In the summer of 2017, Prince William County, the second-most populous County in Virginia, located about 35 miles west of Washington, DC, is scheduled to inaugurate a brand new facility to process yard waste, food scraps, and wood waste.
The innovative public-private partnership (PPP) with Northern Virginia-based Freestate Farms LLC was approved by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors at their January 20, 2015 meeting. As per the 20-year agreement, which includes extension options, beginning July 1, 2015, Freestate will start processing organic material currently received by the County using existing processes while the new facility is under construction. Phased construction of the new facility should take approximately two years.
When completed, the facility will recycle more than 80,000 tons of organic waste a year into high-value compost, soil products, and non-synthetic fertilizers. It will also generate baseload renewable energy and environmental attributes; and it will produce sustainable and locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables for sale back into the community. New processes/operations at the facility will include:
- Advanced Aerobic Composting of Yard Waste
- Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste
- Combined Heat and Power Production
- Greenhouse Operation
GBB has been working closely with the County on the technical and economic feasibility study, planning and implementation of the Prince William Renewable Energy Park, and on the procurement process for this new state-of-the-art organics facility. Among the expected benefits of the PPP are the creation of 20-25 jobs, increased organics processing capacity, increased recycling rate, extended landfill life, and setting a solid foundation on which to build a comprehensive County-wide organic waste management program.
Tom Smith, Acting Director of the Department of Public Works, provides information about the new facility and transition period in this short Prince William County video:
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