    
|
The Digital Publishing Interest Group has published two First Public Working Drafts today:
Learn more about the Digital Publishing Activity.
]]>MARION, Iowa - Keynote speaker Craig Stuart-Paul, chief executive officer of waste-to-energy company Fiberight, told a luncheon crowd of 315 on Wednesday that his company will be able to keep 80 percent of what they toss in the garbage out of the landfill.
The message has been a welcome one for city and community leaders in Marion, which has the local Solid Waste Agency’s Site 2 landfill on its northern border.
Stuart-Paul told the Marion Economic Development Co.’s annual meeting that Fiberight will begin this summer to build a new garbage sorting, shredding and recycling facility in Marion’s industrial center at 4390 Third Ave. The facility should be up and running in the last quarter of 2014, he said.
Lon Pluckhahn, Marion’s city manager, said city regulatory steps have slowed down the "materials reclamation facility" by a few months.
He also said Fiberight’s Marion’s plan now comes in two phases, with the first phase creating 26 jobs and a possible second phase another 17.
Stuart-Paul’s $15-million investment in Marion is part of a larger project that includes the conversion and expansion of a former corn-based ethanol plant in Blairstown in Benton County into a plant that turns the organic material in trash separated in Marion into ethanol. The Maryland-based Fiberight calls its product Trashahol.
Stuart-Paul has been embraced by Marion city officials and the City Council leaders, who signed a development agreement with Fiberight last summer and committed to sending the city’s municipal solid waste to his facility.
The facility, though, needs significantly more trash than the city itself can steer its way in a county where agreements among cities call for garbage to be taken to the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency’s Site 2 landfill. The landfill, which opened its own $12-million recycling and resource-recovery facility in January, is just a few miles north of where Fiberight intends to build its waste facility in Marion. The Solid Waste Agency depends on revenue from garbage to support its operation and its community recycling and education programs, and so it has been looking on at the Fiberight plan with great interest and some skepticism.
After Wednesday’s speech, Stuart-Paul met with Karmin McShane, the executive director of the Solid Waste Agency.
After the meeting, McShane said she still wondered how Fiberight would make its plans work economically for the company.
Stuart-Paul said Fiberight began conversion work at the Blairstown facility in the second half of 2013, and he said construction to expand the existing facility there will begin in April.
Linn County Supervisor Brent Oleson, a Marion resident and chairman of the Solid Waste Agency, on Wednesday said Stuart-Paul made "a good initial salvo of arguments" at the Marion lunch event for why the Fiberight facility in Marion is a good idea.
Oleson said he views the proposed Marion garbage facility in two ways, as a Marion resident and Linn supervisor on the one hand, and as a Solid Waste Agency board member on the other hand.
"(In the first two roles), I’m excited, I want to learn more," he said. "Any time a company of that kind wants to come here and make that kind of investment in our community, it’s something to be excited about."
As a member of the Solid Waste Agency Board, he said he wants to review the plan more to make sure it is best for the county and the region.
"I have no reason not to think that," he said.
Stuart-Paul, who has worked in the recycling industry for years, said Fiberight has operated a small demonstration facility in Virginia for two years to work out the kinks in the waste-to-energy process.
The company has secured a $25-million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s biorefinery program as well as a $2.9-million grant from the Iowa Power Fund.
Fiberight is also in negotiations with the city of Iowa City to set up a garbage sorting facility at the Iowa City Landfill, from where it will take organic material — food waste, pizza boxes and diapers, for instance — and truck it to the Blairstown ethanol plant.
Stuart-Paul said he is building in Marion because of the city’s "unwavering commitment to zero waste" and the support from city officials to bring the Fiberight project to reality.
"At the end of the day, what’s not to love?" he said.
One questioner asked about odor, and he said garbage stinks. But he said an odor-treatment system will eliminate any odors outside the Marion plant.
|
|
Here is the spreadsheet with two tabs about High Tide: housing & driving. We know people may crash at the house occasionally, but we need everyone to try and stick with their sleeping arrangements and cars as much as possible. Otherwise we're going to get too unorganized.
If you have questions or issues, please comment below. Tell everyone to look at this spreadsheet asap and start coordinating with your driver! Start figuring out when you're going to make your hair pink. We will be discussing meal plan situations soon.
]]>
Apply to STRiVE!
An optional information session will beheld on March 10 at 6pm in Commons 331I am excited to announce the 7th UMBC STRiVE Leadership Retreat will be held May 27 - 31, 2014. Because of growing demand, Student Life is offering this summer session to give more students and staff the opportunity to be a part of STRiVE.
STRiVE is an intensive and engaging off-campus leadership retreat (5 days, 4 nights) developed to inspire students to become more effective leaders on campus and in their lives. The STRiVE Coaches (consisting of 12 UMBC students and staff) tailor a curriculum that encourages the 50 participants to make new friends, learn about themselves, reflect on values and ethics, work in teams to develop practical plans for making a difference on campus, and tackle both simulated and real leadership challenges. STRiVE has been developed by Student Life in partnership with the Student Government Association.
You are invited to apply to be a part of the 2014 STRiVE group.
Applications are due Wednesday, March 26 at 11:59pm: tinyurl.com/STRiVE2014
If you have any questions, please contact me (Virginia Byrne in Student Life) atvbyrne@umbc.edu. More information on this program is available below.
Sincerely,
Virginia Byrne, Student Life Coordinator for Leadership Development & Education
Make friends!
Make a difference!
Have a ton of fun!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is STRiVE?
STRiVE is an intensive and engaging off-campus leadership retreat (5 days, 4 nights) developed to inspire students to become more effective leaders on campus and throughout their lives. The STRiVE Coaches (consisting of 12 UMBC students and staff) tailor a curriculum that encourages the 50 participants to make new friends, learn about themselves, reflect on values and ethics, work in teams to develop practical plans for making a difference on campus and in society, and tackle both simulated and real leadership challenges. STRiVE is funded by Student Life, the Student Government Association, alumni donors and participant fees.
Do I have to be an “involved” student to attend STRiVE?
Absolutely not! STRiVE will be helpful to any student regardless of previous involvement or leadership experience. No prior experience is necessary! We are looking for a diverse group of students committed to developing their leadership skills and applying them to create positive change in the campus community. The application asks about campus involvement only to give the STRiVE planning team a sense of the different perspectives participants will bring to the retreat.
Where is STRiVE being held?
STRiVE will be held at an Mar-Lu-Ridge Camp and Retreat Center in Jefferson, MD (round-trip buses will be provided to participants). Participants will stay in cabins in a community (sharing rooms) and all activities will be held on site.
How much does it cost?
UMBC covers most of the cost of each participant’s attendance. However, there is a $100 participation fee that helps cover some of the cost of transportation, lodging and food. Money should not be a barrier to attendance, however, and there is a section of the application where any participant can request financial assistance.
What is the “Vision Selection”?
STRiVE participants will devote a portion of the retreat to developing plans to make an impact in connection with an issue or problem about which they feel passionate. In the Vision Selection portion of the application, participants are asked to rank a few social topics so that we can group students with similar interests. However, there will be plenty of opportunities to interact with all STRiVE participants outside of the Vision Group. Please note that the planning team will make every effort to place participants according to their choices; however, we are unable to guarantee participants any specific topic at this time. We encourage participants to be open-minded and flexible when considering their vision selection.
When is the participant application due?
Applications will be available March 3 and will be due March 26. Applications can be found attinyurl.com/STRiVE2014 on March 3.
When are accepted applicants informed?
Applicants will receive an email in April with additional details about participating in STRiVE.
How can I find out more information about STRiVE?
For additional information, please contact me (Virginia Byrne) at vbyrne@umbc.edu or come to the optional information session on March 10 at 6pm in Commons 331.
Due to city water pressure issues effecting campus. Campus will be closing for students at 10:00a.m. and for Faculty/Staff at 11:00a.m. Please see the below list of shuttles departing campus.
Catonsville: 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM
Arbutus: 11:30 AM
Halethorpe/Satellite11:10 AM, 12:00 PM
Wave N' Ride: 10:30 AM
]]>
