Wood Ash as a Beneficial Soil Amendment. Presentation for NH Biomass Boiler Operator s Workshop. Shelagh Connelly, President RMI

Transcription

1 Wood Ash as a Beneficial Soil Amendment Presentation for NH Biomass Boiler Operator s Workshop Shelagh Connelly, President RMI April 24, 2014

2 Forest Resources in the US

3 Wood is harvested and chipped and then loaded on chip trucks for delivery to power plants or pellet producers

4 The northeast has over 15 wood-fired biomass power plants Wood chips are brought to biomass plants to generate electricity or heat. These power plants produce a renewable source of clean electricity.

5 Commercial Grade Wood Ash Wood Ash is used as a fertilizer on farm fields and in compost and topsoil blends Wood Ash replaces the need for potassium and lime Wood Ash is good for soils and plants Wood Ash is a natural by-product from the combustion of wood chips and pellets

6 RMI delivers wood ash in bulk After compiling field information, RMI delivers the fertilizers in tractor trailer loads, year round, using a variety of types of equipment.

7 Wood Ash Land Application Wood ash is stockpiled directly on farm fields and stored until spreading Spreading typically occurs in spring and fall for corn and forage crops Wood ash from biomass plants has been successfully recycled for over 20 years in New England RMI has developed a strong market for wood ash and sells the

8 Land Application Wood ash is land applied using conventional farm equipment. Crop yields increase from wood ash spreading in spring or fall.

9 Pinetree Power Tamworth 305,000 tons of wood chips 4,000 tons of wood ash Littleton Regional Hospital 3,700 tons of wood chips <150 tons of wood ash

10

11 No Matter What Size Boiler Wood ash needs to be managed sustainably: Environmentally responsible Cost effective Socially beneficial

12 Regulations in NH for Wood Ash Historically all non-household wood ash captured under Env-Ws 1700 of Solid Waste Rules, including the large biomass plants and the small and mid-sized commercial boilers NH-DES does not have staff or resources to implement this regulation for all the new boiler installations

13 Effective February 11, 2014 Emergency rules are now in effect that exempt from the requirements of Env-Sw 1700 generators and brokers who distribute 500 tons per year or less of wood ash from the combustion of clean wood for agronomic use. This emergency rule has been filed to address the concerns that the Department received at the public hearing and subsequently about the difficulty that the requirements of Env-Sw 1700 has on small boiler operators. See posting on: Michael E. Guilfoy, P.E. Administrator Solid Waste Management Bureau Tel (603) Fax (603)

14 So what should a facility do about following rules if exempt? Protect your asset by knowing the quality of the wood ash before distribution Develop a program for managing responsibly Keep records documenting practices Partner with an end user that will benefit Educate the public about win-win program

15 Designated Spreading Areas Must meet setbacks and site restrictions for environmental compliance

16 Land Application Managed by RMI Includes: Assessment of Site Characteristics Appropriate Management Practices GIS Resource Analysis Soil Analysis and agronomic recommendation Development of Site Map Definition of Compliance Practices On Site Management/Operations

17 Metal Soil Amendment Trace Metal Concentrations Typical Wood Fly Ash a Residential Wood Ash e Dairy Manure b Poultry Manure c Phosphorous Fertilizer c Northeast U.S. soils d Arsenic Cadmium Chromium NT Copper * Lead Mercury NT Molybdenum NT 0.79 Nickel Selenium NT NT NT Zinc a Average of 16 analyses from 4 New England biomass plants b- from McBride and Spiers 2001 c from Moss, Epstein an d Logan, 2002 d - Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn from Holmgren, Meyer, Chaney and Daniels Cadmium, lead, zinc, copper and nickel in agricultural soils of the USA. JEQ. 22: and the remainder from Shacklette and Boerngen Element concentrations in soil and other surficial materials of the conterminous United States. These numbers excerpted from the Eastern U.S. data set. e- Average from 29 analyses of wood ash from residential wood stoves, Quebec Ministry of the Env.

18 Arsenic concentration of wood ash as influenced by contaminated wood supply Regulatory Standard Typical arsenic concentrations in uncontaminated wood ash

19 Benefits of Wood Ash as a Soil Amendment One ton of wood ash from a biomass plant burning clean wood typically provides: 0.3 tons of lime 200# of calcium 75# of potassium 20# of magnesium The plant nutrients found in wood ash are inherently low in New England soils, making wood ash a great fit for use in New England agriculture The value of wood ash to farmers (based on a comparison to fertilizer pricing)

20 Metal in wood ash that is spread on fields can potentially make it in to the harvested feed which is ultimately fed to cows. Cows can die from eating pieces of metal.

21 The use of wood ash from biomass plants as a soil amendment is a recycling success story in New England Reduces the need for mining lime and potassium fertilizers Provides an organic alternative to other purchased fertilizers Those fields went from being the worst producers to the best - the yield has doubled and we are seeing clover where we couldn't before" Don & Jo Eastman of Ellenburg Junction, NY in reference to wood ash use on grass/clover fields

22 Wood ash is used at compost facilities as an amendment for odor control as well as to balance the nutrient content of the final product Composting

23 Topsoil Blenders Wood Ash is used to improve the fertility and marketability of low grade loam Does a very good job of adding a dark color to the end product Topsoil suppliers are able to charge more for the improved loam

24 RMI Experience with Wood Ash RMI maintains a current beneficial use determination (BUD) in all of the New England states and New York. RMI is diligent in assuring 100% compliance to protect our clients. Regulatory compliance and safety are highest priority and best insurance.

25 Resource Management, Inc. RMI is a regional organic residuals recycling company based in Holderness, New Hampshire RMI employs 25 people including agronomists, compliance specialists, field technicians, truck drivers, operations, sales and project managers Annually, RMI recycles over 325,000 cubic yards of organic residuals including wood ash, short paper fiber, hydrosolids and biosolids

26 RMI s Commitment RMI is committed to: The highest environmental standards Developing cost-effective outlets Ensuring long-term solutions for recyclable organic materials Working with partners who share this commitment

27 Down to Earth Recycling Solutions