Sludge Watch ==> Other things could be done with sludge....California

[Maureen Reilly]

Is L.A. Sludge Really So Bad?
Stan Ellis’ Solution To L.A. Sludge Could Turn Waste Into Profit

POSTED: 1:36 pm PDT August 20, 2007
UPDATED: 3:48 pm PDT August 20, 2007


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Los Angeles sludge trucking its way into Kern County 
might not be as bad as local residents think, according to one Bakersfield 
entrepreneur.

As sludge ships into the valley, Stan Ellis of Global Mastics claims it can 
be developed into a filler for asphalt, or even converted into energy.

Recently, a federal judge overturned Measure E’s Kern County ban on Los 
Angeles sludge, claiming such a move was unconstitutional. Since Measure E 
was overturned, Los Angeles companies are now free to bring sludge into the 
county.


What Ellis suggests is it might just be a matter of monetizing the sludge 
flow trucked into the county. Turning sludge into profit could make a huge 
difference in swaying public opinion that Kern County is simply a dumping 
ground for Los Angeles sludge.

Global Mastics creates dried solids from raw refinery sludge. The dried 
petroleum-based solids are transformed into a filler material that helps 
bind asphalt. Ellis claims the filler makes for stronger roads.

“I’m excited every day I come to work,” Ellis said. “I can’t wait to get 
here.”

That’s because Ellis is excited about creating uses for waste material.

Global Mastics is currently developing technology to transform rubber tires 
into a similar binder material. Ellis said developing such a process is 
revolutionary and will help solve the vulcanized rubber glut that affects 
America today.

“There’s no need for landfills. We should have zero waste. We don’t have to 
throw a single thing away,” Ellis said.

He recently bought a condensed log-making facility in McFarland to transform 
sawdust from one area of his facility into logs that can be burned.

“I was happy to create a way to not have sawdust waste from the portable 
dance floors we make.”

The key, like the mineral filler, is in making usable material from dried 
raw materials like sawdust, dried refinery waste or dried bio-solids.

Bio-solid sludge waste, according to Ellis, can be put through a similar 
drying and separating process as refinery sludge.

Ellis opened a jar of dried refinery sludge and displayed dried bio-waste 
sludge on a laboratory table. Both piles of powdery material looked very 
similar, although the bio-solids seemed a little more course.

Creating dried bio-solid asphalt fillers would be the same process used in 
refinery-based fillers. Water and unusable material must be drained from 
usable solids using complex heating and centrifuges. The materials are then 
dried and processed.

The only reason Ellis doesn’t transform bio-solids into such filler material 
is because his company can make more money using refinery sludge. Converting 
Los Angeles sludge into a filler-related product could take five years for 
any company to develop into a solid business.

Creating filler material out of Los Angeles sludge isn’t Ellis’ only 
solution. He also discussed with ABC23 how sludge can be used to create 
energy.

He discussed how a plant could be built that converts sun-dried sludge into 
fuel. That fuel could be transformed into steam energy and then into 
electricity. Ash byproducts could be transformed into a mineral filler.

Companies that need to get rid of sludge could eventually get kickbacks from 
the energy created.

When ABC23 wondered if Ellis was an environmentalist, Ellis said, “No. I was 
born and raised on a pig farm. I’m just a practical hard-working guy; a 
common sense guy.”

Ellis recently ran as a Republican candidate for State Assembly. Though he 
lost, he is still just as conservative-minded and passionate about what he 
calls being sensible and practical. He said, “Greenhouse gases can’t be 
helping us. To weigh how bad they’re hurting us? I don’t know.”

The question of whether Ellis would spearhead such a movement in Kern County 
is unknown. He did mention that ABC23 sparked a new interest about such a 
venture.

“New solutions are a lot of work,” Ellis said, adding, “It’s everybody’s 
burden.”

http://www.turnto23.com/news/13933431/detail.html