20 Years of Reducing Odors & Emissions in California
GORE® Cover has a long track record of success in California by efficiently reducing odors, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and greenhouse gases (GHGs) from organic waste. Strong environmental awareness continues to drive aggressive local climate-mitigation goals (linked to grant funding), providing optimal conditions for GORE® Cover in California and the rest of the country.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN CALIFORNIA
The Clean Air Act — established in 1970 and amended several times later — is a United States federal law. California followed this law by splitting into 35 air districts, each facing its challenge from traffic-related smog in Los Angeles to greenhouse gases in the enclosed San Joaquin Valley.
The following snapshots show the evolution of GORE® Cover in the Golden State since the early 2000s, from the early days of demonstration projects and data gathering, to the development of groundbreaking waste treatment facilities.
FIRST VOC STUDY IN CALIFORNIA
In the early 2000s, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) began addressing the issue of rising air pollution in the waste management sector. The SCAQMD began VOC source testing to gather data to reduce emissions from green waste composting operations. In 2005, a first demonstration project in Oceanside, CA, near the coastline, revealed that GORE® Cover reduced VOC emissions by up to 98% for green waste and 99% for ammonia. In 2011, GORE® Cover received an official determination as a “best available control technology” by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVACPD).
FIRST FOOD WASTE COMPOSTING FACILITY IN CALIFORNIA
Leveraging the proven ability of GORE® Cover to reduce VOC and odor emissions, a large privately held solid waste company located east of Los Angeles saw the opportunity to build a source-separated organics (SSO) food and yard waste composting facility. In 2015, the West Valley Compost facility became the first SSO composting plant compliant with the SCAQMD air quality rules (Rule 1133.3).
Soon after, in 2016, the SG BUNKER® System with GORE® Cover was built and commissioned (in part using CalRecycle grant funding) to process 60,000 TPY in the SJVACPD in Kerman, CA. In 2020, the same Kerman facility expanded, using funds that included a CalRecycle grant, to process 90,000 TPY.
EXPANDING COMPOST PROCESS CAPACITY IN CALIFORNIA
Since the Kerman Facility was commissioned in 2016, Sustainable Generation, LLC and GORE® Cover have installed SG ADVANCED COMPOSTING™ Technology in several facilities to help them meet the strict air quality standards set in their regions.
City of San Diego & Miramar Greenery
After evaluating several alternative composting methods, the City of San Diego implemented an SG MOBILE® System (covered aerated static pile) Pilot-Scale Demonstration Project in 2009. Fully commissioned in 2019, after receiving a CalRecycle grant in 2017, the Miramar Greenery compost facility currently accepts up to 45,000 TPY of SSO feedstock for the City of San Diego. A 2021 odor study concluded that the facility showed 90-99% odor control compared to traditional uncontrolled systems.
Republic Services & Otay Landfill
Another SG facility was installed in 2021 following a 3-year pilot program. Working with Republic Services, the system takes advantage of the portable and scalable SG MOBILE® System with GORE® Cover placed on the (active) Otay landfill and currently accepts 60,000 TPY of food and yard waste from the greater San Diego region, including Chula Vista and Carlsbad. This facility received the NWRA 2022 Organics Management Facility of the Year Award.
Northern California Compost Facility
In 2022, after reviewing the prior success of the SG ADVANCED COMPOSTING™ Technology at other California facilities, an SG BUNKER® System was installed in Ukiah, California. Working with the contract waste management company, SG designed a system to meet the immediate needs, with a plan for future expansion as food waste diversion efforts scaled in the area. The SG BUNKER® System will accept up to 20,000 TPY of food and yard waste from the City of Ukiah.
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Explore our blog to discover more about our projects, technology advancements, and exciting news.
INTERVIEW WITH A BIOSOLIDS EXPERT
Biosolids expert Dan Collins, P.E., shares insights on safe, efficient composting.
Summary of Performance GORE® Cover and Negative ASP
GORE® Cover was evaluated to quantify the performance versus an existing negatively aerated static
Composting Facility Delivers Significant Environmental Protection
The East Coast’s largest food waste composting site processes 57,000 tons of organics annually.
Exceeding Air Quality VOC Emission Regulatory Compliance in California
SG systems consistently meet and exceed California air quality regulations.
Positive ASP Composting: the Future of Organics
Two of the biggest issues faced by commercial composting operators are emissions (odor and
Proven Results: Over 20 Years Reducing Odors and Emissions in California
Sustainable Generation, LLC and the GORE® Cover have a long track record of success.
Why Smart Composting Facility Operators Keep Stormwater and Leachate Separate
During heavy storms, composting facilities face increased runoff and leachate.
What our customers are saying…
“The Sustainable Generation® team provided us with outstanding hands-on assistance as we learned to use their system. We retrofit our existing positive air ASP system, which used a compost cap, by upgrading to the SG Mobile® System with GORE® Cover so we could address environmental and community concerns about odors and vector control, and also so we could scale up and expand our composting operation."
Justin Green, Executive Director & Founder Big Reuse
"With disposal and transportation costs increasing with no end in sight, plus an abundance of yard debris from our community, we decided to try biosolids composting at our Wastewater Treatment Plant to reduce our costs and create a Class A product. We went with the SG Mobile® System with GORE® Covers. The ease of operation and the cost savings made this a natural fit. The final product has been a huge hit with the locals who can't get enough Class A compost. We recently doubled the size of our composting operation to keep up with our increasing volumes and demand. This system is easily scalable to meet future demands."
Mike Miller, Public Works Director, City of Florence, Oregon
"We had no composting experience, so conducting a demonstration project with Sustainable Generation® greatly enhanced our understanding of food waste composting and helped us immensely with our subsequent expansion design process. During the selection process, it made a difference that SG's technology was already a proven solution for meeting VOC emission reductions for our San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District."
Jonathan Kalpakoff, VP Mid Valley Disposal
“The Sustainable Generation® team provided us with outstanding hands-on assistance as we learned to use their system. We retrofit our existing positive air ASP system, which used a compost cap, by upgrading to the SG Mobile® System with GORE® Cover so we could address environmental and community concerns about odors and vector control, and also so we could scale up and expand our composting operation."
Justin Green, Executive Director & Founder Big Reuse
"With disposal and transportation costs increasing with no end in sight, plus an abundance of yard debris from our community, we decided to try biosolids composting at our Wastewater Treatment Plant to reduce our costs and create a Class A product. We went with the SG Mobile® System with GORE® Covers. The ease of operation and the cost savings made this a natural fit. The final product has been a huge hit with the locals who can't get enough Class A compost. We recently doubled the size of our composting operation to keep up with our increasing volumes and demand. This system is easily scalable to meet future demands."
Mike Miller, Public Works Director, City of Florence, Oregon
"We had no composting experience, so conducting a demonstration project with Sustainable Generation® greatly enhanced our understanding of food waste composting and helped us immensely with our subsequent expansion design process. During the selection process, it made a difference that SG's technology was already a proven solution for meeting VOC emission reductions for our San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District."