Synagro's stench worsens

The Free Press recently wrote about convicted Synagro executive James Rosendall's abandoned composting facility in southwest Detroit.

As if the smell of rotting piles of unturned compost wasn't bad enough, the piles have spontaneously combusted within the past week and are now a smoky, smoldering mess.

Attachment 9945

The DFD has been on-scene numerous times to water it down, but the piles re-ignite within hours. To prevent them from re-igniting, heavy equipment would have to be brought on-site to continually turn the compost piles and lower the internal temperatures. However, with Rosendall's composting company in foreclosure, no one is accepting responsibility to stop the spontaneous combustion and the thick acrid smoke that is adding to Delray's air pollution.

If I remember correctly, Monica Conyer's vote was key to the rezoning of this property that allowed the composting in the first place. The Feds should move her ass up here from Camp Cupcake and make her breathe the foul odors and smoke that's coming from this property 24/7.

Conveniently located between Zug Island and the Detroit Sewage Plant. The waste probably came from the Detroit Sewage Plant.

The other thing that Synagro does with this type of waste is spray it on farm fields. Sewage sludge includes a lot more than poop, there are a lot of chemicals which make their way into the sewer. So everything from the bottom of the sewage plant makes its way to the fields producing your food.

mmm...agribusiness tastes mighty good...

I wonder what at this point is seeping into the ground water or run off into the river
and what methane gases are being kicked out and where are they going.

I don't think compost ignites. I think it has the appearance of igniting, but doesn't burn. And since the heat is generated by microorganisms, throwing water on it just helps them multiply and create more heat, right?

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Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

I don't think compost ignites. I think it has the appearance of igniting, but doesn't burn. And since the heat is generated by microorganisms, throwing water on it just helps them multiply and create more heat, right?

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According to this web site:

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Spontaneous combustion is the occurrence of fire without the application of an external heat source and can be caused by chemical, biological, or physical processes. Organic material can ignite spontaneously due to biological activity at moisture contents between 26-46% moisture if the temperature exceeds 200 degrees F. These high temperatures only occur with restricted air flow and piles exceeding a height of seven feet.

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These abandoned compost piles are too high and they need to be knocked down to allow better internal air flow and thus bring the internal temps down into the proper range for decomposition. Then the piles need to be turned regularly to keep the odors under control and the internal temps in the proper range.

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Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

I don't think compost ignites. I think it has the appearance of igniting, but doesn't burn. And since the heat is generated by microorganisms, throwing water on it just helps them multiply and create more heat, right?

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The way they are doing it pretty much so ,it will smolder until it burns the moisture off then ignite but while smoldering it is pollution,I would wonder why they where not made to place a bond before allowing this to proceed,and this is a perfect example why bonds are required.

If it is not sold they may have to either dispose of it or build a perimeter trench lined with plastic and place misters above to keep a constant cooling water flow cheaper then to keep turning it over ,taxpayers are going to eat it one way or another.

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I wonder what at this point is seeping into the ground water or run off into the river
and what methane gases are being kicked out and where are they going.

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Its stinking up Zug Island, if such a thing were possible.

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Originally Posted by skyl4rk

Its stinking up Zug Island, if such a thing were possible.

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All these compost fumes are ruining our picnic down at Jefferson and Dearborn!!!

Attachment 9948

Okay Detroitnerd, that one was funny.

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Originally Posted by Mikeg

According to this web site:

These abandoned compost piles are too high and they need to be knocked down to allow better internal air flow and thus bring the internal temps down into the proper range for decomposition. Then the piles need to be turned regularly to keep the odors under control and the internal temps in the proper range.

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That sounds like a great public service project for Monica. Why should she just cool her heels in prison at the public's expense?

Perhaps MonCon could have her sentence amened to include 8 hours a day of turning over the compost piles with a shovel?

Attachment 10276
July 27, 2011 - six weeks later and the compost piles are still burning.

Really disgusting.

"Spontaneous combustion is the occurrence of fire without the application of an external heat source and can be caused by chemical, biological, or physical processes. Organic material can ignite spontaneously due to biological activity at moisture contents between 26-46% moisture if the temperature exceeds 200 degrees F. These high temperatures only occur with restricted air flow and piles exceeding a height of seven feet."


Wait, we might be on to something here. The boiling point of water is 212 degrees. If these piles are combusting, [[over 200 degrees) we should run water filled copper tubing through them. The heat from the decomposing organic material boils the water creating steam. The steam is piped to a turbine. After passing through the turbine the steam condenses and returns to the system. Trace methane captured and used to partially run facility and compost [[non sewer poopy compost) distributed to local farmers. Voila! A semi-self sustaining closed energy system.

You're late on that idea. Biomass pyrolysis has been researched for some time and a few companies have gone to market with facilities.

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Originally Posted by lilpup

You're late on that idea. Biomass pyrolysis has been researched for some time and a few companies have gone to market with facilities.

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The yard waste compost operation [[on Mr. Rosendall's
property?) next to the City of Detroit's Wastewater
Treatment Plant has been winding down, and there is
not much in the way of leaf stench and smoke anymore
here. Where is this yard waste going to nowadays?
Is there any chance it would eventually go to the
proposed Hantz Farm?

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Originally Posted by hamtown mike

"Spontaneous combustion is the occurrence of fire without the application of an external heat source and can be caused by chemical, biological, or physical processes. Organic material can ignite spontaneously due to biological activity at moisture contents between 26-46% moisture if the temperature exceeds 200 degrees F. These high temperatures only occur with restricted air flow and piles exceeding a height of seven feet."

Wait, we might be on to something here. The boiling point of water is 212 degrees. If these piles are combusting, [[over 200 degrees) we should run water filled copper tubing through them. The heat from the decomposing organic material boils the water creating steam. The steam is piped to a turbine. After passing through the turbine the steam condenses and returns to the system. Trace methane captured and used to partially run facility and compost [[non sewer poopy compost) distributed to local farmers. Voila! A semi-self sustaining closed energy system.

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Already being implemented in large indoor farms. Dead plant material from hydroponic farming is composted and assists in generating heat and sometimes electricity for the building. Usually it's not enough, but helps to offset energy costs.