Kootenai Tribe and University of Idaho plan in‑vessel composting site at Sandpoint Ag Center

The Sandpoint Sustainability Committee on June 24 heard a presentation on a new organics program led by the Kootenai Tribe that will site an in‑vessel composter at the University of Idaho’s Sandpoint Agricultural Organic Center and accept local food and yard waste once operations begin.

The project lead, Alex Ingerman, described an in‑vessel system ordered through Green Mountain Technologies that is built in a shipping container, uses an internal auger and automated aeration, and is intended to limit odors and speed composting. “It has a 6 month wait time,” Ingerman said; the project was about one month into that lead time at the June meeting, meaning delivery and start‑up are expected in roughly five months if the schedule holds.

The operation will be housed in two adjacent pole barns at the U of I site. The first barn will hold the in‑vessel unit and feedstock staging; the second barn is planned for curing bays and future aerated static piles. The project has already purchased a screener intended for later bagging and distribution. Inbound hauling logistics described at the meeting rely on a trailer swap model: haulers (named in the presentation as EUFI) would bring empty carts, swap full carts at collection sites, and return material to the staging area.

Organizers said the project is funded primarily by a SWIFT grant administered through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; additional operational and hookup costs have been covered by a donation from Alterra (the parent company of Schweitzer) and contributions from the University of Idaho. Ingerman said there are no immediate funding requests of the City of Sandpoint. The Kootenai Tribe will own the equipment initially and intends to transfer operation to the University of Idaho once the site is established; U of I staff will operate the facility under grant funding and university oversight.

Project staff told the committee they hope to accept a mix of organic and carbon‑rich materials, including leaves, wood chips, paper and cardboard, landscaping debris and food waste, and that local participants could include restaurants, schools, landscapers, lumber yards and private residents. Committee members suggested potential local feedstock sources including McFarland’s pole yard and downtown businesses; Wayne Bennett, committee chair, offered to connect interested restaurant operators to the project lead.

Organizers acknowledged contamination risk from nonorganic materials and said they plan outreach and clear signage for generators; they also said early operation may include visual checks and trial sorting at the staging area and that the project may need to hire sorting staff if contamination proves persistent. On use of finished compost, Ingerman said the University of Idaho will set quality expectations: some compost will likely be sold, while other arrangements (for example, material‑for‑compost exchanges) could be negotiated with local partners. The project team also said it hopes to host tours and public education after the facility is operational.

Next steps described at the meeting include final site hookups and equipment delivery (estimated in about five months), outreach to potential feedstock suppliers, and coordination with U of I on operations and public tours. Organizers left contact information for follow‑up and asked committee members for suggestions for local partners and pilot participants.