Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The proposed project represents a collaboration between the City of Bridgeport and Park City Compost Initiative (PCCI), a 501c3 nonprofit organization located in Bridgeport, CT. PCCI has successfully operated an aerated static pile composting pilot program in Bridgeport since Spring of 2020. The City of Bridgeport will subaward funds to PCCI for the purchase of equipment and site development, resulting in the completion of a commercial-scale aerobic composting facility. The City will work directly with PCCI to develop a municipal compost plan, to divert household and commercial food scraps, and to adopt the priority use of compost to dress and improve parklands and community gardens. The proposed project will have a capacity of 5,000 tons per year, with the site having space to expand significantly in the future. This volume will address a substantial share of Bridgeport's overall food scrap volume, leading to a reduction in waste disposal costs and environmental burdens associated with the incineration of solid waste.
Animal Health Component
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Research Effort Categories
Basic
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Applied
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Developmental
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Goals / Objectives
The overarching goal of the project is to provide the startup capital and infrastructure to significantly expand the capacity of Park City Compost Initiative's composting operations, providing PCCI with the scale to serve Bridgeport and the broader region in the most carbon- and climate-friendly manner, with lowest operating and capital costs.With the requested grant of $220,749.00, the project team will fund the one-time purchase of additional infrastructure to rapidly build out the site for increased scale. This will include mixing receiving fabric structure, additional concrete block systems, and equipment to increase the efficiency of processing higher quantities of food scraps and compost, including a food scrap grinder, a conveyor to top off the piles, and a used mason dump truck and truck scale for properly receiving and billing for the tippings. The project will also comprise the purchase of an integrated accounting system tied to the scale and AR system for billing and reporting to state regulators (CT DEEP) and other interested parties like grantors, with a portable office trailer for four season operations.The objectives of the project are, in part, the infrastructure itself - as proposed, this will involve the purchase and construction of a portable-but-stable, cost-effective structure. This will be accomplished using commercial concrete blocks (18"H x3'W x 6'L) for the ASP Rows as well as barriers for the chip, leaves and shavings that are processed into the food scraps for composting. We also intend to use parking curb like structures under the piles to protect the aeration pipes from damage by the tractor or crushing weight of the hot piles.With this capability, PCCI will be able to compost more than 5,000 tons of food scraps a year on site, sequestering some 65% of its carbon into the soil in an environmentally friendly way compared to the alternative incineration - this is 6.5 million pounds sequestered and a higher amount avoided released to the atmosphere from incineration. With both awareness campaigns and education programming as well as the expansion of both collection and composting via the hub and spoke strategy, the impact should be substantially larger. PCCI also intends to collaborate with other sites and entities to manage compost operations to further increase impact. All of this starts with this project and the impact it will have.The Park City Compost Initiative intends to hire local workers from the community including returning citizens looking for honest jobs at fair wages. PCCI has specifically connected with re-entry programs to provide jobs and living wages to help individuals re-entering society. Initial staffing will be 4 - 6 people, but full operations will likely be closer to 10 - 12 people to operate the composting and continue the education programing.Composting the food scraps aerobically is a low cost (operating and capital) and low risk way to treat this volume of food scraps. It also significantly reduces the climate burden of this waste by avoiding the burning of natural gas and lost opportunity for carbon sequestration (as high as 65% per USDA models) achieved by composting the food scraps into soil amendment vs incineration. Further environmental benefits are achieved in soil health, avoidance of chemical fertilizers, and improved soil water retention from application of the compost to local community gardens, park lands, and private farms and gardens as a result of PCCI's donation of finished compost and commitment to continue to do so.The environmental justice aspect of this project is both direct and indirect.reducing the local pollution impact of solid waste disposal (incineration)reducing the transportation exhaust burden on Bridgeport as the local hub for transport in any direction for the region.avoiding the potential urban siting of the next alternative technology, an anaerobic digestor with its own problems of methane generation, pathogenic digestate requiring after process storage and treatment, and risk of shut down for failures or scheduled maintenance resulting in back up of rotting food waste in the community.These impacts can be eliminated through local, community-based scaled aerobic composting of the food scraps, and application of the compost as much as possible locally. We emphasize scaled operations as the hot composting from well managed community composting and larger operations like this proposal help ensure pathogens and noxious weed and other seeds are destroyed to avoid distribution in the finished compost. Scaled Aerobic Compost operations with their high temperatures (normally 130-140* Fahrenheit - but not uncommon to be upwards of 160* Fahrenheit) discourages nuisance vectors that may treat cold back yard compost bins as a buffet.Building local community understanding and support for a cost effective, natural and non-noxious aerobic composting program for Bridgeport and the region, will further help the impacted communities recover from ongoing and past environmental justice burdens. This will help reduce food waste earlier in the food cycle (supporting the EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy) and improve compliance with food separation through understanding, participation, and engaging children as advocates much like what was done to reduce cigarette smoking. PCCI's experience already with local community initiatives and engagement with food banks and urban farmers markets has increased its community composting volume by double over the past two years.
Project Methods
The project will proceed according to the anticipated timeline below:Prior to grant receiptSite boundary clean up andsecure siteBegin set up of boundary buffers (soil structures with plantings) along Crescent Ave and internally as needed.Prepare and agree with COB Facilities the navigation signage for the salt delivery trucks adjacent to the PCCI siteConfirm preferred accounting system with scale interface- prepare set up of accounts and ledgerComplete evaluation and selection process and specifications for equipment purchase with City Purchasing input and adviceSecure installation of water supply and electric supply with security lightingand locked electrical box and water tapGrant ReceivedMonth 1Complete preparation and clearing of the rest of the site dirt, debris and scrubHire workers and secure volunteers and contractors for site set upProcure and set up accounting and billing system (with scale interface)Secure boundary, repair fencing etc as needed with COB Facilities inputStart engagement with haulers, setting up as vendors etcOrder equipment for immediate deliverySet uppayroll systems and worker trackingMonth 2Receive and set up commercial block walls and temporary fabric structure to cover the mixing and receiving bayReceive and set up scale and install run off mat systemSet up expanded wood chip (Carbons) receiving processes and engage suppliers for deliveries (ChipDrop.com and directly)Test scale functionality with receiving of wood chips and any relocation of compost from community compost site in operation todayReceive and install other equipment and organize product flowTrain workers in operation manual and plansMonth 3Set up the ASP System for aeration in ASP Bays 1 & 2Start to receive (soft opening) food scraps from trusted vendors with low risk of trash contaminationBegin CompostingRefine processes and existing operating manual with input from contractors, engineers, employees for accuracy, clarity and especially safetyMonth 4 onwardExpand receipts and composting as operating process gains experience and flowConfirm reporting and testing systems working for PCCI and stakeholders (City, CT DEEP, USDA)The City and PCCI will utilize the integrated accounting system to track food scrap and carbons (leaves, chips, shavings, trimmings) input receipts and compost deliveries for reporting to USDA, CT DEEP, City of Bridgeport, and other stakeholders. The ultimate goal is to reach a capacity of 5,000 tons of food scraps annually.The administrative review team for the set up of the composting operation will include PCCI leadership, Bridgeport Facilities Staff and City Engineer, O&G staff and technicians, and an experienced construction supervisor to be hired.