Overview of Waste Management Research and Capabilities at California Polytechnic State

University

Jim Hanson, Ph.D., PE Nazli Yesiller, Ph.D.

CIWMB Permitting & ComplianceCommittee Meeting

September 8, 2008

California Polytechnic State University

• #1 Primarily Undergraduate Public University in the West Every Year since 1992.

• #1 Engineering Program in the Nation for Undergraduate Public Universities

Statistics from U.S. News and World Report Best College Rankings for 2009

California Polytechnic State University

• Primarily Undergraduate University

• 20,000 Students

• $22 Million in Research Support in 2007

• College of Engineering: 5,000 Students

• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: 900 Students

Research Capabilities and Infrastructure

• Strong Record of Practical and Applied Research Projects

• College of Engineering Has more than 80 Laboratories with over 160,000 ft2 of Space

• Funding obtained from Federal, State, Municipal, and Private Entities

• Well Established Research Partnerships with Industry

• Testing Capabilities from Nano- to Meso-Scale for Material Properties to System Response

Selected Research Project Funding AgencyComposting Best Practices Manual for California

CIWMB

Science and Technology Research Priorities for California

CIWMB

Energy Efficient Resource Recovery Project Cal Poly

Microcomputer Solid Waste Financial Model CWMB

Graphical Integrated Waste Management Model

Puerto Rico Waste Management Auth.

Recyclability Index for Automobiles U.S. EPA

Surface Emissions and Greenhouse Gas Monitoring for Landfill Covers

City of Vancouver

Optimization of Waste Compaction at MSW Landfills Using GPS Technology

Office of Naval Research and Riverview Landfill

Selected Research Project Funding AgencyThermal and Gas Analysis of Landfills National Science

Foundation and Partner Landfills

Biodiesel Production from Algae Grown on Agricultural Wastewater

U.S. EPA

Dewatering and Beneficial Re-use of Paint Sludge from Automobile Assembly Plants

DaimlerChrysler

Surface Topography of Textured Geomembranes

National Science Foundation

Desiccation Cracking of Earthen Barriers in Landfills

National Science Foundation

Greenhouse Gas Control at Wastewater Treatment Ponds in Conjunction with Co-Digestion

U.S. Dept. of Energy and California Energy Commission

Selected Research Project Funding AgencyUse of Rubber Tire Chips in Flowable Fill Applications

Office of Naval Research

Soil-Tire Chip Barriers for Petroleum Based Contaminants

Tire Industry

Use of Fly-ash for Soil Stabilization American Coal Ash Association

Survey of U.S. Departments of Transportation for Concrete Bridge Decks

Michigan DOT

Synthetic Lightweight Aggregates Manufactured Using Recycled Plastics, Comingled Plastics, and Fly-ash

Recycled Materials Resource Center

Field Research

Laboratory Research

Modeling and Numerical Research

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Global Waste Research Institute

Transforming Waste into Opportunities

California Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis Obispo

Institute will advance sustainable management, recycling, and beneficial utilization of residual wastes and byproducts

In formation as a collaboration between academia and industry

Multidisciplinary: 5 contributing colleges at Cal Poly

Research, education, policy making

National and international cooperation with universities, industry, government

GWRI Mission Statement

Advance state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice in development of sustainable technologies and policies for management of existing, new, and emerging wastes and byproducts through complementary research, development, and education.

Operates at the forefront of engineering and science to develop products, processes, practices, and policies both by conducting innovative research and by educating stakeholders.

Thematic Research Areas

• generation, recovery, recycling, and disposal of existing, new, and emerging wastes and byproducts

• specialized waste streams: e-wastes, scrap tires, agricultural, military, and high moisture content

• wastes and byproducts associated with emerging industries: biotechnology, nanotechnology, and alternative energy

• manufacturing and processing strategies to minimize waste production and emissions

• life-cycle assessments of products with regard to environmental impact and resource utilization

• energy recovery and conversion technologies and waste containment systems

Thematic Education Areas• multidisciplinary M.S. degree

• course programs and teaching modules

• project based learning for students with industry partnerships

• workshops, seminars, training courses at various levels of technical competency for practitioners, regulators, and policy makers

• outreach materials for the general public

• reports, manuscripts, theses, guidelines, standards, databases, and web materials for technology transfer

• teaching aids for K-12 educators and university professors

Study on Other States Regulatory Oversight of Waste and Material Handling Activities Relative to Recycling Centers, Transfer

Stations, and Green Material Contamination

Project Team

Dr. Jim Hanson

Dr. Nazli Yesiller

Dr. Sam Vigil

Internet search of state agencies

Establish list of participating states and organizations

Identify personal contact for each agency

Preliminary contact (phone) Distribute and collect survey (web-based)- Follow -up (phone)

Compile data from surveys and direct contacts

Analyze, rank, and establish comparison matrix

Establish best management practices (BMPs) for California

Establish California state-of-the-practice:phone, site visits

Identify problems and successes

Establish best management practices (BMPs) from other state agencies and locations

Provide recommended BMPs

Additional contacts

Identify problems and successes

Identify industry counterparts for state agencies

Identify personal contact for each industrial organization

Compare and analyze

Flowchart for Project

Focused Approach

Data from a Host of Agencies and Organizations

Data across Economic and Geographic Spectra

Jim Hanson

• Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department

• Previously Associate Professor at Lawrence Technological University (Southfield, MI)

• Registered Professional Engineer (CA, WI)

• Chair of International Workshops on Soft Ground Technology, Geotechnical Research and Education, and Geoenvironmental Engineering

• Research Interests: Thermal Aspects of Landfills, Characterization of Geomaterials (including MSW), Sustainable Infrastructure

Nazli Yesiller • Lecturer, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Department and Interim Director, Upcoming Global Waste Research Institute

• Previously Associate Professor at Wayne State University (Detroit, MI)

• Member and Co-Author of Report, National Research Council Committee on Assessment of Long-Term Barrier Performance

• Chair, ASTM D18.04 (Hydrologic Properties and Hydraulic Barriers) and Chair, Task Force D18.14 (Waste Tires)

• Research Interests: Performance of Landfills and Barrier Systems, Nondestructive Testing, Image Analysis, Re-use of Industrial Byproducts

Sam Vigil

• Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department

• Registered Professional Engineer (CA) and Registered LEED AP

• Research Interests: Solid Waste Management, Compost Applications, Sustainable Design

Integrated Solid Waste ManagementMcGraw-Hill, 1993

Leading Textbook co-authored with G.Tchobanoglous, and H. Theisen

Summary• Research team at Cal Poly, including the Principal

Investigators and selected students, is well qualified to complete the project

• Research team brings depth and breadth of waste management experience to the project

• Applicable guidelines will be provided to CIWMB for their regulatory oversight including decision trees and a comparative matrix