Prince William County, the second-most populous County in Virginia, located about 35 miles west of Washington, DC, officially started construction of a brand-new facility to process yard waste, wood waste, and pre- and post-consumer food and animal-derived wastes  in December 2018 as a result of GBB’s procurement guidance and assistance. The first of two phases of construction of the new facility was completed in September 2020. On September 16, 2020 Prince William County hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the Phase I advanced organics management facility.

As per the innovative 20-year public-private partnership (PPP) agreement, plus extension options, with the facility’s owner and operator, Freestate Farms, the Phase I facility transformed the County’s previous traditional windrow composting facility into an advanced composting facility using open bunkers and aerated static pile technology. Prior to Phase I, the facility processed approximately 25,000 tons per year of yard, wood, and limited pre-consumer, non-animal-derived food waste. With the implementation of the Phase I facility, the County can now recycle approximately 75,000 tons per year of yard waste, wood waste, and pre- and post-consumer food and animal-derived wastes into high-value compost, soil amendments, and natural fertilizers. The acceptance of more types and greater amounts of food waste significantly expands the County’s ability to divert organic waste from its landfill, thereby extending the life of the landfill, minimizing the contribution of landfilled organic waste to climate change, and creating positive environmental benefits from the compost facility’s outputs. The County’s new facility will also greatly expand the overall Washington metropolitan region’s ability to compost food waste and serves as a flagship facility of its kind in the region and an inspiration for all surrounding communities.

With GBB’s procurement, contracting, and construction monitoring assistance, the County anticipates the completion of the Phase II facility in 2022, which increase the facility processing capacity to a total of up to 210,000 tons per year through the construction of in-vessel advanced composting bunkers. The Phase II facility will also include the construction of solar panels to produce renewable electricity for on-site use and modular, containerized “greenhouses,” heated with the waste heat produced by the in-vessel bunkers.

GBB has also 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 management 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.

GBB’s role, as Owner’s Representative for the County for the development and construction of the facility, included:

• During the Construction Phase:
  Attending bi-weekly construction meetings and site walk-throughs to observe progress; assisting the County with management of the operating and construction contractors, including contract review for substantial completion requirements; and issuing field reports and construction meeting minutes.
• During the Testing and Acceptance Phase:
  Assisting with punch list development and advising on final acceptance conditions.

See this 2-minute Prince William County video of the ribbon cutting ceremony, highlighting the new facility: