On Tuesday, November 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator and City of San Jose officials will tour the city’s Zero Waste Energy Development anaerobic digestion facility where food scraps are turned into renewable energy and compost for local farms. The facility’s state-of-the-art dry anaerobic digesters use bacteria to break down food waste in an oxygen-free environment, converting it into methane biogas to generate electricity. The facility can digest and compost 90,000 tons of food waste and produce 1.6 megawatts per year. San Jose aims to achieve zero waste by 2022 and diverts 74 percent of materials from landfills through reuse, recycling, composting and anaerobic digestion.
WHO:
EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed
San Jose Councilmember Xavier Campos
San Jose Environmental Services Department Director Kerrie Romanow
Zero Waste Energy Development Representatives
WHEN:
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 (1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.)
Note: arrive early to receive safety gear; change of clothing recommended due to organics odor
WHERE:
685 Los Esteros Rd., San Jose Calif.
WHAT:
Tour Zero Waste Energy Development anaerobic digestion facility
VISUALS:
Large hall housing 16 digesters where all of the organics are moved; engines where energy is generated from organics; pipe room where methane biogas from organics is piped to energy equipment; deodorizing equipment and compost
