Sludge Watch ==> Philadelphia - Synagro Sludge Privatization Plan Looks Dead

[Maureen Reilly]

Waste Treatment Privatization Plan Looks Dead In The Water
By: JiM McCAFFREY, The Bulletin
09/26/2007

Philadelphia -

A Street administration battle to privatize the Water Department's waste 
treatment plant in South Philadelphia it now appears will be left for the 
next mayor to fight.


Council President Anna Verna yesterday canceled a hearing on the proposed 
new biosolids plant rescheduling a new one for Nov. 28. City officials 
concede it is unlikely Council will approve any agreement before the next 
administration takes office.

The 16-year-old biosolids recycling facility is a headache for the city. It 
costs approximately $26.2 million a year to operate and it is the source for 
constant complaints about odors so bad the state has refused to renew the 
plant's clean air permit.

In 2006, the Street administration concluded three years of negotiations 
with Philadelphia Biosolids Services. The result was an agreement to 
privatize the Water Department's Biosolids Recycling Center under the Platt 
Bridge in South Philadelphia.

PBS is a conglomerate of five companies. Together they have promised to 
deliver a new $66 million biosolids recycling plant. One of those companies, 
Synagro of Houston, Texas, has developed an odorless process to superheat 
the waste and turn it into fertilizer pellets.
The savings in fuel and dumping costs alone would be significant for 
Philadelphia.
The city has testified it would pay $20 million a year to PBS for treating 
Philadelphia's waste product - a savings of $6.2 million annually.

The city has stressed no jobs would be lost when the plant is converted. 
District Council 33 disagrees.
Union representatives said yesterday District 33 has not been getting good 
feed back from the city and Synagro and has consequently asked Verna to 
delay the hearings.
The union has two plans for the city to build and run a new plant. It claims 
its plans are cheaper and better than the one negotiated with PBS. The union 
will present those plans at the Nov. 28 hearing.
Counilwoman Jannie Blackwell, a strong supporter of the union, said the 
biosolids plant is "off the table" for now.
"The union has worked very hard over the summer to meet and communicate 
about what they could do," she commented. "The administration is pushing in 
some things and not in others. The administration hasn't said we're finished 
and we're not going to push this thing through."
Jim McCaffrey can be reached at jmccaffrey at thebulletin.us
Council President Verna said she agreed to reschedule the hearing because 
Synagro had not met with the community. Two community meetings are now 
scheduled in October. Although, she initially pushed for the privatization 
Verna now says she has an open mind.


http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=18854916&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=6