AQMD will crack down on compost plant emissions





In January, South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (AQMD) governing board adopted the nation’s first regulation to reduce smog-forming emissions from composting facilities in the region.


"Composting facilities have benefited the environment by significantly reducing the amount of waste going into landfills," said Barry Wallerstein, executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.


"However, the region’s composting industry generally lacks air pollution controls and is a significant source of air pollution," he said. "Each industry must do its part to help us achieve clean air."


Together, composting facilities emit a total of 6.8 tons per day of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 4.7 tons per day of ammonia, according to several studies conducted by AQMD and other agencies. In comparison, all Southland oil refineries emit a total of about 9 tons per day of VOCs.


Ammonia and VOCs contribute to the formation of ozone and particulate pollution, two of the region’s worst pollutants.


The rule will require:


•Chipping and grinding operations—which process green waste for use as a landfill cover, biomass fuel or composting feedstock—to limit the time they hold or process green waste to prevent unintentional decomposition;


•Existing co-composting facilities—which produce compost from sewage sludge or livestock manure and bulking agents such as green waste—to reduce their VOC and ammonia emissions by 70 percent. The rule will be phased in between 2007 and 2009, depending on the size of the facility; and


•New co-composting facilities to take steps to reduce their emissions by 80 percent.


The rule is expected to reduce VOC emissions by about 1.2 tons per day and ammonia by 1.9 tons per day.


AQMD won’t require specific add-on controls for green waste operations at this time. Facilities such as community composting sites and plant nurseries will be exempt. For more information, call Laki Tisopulos at (909) 396-3123.



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