Visalia Landfill – Compost and Biomass Conversion Facility

Visalia Landfill – Compost and Biomass Conversion Facility

Tulare County proposes to develop and operate a composting facility and biomass facility within the County's Visalia Landfill property boundaries in order to comply with SB 1383 regulations. The Project includes a covered aerated static pile (CASP) compost facility to be located on a 36-acre site located in a soil borrow recessed approximately 20 feet below grade. The facility will be designed to accept up to 200,000 tons per year (TPY) in increments of 50,000 TPY technology modules and can store up to 200,000 cubic yards on-site of organic material that would have otherwise been landfilled. The compost facility includes processing and composting equipment, a 50,000 square foot processing building, compacted compost pads, and a lined pond. The compost facility would utilize approximately 15-20 employees and include an approximate 1,000 square foot office. Tulare County Public Works is proposing to amend their CUP to add a 2.0 mega-watt (MW) biomass conversion facility at their landfill. The facility will produce electricity, heat and biochar using wood fuel that will be provided by local activities to reduce landfill disposal to meet SB 1383 mandates by 2025. The biomass facility will utilize approximately 18,000 bone dry tons (BDT) of wood chips per year or 25,000 tons of per year of wet recovered wood waste and produce approximately a net amount (after parasitic load) 2.0 MW of electrical energy per hour. The facility will also produce approximately 20-30 MM BTU of waste heat and approximately 300-600 pounds of biochar per hour. The facility is planned to operate 24/7, however it is anticipated that the gas production equipment and gensets will operate between 7,000 and 8,000 hours per year, approximately 80-90% capacity.

Visalia

Tulare

Citywide, Countywide, Unincorporated

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Central Region 4 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Transportation, District 6 (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Energy Commission, California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Fresno Region 5 (RWQCB), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery

California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery

Other (Compost & Biomass Conversion (200,000 tpy))

Use Permit

Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Cumulative Effects, Drainage/Absorption, Energy, Flood Plain/Flooding, Geology/Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Growth Inducement, Hydrology/Water Quality, Septic System, Solid Waste, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Vegetation, Wetland/Riparian