A FLUIDIZED BED INCINERATION SYSTEM DESIGN, PERMITTING, AND STARTUP EXPERIENCE AT THE YPSILANTI COMMUNITY UTILITIES AUTHORITY WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY

This paper presents an important case history of a community seeking to expand the existing wastewater treatment facility from 29 MGD to 46 MGD, while producing cleaner water and cleaner air emission at a reasonable cost. After rigorous evaluation of alternatives, the fluidized bed incineration was selected as the most favorable biosolids management strategy to replace the prior system using multiple hearth incineration. Details on the permit application, regulatory review and public participation are described below. The resulting state-of-the-art incineration and air treatment system received the first Michigan Permit-to-Install for such a system in over 20 years. This permit includes stringent emission requirements, elaborate interlocking process parameters, tight operating ranges, and detailed recording and reporting requirements. System construction was completed in late 2005, and the system start-up was planned for early 2006. The system consists of an 18 ft diameter fluidized bed incinerator, with 4 air cleaning processes: two stages of scrubbers, a wet electrostatic precipitator, and an activated carbon adsorber.