Storm debris to fuel biomass generating plant

Sep 11 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Joyce Lobeck The Sun, Yuma, Ariz.

There is nothing wasteful about the green waste from the severe thunderstorm that struck Yuma.

Since the storm, area residents have been bringing their uprooted trees, broken branches and other plant debris left behind by the storm to a collection site set up by the city.

It wasn't long before a mountain of green debris formed at the site in the 900 block of Magnolia Avenue.

A local contractor is now in the process of grinding up that material to form another kind of mountain, one of mulch.

And from there the green waste will go toward a green cause -- as biomass to generate electricity in a renewable energy power plant in Imperial.

Marc Givens, owner of Southwest Recycling Inc., was hired by the city to chip the plant debris from the storm. He said he was able to reduce his price because he is selling the mulch to Imperial Valley Resource Recovery, which will burn the material to generate electricity.

Imperial Valley Resource Recovery operates an energy biomass power plant, generating electricity by burning waste wood, composting material and other green waste, according to its website. The power is sold to Southern California Edison Company.

The company generates enough electricity in a day to power about 30,000 homes, the website stated. In addition, the generation process produces about 80 tons of biogenetic ash a day that local farmers use as an organic soil amendment.

"It'll go to good use," Givens said of Yuma's storm debris. "It will still be green."

Givens said he began working on the green mountain Friday and expects it will take about a week to grind it all up. He's scheduled to deliver the resulting mulch to the Imperial plant on Sept. 27.

He estimates he will end up with between 500 and 800 tons of ground up material.

That's from an estimated 13,000 cubic yards of debris brought in by members of the public, said Dave Nash, city of Yuma spokesman.

Over the first weekend after the storm, he said, there already was an area about 100 feet by 100 feet up to 10 feet tall in places filled with the green waste.

Nash complimented the residents who dropped off their green waste, saying that only a few miscellaneous items of other trash were left at the site.

"The community really came through and took great advantage of the opportunity and used it properly," he said. "The city staff is grateful."

Nash continued: "The city provided the site and everyone used it for its intended purpose to clean up the storm damage."

He noted that it's been amazing to see the equipment used by Southwest Recycling go through the tree stumps, logs and branches.

"It's an efficient process."

The special collection site is now closed and city residents are asked to use regular ways to dispose of any remaining plant debris from the storm.