North Ridgeville
North Ridgeville Mayor David Gillock believes a proposed new city project just might be the solution to staying ahead of the ever-changing Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its sludge removal guidelines.
Members of North Ridgeville City Council met with engineers and other city officials Oct. 27 to discuss the possibility of embarking on the quasar project - something the city has been discussing for nearly a year. Council members were given more details on the project, and a cost analysis was provided by engineering firm Johnson and Anderson.
The project is a proposed collaboration between the energy group and North Ridgeville-owned French Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The private company would build an anaerobic (i.e. covered) digester on property it would lease from French Creek. The digester would be used to capture methane gas for conversion to energy production. quasar would remove the sludge from the facility at no cost.
French Creek currently has to ship the sludge to EPA-approved farm fields, and Safety Service Director Jeff Armbruster said the process is becoming more complicated. Sludge can’t be applied to fields in the winter, and if the city decides not to move forward with the quasar project, it will have to erect a storage unit to hold sludge during the cold months.
With the quasar project, French Creek would see an estimated $14,000 in energy savings through the production of electricity and $25,000 in savings because power would be eliminated to two digesters on the property, according to Johnson and Anderson. Current power costs associated with French Creek equate to more than $700,000, from which these savings would be deducted.
quasar would also bring in outside bio-wastes and French Creek would receive 15 percent of the profits from that processing, which could amount to an estimated $140,000 profit per year through a “sludge tip fee.” The engineering firm, however, said that number is speculative because it isn’t sure if it’s a reasonable assumption. City officials, however, pointed out it would be in quasar’s best interest to bring in more bio-wastes because that is how it generates revenue.
“We know that other wastewater plants in the area and entire region have to take their sludge to lime lakes or landfills,” Armbruster stressed. “They are paying anywhere from $45 to $50 a ton to get rid of this, and that is escalating.”
“This will give us a way to get rid of our sludge which is much more dependable,” Gillock added. “Finally we’ll have a dedicated and dependable way to get rid of our sludge.”
The quasar project will cost more for the first five years than the current process because of a required $600,000 centrifuge. However, after five years, figures show costs will stabilize. Ward 1 Councilwoman Nancy Buescher asked why French Creek will be responsible for building the centrifuge and not quasar.
“If we would have walked away from the deal, we would have still had to build a $600,000 storage structure that the EPA would require us to build,” Gillock replied.
Bernadine Butkowski, at-large councilwoman, had toured a similar quasar facility in Wooster earlier that day and said she felt the project should proceed. “We don’t have too much choice but to go on, turn this over and work out an agreement with quasar,” she said. “I think the sooner we do it, the better it will be for everybody. The cost isn’t going to get any less.”
Ward 3 Councilman Richard Jaenke and Ward 2 Councilman Dennis Boose expressed caution and concern about any possible rate increases.
“We’re probably at the point where maybe we can get the contract moving so we can start that process,” Jaenke said. “And at the same time, (City Auditor Chris) Costin can run some numbers to determine if there will be potential rate increases.”
“I just want to make sure we understand all the fiscal responsibilities that go along with it,” Boose added. “I want to make sure the numbers we’re looking at have sound financial assumptions backing them up.”
Council is expected to vote on the quasar project Nov. 15.
|
