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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWS - BioEnergyCity of Lakeville Planning Department M e morandum To: Planning Commission From: Tina Goodroad, Community Development Director Date: August 28, 2023 Subject: Packet Material for the September 7, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting Agenda Item: Bioenergy Devco LLC text amendment (work session) BACKGROUND Bioenergy Devco, LLC has approached staff about the development of an organics processing facility that will utilize Anaerobic Digestion (AD) technology to process organic feedstock and convert into renewable natural gas. The organic material is primarily composed of residential and commercial food waste products that is then processed into natural gas which will be injected into a nearby Northern Natural Gas pipeline for transport to gas customers. The soil by- product will be used as compost as a soil amendment. The facility is proposed to be on the southeast corner of the Adelmann property west of 6631 - 225th Street. The 115-acre Adelmann property was annexed into the city in 2021 and is owned by Hat Trick Investments (related to Launch Properties) who has a signed purchase agreement with Bioenergy Devco, LLC. The subject property is guided Industrial and zoned I-2. The proposed organics bio-digester use is not clearly noted as a permitted or conditional use therefore requires a text amendment to allow this use. Bioenergy Devco, LLC applied for a text amendment to add “organics recycling facility” as a new conditional use in the I-2 District. Definitions (section 11-2-3) will be amended to define the use as “recycling of diverted organics and food waste to produce sustainable energy and soil nutrient through naturally occurring biological processes”. Staff is still evaluating appropriate conditions prior to the public hearing on September 21, 2023. Some conditions will include conducting operations within a principal building, no outdoor storage, controlling odor, etc. 2 A sketch plan has been provided that includes potential location of structures and silo’s to support the processing functions. Silo’s will be located to the north of the building to provide additional screening. Several infrastructure extensions are required including sanitary sewer (upsizing and extension) and watermain to the site. In addition, the extension of 222nd east and the construction of proposed Street A to the site will be required with this or any development of the site. BioEnergy Devco, LLC has provided an operations overview of the processing and pictures of an existing facility. The applicant will provide a more detailed presentation at the work session. EXHIBIT A. Location Map B. Sketch Plan C. Operation Overview D. Project Summary RECOMMENDATION No specific recommendation. Staff is seeking input and discussion on this proposed amendment and use. BIOENERGY DEVCO OPERATIONS OVERVIEW What We Said Before BIOENERGY DEVCO OPERATIONS OVERVIEW 1 Source Material to End Product 1.Source organic materials arrive at the Bioenergy Center, are weighed, and then enter the fully- enclosed anaerobic digestion (AD) building through quick-acting rollup doors that help maintain the structure’s negative pressure and odor containment. 2.The organic materials are received either through the solid receiving area or through the liquid receiving station– the trucks are emptied, depart the receiving area, are weighed a second time, and depart the Bioenergy Center. 3.Solid residuals are evaluated for contamination, and any such contamination is collected inside the building and transported to a proper disposal facility. 4.The solid organics are macerated, blended into a slurry mixture, and pumped via a closed pipeline system to the enclosed pre-tanks. 5.Liquid residuals are off-loaded within a spill containment area and pumped via closed pipeline system to fully-enclosed, heated storage tanks. 6.In the pre-tanks and storage tanks, solid and liquid organics are mixed by agitation and heated to maintain a constant temperature. 2 What We Are Saying Now 7.From the pre-tanks and storage tanks, the organic materials mixture is pumped via a closed pipeline system to the sealed anaerobic digesters, where they are continuously mixed and held at the constant temperature. 8.The AD process occurs in the anaerobic digesters, as micro-organisms break down the material and release biogas. Biogas is a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other trace gases such as minor quantities of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. 9.The biogas is collected in air-tight double membrane roofs and then pulled into a closed biogas upgrading system, where methane is recovered and impurities & moisture are removed to produce renewable natural gas suitable for injection into the natural gas pipeline system. 10.The liquid digestate from the AD process is separated into a solid digestate cake and liquid wastewater. 11.The solid digestate material, which remains after the biodigestion process is completed, is then ready for removal and use as a soil amendment or to be composted. 12.The digestate material is loaded into truck trailers and hauled off-site. 13.The separated liquid is reused as process water or pre-treated and discharged to the sewer in compliance with local wastewater discharge standards. BIOENERGY DEVCO OPERATIONS OVERVIEW 3 Example Layout and Rendering AD Equipment - Major Components Solid Waste Tipping Floor Solid Waste Receiving Feeders Feed Pump Liquid Waste Receiving Tanks and Pump House Pre-Tank/Storage Tank Digester Tanks Polymer Feed System Solids Separation Aeration Process Ultrafiltration System or other treatment technology Organics Receiving Anaerobic Digestion System Digestate Handling System Wastewater Pretreatment System Biogas Upgrading (membrane, pressure swing adsorption, or similar) Biogas Conditioning (H2S scrubber and moisture removal) Methane Recovery Compression System Flare and Thermal Oxidizer Biofilter, Scrubber, or comparable control technology Building Ventilation System Inbound Truck Scale Outbound Truck Scale Biogas Upgrading, Conditioning, and Control Equipment Odor Control Equipment Truck Scales BIOENERGY DEVCO OPERATIONS OVERVIEW 4 Best Management Practices Odor The AD building is equipped with an air ventilation system that maintains a negative air pressure inside the structure at all times, ensuring that odors will enter the designed odor handling system rather than escaping to the outside environment. Biofilters and dilution exhaust fans, as well as activated carbon scrubbers on process equipment, are example components of the odor elimination system. Operations are set up, so that source material is continually received, processed, and directed appropriately while minimizing the handling time. Quick-acting rollup doors reduce the amount of time that the door is open while trucks are being received, are unloading, or are exiting the building. The rollup doors remain closed at all other times. A hopper collects each truck’s solid waste load, keeping the receiving area floor and truck tires free of organic waste. The floor is equipped with hose stations and French drains for quick wash-downs, and a full wash-down of the receiving area is conducted daily. Inbound and outbound trucks (licensed, insured, and DOT-certified haulers only) transporting solid material to the Bioenergy Center will be required to tarp and/or containerize loads from the point of origin to the site, including during queuing at the AD building, following unloading, and upon exiting the building. This approach reduces the potential for fugitive odors and/or dust. Dust and Traffic Control Gravel access areas will be wetted by trucks throughout construction and during operations as needed to minimize and control dust. Paved roads are swept regularly. The environmental controls inside the AD building facilitate collection of air-born dust into the air management system. BIOENERGY DEVCO OPERATIONS OVERVIEW 5 Ingress and egress at the Bioenergy Center is designed to accommodate safe and orderly traffic flow, including proper sight-line distances, lane width, and turning radii, as well as roads built in accordance with pertinent regulations pertaining to truck weight and axle load. Roadways are striped and painted and accompanied by appropriate signage to provide clear directions, especially at key locations. Sufficient roadway space around weigh scales allow for truck queuing as necessary after check-in. Nuisances and Vectors Keeping the rollup doors closed to minimize odors has the further benefit of minimizing vector attraction. Additional vector control measures can include but is not limited to contracting with a local pest control service to perform recurring inspections and baiting and maintaining site landscaping to prevent overgrown vegetation and cover for vector nest sites. Covered litter bins are located throughout our Bioenergy Centers, and the fact that the AD building is enclosed reduces cross-contamination to other parts of the site. Noise-emitting devices, such as back-up alarms on heavy equipment, will be confined to the base development footprint to limit the noise pollution beyond the property boundary. The entire system is designed to comply with local noise regulations. Inspections, Recordkeeping, and Maintenance Operators perform visual inspections of overall conditions and equipment on each shift and record the findings in electronic shift logs that are read by each subsequent shift. Each incoming delivery truck that arrives on-site is weighed, and relevant information such as driver name, transporter/hauling company, load originator/source name, and waste type/quantity is recorded. Organic material deliveries are supervised by site employees who also conduct visual inspections and sampling to determine compliance with acceptable standards and applicable contracts. Any non-conforming loads are immediately rejected and returned to the originator. BIOENERGY DEVCO OPERATIONS OVERVIEW 6 In addition to shift logs and delivery records, records relating to the following matters are also maintained: rejected loads; shipments to off-site end markets and contracted third parties, permits; incidents; training; and fire/ safety inspections. Bioenergy Centers use computerized maintenance management systems. These programs track and automate maintenance and repairs for all assets, systems, and equipment, including periodic filter changes and replacement, lubrication of moving parts, electrical testing, and similar tasks, as recommended by manufacturers, industry benchmarks, and the experience of engineer personnel. Training and Emergency Response Recurring training and certification are required of Bioenergy Center employees, such as for the operation and maintenance of equipment and systems, workflow, process documentation, and inspection procedures, and encompass both classroom and field learning opportunities. Refresher training is also provided. An Environmental, Health, & Safety program is established to comply with OSHA requirements as well as local, state, and federal regulations and permits. Compliance is consistently discussed, compliance- related materials are posted in common spaces, and related training and audits are frequently conducted. Standard operating procedures for safety and emergencies have additionally been established, and are reviewed and updated as needed. Drills are scheduled on a regular basis to familiarize staff with protocols. Personal protective equipment is mandatory, and basic first aid, CPR, accident prevention, and use of fire extinguishers and emergency firefighting apparatus is taught to all personnel. First aid kits and key contact information are prominently stored/displayed in appropriate work and administrative areas. BIOENERGY DEVCO OPERATIONS OVERVIEW 7 An Emergency Coordinator from each Bioenergy Center’s management team is assigned the responsibility to monitor for conditions that require implementation of the emergency contingency plan. The Coordinator serves as point-of-contact for coordination with designated agencies as appropriate and directs employees in preparing to handle any emergency conditions expected, including but not limited to states of emergency, severe weather and natural disasters, equipment failure, fire or explosion, vehicular accidents, and personal illness or injuries. Emergency shutdown stop (ESTOP) of the Bioenergy Center can be either automatically activated by the monitoring and controls system or manually activated in critical site locations to bring conditions to a safe status in the event of a sudden natural disaster, fire, or explosion. Evacuation, assistance, and assessment are possible key steps in the ESTOP, and operations will remain in an appropriately reduced state until emergency conditions have passed and it is safe to resume normal operations. BIOENERGY DEVCO OPERATIONS OVERVIEW 1    Project Summary  Vehicle/truck trips per day, hours of operations, number of jobs and employees: o More than 50 jobs during approximate 1.5-year construction timeframe o Anticipated schedule to be two 12-hour shifts M-F with reduced receiving operations on the weekend o 30-40 trucks throughout day o 15-20 permanent employees o Only vehicles left on-site are employee vehicles during their shift  Odors o Air ventilation system that maintains a negative air pressure at all times o Odor handling system example components may include: biofilters, dilution exhaust fans, activated carbon scrubbers o Quick-acting rollup doors and minimized handling time of source organics, closed during operation o Receiving area washdowns o Tarped and/or containerized incoming loads  Specifics on waste o Residential food scraps and organic-rich material (2” max, separated from the waste before travel to our center) from Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E) o Organic liquid waste/residual byproducts and source-separated organics (institutional, like cafeterias) through regionally predominant compost and hauling operators For more information on the R&E partnership, please feel free to reach out to the Sam Holl, Facility Manager, sholl@recyclingandenergy.org  Outdoor storage of product in any phase of production/processing o None  How the site functions, what the different elements are on the site plan o Source organic materials arrive at the Bioenergy Center, are weighed (inbound scale), and then enter the fully-enclosed anaerobic digestion (AD) building through quick-acting rollup doors that help maintain the structure’s negative pressure and odor containment. o The organic materials are received either through the solid receiving area or through the liquid unloading station– the trucks are emptied, depart the receiving area, are weighed a second time (outbound scale), and depart the Bioenergy Center. o Solid residuals are evaluated for contamination, and any such contamination is collected inside the building and transported to a proper disposal facility. o The solid organics are macerated, blended into a slurry mixture, and pumped via a closed pipeline system to the enclosed pre-tanks. 2    o Liquid residuals are off-loaded within a spill containment area and pumped via closed pipeline system to fully-enclosed, heated storage tanks (feeding pumps, reactors, blowers). o In the pre-tanks and storage tanks, solid and liquid organics are mixed by agitation and heated to maintain a constant temperature. o From the pre-tanks and storage tanks, the organic materials mixture is pumped via a closed pipeline system to the sealed anaerobic digesters, where they are continuously mixed and held at the constant temperature. o The AD process occurs in the anaerobic digesters (fermenters), as micro- organisms break down the material and release biogas. Biogas is a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other trace gases such as minor quantities of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. o The biogas is collected in air-tight double membrane roofs and then pulled into a closed biogas upgrading system, where methane is recovered and impurities & moisture are removed to produce renewable natural gas suitable for injection into the natural gas pipeline system. o The liquid digestate from the AD process is separated into a solid digestate cake and liquid wastewater. o The solid digestate material, which remains after the biodigestion process is completed, is then ready for removal and use as a soil amendment or to be composted. o The digestate material is loaded into truck trailers and hauled off-site (digestate and offtake). o The separated liquid is reused as process water or pre-treated (wastewater pre-treatment area) and discharged to the sewer in compliance with local wastewater discharge standards. o Flare and RTO- air pollution control equipment o CHP- Combined Heat & Power (on-site power production) o Switchgear and XFMR- electric equipment/transformers o Grid entry unit- Natural gas connection  Building design/materials o Build materials include typical concrete pre-cast tilt-up panels with exterior aluminum siding. Tanks are pre-cast concrete with exterior insulation o Maryland center photo below; more street-side photos to come 3     Anticipated evaluations, permits, approvals o Due Diligence  Site Investigation Report  Geotechnical Investigation  Title Report, Surveys  Environmental Assessments (AUAR)  Plat o Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) state permits  Air- Expedited Permit Program for Minor Source  Solid Waste- Beneficial Use of Solid Waste  Stormwater- Construction Stormwater Permit o MPCA/Metropolitan Council Environmental Services/City of Lakeville approvals  Wastewater- Pretreatment Notification/Sewer Availability Charge/Connection o City of Lakeville approvals  Domestic Water- Connection  Planning & Development- Zone Text Amendment, Use Permit(s)  Building, Fire- Concurrent reviews with Planning & Development