Composting in Lufkin, Texas; Biosolids Management and More

摘要

Gone are the days when compost was given away by Cities just trying to divert a little more from their landfills. The markets in Texas for high quality material are strong, thanks in part by a successful state program to promote the use of compost for soil conditioning, erosion control, slope stabilization, and water quality protection. Add to this the increasing restrictions on land application of biosolids, and you have a new and favorable market environment on the front-end, as well as the back-end of the system. The City of Lufkin recognized the changing markets, and is taking a critical look at composting. This City of about 33,000 people located in the edge of the Angelina National Forest is in a unique position to consider composting because it already controls lots of wood waste and biosolids, plus it has a number of industries in the area with wastes rich in organic material. With an active MRF, the City is keen to identify other opportunities to recover valuable materials from its waste streams.