Sludge Watch ==> Detroit - Synagro wants to take over Minergy - do land app & incineration

[Maureen Reilly]

Tuesday, September 18, 2007


City considers private sludge burning deal

Southwest Detroit residents leery of new incinerators' air pollution.

Christine MacDonald / The Detroit News



DETROIT -- A revived proposal to burn city sludge in privately owned 
incinerators in southwest Detroit is facing renewed resistance from some 
environmental groups and unions.

The city signed a deal in 2001 with a private company, Minergy, which agreed 
to build the facility in return for the city paying it to handle its sludge, 
a byproduct of treating waste water. Construction never started because of 
the company's financial problems, city officials said.

Another company, Houston-based Synagro Technologies, wants to take over 
Minergy's contract and build the incinerators with a few changes that must 
be approved by the Detroit City Council. The proposal has been pending for 
almost four years, in part because of contract changes and slow 
negotiations, company officials said.

Once the facility is built, the city could pay Synagro nearly $47 million a 
year to handle the sludge using what officials say is a cleaner burning 
technology that would reduce emissions by up to 75 percent. City officials 
say it's cheaper than the $52 million a year it would take to process the 
sludge using its 40-year-old incinerator complex, which would include $125 
million in federally required upgrades.

"It's a much more environmentally friendly process," said George Ellenwood, 
a spokesman for the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.

But some environmental groups say they still are worried about air 
pollution.

"Detroit just can't stand another incinerator," said Donele Wilkins, 
executive director for Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice. "Any 
additional contribution to poor air quality does not make sense."

And they say it would bring added stress to the southwest Detroit 
neighborhood already overburdened with industrial facilities.

Marathon Petroleum is in the midst of a proposed $1 billion expansion in 
southwest Detroit that could bring up to 1,200 construction jobs and 
increase gasoline supplies in Michigan. But it could also increase air 
emissions by up to 30 percent from 2006 levels. Company officials say they 
are working to reduce emissions and say, in particular, they were able to 
lower air pollution significantly last year. The City Council, which needs 
to approve tax credits for the deal, will discuss that proposal today.

"It just makes it uncomfortable to live," said resident Sharon Moore, 
referring to the smells, dust and soot that she endures in her southwest 
Detroit home.

Synagro plans on burning 60 percent of the sludge using fluid bed 
incineration, which burns hotter and more consistently than the city's 
current technology, said Pam Racey, a Synagro vice president. The rest will 
be treated by the city and Synagro will work with Michigan farmers to apply 
it as fertilizer.

Several area community groups, under the umbrella of Southwest Detroit 
Environmental Vision, said Monday they support the proposed facility with 
conditions.

Lisa Goldstein, the group's executive director, said they believe the 
project is less harmful than the city's burning, but they want Detroit to 
commit to totally shutting down its incinerators after Synagro is 
operational.

Ellenwood said the department will shut down almost all incinerator 
operations once Synagro's plant is working.

Building the Synagro incinerators also would create about 150 construction 
jobs and 30 jobs at the plant, Ellenwood said.

Ellenwood said they pledged to retrain the estimated 90 employees that work 
at the city's incinerator complex and transfer them elsewhere.

John Riehl, president of AFSCME Local 207, said the workers oppose any 
privatization and are worried the department won't follow through on 
training and keeping the workers

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070918/METRO/709180374/1003