The City Council of Webster City heard a description of AirBurners during its meeting Monday in its quest for a solution to the volume of waste at the green waste dumping site.
Michael Schmitt, director of sales for the burners made in Palm City, Florida, described how Webster City could use one of the firm’s products to deal with a continuing amount of tree waste. It could cost an estimated $150,000 to buy one, according to council packet notes.
However, the AirBurner could not be effectively used to reduce the staggering pile of mulch that began smoldering last month at the city’s tree site. The solution to reducing the mulch pile will likely be hauling it to sites that will accept it for uses that would include landfill topping.
Assistant City Manager Biridiana Bishop told the council that the staff was hoping to find ways to waive the normal tipping fees for such disposal. Those could cost thousands of dollars.
One estimate provided the city came in at $457,985 to haul away all of the existing mulch, Bishop said.
In the meantime, the green waste site is still not accepting any new tree waste.
“We have tree contractors that can’t do anything right now,” Council Logan Welch commented.
Webster City allows local tree surgeons to dump tree waste at the site provided they purchase a $500 annual license.
“There’s a hell of a lot of dead trees in town,” Mayor John Hawkins added.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources must permit the City of Webster City to purchase an AirBurner, Bishop said.
On Monday, the council directed her to pursue the DNR’s permission, with the idea that the city would likely buy an AirBurner product as a long-term solution. Bishop was also directed to move forward with a plan to disperse the existing mulch pile over the 12-month window the DNR has requested.
The moratorium on the disposal of tree waste is still in place.
Welch said: “As long as we’re actively pushing to restoring a tree site (with the) internal hauling of the mulch.” He said it is a busy season for tree surgeons and the city had created a working relationship with them.
Bishop asked Schmitt if there were smells associated with running an AirBurner.
Schmitt said, “You don’t really have that smell of the firebox, but can get some smell at the end of the day when you turn it off.”
He was specifically referring to a diesel version; the council indicated Monday that it has greater interest in purchasing an electric version.
City residents are still allowed to haul leaves and grass clippings to the site.
View the original article as it appeared in the Daily Freeman-Journal.
Last modified: October 3, 2023