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DESCRIPTION:Staff Report from 
 http://www.marinij.com/marin\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nNicasio 
 ranch could host composting project\nRob Rogers\nArticle Launched: 
 08/25/2007 10:28:44 PM PDT\n\nAfter providing Marin's residents with milk, 
 beef, cheese and methane-generated electricity, the county's cows may have 
 another gift to offer: organic compost made from manure. \nThe West Marin 
 Co-Composting Project plans to combine cow and horse manure with "green 
 waste" such as tree trimmings, at a Nicasio composting site that supporters 
 say would create a potent gardening supplement and extend the life of local 
 landfills.\n\n"This would take the largest-volume organic waste streams in 
 West Marin, divert it from the landfill - and/or illegal disposal - and 
 bring them to a context where it can improve Marin County's soil," said 
 Jeff Creque, a rangeland and soil fertility expert with the Marin Resource 
 Conservation District, which has joined forces with Marin Organic on the 
 project. \n\n"Theoretically, we could take a maximum of 12,000 cubic yards 
 of unprocessed material and reduce it down to 3,000 or 4,000 cubic yards of 
 ground material. We estimate that the process could create about 36,000 
 cubic yards per year of organic material."\n\nThe district has received a 
 $570,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create a 
 composting operation at the Lafranchi Dairy and a "green waste" drop-off 
 and grinding site at the 
 \n\n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nAdvertisement\n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\nNicasio 
 Rock Quarry on Nicasio Valley Road.\nOfficials say the project will help 
 dairy and horse farms comply with water runoff regulations for the Tomales 
 Bay watershed established by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality 
 Control Board.\n\nCounty officials must approve environmental permits for 
 the project.\n\n"Not only are we hoping to address some of the resource 
 concerns with equestrian facilities, which are facing water quality 
 regulations - as are dairies - but we're certain this would cause a 
 reduction in carbon emissions," said Nancy Scolari, executive director of 
 the conservation district. "The fact that people won't have to go over the 
 hill to drop things off, but will be able to do it right here in Nicasio, 
 will be one of the environmental benefits."\n\nDistrict officials say they 
 plan to limit access to the site to diminish impacts on neighbors.\n\n"It 
 won't be open to all dairies, just one, and in terms of the equestrian 
 waste stream, we're going to have limitations," Scolari said. "People will 
 be able to drop off green waste by appointment."\n\nBecause the project 
 would be an open-air operation in a remote location, Creque does not expect 
 it to generate offensive odors.\n\n"The proposed composting site is a dairy 
 with no immediate neighbor, so odors should be nonexistent or negligible," 
 Creque said. "Compared to the methane released by an anaerobic waste 
 lagoon, it would be insignificant."\n\nMuch of the recycled compost would 
 be used as bedding for the cows at the Lafranchi Dairy, Scolari 
 said.\n\n"The dairy currently imports sand from Rio Vista on a weekly 
 basis, so having that compost as a resource is a plus," Scolari said. 
 "We're hoping it will also help organic farmers who need it for their farms 
 as a soil amendment."\n\nCompost itself can't be certified organic, but the 
 project's compost could be used on organic farms, Creque said.\n\nThe site 
 would be operated by Kevin Lunny, owner and manager of Lunny Grading & 
 Paving, Inc. at the Nicasio Rock Quarry as well as the Drake's Bay Oyster 
 Company in Inverness.\n\nThe project was inspired by similar composting 
 programs in the Central Valley, as well as a 10-year-old green waste 
 project in Bolinas. District officials will hold a tour of the 
 Bolinas-Stinson Beach Green Waste Resource Recovery site on Sept. 8 as they 
 discuss the Nicasio project.\n\n"We're hoping this one will succeed and 
 inspire similar spin-off projects," Creque 
 said.\n\n\n\n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\nRead 
 more West Marin stories at the IJ's West Marin page.\n\nLocal paper point 
 reyes light  - Independent paper Point Reyes Light\nPoint Reyes 
 Subscriptions. The Light on Drakes Estero: ... content ©1995-2006 by the 
 Tomales Bay Publishing Company / Point Reyes Light. 
 ...\nwww.ptreyeslight.com -\n\nOther papers that cover 
 Marin\n\nhttp://www.pacificsun.com/\n\nhttp://sfgate.com/\n\nhttp://www.bohemian.com/ 
 - Independent paper\n\nadd put up by\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/09/05/18445774.php
SUMMARY:Nicasio ranch could host composting project{Tour tour of the current Bolinas-Stinson Site}
LOCATION:Dance Palace, 503 B St. i\n\nnot sure the time - if its all day - or 
 shorter - call ask
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/09/05/18445774.php
DTSTART:20070908T163000Z
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