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DOE/EA-1767: Final Environmental Assessment
Analyzes an open-loop manufacturing facility to create biomass fuels from recycled wood construction and demolition debris.
Virginia State Energy Program’s Cephas C&D Wastes Biomass Project; Richmond, Virginia
DOE issued final DOE/EA-1767, which analyzed the potential environmental impacts of allowing Virginia to use federal grants to assist Cephas Industries in the construction of an open-loop manufacturing facility to create biomass fuels from recycled wood construction and demolition (C&D) debris in Richmond, Virginia. The proposal included the installation of conveyors, a shredder/grinder, a picking station, a magnetic separator, excavators and loaders to separate the C&D debris for processing and to load end products for distribution.
Cephas Industries (Cephas) is proposing to construct an open-loop biomass manufacturing facility in Richmond, Virginia. The demand for recycling construction and demolition (C&D) debris has rapidly increased in recent years prompting the construction of approximately 200 biomass manufacturing facilities nationwide, with more expected to be developed. Of particular value is the recycling of wood and woody material into biomass commodities that can be sold to end-users as an alternative fuel source. Studies have shown that the recycling of C&D debris serves to: produce energy, conserve landfill space, reduce the environmental impact of producing new materials, and reduce overall construction project expenses by lessening disposal costs.
Cephas applied for funding assistance from Virginia’s State Energy Program (SEP) through the Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy (DMME). DMME selected this project to receive a grant from the SEP. States can apply their SEP funds to a variety of activities related to energy efficiency and renewable energy. Recently, much of states’ SEP funding came from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) of 2009 (Public Law 111-5, 123 Stature 115; Recovery Act), in which Congress appropriated $3.1 billion to the Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) for SEP grants and from which Virginia received $70 million pursuant to a statutory formula for financial distribution.
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