Hi Carl and all,
It sounds like you have a setup by Agrivert … the following nicely sums i=
t
up and the reason why they claim there is no no odour is mentioned
explicitly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZOTwYxRaCQ
The company website is
http://www.agrivert.co.uk <
http://www.agrivert.co.uk/>
Regards
_____
From: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com [mailto:compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Carl Brodeur
Sent: Friday, 18 February 2011 1:50 AM
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: [compost_tea] Re:Composting
Hi Everyone,
I am seeking help in understanding a composting system I am unfamiliar with=
.
There is a company attempting to bring a composting facility to my town.
They apparently, based on my research, are using the “Berkeley Method” =
of
composting. When I questioned the owner of the facility he was unaware of
this method. He called his method the “Gore System”.
In a building they are mixing fruit and vegetable wastes with paper,
cardboard and wood chips. This is accomplished by mixing with a loader and
then grinding these materials to achieve a 30/1 C/N ratio ( as close as
possible), at 60* moisture. A magnet then pulls metals out of the pile. The=
n
it is passed through a room , which looks refrigerated, where the material
is handpicked to remove plastics, etc.
The material is then discharged outside and move with a loader and placed o=
n
a paved surface, with an in ground duct system to collect leachate. Air
blowers push oxygen into the piles, with oxygen and heat sensors in the
pile, all monitored by computers. I was told these probes are in the center
of the pile about 1/3 of the way up from the ground. The rows are about 12=
’
high, 26’ wide and 184’ long. It is then cover with Gortex, the Gore sy=
stem.
The pile heats up to anywhere from 60*C to 76*C and is kept in place,
covered for 4 weeks. It is then uncovered, moved and recovered to
reinvigorate the biology and to continue the breakdown process. I have been
told no foul gases are released to the atmosphere.(I have always understood
that the biology either goes to sleep or dies at these high temps and the
pile goes anaerobic., but they are forcing air into the pile.)
After another 2 week period, the pile is uncovered and moved to a third are=
a
stacked and left uncovered for 2 more weeks and allowed to mature. At that
point it is sold as compost.
Many people in my town are greatly concerned about the odor issue as there
are hundreds of residences within a ½ mile radius, a high end wedding
facility that I maintain (my daughter will be getting married at this summe=
r
:-)), and a home community for seriously handicapped children (over 125
children live in dozens of small home serviced by a staff in excess of 500
people). Some residents have visited the owners other facilities both
announced and unannounced with mixed opinions. All agreed there was an odor
on site, but some noticed the odor away from the site some didn’t. All
agreed the unannounced visit yielded a “stinkeer” experience.
I asked the owner to see any bio-assays done on the compost. Unfortunately
he had no clue as to what I was talking about but he is not the technical
person in his company. He has test results which are required by the
Department of Environmental Protection. I would love to have this be a high
quality compost facility in my area. It would be a big advantage to be able
to get good compost so close to home. The owner claims he can’t keep it i=
n
his yards as it is “flying out the window”. He has a couple of other
facilities, some dealing with bio-solids.
Anyway at this time I am not for or against it (though I would like to be
for it) and I am concerned about this being labeled as compost when it migh=
t
be usable waste reduction material.
Thanks for your opinions
Carl
Carl Brodeur
Arborcare with Ropes 'n Saddles Inc
PO Box 515
Easton, Ma. 02375-0515
Contact: 508-584-2516
Website: <
http://www.arborcareropes.com/> www.arborcareropes.com
LinkedIn: Carl Brodeur
<
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/carl-brodeur/17/467/7a3>
Facebook:
<
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1437932=
541>
CarlBrodeur
Description: ELADescription: MCADescription: NOFA
Received on Thu Feb 17 2011 - 22:04:26 EST