Trash could be making its way to the middle of Seneca County.
It’s a proposal by a company called Circular EnerG and would convert waste to energy under the premise. The proposal, which will go before the Romulus Planning Board next month, is drawing criticism from environmental groups in the region – who have been battling two privately-owned, high-profile developments.
The proposal, as obtained from the Town of Romulus would feature a main processing building, and the following components:
– Enclosed waste unloading platform and feeding hoppers;
– 44,000 cubic-yard waste bunker;
– Leachate collection and transfer pit;
– Four 660 tad moving grate furnaces;
– Four waste heat boilers;
– An air pollution control system;
– A 260 foot continuous emissions monitoring stack;
– Bottom and fly ash processing facilities;
– Air cooled steam generators totaling 50MW;
– Electrical switching and motor control system;
– Two 115KV transformers; and
– Laboratories, control rooms and offices.
RELATED: PDF of the proposed Circular EnerG plan
The plan calls for potable water for domestic use, as well as high purity boiler feed water, makeup water for boilers and cooling, as well as water for fire protection.
Water is a controversial subject around the former Depot, which is subject to a long-term plan for rehabilitation; as required by the DEC. To help with significant water and sewer issues in Seneca County – the supervisors moved earlier this week to hire a Director of Public Works.
The plan also calls for a raw water demand of roughly 445,000 gallons per day, which will be drawn from Seneca Lake. The draw site is approximately 3.75 miles west of where the facility would sit, according to plans.
During the final design period, the proposal notes that water would be tested to determine what kind of treatment would have to be done to it – in order to work. The Village of Waterloo municipal water supply would provide the domestic water, which would be used in facility bathrooms, labs, and kitchens.
Additional infrastructure would be necessary at the site, as rail and truck would be the two primary methods for getting the waste out to the facility.
Railhaul operations would include deliveries of 30 flat railcars carrying 120 sealed containers Monday through Saturday each week, according to the proposal. The train would stage the railcars with loaded containers on the unloading track, and then use the runaround track to maneuver onto the storage track to recover the railcars with empty containers – before leaving the site.
Until the rail facilities are complete, trucks would carry the load, which would eventually be split under current plan estimates.
The plan also estimates that roughly 3,300 tons per day of municipal waste will make its way to the facility, if approved.
FingerLakes1.com has begun reaching out to local officials for reaction to this proposal. This story will be updated as new information is obtained.
