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>> OKAY, YOU'RE GOING TO BE VISITING
A WASTE ENERGY FACILITY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW THAT, ANY RECYCLE--
ANY REFUSE THAT'S COLLECTED IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS
HAS TO GO TO THE WASTE ENERGY FACILITY,
WHETHER IT'S COLLECTED BY THE CITY,
OR WHETHER IT'S COLLECTED BY A PRIVATE HAULER.
WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH KENT COUNTY
AND THE SURROUNDING SIX CITIES--
IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE TERM "FLOW CONTROL,"
ANYTHING THAT'S COLLECTED IN THE SIX CITIES ARE REQUIRED
TO GO TO THE WASTE ENERGY FACILITY.
>> WE STARTED WITH FIVE ORGANIZATIONS--
THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS,
THREE COLLEGES INCLUDING GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY,
GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE--
WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS--
AQUINAS, AND FINALLY,
WE HAD THE GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
(banjo music)
>> BY AND LARGE, THE TYPE OF TRASH THAT WE LIKE TO BURN
IS HOUSEHOLD WASTE-- STUFF YOU'D FIND IN YOUR KITCHEN.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT THESE WERE DESIGNED FOR,
BUT WE ARE A MASS BURN FACILITY SO WE TAKE EVERYTHING--
BEDSPRINGS, WHATEVER'S IN YOUR TRASH--
IT ALL GETS PICKED UP AND GETS LOADED INTO THE BOILER,
AND AT THE END OF THE PROCESS
IS WHERE WE PULL THE METALS OUT.
ESSENTIALLY, WE TOOK ALL OF HIS TRASH, OKAY?
AND YOU KNOW, IT FILLED UP A TRUCK--
TEN TONS OR SO IN THAT TRUCK.
AND WE BRING IT INTO THE FACILITY,
WE DUMP IT INTO THE PIT HERE.
WE HAVE A CRANE OPERATOR WHO-- THEN, HE'LL PICK THAT STUFF UP,
BECAUSE IT GETS PRETTY COMPACT IN THOSE TRASH TRUCKS.
WE BRING IN ABOUT 100 OF THOSE A DAY.
UM, HE'LL PICK THAT STUFF UP,
HE'LL FLUFF IT UP TO GET SOME AIR INTO IT
'CAUSE IT'S LIKE TRYING TO LIGHT A PHONEBOOK ON FIRE--
YOU CAN'T DO IT.
YOU GOTTA BUST IT UP.
HE'LL LOAD IT INTO THE BOILER.
IT TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR FOR A BAG OF TRASH, FOR INSTANCE--
OR A PIECE OF TRASH TO GO THROUGH THE BOILER.
WE'LL GET BOTTOM ASH AND WE'LL GET SOME FLY ASH
AS THE EMISSIONS RUN UP AND GO THROUGH THE BOILER.
WE'LL COLLECT THOSE AS RESIDUALS
AND TAKE THOSE OUT OF THE LANDFILL.
WE'RE GOING TO GO UP TO THIS AREA CALLED THE "CHARGING DECK,"
AND YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A BACK STACK OF TRASH,
AND WE'LL BURN THAT ON WEEKENDS.
SO, SATURDAY, WE JUST GET MAYBE A DOZEN TRUCKS IN OR SO.
SUNDAY-- NO TRUCKS.
SO, THEY'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING THAT DOWN.
AND IF WE HAVE MORE THAN WHAT WE WANT IN THERE,
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEND SOME OF THAT TRASH,
PUT IT INTO A COMPACTOR,
AND TAKE IT STRAIGHT OUT TO THE LANDFILL
IF WE GET TOO MUCH IN THERE.
(banjo music)
>> THE FIRST AREA WERE GOING TO BE IS CALLED
THE "CHARGING FLOOR."
THAT'S THE UPPER AREA WHERE THE CRANE RUNS
AND THE WASTE IS DUMPED INTO THE PIT BELOW,
AND THE CRANE OPERATOR WILL FEED THE BOILERS FROM THERE.
(trash crunching)
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE TRUCKS ARE GOING TO DUMP
DIRECTLY INTO THE TRENCH AT THE FRONT.
THE CRANE OPERATOR WILL BACK-STACK THAT GARBAGE
INTO THE BACK STACK OF THE PIT,
AND SOME OF IT HE'LL ACTUALLY COMPACT OUT
INTO THE COMPACTOR CHUTE.
WE ONLY COMPACT OUT REFUSE THAT WE CANNOT PROCESS,
BECAUSE WE DO RECEIVE MORE THAN WE CAN TAKE.
WOULD EVERYBODY LIKE TO FOLLOW ME DOWN THROUGH THE BOILER HOUSE?
WE'LL GO TO THE CONTROL ROOM NOW.
THIS IS OUR CONTROL ROOM AREA.
THE CONTROL ROOM OPERATOR IS GOING TO MONITOR THE OPERATION
OF THE FACILITY FROM HERE, WATCHING THE PARAMETERS,
THE PRESSURES, AND TEMPERATURES,
AND STARTING AND STOPPING EQUIPMENT
AS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO RUN THE PLANT.
THIS IS OUR CONTINUOUS EMISSIONS MONITORING SYSTEM.
THIS IS WHERE WE WATCH EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE STACK
AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE OPERATING ARE FACILITY
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE AND E.P.A. GUIDELINES
THAT HAVE BEEN SET FORTH ON OUR TITLE V PERMIT.
RIGHT BEHIND YOU IS THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL PANEL.
UH, WE USE THAT FOR OUR BAG HOUSE,
AND SOME OF THE OTHER PUMPS THAT WE HAVE TO START AND RUN
HERE IN THE FACILITY.
EXAMPLES OF THINGS--
CONTINUOUS EMISSIONS MONITORING COMPUTER.
WE'RE GOING TO BE WATCHING OUR OXYGEN, SULFUR DIOXIDE, GASES,
OXYGEN GAS, CARBON MONOXIDE,
AND WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE KEEP ALL OF THESE CONSTITUENTS
WITHIN THE PARAMETERS THAT ARE SET FORTH BY THE E.P.A.
IN ORDER TO SAY THAT WE ARE CLEANLY BURNING
WHAT WE HAVE FOR REFUSE,
AND THAT WE'RE NOT POLLUTING ANY MORE
THAN WHAT THEY'VE PUT FORTH.
(banjo music)
>> THERE'S PRETTY MUCH SOME TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY
TO SORT EVERYTHING.
I'VE ALWAYS TOLD PEOPLE-- PEOPLE ASK, IS--
DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE GETTING RID OF YOUR MATERIAL?
WE NEVER DO-- WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH,
BUT IT-- THE MARKETS GO UP AND DOWN MONTHLY,
KIND OF LIKE THE STOCK MARKETS.
SO, SOME MONTHS ARE GOOD, SOME ARE NOT,
BUT WHEN WE DESIGNED THIS, WE DID A BUSINESS PERFORMANCE--
DID KIND OF LOW-END, SO WE LOOK AT IT MORE SO--
IT'S A SERVICE TO THE COUNTY
AS AN "ALTERNATIVE TO LANDFILLING" IN BURNING.
>> SO, WE WOULD ALSO BE SORTING OUT TRASH AT THIS STATION.
THIS IS THE "PRE-SORT STATION," STILL,
SO ANYTHING THAT STILL HAS FOOD ON IT,
ANYTHING THAT SHOULDN'T BE RECYCLED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
>> CHIP BAGS AND CANDY BAR WRAPPERS,
STUFF LIKE THAT-- THAT'S TRASH?
>> WOULD YOU PREFER LIKE A METAL CAP
AND THE GLASS BOTTLE TO BE SEPARATED?
>> SEPARATED, YUP. >> WHAT ABOUT THESE BOTTLE CAPS?
>> UM, THE CAPS ARE A DIFFERENT KIND OF PLASTIC,
SO THE PLASTIC COMPANIES ASK US TO ASK YOU TO TAKE THE CAPS OFF,
AND THE CAP CAN GO IN THE GARBAGE
'CAUSE IT FALLS THROUGH.
THE REST IS GOOD.
>> WE SELL-- WHAT WE PROCESS HERE, WE SORT,
AND THEN WE SELL THE PRODUCT TO THEM.
THAT'S HOW THIS IS SELF-SUSTAINING.
>> THE PEOPLE YOU'LL SEE IN THE FRONT LINE
ARE WHAT WE CALL "PRE-SORTERS."
THEY'LL TAKE OUT THE CARDBOARD
AND ANYTHING WE DON'T WANT GOING THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
(banjo music)
>> OKAY, THIS IS NOT A VERY GLAMOROUS--
IT'S NOT VERY SEXY AT ALL-- (audience chuckling)
AND IT IS WHAT IT IS, AS YOU CAN SEE.
WE SEPARATE WOODCHIPS FROM FIRE WOOD FROM LEAVES,
AND THIS IS OVER HERE IS OUR FALL COLLECTION THIS YEAR.
WE CONTRACT CURBSIDE COLLECTION IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS
WITH A FIRM CALLED "MR. COMPOST."
THE WAY IT WORKS IS YOU BUY A BAG,
THAT MONEY GOES DIRECTLY TO OUR PROVIDER--
THE GUY THAT PROVIDES THE SERVICES.
HOWEVER MANY BAGS WE SELL, THAT'S HOW MUCH MONEY HE MAKES,
AND HE HAS TO COVER EVERY ONE OF OUR CITY STREETS,
FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
WE DO PAY $10 A TON TO HAVE THIS MATERIAL HAULED AWAY.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, TRUCKS CAN HAUL ABOUT 40 TONS,
SO IT'S ABOUT 400 BUCKS A LOAD.
WE'RE ACTUALLY SITTING ON TOP OF AN OLD GYPSUM MINE.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF CAVERNS BELOW US.
>> HOW MUCH LAND DO YOU HAVE HERE?
>> WE HAVE ABOUT 140 ACRES AS A CITY.
THERE'S ABOUT 640 TOTAL.
(music)
>> YOU'RE HEADING TOWARDS WHAT WE CALL
THE "WORKING FACE."
WE TRY AND KEEP IT AS LIMITED AS POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE TO SPREAD SIX INCHES OF DIRT ON THIS GARBAGE EVERY NIGHT
BEFORE WE GO HOME,
AND THEN TAKE IT OFF IN THE MORNING.
IT'S ON THERE BECAUSE-- SEE-- AS YOU CAN SEE,
IT'S DOING A GOOD JOB PREVENTING SEAGULLS FROM BEING HERE.
(audience laughing)
AND IT ALSO IS FOR THE WIND AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF.
ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT LANDFILL GAS,
IT IS EXTREMELY WET.
IT IS EXTREMELY WET.
WE KNOCK WATER OFF OUT IN THE LANDFILL, IN SUMPS,
IT'S KNOCKED OFF WHEN IT GETS DOWN HERE,
AND THERE'S THREE PLACES THAT GOES THROUGH HERE
UNTIL IT GETS TO A DRYER.
THIS IS THE FIRST KNOCKOUT.
THAT'S A COMPRESSOR.
THE GAS IS COOLED OFF HERE.
IT GOES THROUGH ANOTHER DRYER, A COALESCING FILTER.
SO, THIS IS A SCREEN OF THE WHOLE PLANT OPERATING,
AND IF YOU TOUCH ONE OF THESE, IT SHOWS THE DETAIL.
RIGHT HERE, WE'RE KICKING OUT ABOUT 1.25 MEGAWATTS
ON UNIT NUMBER ONE,
AND UNIT NUMBER TWO IS 1.24 RANGE.
ALL OF THIS GOES OUT THAT BOX,
AND IT'S MEASURED WHAT WE GIVE-- WELL, WE DON'T GIVE IT.
WE SELL IT TO CONSUMERS.
WE GET ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 7.2 CENTS PER KILOWATT.
(music)