HomeMy WebLinkAbout0459 (9
EarthRenew,
Power to Renew the Earth
EarthRenew Soil Amendment
Organic Matter FertilizerTM Product
Use at the
i Pleasant Harbor Resort & Golf Course
Don Dabbs
EarthRenew Corporation
July 7, 2010
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EarthRenew and the Pleasant Harbor Resort & Golf Course
Table of Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 3
ProductManufacturing......................................................................................................... 4
Functionin the Environment...............................................................................................4
ProductCharacteristics......................................................................................................... 5
ProductResearch.................................................................................................................... 6
ProductUser Experience...................................................................................................... 8
Useof Organic Matter Fertilizer at Pleasant Harbor .................................................... 8
ProductDelivery and Storage..........................................................................................
10
GreenhouseGas Reduction...............................................................................................
10
OrganicRegistration........................................................................................................... 11
APPENDIXA............................................................................................................................ 12
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Introduction
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EarthRenew Corporation has developed, patented and commercialized a new
organic matter fertilizer/soil amendment product that can be made from a variety
of organic wastes. The "first -of -its -kind" plant is built on a cattle feedlot east of
Calgary, Alberta (Canada) as shown in Figure 1. The next plant is planned for the
San Joaquin Valley in California. An EarthRenew facility processes about 75,000
tons of manure annually to produce a pelleted Organic Matter Fertilizer.
Figure 1: EarthRenew's Plant on a large cattle feedlot east of Calgary, Alberta.
Statesman Corporation, proponent of the Pleasant Harbor Golf Resort, has an
objective to have minimal impacts to the environment in the developed condition of
the project. To this end, several innovative facilities and procedures are proposed.
With regard to golf course Best Management Practices, Statesman would prefer to
avoid the use of synthetic fertilizers. EarthRenew's Organic Matter Fertilizer is
proposed as the source of fertility and organic matter to build the root zone blend
for the golf course and landscaping within the development. Its continued use as a
top -dressing is also proposed for long-term maintenance of the established turf.
• Product Manufacturing
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EarthRenew's unique Organic Matter Fertilizer is manufactured by heat -treating
cattle manure at temperatures up to 1000° Fahrenheit without burning or
degrading the nutrients or the organic matter (Figure 2). The process that achieves
this unique result is proprietary technology and is protected under seven U.S.
Patents, including No. 7,024,796 and under five Canadian Patents, including No.
2,534,691.
The treated and dried organic matter from the manure is pelletized into hard, safe
and easy to handle, organic granules. The patented process: i) stabilizes and
prevents decomposition of the organic matter and nutrients found in cattle manure;
ii) concentrates the organic matter and nutrients; iii) reduces the water content in
the final product to less than 8 percent; and iv) eliminates pathogens, renders weed
seeds nonviable and inactivates hormones and other chemical compounds.
Costs
Products
Up to
4 MWh
per Hour
85% Power
Generated Sold
ei 4,
Figure 2: Simplified Process Diagram.
Function in the Environment
EarthRenew's organic matter soil amendment/fertilizer is ideal for use at the
Pleasant Harbor Resort as there is limited topsoil to be salvaged, and in addition,
nutrient management to prevent leaching into groundwater is a high priority. The
development plans call for the preparation of sand and other aggregates by crushing
rock available within the project development footprint. Utilizing the limited
organic matter and fine-grained soil on site, together with the manufactured sand, a
productive, sustainable soil mix will be prepared by blending EarthRenew with
these available mineral materials (Table 1).
The new soil blend created using the EarthRenew product will replace the need for
and use of synthetic fertilizer on the golf course as the nutrients required to support
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• a strong, healthy turf and other landscaping applications is contained within the
pellets in the form of organic nutrients. The organic matter and nutrients are
closely bound in the EarthRenew pellets. This ensures a slow-release of nutrients to
support plant growth with little or no leaching or loss of nitrates to the subsurface
aquifers or surface waters. The Organic Matter Fertilizer is expected to reduce
irrigation requirements for the proposed golf course, as well, due to its water
absorption and water retention characteristics (Appendix A).
Product Characteristics
With LEED Platinum as the standard to be used for development of the Pleasant
Harbor Resort, high environmental standards will be implemented as part of the
golf course development for the protection of air, land and water resources. The
environmental challenges associated with constructing a root zone mix for the golf
course and other landscape plantings within the development will be addressed as
follows:
EarthRenew Organic Matter Fertilizer
• The high organic content ensures that nutrients are held in the rooting zone,
slowly releasing the organic nutrients to make them available for plant
uptake throughout the growing season.
• The high organic content and nutrients promotes rapid development of the
soil microbial biomass for the development and stabilization of the
constructed soil blend.
• The presence of the EarthRenew product in the soil blend results in
improved water retention and availability over the dry summer months,
resulting in an expected 15 to 20 percent reduction in irrigation
requirements.
• The natural slow release and utilization of nutrients results in plant uptake
and utilization two or three times more effective than synthetic fertilizers
due to the high rate of nutrient leaching and volatilization of chemical
fertilizer.
• The high organic content and water retention characteristics of the
EarthRenew product promotes root development and increased root
penetration to support a strong turf -matt required for a premier golf course.
• A strong healthy turf contributes to weed control where the grass is able to
effectively compete with invasive weed species. This in turn contributes to a
reduced need for the use of herbicides. By providing improved water
retention, the high organic matter content will limit the transport and
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Sleaching of herbicides that are applied for weed control, providing a measure
of protection to groundwater and local aquifers.
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• High temperature processing eliminates weed seeds, chemical compounds,
and potential pathogenic risks associated with manure and compost by
destroying pathogens (E. Coli, Salmonella, Mycobacterium, Paratuberculosis,
Cryptosporidia and Giardia among others).
• There is no risk of "burning" the grass during maintenance top -dressing,
even if there is a spill of product as the pH is neutral and there is no free
ammonia in the product to damage tender shoots or roots.
• As a result of the high temperature treatment, the product (picture below) is
safe to handle and poses no risk to children, pets or wildlife.
Product Research
EarthRenew's Organic Matter FertilizerTM has been subjected to research evaluation
for a wide range of applications in agriculture and land reclamation. The research
has been conducted at the University of Arizona, California State University - Fresno,
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development -Research, Canada -Saskatchewan
Irrigation Diversification Research Centre, and the University of Alberta. Summaries
of the research are contained in Appendix A of EarthRenew's Prospectus filed with
Securities Regulators and available at:
http://www.sedar.com/DisplayCompanyDocuments.do?fang=EN&issuerNo=00029860.
Some findings of these research projects include the moisture retention through the
growing season using instrumentation to measure soil moisture tension. This result
is of considerable interest in irrigated agriculture as it represents a potential
• reduction in water input for crop production of as much as 15 to 20 percent. The
finding has direct applicability to the Pleasant Harbor Golf Course, as there is a
desire to limit the use of irrigation water, and a similar type of instrumentation used
in the research trials will be deployed to measure soil moisture in fairways and
greens. The sensors will transmit the data to a computer that will control the timing
and amount of irrigation water applied to the golf course.
Several studies have examined the extent of synthetic fertilizer replacement that can
be achieved using EarthRenew's product. Conventional agricultural producers are
able to reduce the amount and frequency of fertilizer application (intensive
vegetable producers apply chemical fertilizer four to six times during one crop
rotation). Organic vegetable growers can expect yields equivalent to, and in some
cases better (i.e. broccoli), than conventional producers.
Greenhouse and field research has demonstrated the value of Organic Matter
Fertilizer as an amendment of mine tailings, both sand and quarried limestone; to
reconstruct a rooting medium and build a sustainable soil for revegetation and
reforestation of mined lands.
EarthRenew Corporation is part of a large research and field demonstration project
funded by Sustainable Development Technology Canada in association with the
University of Saskatchewan, Alberta Ingenuity Fund plus corporate sponsors such as
TransCanada (North America's largest pipeline company) to evaluate EarthRenew's
Organic Matter Fertilizer in conjunction with equipment developed by Paragon Soil
& Environmental Consulting in land reclamation and subsoil compaction mitigation.
After two years of field trials on forty demonstration sites over a wide range of soil
and climatic conditions from forested lands in northeastern British Columbia to the
cultivated prairies of southern Alberta the results have been exceptionally positive
for treating industrial compacted soil. The equipment delivers the organic pellets to
various depths (as deep as 18 inches) with minimal surface disturbance. Benefits of
the technology have been reported to the project sponsors by the lead researcher
as:
• Mitigation of soil compaction is significant as determined from improved soil
structure, hydraulic conductivity, bulk density and rooting depth,
• Measurable increase in nutrient pool — a significant increase in nitrogen,
phosphorus and organic content that persisted over the two seasons,
• Increase in yield and biomass production:
- 30 to 45 percent increase in barley and wheat yield,
- 50 to 100 percent increase in yield and biomass of canola and forage
grasses, and
• Net reduction and removal of 19 tonnes of CO2 per hectare of application
(reported to Sustainable Development Technology Canada by their consultant).
LJ
• Product User Experience
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In addition to the scientific research conducted by government and university
scientists, EarthRenew staff and customers have several years of experience using
the product in a wide array of applications from horticulture, landscaping, turf
maintenance and restoration, gardening and land reclamation. Recommendations
for the use and application of the Organic Matter Fertilizer at Pleasant Harbor Resort
are based on both the research highlighted above, and the years of experience of the
company's professional staff working with the product.
Use of Organic Matter Fertilizer at Pleasant Harbor
EarthRenew's Organic Matter Fertilizer is proposed for use as a soil amendment and
soil organic additive in the following applications: 1) building of all golf course tees,
greens and fairways; 2) long-term course maintenance; 3) site landscaping
including the entrances, the golf practice facilities, around the tennis courts and
other public landscaping that is not planned for native xeriscaping; 4) erosion
control stabilization with grass cover on topsoil stockpiles, drainage ways, drainage
control basins and other similar areas to supplement the erosion/sedimentation
control Best Management Practices plan at Pleasant Harbor.
The United States Golf Association (USGA) provides guidelines for all aspects of golf
course design and construction (http://www.usga.org/search.aspx?q=Construction).
Statesman Corporation has selected EarthRenew's product as the organic additive in
the root zone mix for the reasons and benefits presented above. Table 1 presents
initial guidelines for use of Organic Matter Fertilizer; specific details will be
developed during the final design stage of the project.
Table 1: Guidelines for use of Organic Matter Fertilizer (OMF) at Pleasant Harbor.
Facility
Rate of OMFApplication Application Considerations
Tee Box and
5 - 10% by volume mixed with Sand from on-site crushing, salvaged
Putting Green
crushed, screened & graded sand. This soil and EarthRenew pellets will be
Construction
is 25 to 50% of the USGA specs due to blended at a preparation site adjacent
the water absorption (500%) and to the crushing operation.
expansion (300%) characteristics of
the product (Appendix A). The homogeneous root zone mix will
be hauled and spread to the specified
depth of 12 inches over the pre -
constructed drainage system and
gravel layers.
The seed -bed (top 2 inches) may
contain a higher percentage of
EarthRenew pellets (10 - 12%) to
support the germination and
establishment of newly seeded grass.
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Fairway
Construction
Long-term
Maintenance
(top -
dressing)
General
landscaping
Construction
erosion
control
2 - 4 tons OMF per acre depending on
the amount and quality of topsoil
available. If a rooting zone mix must
be prepared from low-grade material
or glacial till plus crushed sand, the
rate of application may be as high as 8
- 10 tons per acre.
1 - 2 tons OMF per acre depending on
the stage of turf development. There
will be little requirement for top -
dressing in the first and possibly the
second year following establishment.
Soil nutrient analysis should guide the
maintenance program, but 1 - 2 tons
OMF per acre is expected to be
adequate to maintain a healthy turf.
As the turf matures and annual soil
aeration is implemented, the soil plugs
should be removed and the holes filled
with EarthRenew pellets to maintain
the organic matter content in the root
zone.
1- 3 tons OMF per acre depending on
the amount and quality of topsoil
available.
0.5 to 2 tons OMF per acre depending
on the urgency to achieve rapid grass
growth to control erosion.
The root zone blend will be prepared
with blending equipment, but the
amount of EarthRenew pellets may be
reduced and the depth to be spread
will not exceed 7 inches.
Fairways will be designed to include
swales and water traps, which will not
require root zone mix.
The EarthRenew pellets can be spread
using a cyclone spreader attached to,
or towed by light four-wheel drive golf
course maintenance equipment.
The EarthRenew pellets should be
swept into the aeration holes to
ensure that the holes are filled to
benefit the root zone and keep the
playing surface smooth.
EarthRenew pellets can be added and
incorporated into the landscaping soil
using small rototilling equipment or
by hand in constrained locations.
The OMF product should be worked
into the top 4 to 6 inches for most
planting, and a thin layer should be
placed in the hole just before trees and
shrubs are planted.
Low rates of EarthRenew product can
be applied by hydroseeding on low -
gradient terrain. The seed and organic
matter are applied in one action.
Fiber -mulch can be added to provide
additional holding capability.
EarthRenew product should be
incorporated into the top 2 inches of
graded material that will remain in
storage piles and must be stabilized, or
newly graded areas requiring an
erosion controlling grass cover.
Note: These application rates are provided as guidelines and may vary depending on site-specific and
weather conditions at the time of application.
. Product Delivery and Storage
The dry, pelletized Organic Matter Fertilizer will be delivered to the Pleasant Harbor
construction site using grain bulk -carrier trucks. Highway regulations in
Washington State restrict the size of each truck to a single, covered trailer unit with
a maximum load of approximately 25 tons of product.
The product will be delivered to site and stored in standard farm hopper -bottom
grain bins. A grain auger will be used to fill the bins from the belly dump trucks.
Steel hopper -bottom bins will keep the product dry during all seasons of the year,
they can be easily positioned as required on site, and provide convenient access,
without spillage, to the product during blending operations.
Up to four months supply, to meet the anticipated construction schedule, will be
stored on site, which means that there will be modest truck traffic (less than two
trucks per week over a three year construction period) on Highway 101 to maintain
a reasonable inventory of product on site.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction
The principal attribute of the EarthRenew patented Direct Duel Use process
technology is the high-energy efficiency achieved with the direct application of hot
exhaust gases from an industrial natural gas turbine in high heat processing of the
manure, while simultaneously generating electricity for use in the plant and for sale
to the electrical grid. About 85 percent of the electricity generated by the
EarthRenew manufacturing process is sold, which offsets much of the cost of the
natural gas used to operate the plant (Figure 2).
The process utilizes more than 75 percent of the Btu energy in the fuel compared to
30 percent average in each of the heat processing and power generation industries,
because the heat from the natural gas is used to both generate electricity and
process the manure in a single pass.
An independent audit will be undertaken when nationally recognized protocols are
developed to quantify carbon emission credits. Credits will be recognized for the
EarthRenew processes because:
1. Every kilowatt of power produced by EarthRenew's technology replaces a
kilowatt of power from a coal-fired power plant (the most common method
of power generation in North America), reducing by half the carbon dioxide
per kilowatt of electricity compared to a conventional coal-fired plant.
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2. Credit is given for EarthRenew's distributed electrical generation (eliminates
electricity line losses associated with long transmission lines from large
generating plants and remote hydroelectric generators).
3. Manure is processed by EarthRenew as fresh as possible, preventing
decomposition and eliminating composting that would otherwise produce
carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia emissions.
4. Up to 2,500 truck trips per year for off-site manure transportation and land
spreading are eliminated at the Alberta facility.
S. Carbon and nitrogen normally lost to the atmosphere when manure
decomposes are retained in the EarthRenew pellets and are sequestered in
soils through the application and incorporation of the product.
6. Use of chemical fertilizers is reduced, with resulting benefits to air, land and
water resources. Chemical fertilizers produce carbon emissions in the
manufacturing process and a significant loss to the atmosphere (particularly
nitrogen) when applied to lands. Chemical fertilizers also leach into surface
and groundwater supplies, with potential water quality impacts.
7. Replacing multiple applications of chemical fertilizers with one application of
EarthRenew product for equivalent or better crop yields, further reduces
carbon emissions.
Organic Registration
The EarthRenew product meets Organic Standards in both the United States and
Canada as determined by the Washington State Department of Agriculture Organic
Program and the Organic Crop Improvement Association in Canada, respectively.
EarthRenew is authorized to display the WSDA "Registered Material" logo on its
products.
Prepared by:
Don L. Dabbs, P.Ag., P.Biol.
Vice President
EarthRenew Corporation
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Organic Agriculture
Washington State Dept. of Agriculture
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APPENDIX A
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EarthRenew Organic Matter Fertilizer
Moisture Absorption and Expansion
Data and Graphs
Total % Increase from Original
Expansion Measured (cm)
0 05 10 15 :0 25 16 35 40 45 5.0 53 60 65 710
Torre f1wd
0 d-....-...,.- 11--.--l— —', " _ - --, — — —
0 as to to to 11 5.0 53 4.0 ts to 13 " 4's 70
"Woop"d
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P*117 Fap— Tav" m Aqueosea Sd— - Time as Ep—
Fq.—DW-- Exp.—Wf—
WT—ft—{—1 %P.T—interval
i5fx
0
Expansion Difference 1Y. Per Time Interval
--— — — — —
05 lo 1.3 ZO 25 3.0 35 10 5,5 60 65 10
Th-m—d-
0 06 010 0A 0
05 16 2667 1.0 2667
10 22 36b.7 0.6 1000
4157 03 50.-0
—5
20 7 7 4500 02 33.3
2S 2 466.7 01 167
1 6
-1
30 85 475-0 () 1 8.3
i
, —
35 29
40 29 4839 UA 00
45 29 4933 00 Do
SO 29 4133 0.0 GO
5-5 29 4833 0-0 ov
6o 29 4833 0.0 00
65 224&33 220
70 4933 50 t.o
Total % Increase from Original
Expansion Measured (cm)
0 05 10 15 :0 25 16 35 40 45 5.0 53 60 65 710
Torre f1wd
0 d-....-...,.- 11--.--l— —', " _ - --, — — —
0 as to to to 11 5.0 53 4.0 ts to 13 " 4's 70
"Woop"d
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David W. Johnson
From: Don Dabbs [d.dabbs@EarthRenew.com]
0ent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 12:52 PM
o: Garth Mann; Vicki Morris
Subject: EarthRenew Report
Attachments: EarthRenew—PleasantHarbor July 7_10.pdf
Garth & Vicki
I am pleased to submit our report for Pleasant Harbor Resort & Golf Course. I have provided guidelines (Table 1) for the
use and application of the product in the construction of five basic facilities or site -types, and defer specifications to the
'detailed design phase'. At our meeting on June 21/10, we reviewed the points in Vicki's Feb. 28/10 email. I agreed to
address as many of the points as possible.
1. Moisture -Holding Capacity — I address this by relating it to the research results of last summer. There can be no
definitive calculation with respect to Irrigation Demand and/or Irrigation Efficiency. Under instrumented field
trials we are advised that we can expect a 15 to 20% reduction in irrigation input to maintain optimum soil
moisture conditions. This can not be expressed in a reduction of X gallons per day or per acre as the irrigation
requirements will be different every year. It is reasonable to assume that there will be a 15% reduction in
irrigation requirement. Garth indicated his intention of using a John Deere golf course irrigation
monitoring/control system. I refer to this system (no brand name used) as the combination of the our product
and a sophisticated irrigation control system will ensure minimum water utilization for golf course maintenance.
2. Evaporation rate — as discussed, this is a function of humidity and evapotranspiration and I have no basis for
assessing this parameter.
•3. Rate of Application — this is addressed in Table 1.
4. Staging of Product and Super Bee Transport — these are addressed in the section Product Delivery and Storage.
Garth decided that we would stay with trucking and not introduce other options for product delivery.
5. Reduction in Requirement for Fertilizers — The report states the intention to replace synthetic fertilizers with
Organic Matter Fertilizer. The benefits of the OMF are presented and no more discussion should be required.
6. Amount of Irrigated Turf — I have not specified an area as this appears to be subject to change. Therefore, it
would be unwise to lock in a specific area in my report (this information may be in another report).
7. Carbon Emission Credits — It is my opinion that it is premature to attempt to quantify credits as there is no
recognized protocol for use in a carbon credit audit for our facility and product. I have addressed the topic by
titling it Greenhouse Gas Reduction and provide an explanation and a listing of reasons why credits will be
recognized.
8. Studies and References — I provide an overview of the key findings from our research that I feel are relevant to
the Pleasant Harbor application. There is no reference or bibliography section as the reports are not available to
State or County Agencies at this time. However, they are included in EarthRenew's Prospectus filed with
Securities Regulators and the web link is provided. The degree of review and scrutiny that goes into a Securities
Commission due diligence assessment far exceeds the peer review of many scientific journals.
I trust that this will meet your needs for your meeting with County staff next week, and look forward to receiving your
comments.
Don
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