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Washington County seeks $4 million to build regional wood‑waste recovery site for ash‑borer debris
Summary
Commissioners told the Capital Investment Committee that emerald ash borer tree waste has surged and that $4 million in bonding would help acquire and develop a wood‑waste recovery site that can process tens of thousands of tons and produce lumber and biochar.
Washington County officials asked the House Capital Investment Committee on April 8 for $4 million in bonding to acquire and develop a regional wood‑waste recovery site to cope with a surge in tree debris from emerald ash borer and other removals.
Commissioner Bethany Cox told the committee that metro counties are required by the Metro Solid Waste Management Plan to address wood waste and that in 2024 the metro area generated an estimated 550,000 tons of wood waste. Cox said tipping fees for tree services have risen substantially and that some companies and residents are resorting to open‑air burning because of limited disposal options.
"This $4,000,000 bonding request is a smart investment to develop a replicable solution to this collective problem," Cox said, describing plans to recover usable logs for lumber production and to convert unrecoverable material into biochar for soil and water‑quality uses. Commissioner Cox said the proposed site would handle more than 30,000 tons of wood and would free capacity at District Energy for other communities.
Caleb Johnson, a county public‑health and environment staffer, told the committee the project would be matched with $5.5 million in local funds for equipment, services and site development. Johnson said the county intends to make some products available for public benefit, including soil‑amendment products to support local water‑quality projects.
Why this matters: Counties and tree‑service companies are reporting steep cost increases and limited disposal capacity. Backers said a regional facility could reduce open burning, capture value from waste trees and produce usable materials while providing a model other counties might replicate.
No formal committee action was taken during the hearing.
