TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 4, 2015
COMMITTEE ON MONITORING AND RESEARCH
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Title
Report on acceptance of yardwaste from Republic Services, Inc., for a pilot-scale evaluation to produce a value-added product by co-composting biosolids, woodchips, and yardwaste
Body
Dear Sir:
The Monitoring and Research and Maintenance and Operations Departments are collaboratively conducting a pilot-scale evaluation to produce high-quality biosolids compost to widen our biosolids distribution market. We have been successfully co-composting biosolids and woodchips to produce good-quality compost using open windrows. However, meeting the required time-temperature requirements to produce Class A compost with only woodchips during the colder months has been a challenge. We believe that adding highly decomposable material, such as yardwaste, in the compost recipe will help us overcome this challenge. Republic Services, Inc., collects and processes large quantities (tens of thousands of tons per year) of yardwaste from the local communities in Cook County, Illinois, and is willing to bring sufficient quantities of processed yardwaste to the biosolids drying site at no charge to assist with the pilot-scale evaluation. We are planning to accept approximately 5,000 dry tons of yardwaste from Republic Services, Inc. from July through December 2015 to conduct a pilot-scale evaluation to produce high-quality compost by co-composting biosolids with woodchips and yardwaste. Republic Services, Inc. will deliver the required quantities of yardwaste to the Harlem Avenue Solids Management Area. The delivery schedule will be determined by Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago staff overseeing this pilot-scale evaluation.
Respectfully Submitted, Thomas C. Granato, Director of Monitoring and Research, TCG:HZ:cm