Tuesday, March 8, 2005

BioCycle West Coast Conference 2005
Composting, Organics Recycling & Renewable Energy
Where Principles And Profits Join Forces
March 7, 8, 9, 2005
San Francisco, California
Cathedral Hill Hotel

REGISTER NOW!

Reserve your hotel room at the Cathedral Hill Hotel today
Request the special BioCycle Conference Rate of $109 single/double per night.
(available until February 12)
Call (800) 622-0855 or (415) 776-8200

Note: Tours of recycling, composting systems at conference hotel and nearby restaurant to be offered Monday and Tuesday.
(Details will be available at BioCycle registration desk.)

MORNING 8:30 AM— 12:15 PM
Concurrent Session A

MANAGING, REGULATING AIR, ODOR EMISSIONS

HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR LOCAL AIR DISTRICT
Methods that composters can use to best manage odor impacts; Dealing with air quality board requirements; Translating BMPs to operators and regulators.
Jan Allen, CH2M Hill

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS TO COMPLY WITH EMISSIONS STANDARDS
What works, what doesn’t based on design, permitting and operational experiences at composting sites on the West Coast; Implementing results.
Charles Egigian Nichols and Todd Williams, TetraTech

PREPARING THE PUBLIC FOR ODORS — AN EMS FRAMEWORK
How tools in an Environmental Management System help identify the odor impact points of an organics recycling operation; Building relationships, open communications with stakeholders at points of impact.
Michael Moore, Orange County (CA) Sanitation Dist.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN NEW REGULATIONS ON AIR QUALITY
Update on air quality management districts’ rule implementation; Interim findings of CIWMB-funded research on developing Best Management Practices for VOCs and ammonia emissions; Applying findings to compost operations and facility siting.
Brenda Smyth, California Integrated Waste Management Board

SOLID WASTE COMPOSTING — WHAT ARE WE LEARNING?

FACTORS FOR FACILITY LONGEVITY
Working the technology to take this small facility where it needed to go to manage mixed MSW and biosolids; Analysis of operating costs, odor control, and maintaining quality to maintain markets.
Phil Hayes and Jeffrey Hodge, Pinetop-Lakeside (AZ) Sanitary District

MIXED WASTE COMPOSTING IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Processing 40 tons/day of MSW where climate, amendment availability and even bears add to project’s complexity; Lessons learned during first two seasons of operation; How project could serve as model.
Kathy O’Hern, West Yellowstone (MT) Compost Facility

PROS, CONS OF ADDING FOOD RESIDUALS TO A YARD TRIMMINGS PROGRAM
What to consider when adding household organics to curbside yard trimmings collection; Challenges of program expansion to collection frequencies, containers, permits and limitations of composting facilities; Analysis of benefits, tradeoffs.
Steven Sherman, Applied Compost Consulting, Inc.

Concurrent Session B
BREAKTHROUGHS IN COMPOST, COMPOST TEA UTILIZATION

ANALYTICAL METHODS TO ACHIEVE “IDEAL COMPOST QUALITY”
What is “ideal compost quality,” microbiologically speaking?; Impacts from proper product “finishing” steps; Evaluating effects supplements have on the desired microbial community.
Brantlee Richter, BBC Laboratories

COMPOST ROLE IN ORGANIC FARMING
Regulatory status; What organic growers want in compost applications; Review of research projects at land grant institutions.
Jane Sooby, Organic Farming Research Foundation

QUALITY COMPOST, QUALITY SOILS
Lab data, field trials and full-scale compost utilization on farms all confirm the role that quality compost plays in building quality soils; Review of critical compost parameters and experiences.
Will Brinton, Woods End Research Laboratory

COMPOST TEA USE IN VINEYARD
Napa Valley winery incorporates compost tea into its vineyard program; Quality control in tea production; Application methods.
Kirk Grace, Robert Sinskey Vineyards

COMMERCIAL ORGANICS RECYCLING: PART I

BRINGING A SUPERMARKET CHAIN ON-LINE
Rolling out food scraps and soiled paper diversion programs at stores nationwide; Separation, collection systems for about 8 tons/week/store of organics; Marketing bagged compost brings program full-circle.
Tom Wright, Whole Foods

TRAINING AND COLLECTION LOGISTICS
Nuts and bolts (and challenges) of starting and maintaining a commercial organics collection program; Applying lessons learned to more complex venues.
Christian Levaggi, Golden Gate Disposal

SURPASSING 50% MARK AT SBC PARK
Launching an effective recycling and organics diversion program at San Francisco stadium; Evaluating biodegradable plastic service ware and cups.
Christopher Williams, Applied Compost Consulting

AFTERNOON 1:45 PM — 5:30 PM
Concurrent Session A

COMMERCIAL ORGANICS RECYCLING: PART II

ROLLING OUT A REGIONAL PROGRAM
Negotiating with, selecting, service provider for collection, transport and processing of source separated commercial organics; Mutually beneficial contract incentives.
Jennifer Erickson, Metro (Portland, OR)

COMPOSTING SERVICE “PACKAGE”
Building revenue sharing into municipal contract; Commitment to build composting facility locally when quantity of organics diverted reaches 10,000 tons/year on an ongoing basis.
Denise Foland, Cedar Grove Composting, Inc.

BUILDING BIG ORDERS FOR BIODEGRADABLES
How to reach critical mass in purchasing biodegradable cups, food service ware and bags; What volumes will tip the scale toward more favorable pricing.
Panel Discussion

Concurrent Session B
MAXIMIZING BIOMASS POTENTIAL FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY

USDA BIOMASS R&D INITIATIVE
Availability of $15 million in grants to demonstrate biobased products, bioenergy, biopower and related processes; Review of current projects.
Richard Swenson, NRCS

STRATEGY FOR USING BIOMASS IN ENERGY GENERATION
From dairy manure digesters, green waste conversion and accelerated anaerobic digestion bioreactors at landfill, utility analyzes performance.
Ruth MacDougall, Sacramento Mun. Utility District

PROFITABLE OPTIONS IN REACHING MARKETS FOR TREATED DIGESTATE
New value-added markets for recycled bedding from digesters; Solids separation methods; Improvements in manure management and health of animals.
Steve Dvorak, GHD, Inc.

STATEWIDE APPROACH TO BIOMASS WASTE SOLUTIONS
Policies/commercial development for biobased industries in California; Role of biomass wastes in meeting the State's renewable energy, clean fuels, pollution prevention, and economic development goals.
Kay Martin, BioEnergy Products Association

Plenary Session
STRAIGHT TALK ON DIVERSION INCENTIVES

AS LONG AS THERE ARE CHEAP LANDFILLS, CHEAP ENERGY…
What will drive diversion when publicly-held waste companies are locked into landfill disposal revenues; Thriving as creators and restorers of natural resources.
Nora Goldstein, BioCycle

LEARNING FROM EUROPEAN EXPERIENCES
Comparing and contrasting waste management trends and realities to assess applicability of EU diversion policies to U.S. federal and state agencies.
Kit Strange, Resource Recovery Forum, UK

DIVERSION INCENTIVES
Municipal agencies evaluate success of incentives such as construction and demolition debris deposit programs, lower fees for source separated organics.
Panel Discussion

EVENING 7:30 PM — 9:30 PM
Special Session

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR BIOMASS — RENEWABLE ENERGY CONNECTIONS
Policy-makers, private sector, biomass generators, utilities and researchers discuss ways to accelerate progress in achieving energy goals; Developing strategies that overcome obstacles.
Panel: Representatives of agencies including California Energy Commission, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, California Integrated Waste Management Board, Biomass Collaborative