country has grown significantly in recent years: by 77 percent from 1993 to 2002, or an average of 5.9 percent per yeaz. The increases averaged 6.8 percent per yeaz for the more recent period of 1998 to 2002. Nationwide, 24 percent of the paper recovered in the United States is exported for recycling. Locally, exports from the Greater Los Angeles area increased 9.6 percent per yeaz on average from 1998 to 2002, and exports from the San Francisco Bay area increased an average of 10.9 percent per year from 1998 to 2002. China has been the dominant driver of these increases in paper exports. During the five-year period from 1998 to 2002, exports to China from these two California port azeas have increased by 209 percent, and represent 48 percent of the total exports for this period. Impacts on Markets for Recycled Plastics Finding # I4: Plastics recycling will increase if acid hydrolysis facilities are built, because plastics must be removed prior to processing. Metals and glass recycling will increase as a result of both acid hydrolysis and gasification, because those materials must be removed prior to processing. However, of the materials targeted in this study (paper, plastics, and organics), only plastics recycling will increase, and only by acid hydrolysis preprocessing. Currently, only those plastics with positive economic values are typically recycled. In contrast, feedstock preparation for acid hydrolysis would see6: to remove ALL plastics. If catalytic cracking facilities are developed, and if those facilities target plastic bags, then jurisdictions might be encouraged to add plastic bags to their curbside recycling programs for subsequent separation at a MRF. Residents might stop returning plastic bags to grocery stores for recycling as a result of the convenience of placing materials in their curbside recycling bins. 24 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. R.W. Beck, Inc., determined in the U.S. Recycling Economic Information Study (July 2001) that based on the MRFs they studied, a cumulative annual throughput of 3,625,000 tons at an MRF resulted in 2,606 jobs, or a ratio of 0.7 jobs per 1,000 tons of annual throughput. Assuming a 15 percent contamination rate, that equates to 0.82 jobs per 1,000 tons recovered. Whether the new positions aze a[ an existing facility or on a line set up specifically for CT sorting, increased sorting will translate to increased workers needed. Using R.W. Beck's ratio, acid hydrolysis sorting requirements could add from 74 to 138 sorting jobs in each region over the term of this study. Gasification sorting needs could add from 52 to almost 94 positions. Sorting out the additional film plastic for catalytic cracking could add 13 positions. 2. Additional Recovered Material This additional sorting of acid hydrolysis and gasification feedstock will result in the recovery of additional recyclable materials. When these materials are recycled back into the mazket for remanufacturing, additional jobs could be created relating to the use of this recovered material, as shown in Table 12. 3. CT Facility Jobs Additional workers would be employed to operate CT facilities. Using a rough estimate from the projected number of jobs at the Masada plant under construction, CT facilities will generate 0.76 jobs per 1,000 tons of throughput. I[ is not clear how many of these jobs are sorting jobs. 4. Landfill Job Losses CT facilities would decrease the amount of waste disposed in landfills, which would result in a net loss in revenues to landfills. Decreases in tonnage and revenues to landfill may result in job losses at landfills in proportion to the loss in tonnage. CT tonnage would decrease tons sent to landfills by about 8 percent in the Greater Los Angeles area in 2003, increasing to 11 percent of the landfill tonnage in 2010. The exact same configuration of facilities would decrease tons sent to landfills in the San Francisco Bay azea landfill mazket by about 20 percent in 2003, rising to 29 percent in 2010. 26 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. Abbreviations and Acronyms AB -assembly bill ADC - alternative daily cover BIGCC -biomass integrated gasifier combined cycle CO -carbon monoxide COZ -carbon dioxide CT -conversion technology CWIMB -California Integrated Waste Management Board EPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Hi -hydrogen HAP --hazardous air pollutant ITEQ -international toxic equivalent kW -kilowatt LCA -life cycle assessment LCI -life cycle inventory analysis MIA - mazket impact assessment MW -megawatt MRF -materials recovery facility MSW -municipal solid waste MSW-DST - RTI's Municipal Solid Waste Decision SuppoR Tool NOx -nitrogen oxides POTW - publically owned treatment works PVC -polyvinyl chloride RDF -refuse derived fuel SCR -selective catalytic reduction SWERF -Solid Waste Energy Recycling Facility SOx -sulfur oxides TCLP -toxicity characteristics and leaching procedure tpd -tons per day tpy -tons per year VOC -volatile organic compound 28 DRAFT-For Discussion Purposes Only. Do not cite or quote. Bibliography Buckle, Larry of H.SMARTech Inc., personal communication with V. Putsche, October 27, 2003. H.SMART Presents an Advanced Catalytic Cracking Technology, 2002 LEA/CIWMB Partnership Conference, <ht[o:%/www.ciwmb.ca eov/nari2000/Eventsi02Conf/ConvTec/Plastic hhn> (October 8, 2003). Menville, R., SWERFME, Technical Presentation. Emissions Table. 2004. Niessen, Walter, Chazles Mazkes, and Robert Sommerland, Evaluation of Gasification and ,Novel Thermal Processes for the Treatment ojMunicipal Solid Waste, NREL/TP-430-21612, August 1996. NYSDEC, Air Title V Facility, Permit ID 3-3309-00101/00003, Mod 1, Issued to Pencor, Masada Oxynol LLC, October I, 2001. Ozmotech's municipal recycling facility setup now complete, Mapslink, <http://www.ozmotech com aiJnews4 html> (October 11, 2003). Stevenson, Walter, U.S. EPA, personal communication with Mark Bahner, April 1, 2004. SWERF®, Wollongong NSW, Australia, <htlu://www.briehtstarenvironmental com/htnil/projects/aus htm#staee#stage> (October 8, 2003). U.S. EPA, Study of Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions from Eelctric Utility Steam Generating Units - Fina1 Report to Congress, EPA-453/R-98-004, February 1998. Wootton, P., "FW: Fina( questions for Ron Menville of Brightstar," January 5, 2004, a-mail to J. Simpson and R. Menville. 30 COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII RESOLUTION NO. 180-04 DRAFT -APRIL 20, 2004 A RESOLUTION THAT SUPPORTS THE PROCESS TO BRING ONLINE A WASTE REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY AS SPECIFIED IN THE UPDATE TO THE INTEGRATED SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN WHEREAS, the Hawaii County Council, pursuant to the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), Chapter 342G, adopted the Hawaii County Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWMP) by Resolution 291-94 on October 5, 1994; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the HRS, Chapter 342G-24, the Update to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan for the County of Hawaii was prepared by Hazding ESE and adopted by Resolution 238-02 by the Hawaii County Council on November 20, 2002; and WHEREAS, the Update to the ISWMP sets diversion goals for increasing the rate of waste diversion from landfills from the (1) current rate of 15% to 45 using low tech and available recycling and resource recovery strategies to a (2) future overall rate of 80% by the year 2014 by adding high-tech waste reduction strategies; and WHEREAS, the Council supports, in light of the strong island-wide public opposition to the idea of transporting rubbish across the island, achieving the diversion goal established by the Update to the ISWMP sooner than 2014 if feasible; and WHEREAS, the Council, in addition to addressing the concerns of residents of Hawaii County with regazd to the issue of hauling rubbish across the island, is cognizant that time is of the essence in supporting the Update to the ISWMP policy objective with regard to procurement of a waste reduction technology due to the pending closure of the South Hilo Sanitazy Landfill; and WHEREAS, choosing a cost effective and environmentally appropriate waste reduction technology will be a time consuming process (the Update to the ISWMP estimates that it will take a minimum of 5 to 7 years whereas the H-Power plant on Oahu required 11 years to plan and implement) because it involves planning, procurement, design, permitting, and construction before it becomes operational. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the County of Hawaii that, in order to expedite the selection and implementation of the a waste reduction technology as stipulated in the Update to the ISWMP and address the issues cited above, the Department of Environmental Management is urged to immediately take the following steps to: 1. Disseminate an RFI- request for information. 2. Conduct a thorough examination of the status of waste reduction technologies, develop a comprehensive vendor list, and evaluate responses to the RFI. 3. Prepare and disseminate an RFP-request for proposal. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Environmental Management is requested to provide a timeline to the Council for the RFI, evaluation process, and RFP by May 1, 2004. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that starting June 1, 2004, the Department of Environmental Management is requested to provide reports every other month relating to the RFI, evaluation process and RFP to the Chair of the Committee on Pazks and Environmental Management. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be transmitted to Harry Kim, Mayor, County of Hawaii and Bazbaza Bell, Director, Department of Environmental Management, County of Hawaii, and the Environmental Management Commission. Dated at Hawaii, this day of 2004. INTRODUCED BY: COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNTY OF HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE County of Hawai`I Avss NOES ABS Ex H110, HaWal`I ARAKAKI CHUNG I hereby certify [hat the foregoing RESOLUTION was by ELARIONOFF The vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the JACOBSON County of Hawaii on TULANG REYNOLDS ATTEST: SAFARIK TYLER HOLSCHUH Reference: COUNTY CLERK CHAIRMAN & PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO.