Dear Editor:
After reading the article on ash runoff in the Industrial Waterworld November/December 2005 issue (“Ensuring Coal Ash Runoff Safety,” pp. 22-23), I was tempted to contact the website to see if there were any articles or possible solutions to a problem that we have at our plant. I work for a waste-to-energy plant. We burn MSW (municipal solid waste). Our end product is bottom ash from the burnt garbage and fly ash from our pollution controls. The bottom ash falls into an ash quenching drag where it’s moved to an ash building for storage until it can be disposed of. The problem I was looking into is our ash moisture. The bottom line - water is weight and we need to attempt to remove as much as possible before the ash is transported for recycling. I am looking for any new or old technology to lower/remove the ash moisture. We process 1,344 tons of garbage a day. For every 10 trucks of garbage, we produce one truck of ash - a 10-to-1 reduction. Never hurts to inquire!
Eric J. Wiertel, Maintenance Manager
Montenay York Resource Energy Systems, LLC
York, PA
