Board approves amendment to MOU allowing second mobile pyrolysis unit at Lake O'San for spring burn season

The Lake County Board of Supervisors on April 1 approved a first amendment to a memorandum of understanding between the Lake County Sanitation District and Earth Foundries Inc. to permit operation of a second mobile pyrolysis (carbonizer) unit at the Lake O'San property in Middletown.

Community Development Director Maria Turner told the board the amendment was needed after the agenda was posted because the project operator obtained access to a second carbonizer and must process remaining wildfire-threat wood before the end of burn season on April 30. The Lake County Air Quality Management District reviewed projected emissions and authorized additional operation under conditions: no out-of-county import of wood to the site and maintaining existing setbacks from jurisdictional waterways.

The amendment revises the agreement’s operative language to permit two carbonizer units to operate at the Lake O'San site and confirms the site address and ownership. The board voted 5-0 to approve the first amendment and authorized the chair to sign. County counsel and staff said a notice of exemption under CEQA had been, or would be, filed to document the county’s environmental determination. Staff noted that the amendment does not allow additional imported wood and is time-limited by the burn season deadline. The modification enables accelerated onsite processing of woody debris while limiting air-quality and watershed impacts as reviewed by the local air district.