Councilmen Recount Compost Roadtrip

Jay Barrett/KMXT
Last night Kodiak City Councilmen Terry Haines and Charlie Davidson shared their impressions of industrial composting operations in Idaho and Washington State. The pair, along with the city manager and others toured several facilities earlier this month.
Haines said he was more convinced than ever that composting the city’s bio-solids, or sludge left over from the sewer treatment process, is the right option for the city to select:
“What I saw completely convinced me that it is absolutely the way for us to go, and I’m very glad we have this option. I’m already convinced over the last couple year that financially, fiscally, it’s the only responsible way for us to go, because otherwise we wouldn’t be serving the ratepayers and the citizens. We’d be insuring they’d be paying more and more, and not be assured of a sustainable way to treat our wastewater for the future. This is the only option.”
The group viewed the operations at several different kinds of composting facilities, and Haines said the first-hand view was valuable:

“I think it is that kind of a thing where you can look at as many 8×10 color glossies and read as many reports and technical things as you want. But it’s one of those things where you have to go and actually look at and smell and see how it really works and talk to the folks who are living around it and the folks who are operating it to really get the true deal.”
Councilman Davidson agreed, saying Kodiak’s composting system will be done right.
“There’s not going to be a hurried approach. It’s going to take some time. It’s going to take a long process of permitting and approval of the DEC and EPA. So we’re going to do it right and we’re going to do it safe. And we’re going to do it with the public in mind. So with the improvement that Todd already has in mind, for our facility, I think we’re going to have a very safe and secure facility, and I look forward to having that on line in a year or so.”
The council will get a full report at October 8th’s city council work session.