**Executive Board**  **President HARRY**  **PRICE Fairfield-Suisun**  **Sewer District**  **Secretary-Treasurer TOM** **SELFRIDGE Truckee Sanitary** **District 1st**  **Vice President**  **RONALD E.**  **YOUNG Elsinore** **Valley Municipal**  **Water District**  **2nd Vice** **President WYATT** **TROXEL Inland**  **Empire Utilities**  **Agency KAMIL**  **S. AZOURY**  **Goleta Sanitary**  **District GARY** **DARLING Delta** **Diablo Sanitation**  **District MICHAEL** **DUNBAR South** **Coast Water** **District JEFFERY** **G. HANSEN**  **Dublin San**  **Ramon Services** **District JOHN**  **E. HOAGLAND**  **Rancho California**  **Water District**  **BARBARA HOCKETT**  **Central Contra**  **Costa Sanitary**  **District STEVE**  **HOGG City**  **of Fresno**  **.TACKlE KEPKE**  **CH2M Hill**  **DA VID**  **WILLIAMS East**  **Bay Municipal** **Utility District**  **CA THERINE**  **SMITH Executive**  **Director MICHAEL** **F. DILLON**  **Lobbyist GREG**  **KESTER Biosolids** **Program Manager**  **ROBERT**

**A LARSON**  **Director of** **Legal and**  **Regulatory Affairs**  **ERIC SAPIRSTEIN**  **Federal Legislative** **Advocate** 

# CALIFORNIA**ASSOCIATION**

# of**SANI TION** **AGENCIES**

**1215 K**  **Street, Suite**  **2290 ·**  **Sacramento, CA**  **95814 '**  **TEL: (916)**  **446-0388**

**- FAX:**  **(916) 231-2141**  **• www.casaweb.org**  **February 2,**  **2009**

**Attention Docket**  **ID No.**  **EPA-HQ-RCRA-2008-0329 Submitted**  **via email**  **to:** 

### rcra-docket@eRa.gov **Regarding the**  **United States**  **Environmental Protection**  **Agency's "Advanced**  **Notice of**  **Proposed Rulemaking"**  **(ANPRM) -Identification**  **of Non-Hazardous**  **Materials that**  **Are Solid**  **Waste To**  **Whom It**  **May Concern:**  **The California**  **Association of**  **Sanitation Agencies**  **(CASA) is**  **pleased to**  **provide comments**  **on the**  **advanced notice**  **of proposed rulemaking**  **for the Identification**  **of Non-Hazardous**  **Materials that**  **are Solid**  **Waste. CAS** **A represents**  **more than**  **90% of**  **the sewered population**  **of California**  **and has**  **been a**  **proactive leader**  **on wastewater,**  **recycled water,**  **and biosolids**  **issues for years.**  **As a**  **general comment,**  **CASA agrees**  **with the**  **Agency's concept**  **of promoting**  **the use**  **of secondary**  **fuels for**  **energy production**  **and as**  **a replacement**  **for primary**  **fuel. Specific**  **comments include**  **the following:**  **Section V.A.2.**  **& 3.**  **Sewage sludge**  **should be**  **excluded from**  **the definition**  **ofsolid waste**  **because it**  **meets the**  **criteria of** **this section**  **as an**  **alternative fuel**  **that has**  **not been**  **previously discarded,**  **and as**  **a legitimate**  **alternative fuel.**  **Increasingly in**  **California and**  **elsewhere, sewage**  **sludge is**  **being treated**  **in Class**  **A thermal**  **drying systems**  **and other**  **processes for**  **the purpose**  **of primary**  **fuel replacement**  **in the**  **cement and**  **other industries.**  **This classifies**  **it as**  **a legitimate**  **recycled fuel**  **source. Such**  **biosolids may**  **also be**  **recycled as**  **a fertilizer**  **or soil**  **amendment. Similarly**  **sewage sludge**  **incinerators should**  **remain excluded**  **from the**  **definition of**  **solid waste**  **since they**  **can recover**  **heat and**  **energy from**  **their combustion,**  **have not**  **been discarded,**  **and are**  **a legitimate**  **alternative fuel.**  **Further the**  **current definition**  **of Solid**  **Waste under**  **RCRA should**  **continue its**  **exclusion of**  **"**

**..... but**  **does not**  **include solid**  **or dissolved material**  **in domestic sewage, ......** **subject to**  **permits under**  **section 402**  **of the**  **Federal Water**  **Pollution Control**  **Act,**

**... ".**  **Consequently, it**  **is highly**  **recommended that**  **sewage sludge**  **incinerators remain regulated**  **as they**  **are under**  **40 CFR**  **part 503.**  **Section VI.**  **D. Anaerobic**  **digestion at**  **wastewater treatment**  **plants is**  **commonly used**  **to reduce**  **solids mass,**  **kill pathogenic**  **organisms, provide**  **stabilization, and** **to produce**  **methane. The**  **methane is**  **commonly used**  **to power**  **stationary combustion engines,**  **fuel cells,**  **and/or microturbines.**  **FOG and**  **other organic**  **material are**  **often introduced**  **into such**  **digesters to**  **increase the**  **gas production.**  **The methane**  **generated should**  **be considered**  **as renewable**  **fuel. Please**  **feel free**  **to contact**  **me with**  **any questions**  **or for**  **further clarification.**  **Sincerely,**

**Greg Kester**  **Biosolids Program**  **Manager** 

### gkester@casaweb.orE **Tel: (916)**  **844-5262**



### Ensuring **Clean Water** **for California**