Post by melody on Feb 12, 2013 17:45:46 GMT -5
Joint Legislative Conservation Committee
2/11/13
By Mike Howell, PLS
At its latest Environmental Issues Forum, the Joint Legislative Conservation Committee this afternoon received a presentation from Pennsylvania-based plastics recycler Ultra-Poly, detailing the company’s work developing a process for recycling and reselling geomembrane used by Marcellus Shale drilling companies as drillpad liners.
Vice president David LaFiura, son of the company’s founder, explained the processes by which Ultra-Poly obtains the used high density polyethylene (HDPE) liners and ships them to their facilities for processing, where they are turned into small pellets that can be used to produce hundreds of consumer goods, from buckets to drainage hoses. He pointed out that while there are many uses for post-recycled HDPE, it cannot be used for new liners, as regulations require virgin materials given their critical importance.
LaFiura noted that in addition to pad liners, the drilling industry also uses geomembrane for secondary containment, floating covers, and above ground impoundments such as the artificial freshwater ponds employed for fracking purposes. He said Ultra-Poly currently focuses almost exclusively on the geomembrane used for pad liners, which are laid down around a well and offer an anti-slip surface for workers and protect the soil beneath from leaks and spills.
According to Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), LaFiura said, approximately 200 million pounds of geomembrane have been laid down at drilling sites in Pennsylvania since 2010, with 81 million pounds put down in 2012 alone. Given the size of this “waste stream,” he said, it became apparent several years ago that developing a process for recycling geomembrane “would essentially unlock millions of pounds of raw material” that could be turned into useable resin.
LaFiura detailed the collaboration between Ultra-Poly and the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center (RMC) which he said helped overcome a variety of obstacles related to recycling geomembrane on a large scale. In particular, LaFiura said, the RMC connected Ultra-Poly with Wellspring Environmental, a company with key contacts and drill sites and the resources to take geomembrane from sites and transport it to Ultra-Poly’s facilities. LaFiura said the RMC has also helped his company deal with a complex regulatory landscape, including some areas where the company actually set regulatory precedent with DEP given its new kind of processes.
Specifically, LaFiura said both DEP and the gas companies have outlined concerns surrounding the reclamation of geomembrane from drill sites. He said stockpiles are a big issue for DEP, as is the possibility of spreading radiation that can be present deep within the wells. LaFiura noted they have not encountered any material that has shown to be radioactive.
Meanwhile the gas companies have interest in the chain of custody from the drill site to Ultra-Poly facilities, as well as the end of their environmental liability when Ultra-Poly receives the geomembrane, which is not the case when it gets landfilled.
LaFiura outlined a series of “key learnings” Ultra-Poly has taken on since embarking on its project. Among them he noted the company has learned processing costs for geomembrane are much higher than other materials due to the abrasive nature of the material and the wear it puts on the processing equipment. Additionally more energy is required to dry the material; a step needed to help remove dust and other debris. Other hidden costs have been identified, he said, relative to yield loss and disposal fees.
Related to the shipping process, LaFiura said maximized payloads are key to reducing freight costs. He said Ultra-Poly is looking to develop a delivery system involving auxiliary staging location, which would combine the two greatest benefits of the current delivery methods - full, homogenous payloads - while eliminating some of their disadvantages and higher costs. He said the one major obstacle remaining with auxiliary staging is regulatory restrictions related to transfer stations.
LaFiura noted other companies are attempting to process the material, both in Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the US. He said they tend to underestimate the challenge involved in recycling geomembrane, which leads to higher costs and market distortions where people are paying too much for it.
LaFiura estimated that since July of 2012 Ultra-Poly’s efforts have diverted nearly 2.5 million pounds of waste from going to landfills, and at the same time reducing the need for new, virgin plastic. He said the company has long term plans to employ more workers and ultimately to save 100 percent of geomembrane from going to landfills. He said this will involving optimizing the recycling process, reducing ash content, and improving overall quality, as well as gaining control of the supply chain.
LaFiura said the company, while installing a railroad tie manufacturing capacity in its Berwick plant, is also contemplating expansion to western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Texas, and elsewhere.
The next Environmental Issues Forum will be held on April 8th and will feature representatives from Pennsylvania American Water, Rentricity, and Westmoreland County, detailing a process for generating energy from water used in municipal pipes.
2/11/13
By Mike Howell, PLS
At its latest Environmental Issues Forum, the Joint Legislative Conservation Committee this afternoon received a presentation from Pennsylvania-based plastics recycler Ultra-Poly, detailing the company’s work developing a process for recycling and reselling geomembrane used by Marcellus Shale drilling companies as drillpad liners.
Vice president David LaFiura, son of the company’s founder, explained the processes by which Ultra-Poly obtains the used high density polyethylene (HDPE) liners and ships them to their facilities for processing, where they are turned into small pellets that can be used to produce hundreds of consumer goods, from buckets to drainage hoses. He pointed out that while there are many uses for post-recycled HDPE, it cannot be used for new liners, as regulations require virgin materials given their critical importance.
LaFiura noted that in addition to pad liners, the drilling industry also uses geomembrane for secondary containment, floating covers, and above ground impoundments such as the artificial freshwater ponds employed for fracking purposes. He said Ultra-Poly currently focuses almost exclusively on the geomembrane used for pad liners, which are laid down around a well and offer an anti-slip surface for workers and protect the soil beneath from leaks and spills.
According to Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), LaFiura said, approximately 200 million pounds of geomembrane have been laid down at drilling sites in Pennsylvania since 2010, with 81 million pounds put down in 2012 alone. Given the size of this “waste stream,” he said, it became apparent several years ago that developing a process for recycling geomembrane “would essentially unlock millions of pounds of raw material” that could be turned into useable resin.
LaFiura detailed the collaboration between Ultra-Poly and the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center (RMC) which he said helped overcome a variety of obstacles related to recycling geomembrane on a large scale. In particular, LaFiura said, the RMC connected Ultra-Poly with Wellspring Environmental, a company with key contacts and drill sites and the resources to take geomembrane from sites and transport it to Ultra-Poly’s facilities. LaFiura said the RMC has also helped his company deal with a complex regulatory landscape, including some areas where the company actually set regulatory precedent with DEP given its new kind of processes.
Specifically, LaFiura said both DEP and the gas companies have outlined concerns surrounding the reclamation of geomembrane from drill sites. He said stockpiles are a big issue for DEP, as is the possibility of spreading radiation that can be present deep within the wells. LaFiura noted they have not encountered any material that has shown to be radioactive.
Meanwhile the gas companies have interest in the chain of custody from the drill site to Ultra-Poly facilities, as well as the end of their environmental liability when Ultra-Poly receives the geomembrane, which is not the case when it gets landfilled.
LaFiura outlined a series of “key learnings” Ultra-Poly has taken on since embarking on its project. Among them he noted the company has learned processing costs for geomembrane are much higher than other materials due to the abrasive nature of the material and the wear it puts on the processing equipment. Additionally more energy is required to dry the material; a step needed to help remove dust and other debris. Other hidden costs have been identified, he said, relative to yield loss and disposal fees.
Related to the shipping process, LaFiura said maximized payloads are key to reducing freight costs. He said Ultra-Poly is looking to develop a delivery system involving auxiliary staging location, which would combine the two greatest benefits of the current delivery methods - full, homogenous payloads - while eliminating some of their disadvantages and higher costs. He said the one major obstacle remaining with auxiliary staging is regulatory restrictions related to transfer stations.
LaFiura noted other companies are attempting to process the material, both in Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the US. He said they tend to underestimate the challenge involved in recycling geomembrane, which leads to higher costs and market distortions where people are paying too much for it.
LaFiura estimated that since July of 2012 Ultra-Poly’s efforts have diverted nearly 2.5 million pounds of waste from going to landfills, and at the same time reducing the need for new, virgin plastic. He said the company has long term plans to employ more workers and ultimately to save 100 percent of geomembrane from going to landfills. He said this will involving optimizing the recycling process, reducing ash content, and improving overall quality, as well as gaining control of the supply chain.
LaFiura said the company, while installing a railroad tie manufacturing capacity in its Berwick plant, is also contemplating expansion to western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Texas, and elsewhere.
The next Environmental Issues Forum will be held on April 8th and will feature representatives from Pennsylvania American Water, Rentricity, and Westmoreland County, detailing a process for generating energy from water used in municipal pipes.