Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Biomass Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mono County liaison explores air‑curtain burner permitting and mobile‑burner options for biomass disposal
Summary
Committee members reviewed the county's permanent air‑curtain burner at Pumice Valley, discussed Great Basin permitting (including an estimated 5,000‑ton annual limit), considered testing a SCOG mobile burner, and flagged equipment and ash‑management challenges.
County and town officials used the May 7 liaison meeting to review plans for managing seasonal biomass through an air‑curtain burner program and to discuss permitting and equipment needs.
Staff reported the county purchased a permanent air‑curtain burner (delivered March 2) for use at Pumice Valley; the permit submitted to Great Basin includes a 30‑day comment period and staff estimated operational readiness near the end of June. Great Basin staff will set location‑specific burn limits as part of the permit process.
Members pressed several operational questions: whether the mobile SCOG unit can be permitted in advance, whether burn permits tie to location or to specific units, and how annual ton limits would be allocated. A county speaker noted a power‑permit threshold discussed in the meeting around 5,000 tons per year for the permanent unit, with potential variations by site and unit size.
Technical and cost constraints were a key theme. Committee members described limitations of current chippers and shredders and cited an example million‑dollar piece of chipping equipment that struggled with larger material. Staff said mobile units can produce ash and biochar that may have agricultural or landfill cover uses, but Pumice Valley soil characteristics could limit local reuse.
The group agreed to pursue site visits and test burns to confirm operational feasibility, start permitting conversations early with Great Basin, and seek grant funding (including SCOG and other regional grants) to support a mobile unit and related program costs.
Next steps: staff will compile equipment specifications and potential site lists to present to Great Basin, pursue interjurisdictional coordination for a mobile burner pilot and pursue grant funding to address capital needs.
