The biofilters have been running since the end of April helping regulate temperature in the composting zones.
Make sure and wave if you’ve see our new truck on the road. It’s a 2021 Kenworth T880, with clean diesel technology. The cab is quiet, A/C works great and it drives like a pickup – but don’t tell the boss!
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE! Who knew the supply of hemlock bark would be so limited this year? The amount of hemlock bark available from the mills is greatly reduced. They tell us it’s because of a change in logging practices. Greater use of “feller bunchers”, mechanical tree limb removal in the forest, has reduced the amount of bark on the trees that are delivered to the mills. Hemlock bark has fewer slivers than fir but they both look the same on the ground.
Here’s a link to our most recent “Virtual Tour” with Garden Time:
Now that spring is here, it is time to get out there and get to gardening! Remember, yard debris disposal is free for our Pony Ridge / Angel Haven neighbors, so bring in that ice storm debris you have laying around. Compost and soil are also free so there is no reason to put off that spring cleanup and garden renewal.
A year ago, our world was turned upside down as the Covid-19 pandemic took control of our lives and we are slowly, yet finally, returning to normal. We’re moving out of the darkness and returning to something more normal as more people are eligible for vaccines and getting vaccinated. The vaccines have proven to be the light at the end of the tunnel.
Facility Update
Phase I of our facility modernization has been in operation for over a year and we remain extremely pleased with the performance. This aeration floor continues to exceed design standards and is producing some excellent compost!
Phase II of the modernization was completed in September – just in time for the busy fall leaf season. The “sparger floor” design is slightly different than the Phase I floor and has proven to be even more effective at keeping the compost piles well aerated.
The final task to the facility upgrade is the completion of the bio-filters. These filters have been constructed but need to be filled with filter media. We had planned to install the media during our slow time in February, but the ice storm forced us to change our plans. We’re nearly done working through the surge of storm debris and will get back on task to process the filter media. Once completed, these filters will allow us even better temperature control in the compost piles.
It’s cold outside but composting is a continuous process. We thought it fun to share a bit of “ASP art”. They look like lumieres, formed from the air passing through the holes in the top of the ASP spargers.
After many years of hard work and an almost $3 million dollars in capital improvements, our yard debris composting facility has undergone a complete makeover. At the end of September, the final Phase of this state-of-the-art composting facility was completed, and we are again, fully operational. Our two main aerated static pile composting pads have the capacity to process 100,000 tons per year while doing so on a very small footprint.
Special Thanks
We would like to thank all of our neighbors for their patience during this conversion process. It has been a long process, but we could not have accomplished this herculean task without the help and input of the neighborhood groups like CASE, Oregon Air and all of the residents of the Pony Ridge subdivision.
We would also like to thank the City of Tualatin and the DEQ for their help and understanding. Metro has been instrumental in making this transition possible. Their willingness to step up and hire a contractor to help lay out a plan forward was the key to keeping our recycling center open and viable for decades to come. The Metro Investment & Innovation Grant program provided a much needed financial boost.
Finally, we would like to thank the hundreds of customers who have continued to utilize the facility daily. Without your continued loyalty and patronage, none of this would have been possible!
Phase I Update
Phase I has been operational since December 2019 and has produced over 100,000 cubic yards (40,000 tons) of compost. The ability to control moisture, temperature and oxygen has been instrumental in our abilities to minimize odors. While it is impossible to operate a composting facility without producing some odors, the ability to control these variables has virtually eliminated all offensive offsite odors.
Phase II Update
The second slab is a mirror image of the first slab and is capable of converting 50,000 tons of green waste into high quality compost. 45,000 square feet of asphalt was installed on September 22nd to allow maneuvering access and the aerated slab was placed into service shortly after that.
Facility Tours
Due to the Coronavirus, our previously scheduled open house is still on hold. However, if you would like to take an individual tour, please call our office and make an appointment – limit 2 per tour. You can also see the progress by watching this short Garden Time segment: https://youtu.be/Kf5U-FSu2CU
We have now completed 157 batches of compost (75,000 cubic yards) with the ASP system. The results continue to be very encouraging and we are producing some great compost!! The ability to control moisture, temperature and oxygen has greatly shortened our process time and virtually eliminated all offensive offsite odors.
Phase II Update
While construction during a global pandemic has been challenging, progress on the aerated Central composting pad continues as planned. Underground infrastructures and air duct systems have been installed. Concrete was poured in mid-July. The blowers have been wired and are set in place. Startup and testing are scheduled for late September, just in time for leaf season!
Facility Tours
Due to the Coronavirus, our previously scheduled open house is still on hold. However, if you would like to take an individual tour, please call our office and make an appointment – limit 2 per tour. You can also see the progress by watching this short Garden Time segment: https://youtu.be/Kf5U-FSu2CU
Including the ASP Test Bins and Phase I Module, we have completed 119 batches, approximately 58,000 cubic yards, with ASP composting. Average oxygen readings have been at 18.2%.
Phase II Update
With the Metro Match Funds from the Innovation and Investment Grants program, we have installed the blower and manifold units for the Phase II module. In addition, we are in the process of installing the lateral air manifolds and sparger tips to provide aeration to the next 8 composting zones. The concrete pour is scheduled for July 2020.
Phase I of our ASP conversion is running at 100% capacity and the results have been fantastic. The new process allows us to control moisture, oxygen and temperature thus virtually eliminate offensive odors!
Phase II Construction, with the recent grant from Metro, we are hard at work on our Central module and we will post updates showing the progress to our blog. The module will be built in nearly the same design (see our posts in June 2019) and scheduled to be finished June 30, 2020.
Open House Cancelled:
We were hoping to have an “open house” on March 27th & 28th but will have to be indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 virus. However, you are welcome to make an appointment to come and see the site, limit 1 or 2 at a time, or if you come to drop off your yard debris, you’ll have a birds eye view of the module in action!
Coronavirus (COVID-19):
The recent spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) is impacting everyone throughout the globe in one way or another. As with many companies, we need to consider the best path for our employees, customers and community. Nearly all of our employees work alone either in different equipment or in different locations on our property. Our customers arrive in their vehicles one at a time, in single file.
Customers in the drop-off area have been and will continue to be separated from each other so risk of infection is minimal. We are very sensitive to the economic impacts of this pandemic.
We will be open for normal business activities, especially to support our small landscapers who also work in semi-isolated situations.
The recent spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) is impacting everyone throughout the globe in one way or another. As with many companies, we need to consider the best path for our employees, customers and community.
Nearly all of our employees work alone in different equipment or in different locations on our property. Our customers arrive one at a time, in single file. Customers in the drop-off area have been, and will continue to be separated from each other so risk of infection is minimal.
We are very sensitive to the economic impacts of this pandemic. We will be open for normal business activities, especially to support our small landscapers who also work in semi-isolated situations.
