The base produces an average of 75 tons of pellets a month. Trash not sent to the landfill saves money. The pellets then supplement costly coal in the base power plant. The coal-burning power plant is the sole heating source for base work areas, support facilities and base housing. It provides almost all the electricity for the base.
Power is vital in the winter when temperatures plunge far below zero.
Twenty-four hours without power in midwinter could ruin the base, said Kibbe. Besides broken pipes and the resulting damage, human safety is a factor and people would have to be evacuated. But pulverizing trash isn't always a smooth process. The three-person crew must sort through the waste looking for items that don't belong, such as car parts and small appliances. A stray piece of metal can seriously damage the equipment.