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Vol. XIII No. 2

March /April 2019

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

NEWS

Improve Load Measurements Using Laser Scanning Technology

n the past, determining the volume of mulch, topsoil or compost in a trailer was often a matter of guesswork. “Mulch is sold by yardage, but until recently there was no real method to certify yardage,” said Derek Schussele, account manager at Walz Scale, of East Peoria, Ill. “A lot of times an operation would have somebody sitting at the scale house, who would look at the truck and say, ‘that looks like 40 yards.’” A somewhat more accurate volume can be calculated based on the weight of the material. But, as Schussele explained, “Volume calculated off of weight is different from actual volume. It might be close, but it is different, and that difference over time can be huge amounts of material.” That’s why many bark, mulch, soil and compost producers are installing volume scanning systems, such as those offered by Walz and Loadscan Ltd., of Dinsdale, Hamilton, New Zealand. Using relatively simple laser scanning technology, the systems scan passing trucks and trailers to accurately measure the volume of material they are carrying. “ I t ’s a p e r f e c t solution for mulch and soil producers who tell me that they’re sick of having arguments with their customers over volume,” said Carey West, owner of Loadscan. “A problem in this business is that bark and mulch products suck up moisture very easily when it rains, and the water will evaporate out when it’s hot and dry. It’s hard to get a true representation of the actual volume you have in the back of the truck when you’re weighing water content. Scanning the load allows them to guarantee the volume they are shipping.”

By Ken McEntee Photos courtesy of LoadScan.

The process is simple. Scanning heads are placed on poles at the entrance/exit of the production facility. Trucks that slowly pass or park beneath them are scanned. Data from that scan is fed into a computer, which stores the information and produces a ticket that contains the volume, along with a variety of other information that an operation may choose to include. “Typically, the first thing that happens is that an empty truck will be scanned to produce a reference scan,” Schussele said. The reference scan can be saved in the system for future use, particularly if the truck is a part of the producer’s fleet, or is one that makes regular stops at the producer’s site. The reference scan is compared to subsequent scans of the loaded truck to calculate the volume it is carrying. The system can be used to measure outbound shipments delivering materials to customers and

inbound vehicles bringing in feedstock. Both Walz and Loadscan reported that their systems are accurate to plus/minus 1 percent. Loadscan, West said, has been installing its Load Volume Scanner (LVS) system - or a predecessor system - since 1998. The system was developed by his late father, Wayne, who wanted to solve the problem of accurately measuring loads of material arriving at his civil construction sites in New Zealand. “We were being shortchanged on supply volumes and were overpaying people on the outbound side,” Carey West said. “It was constant discussion and arguments with drivers over load size. One of my jobs in the early years was to get up on the trucks and level the load out by shovel and take measurements of the load. My dad wanted to develop a system to measure the volume without having to touch the material at all.” The initial system, called Tally Clerk, was sold mainly in New Zealand. After Wayne West passed on in 2011, Carey West decided to change the name to Loadscan, and take the product global. “We already had a couple large operations Continued on page 3

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Soil & Mulch Producer News March / April 2019

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PUBLICATION STAFF Publisher / Editor Rick Downing Contributing Editors / Writers Kenneth Artz • Bonner R. Cohen Ken McEntee • Sandy Woodthorpe

Photos courtesy of Walz Scale.

Production & Layout Barb Fontanelle • Christine Mantush

Improve Load Measurements Using Laser Scanning Technology

Advertising Sales Rick Downing Subscription / Circulation Donna Downing

Continued from page 1 using the system in the Northeast USA and in Texas,” he said. “The system is used in the mining, quarrying and construction industries, but the bark and soil business in the USA is one of our key markets and key customer bases.” Schussele said Walz, a global supplier of scales and weighing technologies, initially developed its Load Scanner system for the mining industry about six years ago. “The mining industry needed a system to monitor placement of materials to ensure balanced loads on its equipment,” he said. “Some of our customers then started to ask for a volume scanning device as well, and the system has taken off into other industries. The concept actually has been around for a while. There are a couple operations that have been using self-built scanning devices for 30 years, but they are not as accurate as what’s available today.” Today’s systems generally include a basic package that includes the scanner heads, the pole that holds the scanner, a power box and a computer with the scanning software. Options are available according to how the scanning lane is configured and what additional data an operator wants to collect. For example, Schussele said, the scanner will produce a color image that illustrates the depth of loaded material in the trailer, but an optional high-definition camera mounted near the scanner will provide photos of the material. “Some people like to have that visual bird’s eye view to identify materials and products and keep that in the records,” he said. Optional RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags and a reader can help to make the scanning lane more efficient particularly for busier operations. An RFID tagged trailer can automatically activate a scan as it passes beneath the scanner - similar to EZ Pass and other collection systems used on toll roads, only much slower. Without RFID, scans are activated manually - either by an attendant

at the scanning lane, or by the driver using a mobile device app. Requirements to set up a scanning lane include a straight approach, about three trailers long, a concrete foundation - roughly 4-x-4 feet - and a basic electrical supply. “Our system runs on 24 volts,” West said. West and Schussele said once the site is prepared, installation of the system can often be done in an hour or less. Mobile scanning units on heavy duty galvanized trailers also are available. “Every LVS unit we supply includes its own touch screen PC monitor with software that is simple to use,” West said. “The system can track and store time and date, the direction of the truck - in or out - and the volume, and it can be customized to include things like product and customer information. It also can interface with account management software.” Schussele said all data collected can be exported to Excel for analysis, and that the Walz package includes a cloud storage account. West said although volume scanning systems are able to calculate the weight of a load based on its volume and density, the scanning systems don’t necessarily compete with truck scales. “A number of our customers run both scales and scanners,” West said. “Because mulch and soil products are sold by volume, not weight, we’re providing the essential piece of the puzzle.” But weight measurements also are important, said Tim Kennedy, sales representative for Walz. “You don’t want your trucks to be overweight on the highway,” he said. “We can calculate weight based on volume, but the scale gives you an exact weight. When you have accurate measurements of both weight and volume, then you know your bulk density. So for most facilities, it’s important to have both a scanner and a scale.” Kennedy added that Walz’ volume scanning Continued on page 4

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 ($29.95). Contact our main office, or mail-in the subscription form with payment. ©

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March / April 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News

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Improve Load Measurements Continued from page 3

system can interface with scales to provide comprehensive reports. Soil and mulch producers, West said, are gradually adopting the new volume scanning technology. “It’s not easy to get people to try something new,” he said. “Some of the early users tended to be the independents who own their own businesses, but we’ve made inroads to the larger corporate operations. They are beginning to see the benefits and how it solves a big problem in the industry.” According to Schussele, “I think most mulch and compost people are aware of the scanning technology, and I think we’re getting to the point where they are jumping on board and using it. It’s becoming more mainstream and at some point I think it will become an industry standard. I don’t think we’re there yet.” West agreed. “What this technology creates is trust in the measurements that people can use to help make their business efficient and profitable,” he said. “I think this should be the industry standard in the bark and mulch industry and I think it’s heading that way. You can’t manage what you can’t measure and you can’t measure what you can’t manage, and this is a big improvement over humans doing the bucket counting and estimating what they think is on there.” Ken McEntee is editor and publisher of Composting News (compostingnews.com).

Minnesota Compost Leaders, Non-Profit Advocate Among Awardees Recognized at USCC’s COMPOST2019

omposting facilities in Texas and Tennessee and a non-profit program in San Diego, CA and an energetic program in Minneapolis were among those who were honored by their peers by the US Composting Council at a January ceremony. Awardees are nominated and honored each year at the US Composting Council’s Annual Conference and Tradeshow. This year’s program was held at the Renaissance Hotel, Glendale, AZ. Composter of the Year - Large Scale was awarded to Texas Pure Products, a facility established in 1992 by the City of Plano in partnership with four-member cities: Plano, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Richardson and North Texas Municipal Water District. The compost they produce is STA certified compost and OMRI listed, made from feedstock collected from groceries, markets and “back of house” preparation of food and yard trimmings. The H. Clark Gregory Award, which recognizes grassroots education and awareness of composting, was presented to Dianne Hazard of the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation in San Diego, CA. In 1983, Solana Center pioneered the first comprehensive curbside recycling program in Southern California and is one of the first communitybased recycling programs in the U.S. The City of Minneapolis, Minnesota received the Organics Diversion Program of the Year Award for the education and outreach that has led to 49,350 households (46%) signing up and participating in the city’s two-year-old citywide organics recycling program - and with a very low contamination rate (less than 1% in residential curbside organics). Composter of the Year-Small Scale award went to The Compost Company, a 5,000 ton per year facility in Nashville, TN. The company provides both manufacturing and collection from locations such as Music City Center, Nashville’s LEED Gold convention center, as well as The Country Music Hall of Fame which houses three restaurants and caters around 550 events annually, as well as numerous locations around the city through a contract with Metropolitan Nashville.

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Air Emissions, Toxic Releases Reduced, EPA Reports By Bonner R. Cohen

he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released reports showing air pollution and the amount of toxins released into the environment continue to decline nationwide. An EPA report detailing the ongoing decline in regulated air pollutants from power plants announced emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) declined 4 percent below their 2017 levels in 2018. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from power plants in the lower 48 states declined 6 percent during the same time period. These improvements occurred even as demand for electricity increased by 5 percent in 2018 as a result of strong economic growth. “These data show that America is enjoying ever-cleaner air as our economy grows, and the U.S. continues as a global leader in clean air progress,” said Bill Wehrum, EPA assistant administrator for air and radiation, in a February 20 statement accompanying the report’s release. “Through state and federal fulfillment with the Clean Air Act, and advances by the power sector, we’ve seen significant reductions in key pollutants while electricity generation has increased.”

Long-Term Gains Continue

he report indicates the air quality improvement in 2018 was a continuation of a long-term

trend. From 1990 through 2018, annual emissions of SO2 from power plants fell by 92 percent and annual emissions of NOx from power plants declined by 84 percent. Going back even farther, the EPA reports from 1970 to 2017 the combined emissions of six key pollutants regulated under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards dropped by 73 percent, even as the population increased and the U.S. economy grew by more than 260 percent. Air quality in the United States is already sufficient to ensure public health, and ongoing reductions hurt the economy for no real benefit, says David Wojick, Ph.D., a senior policy analyst with the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow and a policy advisor to The Heartland Institute, which publishes Environment & Climate News. “Unfortunately, the reductions in NOx and SO2 emissions are both expensive and unnecessary, hence nothing to brag about,” Wojick said. “NOx is reduced by cutting power plant efficiency, in a hopeless attempt to push urban ozone concentrations below natural background levels. “SO2 reductions are related to the old acid-rain scare,” said Wojick. “Decreasing SO2 emissions has been accomplished either by switching to low-grade, low-sulfur western

coal or retrofitting power plants with expensive scrubbers. NOx and SO2 reductions have been part of the 30-year war on coal, so success is not something to celebrate.”

Toxics Declining As Well

n another report, EPA announced the release of toxic chemicals from industrial activities also continued to decline in 2017. EPA’s 2017 Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis, released on March 5, 2019, reports releases of TRI chemicals from the U.S. manufacturing sector have declined substantially since 2007 even though the economy has grown. The latest TRI data, submitted by nearly 22,000 facilities nationwide, show continued improvement in pollution management and reduction. The report notes, for example, airborne releases of regulated chemicals declined by 11 million pounds in 2017, and air releases of TRI chemicals fell 57 percent at industrial facilities since 2007. In addition, since 2007, using such practices as recycling, recovery, and treatment, regulated facilities prevented 87 percent of of the nearly 31 billion pounds of regulated chemical wastes from being released into the environment.

Economic, Environmental Compatibility

PA says its TRI report demonstrates economic growth and environmental improvement are compatible. “This year’s TRI results give proof that economic growth and an improved environment can go hand in hand,” said Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, assistant administrator in EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Chemical Safety, in a statement. The United States should get the credit it deserves for leading the way in environmental protection, says Jay Lehr, Ph.D., director of science policy at The Heartland Institute. “This is incredibly good but not unexpected news,” said Lehr. “The public needs to wake up and recognize no nation works harder than the United States, through its industries and its government, to provide its citizens with the cleanest environment on earth. “We have succeeded at this for decades now, but the press only reports our rare failures,” Lehr said. “It is time for Americans to stand up and applaud what we, collectively, consistently accomplish for the environment.”

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Soil & Mulch Producer News March / April 2019

Bonner R. Cohen, Ph.D. (bcohen@nationalcenter. org) is a senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research and a senior policy analyst with the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. This article was reprinted with permission from heartland.org, a product of The Heartland Institute (https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/ air-emissions-toxic-releases-reduced-epa-reports).

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U.S. Senate Public Lands Bill Would Declare 1.3 Million Acres as Wilderness By Kenneth Artz

sweeping public lands conservation bill that would lock up more than one million acres in California, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah as wilderness and impose additional permanent protections on federal lands in Montana, Washington, and other states passed the U.S. Senate. The Natural Resources Management Act (NRMA) includes provisions from 170 previously proposed bills and affects virtually every state. Among its provisions, it designates 1.3 million acres as wilderness and permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which draws revenues from offshore oil and gas drilling, to purchase land for federal ownership. Roads and motorized vehicles would be prohibited on the newly declared wilderness areas, along with other restrictions on their use and enjoyment. Restrictions would also be imposed on the use of more than 200 miles of a river traversing Massachusetts and Connecticut, and almost 300 miles of rivers in Oregon that NRMA declares “wild, scenic, or recreational.” The bill passed in March would also create three new national monuments: the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument in Jackson, Mississippi and the Mill Springs National Monument and Camp Nelson National Monument, both in Kentucky. The next stop for the bill is the House of Representatives, where it enjoys bipartisan support.

Absentee Fed Ownership

he federal government already owns too much land in Western states, says John Charles, president of the Cascade Policy Institute. “The federal government owns 55 percent of Oregon, so we’re already a colony of Washington, D.C.,” Charles said. “Most federal land sits there waiting for a catastrophic forest fire because you can’t really do anything with it. “In my mind there is no reason for any state to have more than half its land mass owned by the feds,” said Charles.

Criticizes Feds’ Land Management

he federal government has already demonstrated it owns too much land to manage properly, says Charles. “From my standpoint, it’s very obvious the federal government has been a very poor manager of the lands it controls,” Charles said. “The legal overlay the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and other land management agencies have to work under results in vast areas of land waiting around for a catastrophic wildfire due to improper management. “When you have lands where there’s something unusual or unique, maybe a wilderness designation is justified, but many of these areas just don’t have such unique features,” Charles said.

Soil & Mulch Producer News March / April 2019

harles says governors and legislators from western states should strongly encourage their colleagues from eastern states to transfer some of the federal government’s holdings to state or private ownership. “It would be great if the feds would transfer at least some federally owned land to the state of Oregon or simply auction them off to private purchasers,” said Charles. “That would be much better than leaving them to rot or burn under federal management. Members of Congress from Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, etc., really can’t understand Oregon and other western states have counties owned almost entirely by the federal government that are bigger than entire states back east. “They really can’t imagine what it’s like to have such vast parts of the state owned by a bureaucracy headquartered 3,000 miles away,” Charles said. “There’s such a crying need to shrink the federal footprint across the West, and it would be great if western-state governors and western members of Congress could persuade their peers elsewhere to make changes that would be better for the lands and the people living near them.”

Federal ‘Maintenance Backlog’

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Kenneth Artz (kennethcharlesartz@gmx.com) writes from Dallas, Texas. This article was reprinted with permission from heartland.org, a product of The Heartland Institute (https:// www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/us-senatepublic-lands-bill-would-declare-13-million-acresas-wilderness).

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utting even more land under federal control makes little sense, says Paul J. Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation. “New Mexico is already more than 40 percent owned by the federal government,” said Gessing. “Yet, radical environmentalists and the politicians they manage to get elected support locking even more land up under federal control. “The Rio Grande Foundation is comfortable with national parks and some other pristine and unique lands being under federal control, but more of New Mexico’s land mass seems to be locked up by Washington every few years, which is ridiculous since the Department of the Interior already has a $16 billion maintenance backlog on the lands the federal government already owns but can’t take care of,” Gessing said. “There is no reason to give them even more New Mexico land or to take more land out of productive economic use.”

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Japanese Company Produces 100 Percent Biodegradable Utensils

New York Passes Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Act

awanishi, Japan — A scientist at Green Science Alliance Co. Ltd. has developed a method for combining nano-cellulose and recycled plastics to make sturdy, yet biodegradable cutlery, according to Composites World and Textile World articles. Ryohei Mori, Ph.D, a pioneering investigator of quantum pigments, has developed a durable cutlery line, called “Nano Sakura.” The material is a combination of wood cellulose and polylactic acid (PLA). Bamboo, which grows rapidly is an abundant source of kinds of fibers that add mechanical strength for such products, Mori explains. In addition, bamboo’s natural antibacterial properties make it an ideal component cutlery and food containers. In a press release, Green Science Alliance announced it will start limited sample production of the cutlery line, while continuing to work in the lab to improve heat durability and dimensional stability. The company has been testing nano cellulose in combination with various thermoplastics such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), polystylene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polyamide 6 (PA6), poly vinyl butyral (PVB), poly butylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), poly butylene succinate (PBS), polycaprolactone. Another biodegradable material, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), which has potential for manufacturing biodegradable plastic bags, uses starch-based plastic and biodegradable plastics produced by microorganisms. Polyhydroxyalkanoates are linear polyesters produced in nature by bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids. Dr. Mori says future products may include shopping bags, straws, food boxes, food trays, and various other types of plastic containers. Green Science Alliance Co. Ltd. (Kawanishi, Japan), is a subsidiary of Fuji Pigment Co. Ltd. (Kawanishi, Japan).

lbany, NY — When New York state’s Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Act takes effect in January of 2022, all establishments that generate an annual average of more than two tons of food scraps per week will have to separate edible from inedible food, send scraps to recycling centers and donate all surplus food items to local food shelters, according to a Rome Sentinel article. The Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Act, passed as part of the state’s 2020 budget resolution, applies to supermarkets, colleges, large restaurants and institutions, such as state prisons. Inedible food must be recycled either on-site or at an organics recycler that has an anaerobic or aerobic digester or composting operation. The stipulation applies if such a facility exists within a 25-mile radius and has capacity. Hospitals, nursing homes and elementary and secondary schools and the New York City (which has its own food waste recycling programming) are except from the recycling rules. Phillips Lytle, LLP in its Environmental Law Post blog, explains some details of the Act: “Non-exempt generators may apply for a one-year waiver of the requirement if they fail to meet the threshold, the cost of recycling is not ‘reasonably competitive’ with landfill, organic recycling facilities lack capacity, or for any other unique circumstances. Transporters must deliver food scraps to proper facilities and ‘take all reasonable precautions’ to prevent comingling, as well as unpermitted delivery to incinerators or landfills. Landfills and incinerators must also take ‘all reasonable precautions’ to avoid accepting food scraps from covered generators.’ The Oneida Herkimer Solid Waste Authority (OHSWA), has been building a $3.4 million plant with an anaerobic digester, which will be ready when the Act takes effect. The recycling plant will process waste food and convert it to a slurry, after which it will go to the anaerobic digester at the Oneida County solid waste facility, where methane from sewage treatment and the food waste will power an electric generator.

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March / April 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News 11

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Anaerobic Digester to be Built in Yaphank, New York

Y Co-location opportunity in Northeastern North Carolina, new large single source volume of bark and woody biomass. Rail Access - close to I95 Interstate Upwards of 50,000 tons of ring debarked raw material ALL SOUTHERN PINE

aphank, NY — American Organic Energy has received the go-ahead to build a large-scale anaerobic digester on Long Island, reports Area Development. The facility, approved by the Board of Trustees of the Long Island Power Authority, will process 180,000 tons of food waste annually from area supermarkets, bakeries, restaurants, commercial food processers, cafeterias, catering halls and hotels. The plant will generate four megawatts of clean energy for Long Island. The project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85,000 tons of CO2 per year and reduce truck traffic on Long Island roads by 1.4 million miles per year, compared to current landfill disposal practice. In addition, Long Island Compost will convert certain stationary equipment from diesel to electricity, which is expected to reduce diesel fuel consumption by an estimated 200,000 gallons per year. The digester is being supported by funding from two state sources. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Cleaner Greener Communities initiative is providing $1.35 million, and the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council selected the project to receive a $400,000 Empire State Development award. GE Water and Scott’s Miracle-Gro are project partners.

Sims Bark Plans New $10 Million Facility in Indiana

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rothersville, IN — Sims Bark Co., Inc. a northern Alabama-based landscaping supply company has received preliminary go-ahead to build an $10 million mulch production facility near Crothersville, Indiana, reports Crothersville Times and The Seymour Tribune. The Jackson County Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved a special exception to allow for industrial usage of the nearly 60-acre site just outside town limits in the I-65 corridor. The company plans to acquire the property, most of which has been zoned general business, with a small part zoned agriculture. Construction on the first phase of the project is expected to begin in June. The mulching, dying, bagging and logistics plant, which would be outfitted with an estimated $6 million in state-of-the-art equipment and some $4 million in buildings, would be located on about 60 acres just outside the town limits in the I-65 corridor. The Crothersville operation would give the mulch producer easy access to Louisville, Indianapolis and Cincinnati markets. Family-owned Sims Bark has been in business since 1974, with manufacturing facilities located in Tuscumbia, Alabama; Olive Branch, Mississippi; Brent, Alabama; Woodbury, Georgia; and Bowman, South Carolina. In 2017, the company built a large plant in Corbin, Kentucky under a deal that included tax incentives of approximately $300K through the Kentucky Business Investment program. A Sims official told media the company will seek tax incentives from the state of Indiana. Along with supply rock and other landscaping materials, Sims produces bagged landscaping mulch and potting soil from recycled by-products such as bark, sourced mainly from sawmills and logging operations. Raw material for the new plant would come from a 150 mile radius of Crothersville, according to a company spokesperson. Lowe’s, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and Rural King are among the company’s biggest customers in Southeast U.S. The company says it will hire 20 employees to work at the plant and expects 100 trucks a day going in and out of the facility when production reaches its peak. The first phase of the project is expected to be complete by 2020 with the second phase being complete in 2021. The number of employees could also double after the second phase is finished.

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March / April 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News 13

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Massachusetts Citizens Take a Stand Against $2.8 Million Biomass Program

orthampton, MA — Environmental groups who oppose wood burning want to halt the Massachusetts’ Renewable Thermal Infrastructure Grant Program, which is handing out $2.8 million to support renewable heating projects, reports Gazettenet.com. Environmentalists have voiced their opposition to the renewable energy program in a letter to the governor, citing wood burning as a major source of air pollution in the state. An analysis of 2014 Environmental Protection Agency data showed biomass combustion caused a quarter of the state’s fine particulate matter, they pointed out. So far, the state Department of Energy program has approved funding for wood chip-related energy operations. Wagner Wood received $885,000 for equipment to process and move dried wood chips, and Pantermehl Land Clearing Inc. received $350,000 for wood-chip infrastructure. Meanwhile, a new bill has been introduced in legislature that would remove biomass from the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard.

New Home-to-Work Composting Takes Off in Ohio

olumbus, OH — In a new recycling initiative, residents of a Columbus suburb and employees of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission are taking their food scraps to work for collection by a local composter, Dispatch.com reports. Participants are provided with 5-gallon buckets and compostable liner bags to hold scraps of meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and paper products. The waste is picked up from collection sites by Innovative Organics Recycling, a Columbus-area company launched in 2016. The home-to-work composting program is funded by the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) as part of its efforts to achieve zero waste to landfill. According to the SWACO website, 12.8 percent of material in the Franklin County landfill is from residential and commercial food waste. The agency’s food waste collection program extends to about seven Columbus neighborhoods, as well as Columbus City Schools, where student participants learn about composting. The composting company that collects the food waste, Innovative Organics Recycling, also conducts free waste audits to assess facility collection needs.

Mexican Beach Resort Has “Green” Appeal

ulum, mexico — A thriving composting operation is helping this popular tourist destination deal with its rising mountain of waste, according to a article. In the past twenty years or so, rapid population and tourism growth outpaced Tulum’s infrastructure development. Meanwhile, it got to the point where 160 tons of garbage a day was going to an open-air dump. Tulum’s newest official disposal site has been open only a year and is already at capacity. A local photographer (now half-owner of a farm-to-table restaurant) decided to start a composting operation when he noticed that about half of the waste was organic – originating from Tulum restaurants. He founded Woolis Green Solutions in 2016 and now has more than 20 paying clients, including restaurants and hotels in the Tulum area. During high season, he and his team collect nearly two tons of organic waste each day, which gets trucked to Woolis Farm, about a half-hour north of Tulum. Participating restaurants promote their part in the sustainability process by posting signs and including messages on their menus. The food may be a bit pricier to offset the composting cost, but the selling point appeals to tourists who have come to expect “green” operations.

www.brittonindustries.com 14 Soil & Mulch Producer News March / April 2019

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Mulch Producer NEWS

Well-branded Community Composting Grows in North Carolina

aleigh, NC — Starting with a novel, somewhat zany branding approach in 2011, Raleighbased CompostNow has diverted more than 8.9 million pounds of waste from the landfill, according to a Forbes article. In eight years, the bike-operated, community composting service has established locations in Research Triangle and Asheville, as well as Charleston, South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia and has produced more than 4.1 million pounds of compost. CompostNow’s residential, restaurant and institutional composting programs have grown steadily. Meanwhile, the company is targeting large companies to gain workplace participation, offering sleek step-cans and fun “merch” that appeals to the millennial crowd employers are keen to attract. For example, at Novelis headquarters in Atlanta, a pilot composting program on the executive floor of the company using CompostNow’s services has collected 109 pounds of waste since November 2018. The company produces compost for King of Crops, a nearby farm in Winston, Georgia that grows high-quality fruits and vegetables for King of Pops, an artisan popsicle maker. Some of the compost produced by CompostNow is donated for landscaping in parks and university grounds and community vegetable gardens. In Charleston, the company currently partners with around 50 restaurants, as well as Charleston County schools and the South Carolina Aquarium. Since starting with CompostNow last October, one restaurant alone has diverted over 14,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill, according to CompostNow official quoted in Charleston City Paper. According to a new report on Community-Scale Composting Systems by Compost Technical Services, a compost consulting and education company, community composting startups are growing “at a prolific rate.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency put the rate of recycling and composting in the U.S. around 34 percent from 2010 to 2015 (the last year data was available). In order for composting to reach a higher level of participation, the U.S. Composting Council suggests that infrastructure issues like inefficient permitting and zoning must be addressed.

Plans Underway Across the Country to Celebrate International Compost Awareness Week May 5-11

nvironmental and recycling businesses, organizations and community groups around the U.S. are making plans to celebrate the annual International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) coming up the week of May 5 - 11. Events planned include workshops, trainings, compost giveaways and other fun and educational activities, all with the purpose of building awareness of the many benefits of compost and composting. The program is run by the Composting Council Research & Education Foundation (CCREF). The goal of ICAW is to raise public awareness regarding the benefits of using compost to improve or maintain high quality soil, to grow healthy plants, reduce the use of fertilizer and pesticides, improve water quality and protect the environment. Each year a theme is chosen to promote the week - the theme for this year is Cool the Climate – Compost! A poster contest was held last fall which was open to children, youth and adults from throughout the world. Artists were asked to create a design based on the theme. This year’s winner is Evan Clark, an LAbased illustrator. His design was chosen from more than 700 submissions.

Product / Equipment Profiles ClearSpan Releases New Fabric Cover with Industry-Leading 30 Year Warranty

New Pitbull Grizzly Screen an Economical Option for Small- to Mid-Sized Contractors

learSpan Fabric Structures recently released the exclusive Armor Shield Cover, which is a 29 oz. architectural vinyl building cover that is designed for ultimate durability. ClearSpan stands by the durability of this new cover with an industryleading 30 year warranty. Businesses are protected with the Armor Shield Cover atop their building. The protective membrane consists of seven layers, including a sturdy base fabric, multiple layers of protective coating and dual-sided PVDF top coat that increases durability and repels dirt, all to create a long-lasting tensile fabric of the highest quality. Best of all, this cover is both mildew resistant and flame retardant. This new material has gone through rigorous testing, and even withstood over 900 pounds in a grab strength test, surpassing the maximum strength capacity of the testing machine. The high-tensile strength allows users to customize structures with architectural design elements without compromising the integrity of the building. The new Armor Shield Cover is available to outfit ClearSpan’s extensive line of building styles in white, grey, tan and green. A 12 oz. poly cover accompanied by a 20 year warranty is also available for all ClearSpan buildings upon request.

a k e E r i e Po r t a b l e S c r e e n e r s introduces the heavy-duty Pitbull PB678 Static Grizzly. The compact screen is a smaller version of the popular PB148 for added jobsite versatility and pairs well with the Pitbull 2300 screening plant, making it an economical option for operations looking for a compact solution to sort oversize material on a reduced scale. The PB678 Static Grizzly includes features for easy bar removal or adjustments as well as transportability. It is ideal for a wide range of industries, including aggregates, mining, scrap, excavation, demolition, forestry and landscaping. Lake Erie constructed the grizzly with standard “D” ring lift lugs for ease of transportation and positioning. Crews simply attach chains to the lugs and lift the screen with a front-end loader, excavator or crane. With its compact size, the PB678 easily fits on smaller trailers that pull behind pickups or 1-ton rigs for easy transportation from one jobsite to the next. The nearly 2,500-pound screen includes an expansive 6-by-8-foot deck area and a 7-foot, 2-inch tip height. The bars are each 2 inches wide with 1/4-inch wall thickness and come with a standard spacing of 2-inch minus. Lake Erie offers additional bars if smaller openings are required.

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March / April 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News 17

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Researchers Study Beetles and Crickets That May Revolutionize Biofuels

Denver Approves $3 Million Compost Program to Help Achieve Denver Food Vision

erkeley, CA — California scientists have found that a common wood-feeding beetle can turn wood into useful biofuels, according to a study published in . Odontotaenius disjunctus, a North American native, commonly called a patent-leather beetle or “Bess Beetle,” is an industrious wood-feeding insect, averaging just over an inch-and-a-half long. Researchers at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) are interested in O. disjunctus because of its digestive tract, which has four main compartments. The specialized (aerobic and anaerobic) digestive functions that happen in the separate compartments allow the beetle to break down lignin (the polymer that gives wood its mass and strength). The researchers say they can use what they have learned about the insect to design a new process for turning lignocellulose, the compound that gives wood its mass and strength, into biofuel. One idea would be to pattern the design of bioreactors after the environmental and microbial conditions in the beetle’s gut. Meanwhile, researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State) and Mary Baldwin University in Virginia have identified a bacterium found in camel crickets (species Rhaphidophoridae) that could revolutionize biofuel production. This particular strain of bacterium, Cedecea lapagei, is capable of breaking down lignin, polymers found in all vascular plants and algae. C. lapagei could be what biofuels researchers have been seeking in order to make the sugar molecules in plant matter available for use in biofuels manufacturing processes. C. lapagei is capable of surviving in a wide array of conditions, meaning that it might be useful in an array of industrial settings.

enver, CO — A company that collects and processes Denver’s food and yard waste has won a five-year contract to expand collections and partner with the city to sell small batches of compost to the public, according to a Colorado Public Radio report. Beginning as a pilot composting service in 2008, A1 Organics has been accepting waste from Denver Composts program, Denver LeafDrop and other sources of food waste and yard debris, which it turns into soil amendment. The company sells bulk compost to area farms and other commercial operations. The city collects over 256,000 tons of trash from Denver homes each year. Close to half of that is organic material that could be composted, according to the City and County of Denver. The newly approved contract will help Denver achieve the goals outlined in its Denver Food Vision plan, which aims to increase neighborhood food production and healthy neighborhoods while diverting organic waste from landfill. About 22 percent of Denver’s organic waste is being diverted now. Last year, Denver residents diverted around 9,000 tons of waste from landfills to be composted. The goal for 2020 is to divert 34 percent of the city’s food waste from landfill. Though the number of participants in the residential food waste collection program has nearly doubled every year since it began, growing from one route serving 3,000 homes to 11 routes serving 18,000 homes, the city must persuade a lot more people to compost to meet its 2020 goal. According to a 303Magazine.com article, last year, Denver Public Works (DPW) launched a new program to make it more convenient for Denver residents to recycle. Homes that were not already subscribed to the city’s no-fee, opt-in recycling program received curbside recycling carts from Denver Recycles and Solid Waste Management.

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Bill to Protect Composting Operations From Nuisance Lawsuits Fails

lympia, WA — A legislative attempt to shield composting operations from nuisance law suits has failed in Washington, according to a Heraldnet.com article. The bill would have amended state law to treat composting as an agricultural activity entitled to legal protections regarding public health and safety. The legislation was written when complaints about odors led to two class-action lawsuits against composter, Cedar Grove in 2018. The company agreed to pay more than $785,000 to resolve claims by residents. Cedar Grove also agreed to spend $1.45 million to reduce the potential for malodorous emissions. In the latter case, the company agreed to pay $1.4 million to settle claims and make $3.4 million in improvements to its composting facility, the article says. House Bill 1167, if passed, would have required additional grounds as a basis for a lawsuit, such as violations to city and county regulations or proven adverse effects on public health and safety. The State offers this level of protection to the agricultural and timber sectors, The bill had cleared a House committee in early February but did not receive a vote in the chamber before a March 13 deadline for action on non-budget bills. A companion Senate bill never had a hearing, according to the Herald report. The House bill’s demise was hailed as a victory for citizens by a representative of the Tulalip Tribes, who said compost operators that have negative impacts on communities should be held accountable. House representatives had proposed changes to the bill which would have restored some of citizens’ right to sue, but still would have transferred responsibility from the state to city and county agencies.

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Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate & Environmental Policy

The center is named in honor of, and chaired by, Arthur B. Robinson, Ph.D., a distinguished chemist, cofounder of the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM), and editor of the influential newsletter Access to Energy.

“The Heartland Institute has published the work of many excellent scientists ... [and] has taken the fight right to the enemy with aggressive and highly effective campaigns aimed at elected officials and civic and business leaders.” Arthur B. Robinson, Ph.D. April 2017

t the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy at The Heartland Institute, we are producing the research and conducting the effective advocacy needed to help restore sound science and common sense to efforts to protect the environment. The Center promotes pro-energy, proenvironment, and pro-jobs policies based on sound science and economics, not alarmism or ideology. Through events, publications, social media, and government relations programs we have changed public opinion on climate change and other environmental topics. We have changed public policy not only in the United States but in other countries as well. In 2017 and onward, we are focusing on winning the global warming war and repealing bad legislation and regulations adopted during the height of the global warming scare. With your help, we can win the global warming war. Please contact us at 312/377-4000 or www.think@.heartland.org think@heartland.org, or visit our website at www.heartland.org/Center-Climate-Environment heartland.org/Center-Climate-Environment.

Hurricane Michael Timber Recovery Could Take Decades

orth Florida — Hurricane Michael’s impact on Florida’s timber industry is staggering. According to Fox13News.com and WFSU. org reports: • 2.8 million acres of timber damaged • 72 million tons of wood on the ground • $600 to $1,500 per acre for clean-up • $1.3 billion in losses to timber industry The North Florida region will be hurting for years to come, especially in places like Calhoun County that were highly dependent on the forest industry. Jim Karels, the head of the Florida Forest Service, says 1.4 million acres of trees suffered severe damage -- meaning 75 to 95 percent of those trees were destroyed. The oversupply of wood, as well as poor quality trees damaged from bending and snapping (ring shock) - has driven down prices to one third to half of the real value of the wood, according to one mill operator. Acres of downed trees pose wildfire threat from the dry timber and needles and make controlled burns virtually impossible so probably 85 percent of the trees will just stay on the ground, unreachable with clock ticking past the point where they are usable, a Florida Forestry Association spokesperson says. That means only 15 percent of the 2.8 million acres of downed trees may be salvaged. The blow to tree farmers has been severe because most crops were uninsured. It takes about 20 years for the trees to mature, making replanting trees unfeasible for many landowners. The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Center is working to assist timber farmers in transitioning to different crops such as hemp, hops, olives and heartier citrus varieties.

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FREEDOM RISING

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FREEDOM RISING

2019 20 Soil & Mulch Producer News March / April FREEDOM RISING

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Compostable ‘Bioplastics’ Are a Better, Yet Imperfect Alternative

olumbus, OH — Bioplastics – bags, utensils and other products made from organic material – are becoming more available, but some are more degradable than others, reports a article. Bioplastics are materials manufactured from corn, potatoes, rice, tapioca, palm fiber, wood cellulose, wheat fiber, sugar, shrimp shells, seaweed or algae. Although a viable alternative to petroleum-based plastics, not all bioplastics are compostable. For now, bioplastics degrade only through special industrial composting processes and therefore, must be separated from other trash, according to World Centric, a company that makes biodegradable food service products. The number of certified compostable products has increased by 80 percent in the past few years, according to BPI, the Biodegradable Products Institute, which certifies compostability. As bioplastics become more available to the public, trash collection will require a three-bin system, for industrial compost, recycling and waste. So far, more than 5 million U.S. households have gone to three-bin systems. Products that are certified compostable either carry BPI’s seal of approval or are listed on the organization’s website. Many of these products, like bags, cups and dishes, are increasingly available in grocery stores. If bioplastics are tossed in with other plastics for recycling, they pollute the recycling stream, and if tossed in the trash, they aren’t much better than traditional plastic, a TerraCycle executive notes in a new book, “From Linear to Circular: The Future of Packaging” (2019, Berrett-Koehler Publishers). Recycling experts say that no matter where bioplastics end up, they are more sustainable to produce than traditional plastics, made from fossil fuels. And even detractors admit that if compostable products do end up in oceans, they break down more quickly than traditional plastics.

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www.clearspan.com March / April 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News 21

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Beech Trees Are Dying, And Nobody’s Sure Why

How Tree Diversity Regulates Invading Forest Pests

ccording to a paper published Forest Pathology, researchers and naturalists in northeastern Ohio have sounded an alarm over a rapidly emerging “beech leaf disease” epidemic. Already, the disease has been found in 11 Ohio counties, eight Pennsylvania counties and five counties in Ontario, Canada. The disease is characterized by dark-green “bands” that appear between the veins of the trees’ leaves and provide the first hint that the tree is diseased. In later stages, leaves become uniformly darker, shrunken, crinkly and leathery. Affected limbs stop forming buds and, over time, the tree dies. Young trees seem to be particularly vulnerable. The researchers think the beech disease has all the hallmarks of emerald ash borer or sudden oak death, which start slowly and quickly pick up speed. From 2012 to 2016, the disease spread in one Ohio county at almost 1,250 acres a year. The threat is significant in Ohio and throughout more than 30 states in the eastern U.S., where beech trees are common and serve as habitats for a variety of animal species and as food for woodland birds and mammals, including squirrels and bears. Ohio State researchers think that the symptoms point to a microbe rather than an insect. Based on that theory, work is underway to look for an explanation by comparing DNA and RNA found on diseased tree leaves to that found on healthy trees. The pathologists are employing molecular techniques to identify tiny microbial differences between trees with beech leaf disease and those without. In particular, they’re looking for evidence showing whether the disease is bacterial, fungal, viral or possibly caused by a phytoplasma. The trees show no infestations or boreholes or chewing of the leaves, which are typical of insect-caused disease; however, other research points to a microscopic worm, or nematode as the invader. The disease has been reported in European (F. sylvatica) and Oriental (F. orientalis) beech species in nurseries and at Holden Arboretum in northeastern Ohio.

ADVERTISER NEWS

Rotochopper Announces the Appointment of New CEO, Tosh Brinkerhoff

otochopper, Inc. announced today the appointment of Tosh Brinkerhoff as the company’s next chief executive officer, effective immediately. Brinkerhoff has more than 20 years of industry leadership experience with an impressive track record in heavy equipment manufacturing. “Tosh’s personal values, supportive family, collaborative leadership style, professional management experience, heavy equipment marketing and manufacturing expertise and Central Minnesota home base all make for an excellent fit with Rotochopper’s continuing opportunity to grow and sustain the company from its roots in St. Martin, Minnesota,” says Jody Parker, chair of Rotochopper’s board of directors. Rotochopper’s board of directors, along with business partner, Granite Equity Partners conducted a comprehensive search which led to the selection of Brinkerhoff to lead Rotochopper. “We were delighted to contribute to this all-important leadership decision,” shared Rick Bauerly, Granite Equity Partner’s CEO. “Tosh is an ideal complement to the highly-experienced leadership team at Rotochopper. The company’s future is very bright.” “I am excited to join Rotochopper and I look forward to building on the legacy of leadership, innovation and customer service that has been established at the company,” shared Brinkerhoff.

22 Soil & Mulch Producer News March / April 2019

indings of a North Carolina State University study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences have connected tree diversity in U.S. forests with regulation of invading foreign pests. The scientists found that the more tree species, the more pest species – to a point. Using U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data sets to correlate forest diversity with invasive pests, their research showed a “hump” curve. The curve demonstrates that, as the number of host tree species increases, the number of pest species decreases. The researchers compared two county-level data sets to test conflicting ideas about biodiversity. They asked whether more tree species can facilitate the diversity of pests by providing more places for them to gain a toehold or if tree biodiversity can have protective effects for forests, such as by diluting the pool of host trees and making it harder for pests to become established. Overall, counties where forests have 30 to 40 different host tree species tend to have the most nonnative pests. But the effects of those pests depend on whether an invader is a specialist that can infest only a single tree species or whether it’s a generalist, like the gypsy moth, which can spread to more than 60 different hosts. In the U.S., the areas at the middle of the hump curve – the diverse forests in the Midwest and up into New England – have a lot of insect and disease problems,” the study’s lead investigator noted. The less diverse forests in the West mainly suffer when a specialist pest comes in and knocks back one of the major components of your biodiversity, such as with Sudden Oak Death in California. Researchers with the U.S. Forest Service, Purdue, NC State, Czech University of Life Sciences and Duke collaborated on the study. The researchers say that the results could help prioritize monitoring efforts for forests most at risk for future pest invasions.

Diverse Forests Are Stronger Against Drought

orests with highly diverse tree traits related to water use suffer less of an impact from drought, according to a paper published in Nature. Because droughts affect entire ecosystems, the research teams from University of Utah Stanford University Princeton University and University of California, Davis, looked at entire forests, compiling data from 40 forest sites around the world. “Hydraulic traits,” or the characteristics of how plants move water throughout their systems, correlate with forest resilience. Information on how much drought stress trees can take before their hydraulics begin breaking down is helpful to forest managers working to rebuild forests after logging or wildfire. In the study, the scientists used specialized sensing instruments (flux equipment) to measure the flows of carbon, water and energy to track how much water was moving into and out of a site. They coupled this environmental data with what was known about the tree species present at each site, and the known hydraulic traits associated with those species. A major factor in forest resiliency is the difference between the amount of water movement a tree allows during dry conditions and the absolute minimum water amount – the point at which the tree’s hydraulics start to shut down. According to the paper, forests with a greater diversity of hydraulic traits in resident tree species showed less of a dip in forest function (measured by fluxes of water and energy and soil moisture) than lessdiverse forests. Satellite data of temperate forests worldwide confirmed the findings – droughts have different effects on hydraulically diverse forests. Diverse forests have many different types of trees -- conifer and angiosperm, drought tolerant and intolerant wood, and maybe different rooting depths. This makes them more resilient, a crucial factor to consider when considering reforestation planning, the study authors said.

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March / April 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News 23

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VOL. XIII NO. 2

U.S. Postage

PAID

MAR / APR 2019

Inside This Issue Improve Load Measurements Using Laser Scanning Technology PAGE 1

Air Emissions, Toxic Releases Reduced, EPA Reports PAGE 6 U.S. Senate Public Lands Bill Would Declare 1.3 Million Acres as Wilderness PAGE 8 Sims Bark Plans New $10 Million Facility in Indiana PAGE 12 Bill to Protect Composting Operations From Nuisance Lawsuits Fails PAGE 20 Diverse Forests Are Stronger Against Drought PAGE 22

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