Suffern, NY | gmccarron@scsengineers.com

Greg is a USCC Certified Composting Professional™ and a registered professional engineer in New York and six other states. He has over 35 years of experience in all aspects of solid waste management, including composting and solid waste management plans. He is SCS’ national expert for organics management projects. We design, permit, construct, and operate compost and anaerobic digestion systems and facilities for public and private clients. His experience includes operations, project management, design, permitting, regulatory support, construction oversight, system start-up, economic analysis, and technology assessment. Outside of work, Greg is the Compost Team Leader for a community garden in Bergen County, New Jersey. The garden produces about 1500 pounds of produce annually, which is 100% donated to soup kitchens in Newark and New York City. He also maintains a backyard compost pile, which accepts scraps from his home and SCS office, for use in his own garden.

Session Code: 1B

Track: Business

Session Name: Composting Infrastructure

Session Time: Wednesday, February 7, 8:15 – 9:45 AM

Presentation Title: Planning and Development of a Public Compost Facility

Presentation Description: The Southeastern Connecticut Regional Resources Recovery Authority (SCRRRA) is the waste management and recycling authority for its twelve member municipalities. Since 1984, SCRRRA has been responsible for implementing solid waste recovery systems, and coordinating recycling and disposal services. Due to the closure of a major waste-to-energy facility in July 2022, Connecticut has a shortfall in disposal capacity that has resulted in an estimated 860,000 tons of municipal solid waste being shipped out of state for disposal, mostly to landfills. SCRRRA estimates that disposal tipping fees will exceed $100 per ton in the near future. The DEEP’s Comprehensive Materials Management Strategy recommends implementation of organics collection programs and processing facilities, in an effort to manage waste within the state.

The presentation covers the planning and development steps taken by SCRRRA to permit and build a regional compost facility that will accept food and yard waste. The proposed facility will accept organic material from all of its member towns and regional businesses, and produce a high-quality soil amendment for farmers and gardeners. SCRRRA will also provide finished compost, at reduced cost, to disadvantaged communities in the region, for community gardens and beautification projects.

We will present and discuss the following items:
1. Regional waste landscape.
2. Permitting and execution of an aerated static pile (ASP) pilot test
3. Preparation of a feasibility study and pro forma
4. Site options and considerations
4. Local site permitting;
5. Next steps, including design and construction.