HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 06 bioenergyCity of Lakeville
Planning Department
M e morandum
To: Planning Commission
From: Tina Goodroad, AICP, Community Development Director
Date: September 13, 2023
Subject: Packet Material for the September 21, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting
Agenda Item:
1. Public Hearing to consider an Amendment to Section 11-2-3 (Rules and
Definitions) and Section 11-87-7 (I-2 District Conditional Uses) of the Lakeville
Zoning Ordinance.
BACKGROUND
Bioenergy Devco, LLC applied for a Zoning Ordinance text amendment to add Organics
Recycling Facility as a new conditional use in the I-2 zoning district. The I-2, General Industrial
District, allows for processing and manufacturing of products except for waste so an amendment
is necessary. This amendment includes adding Organics Recycling Facility to Section 11-2-3
Rules and Definitions, to define the use as the “recycling of diverted organics and food waste to
produce sustainable energy and soil nutrient through naturally occurring biological processes
known as anaerobic digestion”. The amendment also includes adding the use as a conditional use
in the 1-2 District (Section 11-87-7) with several conditions related to the operations of a
organics recycling facility. The conditions require all operations to be conducted entirely within
enclosed structures and no outdoor storage of processing products or by-products shall be
permitted.
The text amendments will allow Bioenergy Devco, LLC to apply for a conditional use permit for
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
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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.
EXHIBIT
A. Draft Ordinance
B. Operation Overview
CONCLUSION A ND RECOMMENDATION
The proposed draft provides for a new processing and manufacturing use that is not clearly
identified in the I-2 zoning district. Staff recommends approval of the proposed Zoning Ordinance
amendment.
1
ORDINANCE NO.________
CITY OF LAKEVILLE
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LAKEVILLE CITY CODE
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKEVILLE ORDAINS:
Section 1. Section 11-2-3 of the Lakeville City Code (Rules and Definitions) is
hereby amended to add the following definition:
ORGANICS RECYCLING FACILITY: The recycling of diverted organics and food
waste to produce sustainable energy and soil nutrient through naturally occurring
biological processes known as anaerobic digestion.
Section 2. Section 11-87-7 (I-2 District Conditional Uses) of the Lakeville City
Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
P. Organics Recycling Facility:
1. The organics recycling facility shall operate with a license or permit required
by any County or State agency or department having jurisdiction over any
organics recycling system and shall not operate in violation of any term or
condition of a license or permit required therefore by any County or State
agency or department.
2. The organics recycling facility shall be connected to municipal sewer and
water.
3. Materials processed at the organics recycling facility shall be limited non-
hazardous waste of plant or animal origin.
4. The organics recycling facility shall not be open to the public unless an
amendment to the Conditional Use Permit is approved by the City Council.
5. All processing operations shall be conducted entirely within enclosed
structures and in a closed-loop system and shall not result in any nuisance
impacts related to noise, glare, fumes, odor, vectors, litter, or other
deleterious impact beyond the property borders.
6. Outdoor storage of processing products or by-products shall not be permitted.
7. The organics recycling facility and the property on which it is located shall be
open at all times for inspection by the City, County and State.
8. Non-proprietary records shall be available for inspection by City, County and
State permit or license staff.
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Section 3. This Ordinance shall be effective immediately upon its passage and
publication according to law.
PASSED and ADOPTED by the Lakeville City Council this ______ day of
______________, 2023.
CITY OF LAKEVILLE
BY: ________________________
Luke M. Hellier, Mayor
ATTEST
BY: ________________________
Ann Orlofsky, City Clerk
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.
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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
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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