Transcript CRRA - Association of Compost Producers

California Integrated Waste Management Board
The Compost Solution
Workshop
Compost Use on
California Highways
February 28, 2007
Brian Larimore
www.ciwmb.ca.gov
California Integrated Waste Management Board
A Partnership Between CIWMB, Caltrans,
UCR Extension, and the Compost Industry
CIWMB
Funding and Oversight
UC Extension
Riverside
Contractor
(Project Management)
2
Caltrans
Client
ACP
USCC
Association of
Compost Producers
United States
Composting Council
(Technical Support)
(Technical Support)
California Integrated Waste Management Board
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
Food
15%
Non-Organics
31%
Leaves and Grass
4%
Prunings and Branches
2%
Textiles/Carpet
4%
Remainder Organics
4%
Plastics
9%
Lumber
10%
Paper
21%
Compostable Organics = 30% of Disposal
3
California Integrated Waste Management Board
FUTURE ORGANICS FLOWS?
 Rice straw and other agricultural residuals from
burning phase-outs
 Waste from logging, wood processing (e.g.
sudden oak death and So. Cal. Bark Beetle issue)
 Biosolids and dairy manure
 Increased green waste due to population increase
4
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Caltrans has the Potential to
Greatly Increase Compost/Mulch
Purchases
 Caltrans uses compost statewide, primarily in
hydroseeding for erosion control
 US Composting Council (USCC) estimates that
Caltrans has a potential market for compost
of between 3.35-6.72 M cu. yds.
 Approximately 90% used in construction, the
remainder in maintenance
5
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Why Caltrans Uses Compost
 Safety
– Planting for headlight glare screen, roadway delineation,
wind break, & fire suppression
 Aesthetics
 Environmental Compliance
–
–
–
–
6
Revegetation
Mitigation Planting
Erosion Control
Stormwater
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Construction Site Sediment
#1 Discharged Pollutant
80,000,000 Tons/Year
20-1,000 Times More Sediment than
Other Land Uses
7
California Integrated Waste Management Board
THE SOLUTION?
Compost and Mulch Benefits the Environment in a
Number of Ways
 Decreases runoff and erosion
 Improves roadside revegetation establishment
 Reduces irrigation requirements
 Supplies significant quantities of organic matter
 Improves drainage of clay-based soils and water-
holding capacity of sand-based soils
 Improves and stabilizes soil pH
 Improves cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soils,
improving their ability to hold nutrients for plant
use
8
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Compost and Mulch Benefits the
Environment in a Number of Ways
 Supplies macro- and micronutrients
 Supplies beneficial microorganism
 Suppresses certain soil-borne diseases
 Binds and degrades specific pollutants
 Reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides
 Encourages slow release of nitrogen
 Improves drought tolerance
 Improves plant health and vigor
9
California Integrated Waste Management Board
How Much Compost is Caltrans Using?
20,000
16,000
12,000
Cubic Yards
8,000
4,000
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
Caltrans Construction Database
10
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Barriers to Increased Compost Use
Cost
Product quality
Lack of compost specifications
Education
11
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Cost Barrier
 Current weighted average (applied)
>$300/CY
 High price due to:
– Bagged materials
– Application method (primarily hydroseeding)
 Caltrans goals:
– Reduce cost to $40/CY (applied)
– More bulk purchases, less bagged
12
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Product Quality
USCC Seal of Testing Assurance
Program (STA)
– Testing of compost product
– STA certified labs
– TMECC (standard testing
methodologies)
– Report testing results
13
California Integrated Waste Management Board
14
California Integrated Waste Management Board
New/Revised Compost
Specifications
 STA
 pH
 Moisture content
 Organic matter
content
 Soluble salts
15
 Maturity
 Stability
 Particle size
 Phytotoxicity
 Pathogens (pass
CIWMB standard)
 Heavy metals (pass
CIWMB standard)
California Integrated Waste Management Board
New/Revised Specifications
Require:
STA participation
Compost technical data sheet
Detailed certificate of compliance
Lab test results
16
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Compost-Based BMPs
Reduce Runoff Volume
Reduce Runoff Rate
Improve Infiltration
Improve Soil Fertility
Improve Vegetation Establishment
17
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Hydroseed (Type C & Type D)
 Used to control erosion, typically






on slopes where vegetation has
been removed by construction
activities or fire
Type C - straw required
Type D – straw not required
Seed
Compost – fine material (3/8”
minus, 1/64” thick layer)
Bagged material only (assists
getting up/into truck tank)
Stabilizing emulsion (processed
organic adhesive used as a soil
tackifier)
Compost and hydroseeding application, Lake Tahoe, courtesy of Caltrans
18
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Soil Amendment (Backfill)
 Also referred to as




19
amendment or “soil prep”
Compost used as a
component of backfill
Use as a soil
amendment/backfill for
container sized plant
material.
Planting backfill benefits
trees and shrubs that
would otherwise be
planted in poor soils
Early improved plant
growth can be attributed
to backfill amendment
Backfill, photo courtesy of Caltrans
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Blanket (Not Incorporated)
 Layer of loosely
applied compost
placed over disturbed
areas to control
erosion
 Seed can be
incorporated into
compost before
placement or
broadcast onto
surface after
placement
20
Compost blanket (not incorporated), courtesy of Caltrans
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Benefits of Compost Blankets
 Provides soil protection from




rain “splash impact”
Adds organic material to soil
(promotes establishment of
permanent vegetation instead
of weeds)
Promotes
percolation/infiltration
Reduces need for irrigation
Removes pollutants,
improving downstream water
quality
Slope after incorporation of compost, photo courtesy of Caltrans
21
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Blanket (Compost Incorporated)
 Placed in disturbed
areas
 Incorporated to a
depth of 18 inches
 Alternative to netting,
stabilizing emulsions
or polymers
 Typically vegetated by
broadcasting seed
onto the surface after
22 incorporation
Compost incorporation, Placer County, Route 267, photo courtesy of Caltrans
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Filter Sock
 Stabilization of disturbed




23
slopes, storm water pollutant
reduction/removal (erosion
control on steep slopes, inlet
control for storm drains)
Can be used in place of silt
fence or straw bale barrier
Can be vegetated or nonvegetated
Pollutants removed by
filtration and adsorption to
compost particles (higher
removal efficiency than silt
fence)
Traps total suspended solids,
particulate metals, oil
Filter sock – courtesy of Dr. Britt Faucette, Filtrexx
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Filter Berm
 A dike of compost placed





24
perpendicular to sheet flow runoff
to control erosion
An alternative to silt fencing
Generally placed along perimeter
of site or at intervals along a
slope
Can be used as a check dam in
small drainage ditches
Can be vegetated (generally left
in place) or unvegetated (usually
broken down once construction is
complete and spread around site
as mulch)
Retains sediment and other
pollutants (e.g., suspended solids,
metals, oils and grease) while
allowing cleaned water to flow
through
Installation of filter berm, photo courtesy of Caltrans
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Biofiltration Strips (Biostrips)
 Biofiltration strips are typically





25
vegetated land areas over which storm
water flows as sheet flow
Pollutants removed by filtration
through the vegetation,
sedimentation, adsorption to
soil/compost particles, and infiltration
Traps litter, total suspended solids,
and particulate metals
Compost, soil amendments, organic
material or granular soils may be used
to improve filtration and vegetation
establishment
Vegetated by planting native grass
plugs, planting low growing
groundcover, or through hydroseeding
Preferred plant material has a dense
continuous top growth (including
grasses, grass-like species, forbs and
some broad-leafed species)
Biofiltration strip, photo courtesy of Caltrans
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Biofiltration Swales (Bioswales)
 Vegetated channels or
drainage swales,
typically trapezoidal or
v-shaped channels
that receive and
convey storm water
while
 Other characteristics
are similar to biostrips
26
Biofiltration swale, courtesy of Caltrans
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Drill Seed
 Seed applied with
agricultural drill seeding
equipment after compost is
applied and incorporated
into topsoil
 Used on flat areas, such as
highway medians
 Purpose is to amend the
soil to enhance seed
germination and
vegetation establishment
27
Drill seeding equipment, courtesy of Caltrans
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Mulch
 Applied to highway roadside to prevent erosion, suppress





28
weed growth, and biodegrade slowly
Coarse to very coarse particle size
Ideally would not have to be reapplied for 2-3 years
Not seeded or hydroseeded after application
Used to cover ground between existing container-sized
plants
Minimal trash may be okay
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Physical/Chemical Requirements
29
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Where Can I Find the Specifications?
30
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Education
 Correct misinformation such as:
– “Compost mulch not suitable for 2:1 slopes”
– “Compost isn’t suited for native plants”
 Roll out new/revised specifications
 Educate Caltrans staff and its contractors
on compost-based BMPs
 Follow-up
31
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Caltrans Workshops
 Improving Revegetation and Erosion Control Through
Compost-Based BMPs
 Workshops Were Held August through October 2006 in:
–
–
–
–
–
32
Los Angeles
San Diego
Oakland
Fresno
Sacramento
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Compost Use for Landscape and
Environmental Enhancement
 Designed primarily for use by Caltrans and its
contractors
 Contributors: UC Cooperative Extension, UC
Riverside, Caltrans, CIWMB, and Association of
Compost Producers
 Information on soils, composts and composting,
compost uses and specifications, and landscape
plant establishment
33
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Next Steps
 Caltrans use of compost and mulch will be measured in 2007 and
succeeding years
 Will develop recommendations on further increasing compost use by
Caltrans
 Work more closely with Caltrans stormwater and maintenance staff
 Outreach to local government
 Additional workshops will be held Summer/Fall 2007
34
California Integrated Waste Management Board
For Further Information
Caltrans Specifications at:
www.dot.ca.gov/hq/LandArch/standards/ (under
review)
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/esc/oe/specifications/SSPs/
2006-SSPs/Sec_10/20/ (posted on server)
Compost and Mulch Suppliers at:
www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics/SupplierList/
General Information at:
www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Any Questions?
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Compost Use on California Highways
THANK YOU
37
California Integrated Waste Management Board
The Compost Solutions
Workshop
Compost Use on California
Highways
February 28, 2007
Brian Larimore
www.ciwmb.ca.gov
www.ciwmb.ca.gov