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[GreenYes] Re: EU conclusion on bioreactors


Allan ~
 
I think that we need some hard data before we start passing judgement.
 
John
-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Muller [mailto:amuller@no.address]
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 3:39 PM
To: Reindl, John; Eric Lombardi; Helen Spiegelman; GreenYes
Subject: Re: [GreenYes] Re: EU conclusion on bioreactors

Folks,

If the only data point we had was the WMI wanted something, that would be enough to label it as bad idea.

But if that isn't enough, just look at the actual recovery (percentage) of gases from dumps even under favorable circumstances.

I haven't seen any data, but would think that recirculating the leachate would increase the levels of toxins in landfill gas as well as the release of gaseous toxins into the ambient air.  I would also think this would increase the "strength" of the leachate, which would probably accelerate degradation of rubber/plastic liners.

An all-around horrible idea.

am

At 02:31 PM 2/12/2008 -0600, Reindl, John wrote:
Eric,
 
You made the statement:
 
 Never mind that Europe looked at bioreactors long ago and rejected them in any and all forms as unsafe and unable to keep pollution from the environment.

 
When I served on a committee on the future of materials management, I did a lot of reading of government and research organization documents and never found such a statement. I had hoped that you could provide such a document.
 
John
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Lombardi [ mailto:eric@no.address]
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 2:20 PM
To: Reindl, John; 'Helen Spiegelman'; 'GreenYes'
Subject: RE: [GreenYes] Re: EU conclusion on bioreactors

John,

 
My comment comes not from a source document, but from my personal work experiences with European waste experts over the last ten years.  I have had the good fortune to work with some incredible people across the ocean, and some of them may be on this list (or lurking).   I remember discussing the bioreactor situation with them almost five years ago and they thought it was funny how one large private corporation (Waste Management Inc) was going to take America down a path that the EU had already decided wasn’t a good choice.

 
And I’m not sure you’re right that the EU Directive came before bioreactors, although I don’t have the documents to back me up.  Do you?  And I agree with Helen… the EU is aggresively shutting down the landfill as an option over the next 10 years and the way they are doing it is to LIMIT (and nearly prohibit) the amount of biodegradable material allowed to go in.  Hmmm… I wonder why that was their chosen strategy?

 
Eric


 
-----Original Message-----
From: GreenYes@no.address [ mailto:GreenYes@no.address] On Behalf Of Reindl, John
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 7:08 AM
To: Helen Spiegelman; GreenYes
Subject: [GreenYes] Re: EU conclusion on bioreactors

 
Hi Helen ~

 
My sense is that the EU Directive was promulgated before the concept of bioreactors was fully developed.

 
It seems to me not a rejection, per se, but selection of a different path, when fewer pathes were available.

 
And, the EU still allows organics in landfills, thus those landfills still have the long term issues related to organics to deal with.

 
John
-----Original Message-----
From: GreenYes@no.address [ mailto:GreenYes@no.address]On Behalf Of Helen Spiegelman
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 5:00 PM
To: GreenYes
Subject: [GreenYes] Re: EU conclusion on bioreactors
Interesting question raised here: since the EU Directive set limits on the % of organics in landfills doesn't this amount to a de-facto rejection of bioreactor landfills?

H.

At 02:14 PM 2/11/2008, Reindl, John wrote:

Hi Eric ~

 
Could you provide an official EU or other European agency document that shows that they have examined and rejected bioreactors "in any and all forms and as unsafe and unable to keep pollution from the environment"?

 
I served on a committee that looked at accelerating the time frame at which waste disposal sites would degrade material in them and looked at what was going on in the EU,  but was not fortunate enough to come up with any references that included that conclusion.

 
Thanks much,

 
John
-----Original Message-----
From: GreenYes@no.address [ mailto:GreenYes@no.address]On Behalf Of Eric Lombardi
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 12:02 PM
To: pdunn@no.address; 'GreenYes'
Subject: [GreenYes] Re: Michigan bill could repeal landfill ban on yard waste
  Never mind that Europe looked at bioreactors long ago and rejected them in any and all forms as unsafe and unable to keep pollution from the environment. 
Eric



 

 
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