We want to thank all of our panelists and attendees for engaging in this information sharing webinar. We had over 185 people in attendance and about 300 questions and comments submitted to the Q & A chat in zoom.
Thank you to our panelists at this event:
Alan Lewis, Founding member of the Organic Land & Food coalition (OLAF) in Boulder County, prior member of the Boulder County Food and Agriculture Policy Council (BCFAPC).
Calla Rose Ostrander, Strategic Advisor, Phoenix Rising Resources, Advisor to California Carbon Project
Chuck Wibby, Environmental Quality control standards, Daily Camera columnist
Dan Matsch, Compost Department Director, Eco-Cycle
Jace Driver, Materials Management Unit, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Janis Whisman, Real Estate Division Manager, Boulder County
Jason Condon, Owners and operators of Isabelle Farm, Lafayette
Jules Van Thuyne, Owner and operator, Van Thuyne Farms, Longmont
Tracy Kessner, Author of Colorado’s Compost Roadmap (2017); Vice President of Business Operations at Avivid Water Technology LLC, Longmont
Event Summary
The CU Center for Sustainable Landscapes and Communities (CSLC) and our integral partners welcome you to join us for a forum for information sharing and constructive dialogue concerning the plans to build a composting facility in Boulder County. CSLC at CU Boulder is focused on community engagement and aims to foster constructive community dialogue on issues that are of interest and relevance to public lands management and sustainability in our local and regional communities. This webinar on the proposed composting facility for Boulder County will emphasize building knowledge and fostering dialogue on the proposed siting, construction, and operation of a facility designed to collect, process and return compost to agricultural, residential, and open space lands in Boulder County. For questions and comments, please email: centerslac@colorado.edu
Webinar Format: The webinar session will feature a short overview of the proposed Boulder County composting facility from our moderator, followed by 3-minute presentations and comments presented by 6-8 invited speakers who represent a wide range of perspectives on composting, the facility, and land degradation in Boulder County. After the overview, participants can engage in a facilitated dialogue and Q&A session to discuss current plans for building a compost facility at the former Rainbow Nursery in Boulder County.
For questions and comments, please email: centerslac@colorado.edu
Background and Context
Climate change and degraded soils are two of the most urgent and critical environmental challenges that are both global and local in their effects. We know that emissions of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide and methane, contribute to climate change by releasing more carbon into the atmosphere than is currently being absorbed by natural processes. At the same time, Boulder County’s agricultural lands are showing signs of degradation due to land management practices that deplete carbon stored in the soil as well as nutrients vital for plant growth. Compost, which includes organic discards such as food waste and yard debris, provides substantial environmental benefits such as increasing soil fertility and increased water infiltration rate, as well as avoided greenhouse gas emissions due to decreased fertilizer use and decreased emissions from landfills.
The proposed development for a public composting facility in Boulder County is a critical next step in moving toward Boulder County’s published goal of “zero waste or darn near” by 2025. Several entries in Boulder County’s “Zero Waste Action Plan” point toward supporting composting operations, supporting bans on yard material and food scraps going to landfills, and promoting markets for county-generated recyclables and compost. This facility will help accomplish all of those goals, in addition to significantly reducing the current 50-mile one-way trip required to truck compostable materials generated within Boulder County to a facility in eastern CO. This facility may also receive wood that has been removed from Boulder county forest lands as part of wildfire mitigation treatments. The proposed project represents a change in land use for the property, and there are expected to be some impacts that may affect neighboring residents, including additional truck traffic and noise from the facility.
For more information:
Information on the Boulder County Composting Facility Plans
Information on the Coalition for Local Compost Climate Action
Support Our Work
This event and report are free to the public, but a $10 suggested donation is appreciated and encouraged. This will help support CSLC’s continued Boulder community outreach initiatives, research collaborations, and communication of the health and future of our landscapes and communities.