Vol. XIII No. 6
November / December 2019
Serving Soil, Mulch, Compost & Wood Pellet Producers www.SoilandMulchProducerNews.com
NEWS
Driving Hour Restrictions Cost Industry $1 Billion Per Year
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ederal Hours of Service (HOS) restrictions on truck drivers are costing the mulch and soil industry more than $1 billion per year - averaging close to $5 million per company, the Mulch and Soil Council (MSC) estimated. Mulch and soil producers could save that amount if they are granted an Agricultural Commodity Exemption to HOS regulations, said Robert LaGasse, MSC executive director. Presently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), is considering whether to make revisions to and/ or clarification of its definition of “agricultural commodity” in its HOS regulations. Current regulations extend Agricultural Commodity Exemptions to drivers transporting agricultural commodities to a location within 150 air miles from their loading point. LaGasse said mulch and soil products should be granted that exemption. Alternatively, MSC suggested in comments submitted to FMCSA in response to the administration’s request for public comment, mulch and soil could be considered “farm supplies,” a category that is already exempted. I n N ove m b e r, m e m b e r s o f M S C ’s Transportation Committee met with FMCSA in Washington, D.C. to follow up on the council’s submitted comments. “We met with the director of enforcement to review our position,” LaGasse said. “We had a good back and forth discussion.” Meanwhile, legislation before Congress could provide another avenue for the industry to secure an Agricultural Commodity Exemption. While in Washington, MSC met with Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), who earlier this year introduced HR-1673 - the Agricultural Trucking Relief Act of 2019. The bill, as introduced, did not specify an exemption for mulch and soil products, but LaGasse said Scott is open to making that addition. LaGasse added that Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) has requested MSC to draft a letter to encourage FMCSA to move forward with the process of revising its definition of agricultural commodities to include mulch and soil products.
By Ken McEntee LaGasse said Thompson would circulate the letter to members of Congress for support. “We have about 13 senators and congress members whom we think will sign it, and there is no real opposition that I know of,” LaGasse said. Scott’s bill, LaGasse acknowledged, is more likely to be amended to a larger spending or agricultural bill than to move through Congress on its own. Legislative action to extend the agricultural commodity exemption to mulch and soil products, he said, would supersede any regulatory action by FMCSA. It’s likely, however, that regulatory action would achieve that goal faster. In either case, LaGasse said, it’s unlikely that a change will be made in time for the heavy shipping season, which generally runs from the beginning of March to the end of June. “Whenever it happens, we’ll take it,” LaGasse said.
The Problem
he distribution of mulch and soil products, T MSC noted in its comments to FMCSA, is a seasonal business. Sixty percent of the industry’s annual shipments are made during the 17-week period between March and June, and 60 to 65 percent of the shipments are less than 150 air miles from the point of origin. MSC said about 957,000 truckloads of mulch products and about 571,000 truckloads
of soil products are transported annually. About half is transported between March and May, and more than 60 percent is transported between March and June. “This demand spike places a substantial burden on companies and their drivers to get product to their customers - primarily garden centers, farm stores and big box home improvement stores - in a safe and efficient manner,” MSC commented to FMCSA. Current HOS regulations restrict truck drivers to 14 hours of service, including 10 hours of driving time, within a 24-hour period. That restriction, LaGasse said, is enough to make a difference in whether a driver can make two deliveries during a day, or three. The agricultural commodity exemption would eliminate those restrictions, LaGasse said.. “You can probably make two cross town deliveries, but if you have to go a little farther on a third, you’re probably not going to get back in time,” he said. “Once that 14 hours hits, you need to park your truck. A lot of the 14 hours in service is spent getting loaded and unloaded, so it isn’t even time driving on the road.” The difference between making two and three shipments is substantial. MSC recently surveyed its members and estimated that $543 million in mulch revenues are lost annual due to HOS regulation, and Continued on page 3
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Driving Hour Restrictions Cost Industry $1 Billion Per Year Continued from page 1
an additional $507 million are lost in the soils business. A sample of 37 mulch businesses that responded to the MC survey indicated an average of 16 trucks per business. If each truck missed one load per day for six days per week during the 17-week shipping season, a total of 60,384 loads would be missed. Assuming a value of $3,000 in freight and product sales per load, the total revenue lost for the 37 responding companies totals $181 million. Extrapolating that number to the entire MSC membership provides the estimated loss of $543 million. Similar methodology was used to estimate the lost soil revenues of $507 million. In the case of soil producers, 37 respondents averaged 16 trucks, and each load had an estimated value of $2,800. “A delivery time that is not made one day cannot simply be made up the next,” MSC commented to FMCSA. “All customers have tight delivery schedules during the growing season and distributors are not readily able to return to customers to make previously missed or late deliveries the following day. With a compacted season of just 17 weeks, the financial impact is generally not recoverable.”
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PUBLICATION STAFF Moreover, MSC commented, product that is carried over to the following year is often unsaleable. “The accumulated loads per day throughout the growing season remain outside in the elements at the distributor’s location, subjecting the product and packaging to deterioration until the next season,” MSC wrote. “Much unsold inventory must be dumped, re-wrapped or placed under a tarp where it can develop mold. Also, UV deterioration of plastic packaging can reduce merchantability and destabilize the shipping load.” Fees and penalties for missed and late deliveries also can be significant, MSC wrote. “This happens daily with deliveries to some big box stores and distribution centers, where deliveries must be scheduled by appointment and late deliveries require the supplier to pay detention penalties and reschedule the delivery,” MSC commented. “One MSC member incurred late fees and penalties of $45,784 from one customer and $23,976 from another customer, in just one season, because of late deliveries. Extrapolated to the entire industry, these fees and penalties amount to several million dollars per year.” Continued on page 20
Publisher / Editor Rick Downing Contributing Editors / Writers Robert LaGasse • Ken McEntee Sandy Woodthorpe Production & Layout Barb Fontanelle • Christine Mantush Advertising Sales Rick Downing Subscription / Circulation Donna Downing Editorial, Circulation & Advertising Office 6075 Hopkins Road, Mentor, OH 44060 Ph: 440-257-6453 • Fax: 440-257-6459 Email: downassoc2@oh.rr.com Subscription information, call 440-257-6453. Soil & Mulch Producer News is published bimonthly by Downing & Associates. Reproductions or transmission in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is prohibited. Annual subscription rate U.S. is $19.95. Outside of the U.S. add $10 ($29.95). Contact our main office, or mail-in the subscription form with payment. ©
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www.loadscan.com November / December 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News
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MSC Annual Meeting Focuses on Safety, Legislation
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AN ANTONIO – The Mulch and Soil Council held its 48th annual meeting in San Antonio in September, providing attendees with three days packed full of useful information and updates on policy impacting the industry. In addition to MSC business updates, members heard talks about the political climate, including an entertaining history of presidential impeachments in the U.S. Educational topics ranged from packaging and product tracking innovations to best practices for managing productivity and people and equipment/machine safety. Mulch and Soil Research Foundation Executive Director Robert LaGasse explained the results of commissioned two projects: the mulch fire study conducted by the Fire Research Department at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio and a multi-year study on California’s Proposition 65, which would impose labeling requirements for soils, mulch and compost safety.
Mulch Fire Study Results
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t the request of MSC membership, another round of testing for the mulch fire study was conducted this year. The new round of testing included colored mulch samples, which
were not tested previously. Red and black pine and hardwood colorized products were tested and the results showed that colorized products had absolutely no impact on the original study conclusions. LaGasse said the study findings show that it is very unlikely that mulch can spontaneously combust in a landscape or garden application. Likewise, it is very unlikely that a wood-based or peat-based potting soil with or without fertilizer can spontaneously combust in a garden or landscape application.
California Proposition 65
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he second Foundation project involved a review of California’s Proposition 65 labeling law and how cancer and reproductive harm warnings on organic garden products sends a very mixed message to end users. Such labels c a n b e avo i d e d i f m a nu f a c t u re r s c a n demonstrate their risk exposure is less than or equal to the no significant risk level and maximum allowable dose level limits set by the state on any listed chemical material. By demonstration, it is practical for mulch and soil products to avoid unnecessary Proposition-65 labeling of organic products. The Foundation’s presentation chronicles the Foundation’s efforts to identify a protocol and conduct exposure
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assessments for daily and lifetime users of both consumer and commercial mulch and soil products. Audio files and copies of the presentation decks are available for downloading from the 2019 annual meeting files in the members’ area of the MSC website at www.mulchandsoilcouncil.org.
Additional news from MSC By Robert LaGasse
Roadcheck Benches 12,000 Trucks
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ommercial vehicle inspectors conducted more than 67,000 inspections during a stepped-up three-day enforcement effort in June, putting 12,019 commercial vehicles and 2,784 drivers out of service. That represents a 17.9% overall vehicle out-of-service rate and 4.2% driver out-of-service rate. The 2019 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s International Roadcheck event was conducted June 4-6, during which more than 13,000 inspectors spent 72 hours identifying and removing unsafe heavy trucks and buses from the roadways in the U.S. and Canada. This year’s special focus was on steering and suspension systems. Inspectors identified 408 steering violations (2.5% of all out-of-service vehicle violations) and 703 suspension violations (4.3% of all out-of-service vehicle violations) during event. The five most common vehicle violations detected by inspectors were for: 1. braking systems (4,578 or 28% of total out-of-service violations), 2. tires and wheels (3,156 or 19.3%), 3. brake adjustment (2,801 or 17.1%), 4. cargo securement (1,991 or 12.2%) and 5. lighting devices (1,875 or 11.5%). The five most common driver violations were for: 1. hours of service (1,179 or 37.2% of total out-of-service violations), 2. wrong class license (714 or 22.5%), 3. false logs (467 or 14.7%), 4. “other” violations (351 or 11.1%) and 5. suspended license (232 or 7.3%). Inspectors also discovered 748 seat belt violations, CVSA said. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s latest CMV seat belt drivers survey, the overall usage rate for drivers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks and motor coaches was 86% in 2016, CVSA said. Continued on page 6
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Soil & Mulch Producer News November / December 2019
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Additional news from MSC
Continued from page 4
Dust Hazard Assessment Deadline September 2020
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he National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is the national standards-setting organization for the fire protection industry and is recognized by Federal, state and municipal regulators as the nation-wide authority on fire codes for buildings, manufacturing operations and other fire safety applications. NFPA 652 is the governing standard for industrial operations that “manufacture, process, blend, convey, generate and/or handle combustible dusts or combustible particulate solids.” NFPA 652 was recently revised to dovetail with OSHA’s National Emphasis Program for Combustible Dust. The revision contains the following language: “Compliance deadline was changed for the completion of Dust Hazard Assessment (DHA) for existing processes and facilities. The deadline is now September 7, 2020. NFPA 652 also requires that the DHA be reviewed and updated every 5 years.” OSHA’s National Emphasis Program for Combustible Dust (CPL 03-00-2015) that was re-issued by OSHA in 2015, refers to NFPA 652 as guidance for OSHA inspectors as they conduct inspections of workplaces that have the potential to generate combustible dusts. OSHA officials announced on September 11, 2019, that inspectors are being trained now in order to begin enforcement activities in early 2020.
California Bans Chlorpyrifos
T
he California Environmental Protection Agency announced that virtually all use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos in California will end next year following an agreement between the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and pesticide manufacturers to withdraw their products. The decision follows environmental advocates’ that chlorpyrifos
is associated with serious health effects in children and other sensitive populations at lower levels of exposure than previously understood, including impaired brain and neurological development. At the same time, DPR and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA have established a cross-sector working group to identify, evaluate and recommend safer, more sustainable pest management alternatives to chlorpyrifos. It will hold its first meeting this month and will hold three public workshops beginning in January. The agreement with Dow AgroSciences and other companies means that use of chlorpyrifos will end sooner than anticipated. Under the settlement, the companies agreed that: • All sales of chlorpyrifos products to growers in California will end on Feb. 6, 2020. • Growers will no longer be allowed to possess or use chlorpyrifos products in California after Dec. 31, 2020. • Until then, all uses must comply with existing restrictions, including a ban on aerial spraying, quarter-mile buffer zones and limiting use to crop-pest combinations that lack alternatives. DPR will support aggressive enforcement of these restrictions. To ensure consistency for growers and for enforcement purposes, DPR is applying the terms and deadlines in the settlements to seven other companies that are not part of the settlement agreement but are subject to DPR’s cancellation orders. A few products that apply chlorpyrifos in granular form, representing less than one percent of agricultural use of chlorpyrifos, will be allowed to remain on the market. These products are not associated with detrimental health effects. DPR will continue to monitor for any exposures associated with these products. Continued on page 8
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Soil & Mulch Producer News November / December 2019
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C of A is short for Certificate of Analysis. Just as nutritional information on food labels helps people control their diets, an AgriCoatings C of A provides information to assist mulch manufacturers control colorant costs. Density and Viscosity. Although mulch colorants are purchased by the pound, they are consumed by the gallon. When a mulch producer sets the desired color, regardless if by a peristaltic pump or a mixing chamber, it is imperative to know how much color is being applied and the cost associated with it. By using a product with uniform density and consistent viscosity batch to batch color costs can be more accurately established. Tint Strength and Filter Checks Consistent tint strength helps the mulch producer make consistent colored mulch. Tint strength is determined by comparing a specific batch against a liquid standard. While processing pigments, AgriCoatings periodically takes color readings, examines the mill filters for particle size and then adjusts the color; maximizing pigment efficiency. The dispersion of the pigments allows the color system to adequately cover the mulch. Some people refer to this as “hide”. C of A’s offer the mulch producer important data and assures, with relative certainty, that the next batch will be the same as the last. An AgriCoatings Certificate of Analysis is a straight forward document, easily understood and is provided with every shipment...at no charge. Publicizing this report requires us to be ever vigilant in our practices and procedures. If your colorant supplier does NOT provide a Certificate of Analysis, ask WHY?
Page 1 10/01/2019 at 8:57 am
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Additional news from MSC
Continued from page 6
Jarahian, Titko Receive John Leber Award for Distinguished Service
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ohn Leber was the owner of Swanson Bark & Wood Products of Longview, WA. He joined the Mulch & Soil Council in 2004 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2009. In a previous life, John was a CPA; so, it was natural that John be elected MSC Treasurer to oversee the headquarters accounting process and the annual independent audit. John served the MSC Board of Directors and the Council membership with distinction until 2015 when he was killed in a tragic accident at the Swanson facilities. Even to the end, John served others with distinction by pushing people out of the way of a falling wall that caused his death. In 2016, the MSC Board of Directors created the John Leber Award for Distinguished Service in recognition of John’s great contributions to the Council and the industry. The Award is presented to the individual or organization that has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to advancing the objectives of the Mulch & Soil Council and/or the mulch and soil industry. For 2019, the MSC Board of Directors is pleased to announce the election of TWO recipients of the John Leber Award for Distinguished Service:
MSC President Chris Littlefield (L) and Executive Director Robert LaGasse (R) congratulate Past President Steve Jarahian (Center Left) and Former Director Steve Titko (Center Right) on their selection to receive the John Leber Award for Distinguished Service for 2019.
Steve Jarahian — Oldcastle Lawn & Garden
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teve Jarahian began his service to the Council as the Chair of the MSC Georgia Legislative Committee (1993-1996) working to reach a reasonable compromise between the state and industry for the Georgia Horticultural Growing Media Act, the first of its kind in the U.S. From there, Steve intensified his focus on industry standards as MSC liaison to the AAPFCO Soils Model Labeling Committee (1995-1997) and the MSC Soils Labeling Definitions Committee (1996-1999). In 1998,
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Soil & Mulch Producer News November / December 2019
Steve Jarahian became the first chairman of the MSC Standards Committee. There he lead the effort to develop the industry guidelines that were officially adopted in 2002 as the Uniform Voluntary Product Guidelines for Horticultural Mulches, Growing Media and Landscape Soils and Soil Amendments (UVPG). His tenure as Standards Committee Chair lasted 11 years until 2009 and, working in conjunction with Steve Titko, oversaw the development and integration of the industry product guidelines that served as the basis for the MSC Product Certification Program in 2003. Steve’s service on the Board of Directors began in 1995. In 2001, he was elected Secretary/ Treasurer of the Board. In 2003 he was elected Vice President and in 2004-2006 Steve served as President of the Council. Finally, as Past President, Steve was the 2007 Annual Meeting Program Chair. Though his Board service ended in 2008, Past President Steve Jarahian has been an able and trusted advisor to the Board, membership and staff of the Council with almost 25 years of dedicated and selfless service to the industry.
Steve Titko — The Scotts Company (Retired)
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teve Titko’s service to the Mulch & Soil Council began in 1995 as the Chairman of the MSC Committee on Weights & Measures (1995-2000). It was there that Steve fought for a uniform methodology for checking the net contents of packaged mulches and successfully argued with state and federal regulators to approve a 5% maximum allowable variation (MAV) of the labeled quantity for a single package — one of the largest variations regulators ever approved for a manufactured product. In 1996, Steve chaired the Benchmarking Committee in an attempt to identify key industry business markers. But one of the Council’s most notable achievements was the result of Steve Titko’s 1999-2010 efforts as chair of the MSC Certification Committee. It was the interaction between Steve Jarahian and Steve Titko to develop the industry standards (UVPG) that laid the ground work for creating the MSC Certification Program. Certification allowed member companies to show retailers and end users they adopted, and were in compliance with, the industry’s most accepted product standards. In 2007-2009, Steve acted as the Chair for the Standards SubCommittee on Colorants. During all his efforts to develop W&M standards, the Certification Program, mulch guidelines for the UVPG, and colorant safety, Steve also served as the 1996 MSC Annual Meeting Program Chair. Steve became a Director on the MSC Board from 1995 to 2010. He also served as MSC Secretary/ Treasurer 1999-2000. For more information on the Mulch & Soil Council please visit www.mulchandsoilcouncil.org.
www.diamondz.com November / December 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News
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Invasive Jumping Worms Eat Mulch, Soil
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marisa@e-milagro.com
BANA-CHAMPAIN, Ill. – Mulch suppliers and landscapers beware - the invasive jumping worm that has been found in many counties in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois is a major mulch muncher, according to the Illinois Cooperative Extension. The Amynthas species is a large earthworm easily identifiable by a white band that encircles its body. It was named, “jumping worm” because of its hyperactivity (it wriggles and writhes frenetically). Jumping worms are voracious eaters of organic matter, staying on top of the soil or just under the surface and their favorite habitat, fallen leaves. The Asian worms deplete soil of nutrients and structure resulting in soil that can’t hold moisture or support plants. They can consume so much mulch that landscapers have told the Illinois Extension they have had to replenish mulch throughout the growing season. Amynthas is a parthenogenetic species, meaning it can reproduce without fertilization. Multiple generations are produced in one summer, peaking in August and September. Scientists think jumping worms migrate to new areas as eggs in the soil, mulch and compost. The first frost kills the worms, but the egg cases, which resemble crumbs of soil, survive the winter. They are hard to spot, but there are ways to prevent them from maturing into worms that can multiply. The Illinois Extension recommends checking mulch before spreading it in landscape. Put some in a bucket and leave it outside for a couple of weeks. If no worms are present and no eggs have hatched, it is probably safe to use. Currently, there is no control other than plucking the worms as soon as you spot them. Place them in zippered plastic bags and leave the bags in the sun. If you use this method as soon as possible in the spring, it gives the worms less time to leave behind egg cases.
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November / December 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News 11
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Michigan Wood-Fired Power Plants Face Solar, Wind Competition
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ANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Public Service Commission has made it clear that solar and wind are favored for supplying power to the state’s electrical utilities, according to an in-depth report by Energy News. Wood-burning power plants are trying to stay in the game, though. Woody biomass makes up about 16% of Michigan’s renewable energy portfolio. Contracts for wood-fired power plants across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula will keep them operating through the 2020s, but competition with other renewables, along with air quality standards and operational inefficiencies makes their future uncertain. Competition from declining wind and solar prices is exerting economic pressure on the woody biomass industry in the state. Also, a September ruling by Michigan regulators signals market change is underway. The latest decision by the Michigan Public Service Commission institutes a competitive bidding process for one of the state’s largest utilities, Consumers Energy. The policy, which covers all biomass producers, removes what essentially has been a protected status and forces them to compete directly with wind and solar once their contracts expire over the coming decade. Consumers wants cheaper prices and access to a diverse portfolio of power from biofuel, waste-to-energy, hydropower, solar and wind. The political climate (and some environmental groups) favors a mix of energy sources. The wood-fired plant operators interviewed for the Energy News article say theirs’s is not adequately valued for its diversity and availability. The wood industry brings broader economic benefits to Michigan, they say particularly in rural areas where the timber industry provides jobs and community revenue. Concerns about pollution, namely the particulate matter that results from burning scrap tires with wood, are downplayed by the industry. Efficient emission controls remove up to 95% of particulates from plants’ exhaust gases, according to a plant operator who was interviewed. Wood-burning plant closures are on the horizon, nonetheless. A 20-megawatt biomass plant in the northeastern Lower Peninsula owned by New York-based Fortistar will close in 2022. A spokesperson for the trade group, Michigan Biofuels said that other wood-burning plants will continue will into the 2020s, albeit under agreements to provide electricity at lower rates, particularly to consumers.
North Carolina Pellet Mill Gets Okay to Boost Production
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ALEIGH – The North Carolina Division of Air Quality has issued new permits for two wood pellet mills to expand production, reports News Observer. The Enviva plant in Northampton County plant near Roanoke Rapids will be able to boost production to no more than 781,255 tons of pellets a year – a 45% increase over what the current permit allows. The Enviva plant in Sampson County was approved to expand production by 22%. The pellets are made from waste wood and trees harvested in North Carolina and nearby parts of Virginia, then shipped to Europe to be burned in power plants. The company also received an air emissions permit to open a new plant in Hamlet in Richmond County in June. It operates another plant near Ahoskie in Hertford County. Altogether, Enviva’s four North Carolina plants can produce nearly 2.6 million tons of wood pellets a year, making North Carolina the largest source of wood pellets in the country. According to the company’s website, Enviva Partners owns and operates seven plants in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Florida that have a combined production capacity of over 3 million metric tons of wood pellets per year. The Partnership exports wood pellets through its owned marine terminal assets at the Port of Chesapeake, Virginia, and Port of Wilmington, North Carolina and from third-party marine terminals in Mobile, Alabama and Panama City, Florida.
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combination of strong opposition and market decline as a result of shifting politics in the United Kingdom is altering the landscape for the American wood pellet industry, an in-depth Energy News Network article reports. The glory days pellet sales to power plants in Great Britain may become history as the UK starts phasing out the generous subsidies that led to phenomenal growth of wood-burning power plants. The world’s largest pellet maker, Enviva, which owns seven large-scale manufacturing plants in the southeastern U.S., as well as Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico shipping facilities, annually supplies approximately 6 million tons of product to British power company, Drax. The fight against the wood pellet industry is gaining ground in the U.S. where North Carolina-based Dogwood Alliance has had some influence with the state’s governor in pushing for policy reforms and calling attention to forest destruction in the U.S. and carbon dioxide emissions in the U.K. The group says the current situation is a “climate emergency.” Drax insists its power plants are in harmony with the government’s climate action goals. The company’s coal burning facilities have been converted to sustainably sourced biomass and plant emissions have been reduced, officials say. E nv i ro n m e n t a l i s t s d i m i n i s h t h e sustainability of pellet wood tree plantations and waste wood, arguing that what has become a lucrative business for the U.S. actually contributes to both increased energy consumption and pollution related to manufacturing and shipping operations. They also take issue with subsidization, which they say has propped up wood-burning power industry across the Atlantic under the false notion that it is a viable form of renewable energy. What’s more, under new Paris Accord agreements, emissions from burning wood pellets fall far below the limits set for the near future, they argue. Using annual filings and government data, the British nonprofit Biofuelwatch estimates the British government spends about £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion USD) each year to allow woodburning plants to operate. Economics is forcing the British government to begin withdrawing subsidies, however. While the coal-to-biomass industry has matured beyond its capacity to reduce costs significantly, true renewable power prices are tumbling. Meanwhile, Enviva is poised to pivot. In a statement, the company said it will “seek to support the transition away from fossil fuels to renewable clean energy in other countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Denmark, Germany, and Poland, to name a few.”
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November / December 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News 15
Soil
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Mulch Producer NEWS
Scientists Develop Efficient Methods to Turn Woody Biomass Into Fuels
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EST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Scientists at Purdue University have made a breakthrough that puts them closer to converting non-food crops into biomass, according to study findings reported in Plant Biotechnology Journal and Biotechnology for Biofuels. So far, processing of second-generation biofuels – those made from nonfood biomass such as switchgrass, biomass sorghum, and corn stover – has been problematic. Breaking down the lignin – the compounds that hold plant cells together – has been one part of the puzzle in figuring out how to convert these crops into fuel that burns efficiently. Lignin is known to contribute to adhesion between wood cells. Yet while researchers from the Purdue Center for Plant Biology found that removing lignin is necessary, some other things must happen to completely break cellcell bonds. The complex of compounds that holds plant cells together, as well as their tightly packed cell clusters is what blocks access to sugars for fermentation into fuels. One avenue being explored is genetic modification. Purdue biologists developed a poplar tree with altered lignin structure that has weaker bonds with the plant’s carbohydrates. One team used a nickel-carbon catalyst to remove all lignin in the genetically altered popular. Another team of (biofuel) researchers then treated the wood particles with trifluoroacetic acid to loosen the tightly packed crystalline cellulose and its aggregation into large bundles in plant cell walls. The trifluoroacetic acid causes the cellulose to swell, making it easier to access the glucose molecules present in the cell walls for fermentation to ethanol. For now, federal regulations prevent growing genetically engineered poplars commercially as a bio feedstock. The discoveries the researchers made with the poplar, however, can help inform what’s being done with other cellulosic feedstocks, such as those derived from corn stalk residues, or biomass sorghum and switchgrass.
U.S. Forest Service Proposes Tongass Access to Help Alaska Timber Industry
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he U.S. Forest Service says that lifting the Roadless Area Conservation Rule on 9.2 million acres of dense Tongass National Forest would help the Alaska economy, according to an E&E News article. Among other issues, the nearly 600-page Forest Service draft environmental Impact Statement (EIS) released Oct. 15 explains that allowing access to roadless parts of the forest will lead to cost-effective logging and not change the harvest projections in U.S. Forest Service’s 2016 Tongass land management plan. Overall harvest projections remain at 17,000 acres of old growth and 11,800 acres of young growth over the next 100 years, the levels shown in the 2016 Tongass land management plan. Even though 9.2 million acres of inventoried roadless areas would be freed from the roadless rule, only 185,000 acres would be added to the areas that may be considered for timber harvest, the Forest Service said. The agency also indicates it is not changing its most recent conclusion that an annual harvest of 45 million board feet of timber from the Tongass is “reasonable, conservative, and based on the best available information.” Total volume cut in the Tongass in fiscal 2018 was 19 million board feet, down from more than 100 million board feet in 1999, two years before the roadless rule took effect. Environmentalists are concerned that lifting the restriction on roadless areas is a step toward a fast-track administrative process to allow large timber sales while reducing public involvement.
www.brittonindustries.com 16 Soil & Mulch Producer News November / December 2019
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Soil
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Florida Timber Sector to Receive $380 Million in Federal Block Grants
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ALLAHASSEE, Fla. – According to a WFSU.org report, Florida timber landowners soon will begin receiving checks to cover replanting and cleanup costs resulting from Hurricane Michael damages. Florida, the first state to receive aid for the timber industry from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), will receive $380.7 million in block grants. Landowners who apply for the grants will be categorized by acreage and type of timber grown. Checks will be administered through the state. Although the funding won’t fully cover all loses and repairs, it will help producers, especially those in the devastated Panhandle, to repair and replace irrigation systems damaged by the violent storm, an industry official noted. The Category 5 Michael, which made landfall in Mexico Beach on Oct. 10, 2018, inflicted an estimated $1.49 billion damages to the agriculture industry in Northwest Florida, of which about $1.3 billion was to the timber industry. The hurricane also caused substantial agricultural damage in South Georgia. According to one report, an estimated 550 million trees, weighing 72 million tons, were damaged or destroyed by the storm. The USDA provides credit through emergency loans and through feed and forage loss compensation, watershed protection, noninsured crops coverage and land rehabilitation programs and makes payments through the Market Facilitation Program to producers suffering from the effects of retaliatory tariffs on their products from some U.S. trading partners.
Oregon Forestry Industry Economic Snapshot
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ALEM, Ore. – According to the Oregon Employment Department’s statistics, the state’s forestry industry’s employment decline has leveled off. The department’s regional economist, Brian Rooney, reports that 755 forestry-related companies employed 9,009 people statewide and added $546 million in payroll to Oregon’s economy in 2018. Oregon’s forestry employment consists of between 8,000 and 10,000 jobs. The range reflects seasonal variation in timber tract operations, forest nurseries, gathering of forest products and logging. Employment generally grows throughout the spring and peaks in August. Then it stabilizes for a month or two in the fall before dropping off as winter rains begin. With forests covering more than 30 million of Oregon’s 62 million acres – almost half of the state’s landmass – trees are a rich resource for the state. Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) estimates logging harvests totaled 3.9 billion board feet in 2017. From 1990 to 2000, private-sector forestry and logging declined from 15,774 jobs statewide to 12,887, a loss of 2,887 jobs or 18 percent. During that period, timber harvests in Oregon declined from 6.2 billion board feet to 3.9 billion board feet. The decline was due largely to environmental concerns and the resulting decrease of harvests from public lands. In 1990, the Oregon Department of Forestry reported 48 percent of timber cut for the lumber and wood products industry came from public lands. Over time, environmental restrictions took a toll, and the harvest from public lands in Oregon dwindled to 18 percent of the total in 2007.
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18 Soil & Mulch Producer News November / December 2019
Founded in 1972, the Mulch & Soil Council (MSC) is the national non-profit trade association for all producers of horticultural mulches, consumer potting soils and commercial growing media. The mission of the MSC is to define quality products and promote an open marketplace for producers of horticultural mulches, consumer soils and commercial growing media. MSC truly is your resource for answers to problems facing today’s mulch and soil industry. We provide members with: • PRODUCT STANDARDS • PRODUCT CERTIFICATION • REGULATORY REPRESENTATION • ANNUAL MEETING • ON-LINE TRAINING COURSES • INDUSTRY INFORMATION • SPECIAL REPORTS • ACCESS TO INDUSTRY RESEARCH
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November / December 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News 19
Soil
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Mulch Producer NEWS
Driving Hour Restrictions Cost Industry $1 Billion Per Year Continued from page 3
The Solution
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ommenting to FMCSA, MSC suggested that FMCSA include a list of products included in the definition of agricultural commodities – with the inclusion of mulch and soil products on the list. Before the creation of the DOT, LaGasse said, the old Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) rules included mulch and soil as an agricultural commodity. ICC was dissolved in 1995 and federal jurisdiction over motor carriers was assigned to FMCSA. Although the intent of the agricultural commodity exemption was to protect perishable products from going bad, MSC argued that while mulch and soil are not perishable “in the
traditional sense,” they are highly time sensitive. “The underlying point is that highly perishable crops and plant materials - both agricultural and horticultural - require the materials used to produce such products, including fertilizer, mulch and soil, in order to maximize productivity and thrive,” MSC commented. “That cannot happen if the products are not available in a timely manner in the needed volumes during the growing season.”
Ssfety Factors
he HOS regulations are intended to T prevent the danger of tired drivers from being on the road too long. However, LaGasse
said, FMCSA’s own research has shown that reducing HOS restrictions may improve safety. In a study prior to 2010, FMCSA compared safety performance data for agricultural carriers operating under HOS exemptions with nonexempt non-agricultural carriers and found that on a national basis, agricultural carriers operating within a 100 air mile radius had lower, or the same, crash rates compared to those operating beyond that radius. “One of the problems we face is that the drivers trying to make that next shipment within the HOS rules might hurry things along a little,” LaGasse said. “We would prefer that they violate hours of service than drive too fast. So, if you can take that pressure off, the driver can take that extra time and drive more safely.”
Driver Compensation
SC commented that reducing a driver’s M shipments by one load per day, at $25 per hour, amounts to a loss of $250 per week in lost
compensation. “When a driver is losing money, he’s not going to stay around,” LaGasse said. “He’s going to go where the money is. There is already a shortage of drivers and we can’t afford to lose any more.” Ken McEntee is editor and publisher of Composting News (compostingnews.com).
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November / December 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News 21
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Product / Equipment Profiles WSM Introduces Innovative New Coir Breaker
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ave time and money by deconstructing and processing pallet loads of compressed coir blocks– all in one operation - with WSM’s Coir Breaker. The system includes Pallet Tipper, Infeed Conveyor, and Discharge Screw. Replaceable screens help with final product sizing. Maintenance friendly features incorporated in our unique design include complete access to rotor. WSM also supplies a complete line of screens for precise material classification of finished fiber. The Titan Trommels, Vibrating Screens, and Oscillating Screens are all available with wire mesh or perforated screens. Ditch the diesel and go electric with WSM’s massive, high capacity vertical grinders that deliver low cost and low maintenance mulch processing. WSM’s Chain Metering Bins with Loading Hopper provide bulk loading and metering of material helping to maximize production with lower cost per cubic yard. Learn more at www.westsalem.com. Contact your WSM technical specialist at 800-722-3530 or info@westsalem.com to discuss your application in more detail and schedule a test on your material.
22 Soil & Mulch Producer News
November / December 2019
ChromaScape Announces Refreshed Brand and Website
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hromaScape, a specialty chemical manufacturer of pigments, colorants and additives, recently announced the launch of a refreshed brand identity and new website (www.chromascape. com). The enhanced brand platform and visual identity represents both the evolution of the company, as well as the strategic vision for the future. More about the new brand and visual identity: The logo’s primary lettering features a bold wordmark and a nod to past typography, updated with a modern influence. The molecular icon represents the magic that takes place in ChromaScape’s technical labs and the chemistry of colorant creation. The icon’s circular shape and arrow evokes energy and forward thinking while the bright color palette reflects ChromaScape’s innovation and optimism. In addition to the logo, they have introduced a new tagline, (Brighter and Better Together) that summarizes the belief that in partnership with customers and associates, ChromaScape creates products that enhance people’s lives and environments, all of which are core principles of the company’s mission. For more information visit www.chromascape.com.
www.hamer-fischbein.com November / December 2019 Soil & Mulch Producer News 23
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VOL. XIII NO. 6
U.S. Postage
PAID
NOV / DEC 2019
Inside This Issue Driving Hour Restrictions Cost Industry $1 Billion Per Year PAGE 1
MSC Annual Meeting Focuses on Safety, Legislation PAGE 4 Invasive Jumping Worms Eat Mulch, Soil PAGE 10 Big Changes Loom for Wood Pellet Industry PAGE 14 Scientists Develop Efficient Methods to Turn Woody Biomass Into Fuels PAGE 16 Florida Timber Sector to Receive $380 Million in Federal Block Grants PAGE 18 Product / Equipment Profiles PAGE 22
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