Page 16 - TNPW Jan-Feb2018 Vol35 No6
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2017 CONFERENCE TECHNICAL SESSION LEBANON By Scott McRae
TCAPWA Project of the Year
Positively Impacts Local Community
The Lebanon Gasification Initiative plant received honors from: the State of participating in the program with
has received the 2017 Project of the Year Tennessee Governor’s Stewardship Award Rockwood, a major component of the
honors from the Tennessee Chapter of the and Project of the Year accolades from public/private partnership surrounding
American Public Works Association. Environmental Leader and Industrial the Lebanon plant.
Wastewater Digest. The Greater Nashville
This award recognizes a project Regional Council presented the 2017 One example is the Carlex aftermarket
in a Tennessee city that epitomizes Local Government Award for Public distribution center in Lebanon that
outstanding planning, construction, and Works and Utility Infrastructure to the specializes in automotive replacement
management. This project becomes the City last month. glass and produces original equipment
Tennessee Chapter’s nomination for the glass, such as laminated windshields
National APWA Top Ten Projects of the Like many cities this size, Ash said and performance backlights. Carlex is a
Year Award. It was announced at the tackling the solid waste issue is best done subsidiary of Central Glass.
TCAPWA Annual Conference, recently taking one step at a time. He sees this
held in Knoxville. At the heart of the waste-to-energy plant as the first step A product like automotive glass
Lebanon initiative is the world’s largest toward a total material recovery facility requires special packaging during
downdraft gasification plant designed and line for the city’s waste. “I’m pleased to say storage and transport. Until 2016, the
built by Aries Clean Energy. that with the detailed planning initiated by thousands of custom wooden crates
Aries, construction and implementation were used once before heading to the
There are several positive outcomes have progressed very smoothly. As with landfill. When facilitating production
because of the plant that reach far outside any power plant, we’ve had some bugs to and logistic activities, waste streams
the city limits. Hundreds of visitors work out, but overall, it’s been a great team- always pose a challenge, according to
from all over the world have trekked to building experience,” Ash said. Lynda Hogue, director of the aftermarket
Lebanon to look and learn more about distribution center.
renewable energy at the plant site. Local Wood Waste Diversion Randy Laine, Engineering Director, and Mayor
industries and educators have found that Bernie Ash with the Project of the Year Award.
the renewable energy plant can also play According to Lincoln Young, Chief
a part in helping them become better Operations Officer of Rockwood
environmental stewards. Recycling, since the start of wood waste
collection to use as feedstock for the
“This kind of recognition spotlights Lebanon Gasification Initiative, three
how much teamwork it takes to build local companies combined have diverted
and implement a project like this,” said 3,025 tons of wood from local landfills
Mayor Bernie Ash. “It is rewarding to during the past year. That’s the equivalent
see how a public/private partnership can of keeping 945 tons of carbon emissions
work together for good. And the fact out of the atmosphere or the greenhouse
that educators and local industry can gas emissions from 673 passenger
also benefit because of this plant is just vehicles driven for one year according to
fantastic!” equivalents set up by the Environmental
Protection Agency. More than a
This marks the fifth industry award for dozen local businesses are currently
the innovative plant. Earlier in 2017, the
16 TPW January/February 2018
