COMMERCE REFUSE-TO-ENERGY FACILITY REFUSE DISPOSAL INFORMATION The Facility The Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility is a 350 ton per day waste-to-energy facility that converts residential and commercial refuse into enough power for 20,000 homes. In addition, metals are recovered for recycling and the ash is reused as road base material for constructing landfill roads. The facility provides refuse disposal and certified destruction services for individuals, businesses, haulers, and municipalities. The facility has all necessary permits and insurance and has an excellent environmental and safety record. AB939 Transformation Credit The city from which the refuse originates receives AB939 transformation credit for all refuse combusted at the facility, not to exceed 10% of the city s total credit. Transformation credit percentage for refuse received is calculated according to the amount combusted versus the amount the facility transfers to the landfill and is typically 70%-90%. High Energy Refuse loads eligible for discount rate (see page 3) and certified destruction loads (see page 4) receive 100% credit. Disposal Process The Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility is located at 5926 Sheila Street, Commerce, 90040. It is one block south of Washington Blvd., about 1/2 mile west of the 5 Freeway and 1.5 miles east of the 710 Freeway. Facility phone number is (323) 721-1278. The facility is open for refuse receiving Monday through Friday, 5:00 am to 4:00 pm except holidays. The facility may occasionally close early when the facility reaches its permitted tonnage limitations or other operational reasons. Please contact the facility for status. The facility is open to the public. No appointment or other special arrangements are needed. Appointments are only required for USDA Regulated Waste and certified loads hauled to the sixth floor. Hauling and unloading services are not provided. Payment can be made by cash, credit cards (MasterCard, Discover, and American Express), debit cards (VISA), or a prearranged County Sanitation Districts credit only. For a credit application, contact Maria Orta at (562) 908-4288 x 1119 or visit www.lacsd.org. Checks are not accepted. Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility Page 1 of 8 3/10/2015
1. Review the material limitation list to verify material will be acceptable. Call if you have any questions about the material limitations. 2. Pull up to the incoming (right or north) scale. 3. The pedestal in the island contains an intercom, card reader, ticket printer and pneumatic tube system for communicating with the scale operator. He or she will ask for your empty weight (if known) and the city where the material was collected from. 4. There are three payment options: a. If paying by cash, the scale operator will estimate your net weight and ask you to send the amount by pneumatic tube. b. If paying using County Districts credit, the Sanitation Districts credit bar code number or dump card will be needed. c. If paying by major credit card, only MasterCard, Discover and American Express is accepted. Only debit cards with a Visa logo is accepted. 5. Back into one of the four bays as directed by the site attendant. 6. Hard hats and reflective safety vests are required within the refuse building. Do step past the yellow line (6 from the edge of the pit). 7. Empty load into the pit. 8. Return to outbound scale if directed by scale operator. Plant staff appreciates clear, courteous communication from drivers. Safety The facility has several requirements to ensure the safety of the public, haulers and plant personnel. Please abide by these when at the facility. 1. Drive carefully and obey posted signs. 2. Follow the direction of the scale operator, site attendants and other plant personnel. 3. Do not back up without direction from the site attendant. 4. Hard hats and reflective safety vests are required when outside your vehicle inside the refuse storage building. A limited number of loaner hard hats and vests are available. 5. Do not walk or stand within 6 feet of the edge of the pit without proper fall protection. Retractable lines are available for hooking onto. A fitted harness is required, which the facility cannot provide. 6. No smoking in the refuse building. 7. No horseplay. 8. Do touch or attempt to operate roll-up doors or any other plant equipment. 9. Stand clear of operating equipment. 10. In the event of an evacuation or other plant emergency, follow the directions of the site attendant. If it is safe, move your vehicle to the main driveway. Keep all driveways and other access points for emergency vehicles clear. Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility Page 2 of 8 3/10/2015
Fees Payment can be made by cash, credit cards (MasterCard, Discover, and American Express), debit cards (VISA), or a prearranged County Sanitation Districts credit only. For a credit application, contact Maria Orta at (562) 908-4288 x 1119 or visit www.lacsd.org. Checks are not accepted. A discounted rate is available for High Energy Refuse. Contact the facility for current rates. Material Restrictions The facility accepts commercial and residential refuse. The following materials may not be disposed of at the facility: Hazardous wastes as defined by local, state or federal regulation Sludge, slurries or liquids Radioactive materials Medical waste, including sterilized waste Toxic materials including insecticides and poisons Any oily wastes or any type of petroleum product filters Asbestos or asbestos products Materials with lead Batteries Electronics Objects greater than 8 long or larger than 4 x4 x4 in size In addition, any loads with excessive amounts of the following materials will be rejected: Drywall PVC plastic other than small amounts in normal residential waste More than 20% plastic of any type Excessively wet loads such as restaurant waste Dirt, rocks or concrete Green waste other than small amounts in normal residential waste Unburnable materials other than small amounts in normal residential waste Loads which may produce excessive airborne dust There may be other properties not listed above that will make a load unacceptable due to potential impacts on plant equipment or personnel. Contact the plant if there is any question about the acceptability of a load. Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility Page 3 of 8 3/10/2015
Discounted Rate A discount fee is available for loads of High Energy Refuse. High Energy Waste includes dry scrap wood, textile waste, unrecyclable paper and cardboard, and any additional material that cannot be recycled. To receive the discount, materials must meet the following criteria in addition to the above restrictions: No preservative-treated wood or wood with lead paint No drywall, roofing material, green waste or PVC contamination Wood must be dry (<20% moisture) and no free water in the bin No textile materials containing lead or PVC plastic (vinyl) Textiles, Cardboard and Paper must be dry Maximum 30% (by weight) contamination with other burnable trash Maximum 5% contamination (by weight) with unburnable materials Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility Page 4 of 8 3/10/2015
Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility Page 5 of 8 3/10/2015 CERTIFIED DESTRUCTION / USDA REGULATED WASTE DESTRUCTION SERVICE The Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility provides certified destruction services for a variety of materials. Materials are destroyed by high-temperature incineration in an environmentally sound manner which produces electric power. Residue from the process is reused as road base material for constructing landfill roads. The service has been used by defense contractors, aerospace companies, government agencies, importers, manufacturers and document destruction companies. This service has been approved by the Defense Security Service. The Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility also provides services for USDA Regulated Waste destruction. USDA waste may consists of materials derived from fruits, vegetables, meats, plants, poultry, waste generated on board or removed from conveyance during international or interstate movements, or unconsumed meals or foods by passengers or crews on aircrafts. This type of service is approved and in compliance with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine (APHIS). Only cartage firms approved by USDA and APHIS are permitted to deliver loads to the site. Almost any non-hazardous, non-liquid, burnable material is accepted including paper documents, classified documents, textile products, labels, consumer goods, and pharmaceutical waste. Electronic equipment, circuit boards and PVC plastics are not accepted. Other plastics, magnetic tapes, hard drive disks, and CDs are acceptable if packaged and in the quantities detailed in the Materials section below. Materials may be brought in almost any type or size of packaging. The facility does not provide any transportation services, and customers are responsible for providing all unloading labor and equipment (other than a pallet jack which is available at the facility). The material may be unloaded in one of two ways: dumped into the refuse pit, or manually fed into the furnace feeding hopper. Customers may wish to manually feed into the hopper for additional security and to witness the destruction. Certification Fee There is a flat fee for each load, plus a per ton fee for the material. Contact the Facility for current rates. The Destruction Process Materials are fed into the furnace feed hopper, which leads to a feed chute. At the bottom of the feed chute hydraulic rams force the material into the furnace.
As the material travels through the furnace, it is exposed to temperatures of up to 2000F. All combustible materials are completely destroyed. Non-combustible components and solid products of the combustion process become part of the ash, which is mixed with cement to make aggregate material used for landfill roads. Metals are removed from the ash for recycling. Certain materials can create operational problems for the combustion equipment. The Material Restriction section below details what materials are not accepted. Material Restrictions In addition to the material restrictions for all refuse disposed of at the facility, the following restrictions apply to Certified Destruction loads: No more than 10% of any load or individual package of material may be plastic or rubber Plastic materials must be spread throughout each package or load. For example, a stack of CD s must be broken up and spread throughout a box of paper or other non-plastic, burnable material. Reel-to-reel magnetic tapes and film must be cut in half or in lengths less than 5 long and spread throughout a package of non-plastic, burnable material. A maximum of 5 tons of materials can be processed per hour. Procedures Most of the procedures, safety requirements and material restrictions for refuse disposal apply to certified destruction also. Please review the refuse disposal section in addition to this information specific to certified destruction. There are two ways to unload material for certified destruction only. Both methods have the same fee and certification. USDA Regulated waste can only be unloaded by the second method. The first method is to unload the material into the refuse pit, following the normal procedure for refuse disposal. This method cannot be used for USDA loads. The plant crane operator will feed the material designated for destruction as quickly as plant operations will allow, and will not mix it with other refuse in the pit. The procedure is similar to the normal refuse disposal procedure: 1. Review the material limitation list to verify material will be acceptable. Call if you have any questions about the material limitations. 2. Pull up to the incoming (right or north) scale. 3. The pedestal in the island contains an intercom and pneumatic tube system for communicating with the scale operator. Notify the scale operator that you want certified destruction and that you will be dumping in the pit. He or she will ask for the type of material, company, your empty weight (if known), and the city where the material was collected. Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility Page 6 of 8 3/10/2015
4. If paying by County Districts credit, you will need your Sanitation Districts credit bar code number. If paying by cash, the scale operator will estimate your net weight and ask you to send the amount by pneumatic tube. If paying by major credit cards only MasterCard, Discover, and American Express is accepted. If paying debit card only Visa is accepted. 5. Proceed to the staging area. Back into one of the four bays as directed by the site attendant. 6. Hard hats and reflective safety vests are required within the refuse building. 7. Empty load into the pit. Do not go past the yellow line (6 from the edge of the pit) without proper fall protection. 8. Return to outbound scale to weigh out. Any payment adjustment will be made and the certificate will be issued. The second method is for certified destruction and USDA regulated waste which is to manually feed the material into the feed hopper. This process takes longer, but it provides additional security and control. 1. Review the material limitation list to verify material will be acceptable. Call if you have any questions about the material limitations. 2. Pull up to the incoming (right or north) scale. 3. The pedestal in the island contains an intercom and pneumatic tube system for communicating with the scale operator. Notify the scale operator that you want certified destruction and that you will be feeding the material into the hopper. He or she will ask for the type of material, company, your empty weight (if known), and the city where the material was collected. 4. If paying by County Districts credit, you will need your Sanitation Districts credit bar code number. If paying by cash, the scale operator will estimate your net weight and ask you to send the amount by pneumatic tube. If paying by major credit cards only MasterCard, Discover, and American Express is accepted. If paying debit card only Visa is accepted. 5. Proceed to the back of the plant as directed. An attendant will meet you there if needed to provide direction. 6. Unload material in the back parking lot. There is no loading dock or forklift, so bring whatever equipment you need to unload. A pallet jack is usually available. 7. Using the elevator, take the material to the sixth floor feed hopper. (Note that if the elevator is unexpectedly out of service, the customer will be given the chance to reschedule their appointment. It is recommended to call ahead of time to see the status of the unit). The elevator is approximately 7 x7 x7 inside and has a capacity of 4000 lbs. To use the elevator: a. Push the call button. Watch through the window and wait until the cab arrives and stops. b. Manually open the outside doors and inside cage. Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility Page 7 of 8 3/10/2015
c. After loading, close the outside and inside doors. d. On the sixth floor, exit the opposite side. e. The emergency phone in the elevator will automatically call the control room if needed due to an emergency with the elevator. 8. Check in with the crane operator when you first arrive on 6th floor. 9. Feed material into the hopper. The hopper edge is above 7 above the floor. Stepladders are available for feeding material, or you may bring your own ladders or other equipment. 10. Follow the following safety precautions when in the plant: a. Hard hats and safety glasses are required in the plant. Respirators are recommended for nuisance dust and odors when in the feed hopper area. b. Check in with the crane operator when you first arrive on 6th floor. c. Always yield to the crane operator s instructions. d. When the grapple is over the chute, stay at least 15 feet away from the chute. e. Always minimize the time on the platform or near the chute. f. In the event of an emergency, stop feeding certified material and proceed to the front parking lot by using the stairs or follow directions of plant personnel. Do NOT use the elevator during emergencies. 11. Return to outbound scale to weigh out. Any payment adjustment will be made and the certificate will be issued. Commerce Refuse-to-Energy Facility Page 8 of 8 3/10/2015