Environmental Effects of Forest Fires

Much has been discussed and written about the need to clear undergrowth from forestlands to reduce fire hazard, and the catastrophic loses of timber and property associated with forest fires. Now recent studies have shown that forest fires also cause large-scale emissions of mercury and carbon dioxide—a major greenhouse gas.

The Canadian Forest Service led the carbon dioxide study, which was conducted because carbon sequestration by forests is an important part of the earth's overall balance and Canada has large tracts of forests. The importance of these forests is significant enough that they are part of the Kyoto Protocol.

Even after the fire, impacts still occur. Additional carbon can be released through decomposition of partially burned material. Furthermore, the ability of the forest to sequester carbon is affected.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Washington conducted the study that showed that large amounts of mercury are emitted from forest fires. This new knowledge could result in increased regulation and cost impacts for anybody dealing with forest products.

Mercury in the atmosphere is a concern because it is toxic and eventually is deposited on land and water bodies, where it enters the food chain. Scientists estimate that about half of the mercury in the atmosphere comes from natural causes (erosion or other soil processes, volcanic eruptions, etc.) and half from human activity. As an example, NCAR estimates that about 25 percent of the mercury emitted in the United States each year comes from coal-fired power plants.

Since a large part of the earth is forested, a significant amount of mercury from the atmosphere is deposited onto forests. In a sense, this forestry-deposited carbon is sequestered until something happens—such as a storm—to release it again. The main mechanism causing this release is forest fires.

Laboratory tests conducted by the U.S. Forest Service burned samples of leaves and forestry litter. These tests found that nearly all the mercury contained in these materials was emitted as either gaseous or elemental mercury. Actual measurements from wildfires found higher emission levels than from the laboratory tests. One theory as to why the higher emissions occur is that soils heated by the fires are also emitting mercury.

NCAR scientists have calculated that more than 800 tons may be re-entering the atmosphere as a result of forest fires. Since this level is 19 times the mercury emitted annually from US power plants, it is extremely significant in the overall world mercury budget.

The implications of these findings are numerous. For example, the burning of slash (forestry residue) may not be permitted before replanting recently logged areas. This could necessitate the need for new machinery to remove slash.

Another implication is that forests that are in poor health and posing the greatest fire hazard may receive priority attention for mitigating their fire hazard through mechanical removal of undergrowth or other means. A reduction in mercury emission potential would provide another justification for funds to mitigate fires.

A further implication is that it may increase the justification to use forestry residues in biomass-fueled plants—since these plants have emissions control equipment that could capture any mercury emissions.

For additional information on this subject, see the article entitled "Mercury and the Forest" in the February 2002 issue of Forest Products Equipment magazine, p. 10; and "Direct carbon emissions from Canadian forest fires, 1959-1999," in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 31: 512-525 (2001).

Hydrogen: A Not So Clean Fuel

A hydrogen economy has been touted by many as the silver bullet—the Holy Grail for clean energy whose only emission is water vapor. However, an article in the June 15, 2003, issue of Science Magazine by scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) questions this perception.

Hydrogen, comprising about 0.5 parts per million by volume of the earth’s atmosphere, is an important trace part of the atmosphere because it is involved in atmospheric chemical cycles of water and various pollutants and greenhouse gases. A modern fuel cell emits hydrogen in the form of H2, which quickly combines with oxygen in the air to become water vapor. However, the hydrogen fuel cell economy is still in its infancy, and much is still unknown as to what will happen with a large-scale economy based on hydrogen.

Current losses resulting from commercially transporting hydrogen are significantly over 10 percent. If these losses are conservatively estimated at 10 to 20 percent for new technology, and if all current technologies based on oil or gasoline combustion were replaced by hydrogen fuel cells, then hydrogen emissions from human activity would increase by 4 to 8 times over current hydrogen emissions.

Hydrogen that is added to lower portions of the atmosphere moves upward and mixes freely throughout the atmosphere, and thus becomes a source of water vapor in the upper atmosphere as well the lower atmosphere. Therefore, unless some force that also destroys hydrogen in equal amounts does not counter this increase in water vapor in the upper levels of the atmosphere, water vapor will build up and another form of global climate change will occur.

To estimate the effects of major increases in atmospheric water vapor, the Cal Tech scientists developed and ran a computer model. The model was run for two cases: (1) for concentrations of hydrogen and methane assumed to be the average values at the earth's surface, and (2) the same, except that the concentration of hydrogen at the earth's surface was increased to about 4 times the current assumed average at the earth's surface.

The results of the modeling suggest that a four-fold increase in hydrogen emissions will, among other things, lead to significant increases in water vapor and cooling of the lower stratosphere and substantial decreases in stratospheric ozone. The model also predicts that large emissions of man-made hydrogen could substantially delay the recovery of the ozone hole over the Antarctic. Large-scale emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are currently blamed for the Antarctic ozone hole.

In short, the effect of large-scale hydrogen emissions on the atmosphere will depend largely on how fast the hydrogen economy is phased in. A more rapid 20-year phase in—before the earth recovers from ozone depletion—will have a much more serious effect than a 50 year phase in. One consequence of this potential impact is a strategy to regulate the growth of the hydrogen economy to minimize ozone depletion.

USDA Announces Over $21 Million To Support Rural Renewable Energy And Energy Efficiency Efforts

On August 25, 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the selection of 113 applications for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvement grants in 24 states totaling $21,207,233, including over $1.2 million for nine recipients from Iowa.

The grant program is part of the Bush Administration's overall effort to increase America's energy independence through the development of renewable energy resources as well as improving efficiency of existing systems.

"America's rural businesses, farmers and ranchers are key to the development of renewable energy for our country," Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas C. Dorr said during a press conference here with Senator Charles Grassley. "The capital investments being made through these grants will support the conversion of our natural resources and residuals of farming operations into new sources of energy and help meet the energy goals outlined by President Bush in 2001."

The 2002 Farm Bill authorized the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements program. Applicants for the funding include agricultural producers or rural small businesses, U.S. citizens, or legal residents, and have demonstrated financial need. Rural Development grant funds can be used to pay up to 25 percent of the eligible project costs. Eligible projects include those that derive energy from a wind, solar, biomass, or geothermal source, or hydrogen derived from biomass or water using wind, solar, or geothermal energy sources. Awards were made on a competitive basis for the purchase of renewable energy systems and to make energy improvements.

Funding to assist with the development of renewable energy systems included: 35 applications totaling $7.4 million to support wind power, 30 applications totaling $7 million for anaerobic digesters, 6 applications totaling $1.1 million for solar systems and 16 applications totaling $3.9 million for ethanol plants, anaerobic digesters, direct combustion and fuel pellet systems. Awards were made on a competitive basis for the purchase of renewable energy systems and to make energy improvements.

The following biomass projects were funded:

A complete list of approved project dollars by state for all types of projects is shown in the table on page 6.

A list of selected applicants can be found at the USDA Rural Development web site at: http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2003/08/energylist.html. You may also contact Alisa Harrison at +1 202-720-4623 or Tim McNeilly at +1 202-690-0498. Refer to Press Release No. 0295.03

USDA Rural Development's mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. As a venture capital entity, Rural Development provides equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA's web site at www.rurdev.usda.gov.

USDA and DOE Award $23 Million in Joint Biomass Research and Development Initiative

On September 5, 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of 19 projects that will receive $23 million for biomass research, development and demonstration projects.

The joint grant program is part of the Bush Administration's effort to increase America's energy independence through the development of additional renewable energy resources from the agricultural and agroforestry sectors. Biomass is defined as organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis.

"The conversion of biomass into biobased products, fuels and energy offers significant benefits to the nation through healthier rural economies, improved environmental quality and improved energy independence," said Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman. "These grants will help develop additional renewable energy resources and expand markets for agricultural products."

"This Administration is committed to the development of a next-generation of biorefineries that serve the nation by producing cost-competitive biobased industrial products and transportation fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel," said Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. "The development of the biomass industry and biobased products will have a tremendous economic impact on rural America."

The 2002 Farm Bill allocated $75 million to USDA over six years to fund research, development and demonstration projects under the Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000. The legislation established a governing board co-chaired by USDA and DOE.

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy coordinated efforts to issue a joint solicitation that is awarding nearly $16 million in USDA funding and more than $7 million from DOE appropriations. About 400 proposals were received requesting more than $370 million. All eligible proposals were competitively evaluated in a three-step process that included a joint USDA-DOE technical merit review, cost analysis, and review under the respective independent priorities of the departments as published in the solicitation.

Following is a list of the 19 selected projects and the dollar amount funded.

DOE Projects:

Trustees of Dartmouth (Hanover, New Hampshire)-Integration of Leading Biomass Pretreatment Technologies with Enzymatic Digestion and Hydrolyzate Fermentation - $1,882,866

University of Florida (Gainesville, Florida)-Engineering Thermotolerant Biocatalysts for Biomass Conversion to Products - $1,437,620

PureVision Technology, Inc. (Ft. Lupton, Colorado)-Demonstration of the PureVision Biorefinery - $2,000,000

Cargill, Inc. (Minneapolis, Minnesota)-Platform Chemicals from an Oilseed Biorefinery - $1,877,176

Metabolix, Inc. (Cambridge, Massachusetts)-Advanced Biorefinery Feedstocks - $2,000,000

Utah State University (Logan, Utah)-Research and Demonstration of Anaerobic System on a Large Dairy Farm - $761,385

Earth Resources, Inc. (Carnesville, Georgia)-Animal Waste Management-Chicken Litter to Energy - $1,136,936

West Central Cooperative (Ralston, Iowa)-New Technologies for Production of Methyl Esters - $1,199,646

Clemson University (Clemson, South Carolina)-Heterogeneous Catalyst Development for Biodiesel Synthesis - $894,203

New Energy Solutions, Inc. (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)-Design and Demonstration of a Commercial Prototype for Onsite Production of High Purity Hydrogen from Farm Animal Wastes - $204,603

Archer Daniels Midland Company (Quincy, Illinois/ Decatur, Ind.)-Biomass Research and Development for the Production of Fuels, Chemicals, and Improved Cattle Feed - $1,400,000

GrainValue, LLC (St. Paul, Minnesota)-GrainValue Process: Pre-Commercialization Trials - $1,763,160

Pennsylvania State University (University Park, Pennsylvania)-Coupled Processes for Bioenergy Production: Biological Hydrogen Linked with Microbial Fuel Cells - $610,913

Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa)-Biopolymers and Other Value-Added Products from Distillers' Dried Grains - $1,000,000

Local Energy (Tesuque, New Mexico)-Biomass-Fired District Energy: A Source of Economic Development and Energy Security - $1,286,768

Vermont's Alternative Energy Corporation (Willston, Vermont)-Steps Towards a Biorefinery Industry in Vermont - $746,912

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station (College Station, Texas)-Biomass for Tomorrow's Energy and Greenhouse Gas Management Needs: An Economic, Engineering and Environmental Appraisal of Opportunities and Policies - $716,388

Sebesta, Blomberg & Associates, Inc. (Roseville, Minnesota)-Biomass Cogeneration Demonstration Plant at Central Minnesota Ethanol Cooperative - $2,000,000

T.R. Miles Technical Consultants, Inc. (Portland, Oregon)-Feasibility of an Integrated System for Improving the Economic and Environmental Performance of Poultry and Ethanol Production in North Alabama - $254,274

For information, contact USDA, Mary Cressel, +1 202-690-0547 or DOE, Chris Kielich, +1 202-586-5806.

Additional information on the 2002 Farm Bill can be found at www.usda.gov/farmbill.

Municipal Solid Waste: As Renewable As You Can Get

As Federal, State and Provincial governments put in place programs to make our energy supplies more secure and less reliant on fossil fuels, policy makers should give full consideration to energy derived from municipal solid waste, a truly renewable resource. Renewable Portfolio Standards that would require electricity generators to provide a certain percentage of their power from renewable fuels should give full renewable credit to landfill gas utilization, waste-to-energy and fuels produced from waste conversion technologies. Similarly, as electrical generators offer consumers the opportunity to purchase power from green sources, the energy derived from municipal solid waste should fully qualify as a green source.

U.S Federal agencies are all in agreement on this. In an April 2003 Letter to the Integrated Waste Services Association (IWSA), the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognized municipal solid waste as a renewable energy resource and stated that they include it in their tracking of progress toward achieving the Federal Government's renewable energy goal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also agrees. In a 2003 letter to IWSA, EPA acknowledged that municipal solid waste is a clean, renewable, reliable source of energy and endorsed the fact that waste-to-energy facilities are capable of producing electricity with less environmental impact than almost any other energy source.

Federal legislation and executive orders further reinforce the designation of municipal solid waste as a renewable resource. In 2000, the US Congress passed the Biomass Research and Development ACT, which promotes research and development leading to the production of fuels, chemicals, electric power or heat from biomass, which includes municipal waste and other waste materials. In 1999, the President issued Executive Order 13123 (Greening the Government through Efficient Energy Management) which directed the Federal Government, the Nation's largest energy consumer, to expand its use of renewable energy within all Federal Agencies. Renewable energy is defined in the Order to include energy produced from biomass.

In fact, Federal endorsement of municipal solid waste as a renewable energy source goes back over twenty-five years. In 1978, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) was passed to encourage more energy efficient and environmentally friendly commercial energy production, and many waste-to-energy facilities qualified under the provisions of this Act that ensured that fair market prices were paid for energy generated from renewable resources. The Federal Power Act Amendments of 1978 included biomass in its definition of renewable energy and the Department of Energy defined biomass as including municipal solid waste. DOE noted that about 80 percent of the dry weight of municipal solid waste is organic (biomass derived) material. The largest fraction of municipal solid waste is paper, wood, and vegetation, all of which is derived from the growing of trees, plants and bushes.

At the local level, the mayors of major US cities have added their support. In June 2000, the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution supporting federal legislation that promotes renewable energy including electricity generated from landfill gas, waste-to-energy, and agricultural and wood waste. The Mayors went on to urge that federal and state lawmakers ensure that any restructuring legislation proposals include provisions to preserve and protect this existing capacity of renewable energy resources.

As well as being derived from renewable resources municipal solid waste is also one of the cleanest forms of energy available. Capital improvements at waste-to-energy facilities, resulting from the Clean Air Act regulations, ensure that waste-to-energy is one of the cleanest sources of power in the world. Recognition of municipal solid waste as a renewable resource has a long and solid historical precedent, is based on sound science, and is simply good environmental and energy policy.

Reprinted from the July 2003 issue of MSW Solutions, authored by John H. Skinner, Executive Director and CEO of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA). For additional information on SWANA, contact them at 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 700, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3621, phone +1 301 585 2898, fax +1 301 598 7068.

SBIR/STTR FY 2004 Solicitation

DOE issues annual Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Solicitations. They are combined in one document; however, different rules apply to each program.

DOE plans to issue the FY 2004 SBIR/STTR Program Solicitation October 7, 2003. The closing date will be January 6, 2004. The solicitation will be available on the website at www.science.doe.gov/sbir on the release date. Printed copies will not be mailed unless you do not have Web access. The forty-seven technical topics of interest are now listed on the website; however, these topics are subject to change prior to release.

Effective October 1, 2003, all grant applicants will be required to provide a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number when applying for Federal Grants or cooperative agreements. Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling toll free 1-866-705-5711. Individuals who would personally receive a grant and are not from a business or other non-profit organization are exempt from this requirement.

Contact information for the SBIR/STTR Program is SBIR/STTR Program, SC-32/Germantown Building, US Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-1290; phone +1 301-903-1414; fax +1 301-903-5488; email sbir-sttr@science.doe.gov.