Issuu

Vol. X No. 4

July/August 2016

Serving Soil, Mulch, Compost & Wood Pellet Producers www.SoilandMulchProducerNews.com

NEWS

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By Ken McEntee

ry hot weather combined with indoor smoking bans create the ideal conditions for fires in mulched landscape beds. Such fires are on the rise across the country. “There seems to be a recent blossoming of local news reports relative to mulch fires in the planting beds of homes and businesses,” noted Robert LaGasse, executive director of the Mulch and Soil Council, the Shallowater, Tex.-based trade association that represents producers of mulch, potting soil and growing media. “The main culprit is carelessly discarded smoking materials. People can’t take their cigarettes inside a building, so they throw them into a plant bed before they go in.” In local news reports, fire officials generally agree with LaGasse, frequently attributing burning cigarettes flipped into mulch beds as the cause of fires that have spread to damage homes and commercial establishments. In some cases, however, fire officials have publicly cited spontaneous combustion as the causes of mulch fires, an explanation that LaGasse describes as – to paraphrase it more politely - “steer manure.” “Spontaneous combustion cannot happen in a four inch layer of wood mulch,” LaGasse said. “When fire officials make comments like that in the media, it is very concerning because it can leave mulch producers vulnerable to claims of insurance damages for things that simply cannot happen.”

Spontaneous combustion, he said, can occur in mulch piles that are 25 or 30 feet high, but very rarely in smaller piles. “You have to have the right conditions for spontaneous combustion to happen,” LaGasse said. “The air flow in the pile has to be disturbed and the moisture level has to be disrupted. Very rarely does that happen in a pile that is less than 25 feet high, and a four-inch layer in a plant bed hasn’t got a prayer. The physics are not there.” However, Joseph Thomas, fire marshal for the state of Maine, insisted that spontaneous combustion has caused about “a dozen” mulch fires this year in Maine alone. “They are perfectly welcome to come up here and look at our circumstances,” Thomas said, responding to LaGasse’s comments. “We report what we see at the incident.” When asked how fire officials can be certain that a mulch fire had been caused by spontaneous combustion, as opposed to a cigarette or a match, Thomas said, “Because during overhaul the (fire) departments have actually gone through every bit of the materials to see what might have been the sources of the ignition, and they find nothing. So that kind of narrows it down real quick. We know which fires were smoking related because evidence is left behind.” LaGasse argued that a match or a filterless Continued on page 3

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Soil & Mulch Producer News July / August 2016

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Spontaneous Combustion Not Possible in Mulched Beds, Industry Says Continued from page 1

cigarette could start a mulch fire then can be burned up, leaving no evidence. Some fire experts agreed. “That isn’t the greatest analysis,” Michele Steinberg said of Thomas’ explanation. Steinberg is the Firewise Communities support manager for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which collects fire incident data and creates fire and electrical safety codes and standards. “I’m not a fire marshal, so I don’t have the authority to speak to that. But when we collect data, we don’t want people to say it was ‘probably a cigarette’ or whatever. That’s when people start to speculate and say if we couldn’t find a cause it must have been spontaneous combustion.” Craig Beyler, technical director emeritus for Baltimore-based Jensen Hughes Inc., an international fire protection engineering and consulting firm, agreed. “From a fire investigation point of view, to say spontaneous combustion is the cause, because you can’t find anything else, is forbidden,” Beyler said. “You can’t do it that way.” Yet news reports this year have been filled with fire officials’ conclusions that fires that began in plant beds were caused by spontaneous combustion. LaGasse said he is aware of at least a dozen. For example, in a June 25, 2016 report in the Portland Press Herald, Thomas noted that although careless disposal of cigarettes seems to be the main culprit causing mulch fires in plant beds, local chiefs sometime contact him to ask whether any bark mulch has been recalled because of spontaneous combustion. In the same new story, Augusta, Maine Fire Chief Roger Audette told the Press Herald that his fire department responds to 60 t0 70 smoldering bark mulch calls per year, and is considering whether to propose a city ordinance to make businesses pay to extinguish a mulch fire. Reporting on a June house fire in Seabrook, N.H., Seacoast Online quoted Seabrook Fire Chief Bill Edwards to say, “Mulch can become dry as it decomposes and ignite on its own as it heats up.” In the report, Edwards said he planned to approach the town about adding an ordinance to require that mulch be placed no closer than 18 inches from buildings to prevent mulch fires from damaging homes. Reporting on a July fire at an East Kingston, N.H. restaurant, the New Hampshire Union Leader quoted East Kingston Fire Chief Ed Warren to say, “Mulch can sometimes heat up and spontaneously combust.” Neither Edwards nor Warren responded to repeated requests to elaborate on their comments about spontaneous combustion. LaGasse said he was confused about Thomas’ explanation about mulches that can spontaneously combust. “Some of the mulches that we see that

do (spontaneously combust) are not treated,” Thomas said. “They are actually remnants from different places throughout the state where people get them from the wood industry. They are not formally manufactured. They are leftover bark and chips and things that are left over from the logging processes. People use those materials in lieu of actually manufactured and treated mulch. So we have two environments going on at the same time.” “Treated with what?” LaGasse responded. “And it’s all forest products residue. There is no flame-retardant treatment, if that’s what he’s talking about, because it wouldn’t stick to the mulch. As an industry, we’re going to have to start with the fire marshals and see if we can educate them and give them the right information.” Although there is a significant research available about fires in mulch piles, and some research about fires ignited in mulched landscaping beds, no publicly available research could be found about spontaneous combustion in plant beds. In 2003, researchers at The Ohio State University (OSU) published The Ease of Ignition of 13 Landscape Mulches, for which they ignited 13 organic and inorganic mulches with cigarettes, matches and a propane torch to measure how easily they would ignite. However, according to Laura Deeter, a professor of agriculture at OSU, a national research database reveals no research about spontaneous combustion of mulch, other than in large piles. In 2011, Beyler and two colleagues at Hughes Associates – a forerunner of Jensen Hughes - released a study of the ignition and spread of a variety of landscape mulch materials in beds while developing a test protocol to measure mulch related fire hazards. Although spontaneous combustion was not a part of Beyler’s research, he said “very weird conditions” would have to be present for it to be possible. “We’re talking something like a glass bottle laying on the ground and focusing sunlight onto one spot and generating enough heat to ignite the mulch,” he said. “When a 20-foot pile of mulch starts on fire it’s because you have a very high temperature inside, insulated by a lot of mulch around it, that won’t allow the heat to escape. To ignite a layer of mulch two inches deep, the temperature would have to be even hotter, because there is nothing to trap the heat. I can’t point to any research to confirm it, but I’d have to say the conditions that would cause spontaneous combustion in a layer of mulch would have to be extraordinary.” Steinberg said it is “extremely unlikely” that mulch beds would spontaneously combust. However, she noted – and LaGasse agreed – that mulch can ignite with an ignition source like a cigarette. That, she said, is why it is wise to keep it a safe distance away from a home – especially in areas in reach of wildfire embers.

“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use organic mulch,” she said. “But you probably don’t want it touching siding or something that can ignite.” Despite the growing reports of fires starting in landscape mulch, Kip Diggs, a media specialist for State Farm Insurance, said “it isn’t something that is a big issue with us.” Loretta Worters, vice president of communications for the Insurance Information Institute (III), the voice of the property and casualty insurance industry, said wildfires have been a major concern of the insurance industry, but spontaneous combustion of mulch has not. However, she said, in response to Thomas’s remarks about spontaneous combustion, “That is an interesting situation because the ramifications to the mulch industry can be very severe.” That, LaGasse said, is why it’s important to head off potential problems by correcting misinformation. “Blaming a bed of mulch for catching on fire is kind of like blaming a car for a drunk driver,” he said. “We are trying to get out in front of this issue before some insurance company files a claim. It’s an easy out for somebody to blame our products for something that cannot happen.”

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PUBLICATION STAFF Publisher / Editor Rick Downing Contributing Editors / Writers Bonner R. Cohen • Ken McEntee Sandy Woodthorpe Production & Layout Barb Fontanelle • Christine Pavelka Advertising Sales Rick Downing Subscription / Circulation Donna Downing Editorial, Circulation & Advertising Office 6075 Hopkins Road, Mentor, OH 44060 Ph: 440-257-6453 • Fax: 440-257-6459 Email: downassoc2@oh.rr.com Subscription information, call 440-257-6453. Soil & Mulch Producer News is published bimonthly by Downing & Associates. Reproductions or transmission in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is prohibited. Annual subscription rate U.S. is $19.95. Outside of the U.S. add $10.00 ($29.95). Contact our main office, or mail-in the subscription form with payment. ©

July / August 2016 Soil & Mulch Producer News

Soil

Mulch Producer NEWS

CA Court Knocks Down USDA Organic Composting Rule

Fate of 20-MW Biomass Plant Operation in CA Uncertain

an Francisco, CA — A ruling by the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowing organic farmers use compost treated with synthetic pesticides has been challenged by a California court, according to a CourtHouseNews.com article. In a legal suit brought by the Center for Food Safety and other environmental groups, federal magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley ruled against the USDA, noting that the agency violated the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) by issuing a rule change (NOP 5016) to its organic standard that allowed organic farmers to use compost containing synthetic chemicals, without first notifying the public or soliciting comment. She ordered the USDA to issue revised guidance that complies with the APA. Before the USDA issued its rule change in 2010, national organic food regulations banned synthetic substances in compost unless the substances were on an approved list. The rule change was prompted when California Department of Food and Agriculture barred organic farmers from using certain organic compost products after inspectors found bifenthrin in them, which is not on the list. The department administers the USDA’s National Organic Program, an organic certification program. Bifenthrin is an insecticide used to control an invasive species from South America, red imported fire ants, or RIFA. The compound is highly toxic to fish and aquatic organisms, according to Cornell University’s Pesticide Management Education Program. The Environmental Protection Agency classifies it as moderately toxic to mammals. The rule change allowed organic farmers to use compost containing banned chemicals as long as the compost was composed of “green waste,” such as lawn clippings. Further the rule specified that chemicals could not be applied directly to the compost and it could not contaminate crops, soil or water.

onora, CA — According to a UnionDemocrat.com article, feedstock for California’s 20-megawatt biomass facility in China Station exists in enough supply, but the plant may be shut down unless its shortterm contract with Pacific Gas & Electric is renewed. Dead and dying Sierra Nevada trees killed by drought stress and beetle infestation have been turned into wood chips and burned to generate electricity at the plant. The US Forest Service estimates more than twice as many trees will die in the coming year, and the mortality rate has been high enough for California’s Governor to declare a statewide emergency. Based on the aerial surveys done in May, the Forest Service estimates a record 66 million dead trees are standing in the Sierra Nevada. Scientists identified 26 million more dead trees across 1,100 square miles in Tuolumne, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties since October 2015. The Pacific Ultrapower Chinese Station plant, which has been accepting chipped trees from the local area and the Rim Fire area, needs substantial upgrades and maintenance. Mainly a new boiler that costs between $3 million and $5 million is needed, management says. Yet, without a long-term contract with PG&E, the upgrade is not possible. The facility’s contract with PG&E is a long-term power agreement that is nearly 30 years old. Plant management hopes the California Public Utilities Commission will come to a decision on a three month extension of the agreement. PG&E is seeking PUC approval of a revised pricing structure. This extension would go from Aug. 1 through Oct. 31, 2016.

Researchers Develop Gas Biosensors to Monitor Soil Microbes

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Soil & Mulch Producer News

July / August 2016

ouston, TX — Rice University researchers have developed gas biosensors to “see into” soil and allow them to follow the behavior of the microbial communities within, reports a News.Rice.edu article. According to study findings published in the American Chemical Society’s journal Environmental Science and Technology, the Rice team employed genetically engineered bacteria to release methyl halide gases in soil, allowing them to monitor microbial genetic behavior. The method is expected to prove highly valuable in studying the process of nitrogen fixing in agriculture, antibiotic exchange in wastewater treatment, gene transfer in conditions where nutrients are scarce, and the relationship between gene expression in soil and the release of greenhouse gases. Rice University Caroline Masiello explains, “We care about this because the process of horizontal gene transfer controls a lot of things that are important to humans either because they’re good — it’s how rhizobia trade the genes they need to fix nitrogen and support plant growth — or they’re bad — it’s how bacteria trade antibiotic resistance in soils,” she said. “It’s been much more challenging in the past to construct models of this dynamic process in real soils and to study how horizontal gene exchange varies across soil types. We’ve created a new set of tools that makes that possible.” The laboratory experiment involved using “biosensors, or synthetic biology, to “program” bacteria to release gas. The gas allowed the scientists to monitor DNA exchange in real time without having to actually see into or disturb a lab soil samples. The synthetic biology methodologies developed by the Rice team paves the way for further research into greater accuracy in identifying genetic patterns. They expect they will soon be able to test agricultural soil samples to help fine-tune crop growth through more efficient watering and fertilizer use. “How can agriculture get this extra level of efficiency without the waste? Lots of people are coming to that, and there are lots of ways to do it,” he said. “We’re trying to build high-tech tools that allow us to understand mechanisms to make reliable predictions. That’s the long game with these tools.” The researchers emphasized that these are tools for soil studies within lab environments. The synthetic microbes are destroyed once the results are obtained.

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July / August 2016 Soil & Mulch Producer News

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Maine Biomass Bailout Legislation Passes

ugusta,ME — ReEnergy is among the biomass companies vying for funds from a $13.5 million bailout package passed by Maine lawmakers, reports Maine Public Radio. The controversial bill, supported by a margin of nearly 3-1, was written to prop up the state’s flagging biomass energy sector -- as well as the politicians who backed it, say some observers. For example, since 2011, campaign donations totalling $12K have rolled in from New York-based ReEnergy LLC. ReEnergy owns four of the state’s six biomass plants. Maine Gov. Paul LePage has publicly ridden the current plant operators for tight purse strings at a time when upgrades could help them compete with cheaper energy, such as natural gas. LePage reluctantly signed the bill, saying he wants to see it help save logging and other forestry jobs. Opponents of the bill say the measure is unlikely to prevent the eventual loss of the 1300 jobs it’s supposed to sustain. The Maine Public Utilities Commission is accepting sealed bids for the funds. Bidders for the two-year biomass bailout contract must show how they will retain jobs. ReEnergy is owned by Riverstone Holdings, a private equity firm. The state’s two other plants are owned by another PE firm, Covanta Holding Corp.

Researchers Make Soil Amendment from Scrap Tires

alifax, Nova Scotia — Nova Scotia’s soft soils pose major challenges to the construction of bridges, buildings and highways in the province, but a product made from discarded tires may solve this problem, Dalhousie University researchers say. Led by Hany El Naggar, a Department of Civil and Resource Engineering professor, the team has been experimenting with adding TDA, tire-derived aggregate to soft soil, then testing the strength of the mixture. “When you use a TDA-soil mixture for backfill, you have something that is lightweight but significantly reinforces the strength of the foundation soil,” Naggar explains. Nagger is excited about the potential for TDA. Not only can it be used in a wide range of applications with potential for a huge revenue stream but it solves a number of health and environmental problems associated with scrap tires. The TDA used in the Dalhousie research is being manufactured by Halifax C&D Recycling Ltd., which holds the exclusive contract to recycle the approximately one-million tires discarded by Nova Scotians annually. The Dalhousie team is developing product design standards, which eventually can lead to specifications being written to allow TDA use on civil engineering projects.

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Kentucky County Says Livestock Composting Works

rankfort, KY — According to a StateJournal.com article, composting dead livestock saves landfill space as well as money. Franklin County Solid Waste Administrator Blair Hecker, says the program has saved the county about $6K in landfill tipping fees. So far about 205 dead livestock animals have been composted at the site. The process was developed by Steve Higgins, a University of Kentucky biosystems research specialist. The method involves placing the animal carcasses on thick beds of yard waste and then piling on a four-foot high layer of wood chips. Quarterly soil and water monitoring have found no adverse environmental impacts, such as odor or water runoff. No complaints from neighbors of the facility, either. Known as the Buffalo Trace Distillery, the animal composting site earned county approval to keep operating for another year.

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July / August 2016 Soil & Mulch Producer News

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Gainesville Biomass Supplier Sues Biofuel Customer for Breach of Contract

ainesville, FL — Wood Resource Recovery alleges it got stuck with a big equipment bill and sustained lost sales when its customer, Gainesville Renewable Energy Center, imposed requirements not specified in a long-term contract, according to a Gainesville.com article. Wood Resource Recover (WRR) invested in expensive equipment to screen out small particles, or “fines,” to satisfy Gainesville Renewable Energy, the company contracted to provide green power to the City of Gainesville. GREC blamed the supplier’s biomass fuel for operational problems at the plant, but later realized “fines” were not a problem after all. In addition, (GREC) objected to yard waste and wood from agriculturallyzoned lands, although neither source was specified as restricted in the long-term contract between the two companies. WRR is suing GREC for more than $5 million in damages. The family-owned wood recycling company says its business was hurt after it spent millions and hired 80 additional workers. A GREC plant representative told the press that the fuel supplier’s claims are without merit. WRR was lined up by GREC to provide anywhere from 264,000 to 277,000 dry tons of biomass material to per year to the power plant. The partnership helped GREC land a long-term contract with the city of Gainesville to provide electricity. WRR has terminated its contract with GREC, but may provide biomass on a purchase order basis. The wood recycling company filed a bankruptcy claim earlier this year in an effort to reorganize its finances.

Sacramento Anaerobic Digester Generating Clean Fuel

acramento, CA — The Sacramento Biodigester is diverting 40,000 tons of food waste per day from landfills, fueling waste disposal trucks that deliver the waste, and generating good press about anaerobic digestion, reports RewMag.com. The project, deemed a national success story, grew out of a publicprivate partnership between the University of California Davis campus and the California Energy Commission, CleanWorld and Atlas Disposal. The project was pioneered and developed by UCD professor, Dr. Ruihong Zhang. Every day, feedstock - organic waste from restaurants, supermarkets, food processing companies and homes – arrives at the county facility where the biodigester is located. Every day, 2,000 gallons of natural gas fuel is produced and supplied to Atlas Disposal’s trucks as well as vehicles in city and county fleets, including school buses. The natural gas replaces about an annual 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel that was being purchased by the county and waste disposal company. The Sacramento Biodigester was funded by the California Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program and more than $7.3 million from private investment. According to a state Energy Commission report, the project has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 5,800 tons per year. The biodigester generates an annual 3.17 million kilowatt hours of electricity – enough to power nearly 400 average California homes. Classified as a thermophilic, high-rate, high-solid digestion system, the biodigester design features three-stage processing. Within nine years, Sacramento County plans to divert all food waste from large producers.

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Soil & Mulch Producer News July / August 2016

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Soil

New Approach to Soil Restoration: Microbes

ageningen, Netherlands — Adding certain microbes to degraded soil can help speed up the restoration of farmland, an article in TheScientist.com reports. According to a study published in the journal, Nature Plants, adding a layer of donor soil teaming with bacteria, fungi, and roundworms to dried-out, overworked farmland can achieve improvement in a relatively short amount of time. The study conducted by scientists at the Institute of Ecology in Wageningen involved inoculating plots in a 160-hectare field in Reijerscamp, the Netherlands. In the control plots, the researchers left the land as it was. In the experimental plots, the team left the existing topsoil or removed up to 50 cm before spreading a 1 cm-thick layer of donor-grassland or -heathland soil. “Biocontrol, plant growth promotion, and nutrition by microbial inoculants have a long tradition in agriculture,” noted Gabriele Berg of the Graz University of Technology in Austria, who was not involved in the work. “Therefore it is not surprising that . . . soil transfer works well.” While the study provides an important proof of concept, Berg wants to understand more the quality of soil, especially the microbiota,” she wrote in an email to The Scientist. “To work with a ‘black box’ of soil, which contain thousands of different microbial species, is difficult and not up-to-date.” One concern about the soil-inoculation approach is whether potentially harmful microbes could be transferred along with the beneficial ones. “We have to consider that each soil contains a lot of plant and potentially human pathogens,” wrote Berg. Also introducing foreign soil microbiota could result in an imbalance that weakens existing ecosystems in the receiving land, thus making it vulnerable to diseases.

Mulch Producer NEWS

Research Shows Composting Can Reduce Antibiotics in Cow Manure

anitoba, Canada — The findings of a Canadian study published in the Journal of Environmental Quality show that effective composting can break down antibiotic molecules, significantly reducing concentrations in manure, a CattleNetwork.com article reports. The proliferation of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has been linked to antibiotics that concentrate in livestock meat and manure. Researchers from the University of Manitoba, Environment Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada in Lethbridge, Alberta developed a new method to quantify the concentrations when testing the effectiveness of composting. In the past, scientists added a pre-determined concentration of antibiotics into the manure prior to composting, and then measured the rates of dissipation. The Canadian researchers decided to compare dissipation rates in manure “fortified” with antibiotics with those from manure excreted by cattle treated with those same antibiotics. The antibiotics used in the experiment - chlorotetracycline (CTC), sulfamethazine and tylosin - are commonly administered to livestock. The team analyzed samples from each type of compost every three to four days for 30 days. On average, they found an 85 to 99 percent reduction in antibiotic concentrations by the end of the 30-day composting period, regardless of whether the antibiotics were added directly to the manure or fed through the cattle. For chlorotetracycline (CTC), the dissipation rate in excreted manure was significantly greater than that in fortified manure. Greater dissipation rates in the fortified manure than in the excreted manure in the compost with sulfamethazine and tylosin. For tylosin, the dissipation rate in fortified manure was 99%, compared with just 85% for excreted manure.

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July / August 2016 Soil & Mulch Producer News 11

Soil

Mulch Producer NEWS

Green Activists and State AGs Collude Against Climate Dissenters By Bonner R. Cohen

-mails uncovered by the Energy and Environment Legal Institute (EELI) show several state attorneys general (AGs) who have threatened possible prosecution of climate skeptics had collaborated in previous months with anti-fossil-fuel lobbyists to shape their legal and public relations strategies. At a March 29 press conference hosted by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore participating, a coalition of 16 Democratic attorneys general and Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude E. Walker, an independent, announced they were actively considering legal action against companies, organizations, and individuals who have challenged the claim humans have caused climate change. Just two hours prior to the press conference, the attorneys general received a secret briefing from Peter Frumhoff, director of science and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), and Matt Pawa, an environmental attorney for the Climate Accountability Institute (CAI). The briefing, in part, offered talking points to the AGs. E-mails obtained under Vermont’s public records law by EELI reveal collusion between anti-fossil-fuel activists and the group of state AGs was well underway before the New York press event. The e-mails also show attorneys in Schneiderman’s office told the activist groups working with the state AGs to conceal their relationship to the state AGs’ investigations.

E-mails uncovered by the Energy and Environment Legal Institute (EELI) show several state attorneys general (AGs) who have threatened possible prosecution of climate skeptics had collaborated in previous months with anti-fossil-fuel lobbyists to shape

‘Deceive the Press’

“T

hese e-mails show Schneiderman’s office suggested their outside green-activist allies deceive the press,” said David Schnare, EELI’s general counsel. “Meanwhile, AGs in his coalition have subpoenaed at least one policy group’s correspondence with the media.” The documents obtained by EELI show at least one AG suggested using a common interest agreement to claw back records already circulated and hide future coordination efforts. “We call on these AGs to immediately halt their investigation and lay out to the public the full extent of this collusion, producing all records or information provided [to] them in briefings and other work with the outside activists, including those they are trying to keep secret through a common interest agreement,” Schnare said. The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), an outspoken critic of the human-induced climate change hypothesis, was subpoenaed by Walker shortly short after it had released press statements critical of the AGs’ campaign to silence global warming dissenters. Walker’s subpoena demanded 10 years of CEI’s climate-change-related documents, from 1997 to 2007. Walker, Schneiderman, and other state AGs have also launched Continued on page 15

Join Us in New Orleans for the 45th Annual Mulch and Soil Council Meeting

Covering topics for everyone from owners and plant managers to account and marketing managers to industry suppliers.

Mulch & Soil Council 2016 Annual Meeting October 4 - 6, 2016 The Hotel Monteleone New Orleans, LA

For more info, go to www.mulchandsoilcouncil.org 12 Soil & Mulch Producer News July / August 2016

This year’s meeting topics will include: • Insight into the election and the impact businesses • Drone Solutions and 3-D Mapping for Inventory Control • Exciting New Web Ideas “On a Budget” • How to avoid “legal hot water” with employees & labor laws • What’s new with screening, coloring, bagging, lot coding, hoods and wraps and more!!

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July / August 2016 Soil & Mulch Producer News 13

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14 Soil & Mulch Producer News July / August 2016

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Soil

Green Activists and State AGs Collude Against Climate Dissenters Continued from page 1 investigations into energy giant Exxon Mobil. They allege the company may have committed “fraud” by questioning the science behind manmade climate change. According to EELI, Pawa and Frumhoff have been pushing for an investigation into what they call “climate deniers” for a number of years—at least since the “Establishing Accountability for Climate Change Denial” activist workshop was held in June 2012. The event was co-hosted by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Climate Accountability Institute at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. At the workshop, activists developed strategies for state AGs to use to pursue legal claims against scientists, companies, and groups that have denied humans are causing catastrophic climate change or that have critiqued or challenged state and federal efforts to restrict the use of fossil fuels. The Washington Times reports of the roughly 100 academic institutions and free-market think tanks named in Walker’s subpoena of Exxon, “69 are listed on Greenpeace’s #ExxonSecrets website—and in virtually the same order.” Some say the overlap suggests further collusion between state AGs and environmental groups. E-mails showing the involvement of Frumhoff in the possible collusion come at an awkward time for UCS; the organization is

actively working to weaken public-records laws, including exempting the correspondence of certain public officials from taxpayer scrutiny (see related story).

Climate Debate ‘Should Be Encouraged’

ot all state AGs are on board with the Schneiderman-led investigation of climate skeptics. “The scientific and political debate [concerning climate change] is healthy, and it should be encouraged,” said a March 30 joint statement by Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt and Luther Strange, attorney general of Alabama. “It should not be silenced by threats of criminal prosecution by those who believe that their position is the only correct one and that all dissenting voices should therefore be intimidated and coerced into silence.” Other analysts see this type of potential collusion as part of a growing trend to attack sound science and the First Amendment. Bonner R. Cohen, Ph.D. (bcohen@nationalcenter. org) is a senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research. This article was reprinted with permission from heartland.org, a product of The Heartland Institute (https://www.heartland. org/news-opinion/news/green-activists-and-stateags-collude-against-climate-dissenters).

Mulch Producer NEWS

Wisconsin County Will Recycle EABDamaged Trees

adison, WI — In a region hit hard by emerald ash borer infestation, one Wisconsin county has developed an innovative and comprehensive plan to deal with damaged wood – salvage it for use in a variety of home products, Madison.com reports. The recycling will be done at Dane County’s recently built center that accepts construction and demolition waste. According to a county press release, the county will charge $40/ton for wood waste and through a public-private partnership, quality logs will be turned into “urban lumber.” This wood will be marketed and sold for uses that include flooring, furniture and art. Wood that does not meet the quality standards will be recycled into mulch or biomass fuel. Dane is the first Wisconsin county to have developed a plan for managing emerald ash borer issues. The plan includes detailed recommendations for homeowners and communities to consider prior to the beetle’s arrival in Dane County and options for what to do when ash trees in the county become affected. Approximately 2.1 million ash trees have been counted inside Dane County, and an estimated 1.8 million of those are outside of Madison, which has its own ash borer program.

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July / August 2016 Soil & Mulch Producer News 15

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www.diamondz.com 16 Soil & Mulch Producer News July / August 2016

Soil

Mulch Producer NEWS

ADVERTISER NEWS Bandit Industries Welcomes John Mocny as CEO

andit Industries has hired John Mocny to serve as the company’s chief executive officer. Mocny joined the Bandit team earlier this year, bringing decades of engineering and management experience from previous leadership roles with General Motors and Caterpillar. Mocny holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University, and a Master of Engineering Science and Management degree from the prestigious Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. Bandit owners Mike Morey Sr., Dianne Morey and Jerry Morey remain involved with the operations and management of the company. Jerry Morey continues to serve as president of Bandit Industries. “We decided to bring in a CEO to take better advantage of the opportunities before us, and to help take Bandit to another level,” said Bandit Industries President Jerry Morey. “It was important for us to find someone with exceptional leadership experience, but also someone who understands the manufacturing side and can relate to our customers. John is also a Michigan native, and he shares the pride we have in our community and our state. He’s a down-to-earth leader and with him on-board, Bandit is poised to have our best year ever in 2016.” “The Morey family has built something special with Bandit Industries,” said Mocny. “The company culture and pride that exists here is incredible, and it’s infectious. It’s easy to see why owners and crews are proud of their Bandit equipment, and I’m grateful to be a part of it all. Building on Bandit’s success will be a continuing journey of sustainable growth. It’s a journey I’m looking forward to taking.”

T.H. Glennon Co. Promotes Kriem Michel to International Sales Manager

.H. Glennon Co., Inc. recently announced the promotion of their National Sales Manager, Kriem Michel, to International Sales Manager. This move was prompted by a growing interest from the international side of the business. Kriem joined the sales staff of T. H. Glennon Co. on October 29, 2001. She represented the company’s line of Colorfast landscape mulch colorants as well as the Mulch Color Jet equipment, which is used to inject colorants directly into the grinder. Prior to joining T.H. Glennon, Kriem worked for Bayer Corporation’s Coatings and Colorants Division, where she gained extensive experience in the wood mulch industry. She represented Bayer’s line of iron oxide pigments for more than ten years. T.H. Glennon, formed in 1964, is an innovative manufacturer of adhesives, coatings and colorants. The company has marketed its line of Colorfast landscape mulch colorants since 1997.

Morbark® Expands Remanufactured, Used Equipment Focus

orbark, LLC, has announced it will be placing a greater emphasis on providing forestry, recycling and tree care customers with the option of purchasing factory-refurbished and remanufactured equipment. According to the company, Morbark has been restoring customer-owned equipment, trade-in machines and acquired units back to a fieldready state for many years. It stated that the company’s dedication of personnel and resources to this business initiative is in response to the increasing demand for this type of equipment. To head the effort, Kevin Hills has been named Remanufacturing Business Unit Director. Hills has been with Morbark for 30 years and was most recently the Dealer Service Consultant for the company. “Not all of our customers are looking for new equipment – particularly given how rugged a Morbark machine is built in the first place,” said Hills. “Reinvigorating our remanufacturing process allows us to provide the high quality and exacting standards our customers expect from Morbark new equipment on a used model.”

Bandit Announces New Dealer J.P. Sherrman

arley, Iowa — Bandit Industries Inc. recently welcomed Iowa-based J.P. Scherrman Inc. to the company’s growing dealership network. Headquartered in Farley, Iowa, J.P. Scherrman offers sales, parts and service for Bandit® hand-fed wood chippers and stump grinders. The dealership will serve Bandit customers throughout northeast and east central Iowa, including the metropolitan areas of Dubuque, Davenport, Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. J.P. Scherrman Inc. has been in business for nearly 100 years and is a staple for Ag equipment, attachments, construction equipment and heavy equipment throughout eastern Iowa. “We are very pleased to partner with J.P. Scherrman to bring excellent service to our Bandit customers in Iowa,” said Bandit Sales Manager Jason Morey. “They have an enduring history of success that few companies can match, and their reputation for taking care of their customers is exactly what Bandit looks for in a dealership. As the newest member of the Bandit extended family of dealerships, we couldn’t be happier to have them on-board.”

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July / August 2016 Soil & Mulch Producer News 17

Product/Equipment Profiles

Komptech Americas Introduces the New Topturn X45 Windrow Turner

Trinity Trailer Offers Custom Built Trailers, From Two to Five Axels

henewKomptech Topturn X45 will be available later this year, offering high end performance in an entry level category. The proven success of the larger X Series turners is now available in a smaller package. A robust frame in a pioneering new design, high performance hydraulics and a generously dimensioned drum mean high throughput in all working scenarios. Low to mid-size operations will benefit from the quality of a Komptech turner in a size that fits their needs. The X45 also comes with a more powerful 278HP version and all engines meets the latest exhaust requirements. The Topturn X45 will process a windrow almost 15ft. wide and 8ft. tall making this an excellent option for smaller volume customers who don’t want to sacrifice performance. The Topturn X Series has been widely known as one of the best turners on the market. Komptech Americas looks forward to expanding their product line in order to support their customers’ needs.

ince 1975 Trinity Trailer Mfg. Inc. has focused on only one thing: developing and improving their reliable and versatile self-unloading belt trailers and truck beds. Offering custom built two axle to five axle trailers, from 20 to 53 foot lengths, equipped with belt widths ranging from 25 to 61 inches, it is very likely that Trinity will have a belt trailer to fit your application. Trinity’s secret to success is the revolutionary Eagle Bridge frameless design, which allows steel trailers to flex a full 36 degrees, time after time, resisting cracking or breaking, even in the harshest off road, uneven terrains. This easy to pull combination of superior strength and lightweight construction, feels stable and rigid at highway speeds. Trinity’s ability to haul almost any product allows truckers to find those valuable back hauls. Trinity’s high quality stainless steel body allows its customers to haul corrosive loads such as fertilizers, fly ash and wet feeds, as well as mulch and compost.

If you would like more information, please contact komptech Americas at (720) 890-9090 or email at info@komptechamericas.com.

Earth & Turf Products Introduces CarryCat™ Tool Carrier

arth & Turf Products, LLC, will officially debut its CarryCat™ tool carrier at the GIE Expo in Louisville, KY, October 20-21, 2016, Booth #6005. CarryCat will fit the 3-point hitches of a variety of compact tractors and is designed to carry conveniently and securely most commonly used landscaping hand tools. One important advantage is its ability to stand alone on removable stand-off feet once it has been detached from the tractor. Features include an adjustable holder for 2- to 5-gallon gasoline cans and space for a 7- by 16-inch tool box. A softlined mount for chain saws up to 24 inches is standard, lined with 1/4-inch replaceable plastic guards. A line trimmer bracket adjusts for both straight and curved trimmers, with rubber bushings and bicycle straps for soft, firm hold. A solid bottom plate keeps trimmers from sliding downward. Tool-holder loops have smoothed inside surfaces to reduce damage. The frame has multiple holes for attaching bungee cords. A receiver for drawbar is standard. CarryCat is fabricated with a heavy-duty powder-coated finish. List price is $598. For more information contact Earth & Turf Products, LLC at (888) 293-2638 or visit www.earthandturfattachments.com.

18 Soil & Mulch Producer News July / August 2016

To find out more about Trinity Trailer Mfg visit their web site at trinitytrailer.com or call (800) 235-6577.

New, Super Duty Rockaway Model Now Available!

arefully accepting input from many satisfied users over a period of years, Rockaway has now been redesigned and re introduced as a new Super Duty model for even better performance and durability. Improvements include a stronger hood design, front push bar, heavier tube frame, stainless steel wear runners, enlarged rotor shaft, heavier-duty bearings, and new, larger #80 drive sprockets and chain. The new Super Duty Rock away Model 7415SD accommodates 68- to 73.5-inch buckets. Rugged, matching companion buckets are available, and the same Rockaway can be used on several different buckets of the same size. Rockaway is an affordable landscaping tool that has steadily and rapidly gained popularity. On a loader bucket, it attaches and detaches easily in minutes and quickly turns rough, rocky ground into a finely-groomed seedbed. Rockaway tills and fluffs soil while removing rocks. Separation of rocks from soil is done by a single, rugged rotor, studded with extremely durable Hardox steel teeth arranged in a spiral pattern. For more information visit www.idealrockaway.com or call (800) 879-6507.

Premium Mulch Simpliﬁed Nothing beats a Rotochopper grinder for producing premium mulch from a broad range of wood ﬁber sources. And nothing makes it simpler to expand into the retail bag market than a Rotochopper portable bagging system. How can Rotochopper simplify and diversify your mulch business? Contact us today to learn more.

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July / August 2016 Soil & Mulch Producer News 19

www.SoilandMulchProducerNews.com

VOL. X NO. 4

JULY/AUGUST 2016

Inside This Issue Spontaneous Combustion Not Possible in Mulched Beds, Industry Says PAGE 1 CA Court Knocks Down USDA Organic Composting Rule PAGE 4 Researchers Make Soil Amendment from Scrap Tires PAGE 7 Gainesville Biomass Supplier Sues Biofuel Customer for Breach of Contract PAGE 8 New Approach to Soil Restoration: Microbes PAGE 11 Green Activists and State AGs Collude Against Climate Dissenters PAGE 12 Product / Equipment Profiles PAGE 18

www.amerimulch.com info@amerimulch.com

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