There is a regional push to get the state to quickly approve the proposed organic material processing and transportation facility at 200 Terminal Street in Charlestown known as the Charlestown Maritime Center.
The MWRA has begun a co-digestion program for the Deer Island Treatment facility in Winthrop, Mass. The program would ship organic fuel processed from the Charlestown facility to Deer Island via barge.
However, without the Charlestown plant up and running, the MWRA is seeking to ship eighteen truckloads per day, seven days per week, of food waste from other facilities using community roads surrounding the Deer Island plant. This has neighbors of Deer Island up in arms over the plan.
According to the Charlestown Maritime Center proposal the plant would ‘produce a clean feedstock material for introduction into the Anaerobic Digestion facilities at MWRA’s Deer Island Treatment Plant (DITP)…The anaerobic digestion feedstock Engineered Fuel Source (EFS) bioslurry will be delivered by barge to the DITP facilities.”
This would remove all the trucks from neighborhood streets delivering the alternative fuel source to Deer Island.
According to the Charlestown Maritime Center’s Environmental Notification Form (ENF) the owner proposes the construction of a new 9,900 square foot structure serving as an organic material processing and transportation facility all with water dependent uses.
The proposal will also relocate a small 7,200 square foot building that will be used for “swing space” for the adjacent water-dependent use. The building will be relocated to 333 Terminal Street.
The project supports the State’s long term plan for a greener Commonwealth of Massachusetts by diverting 135 tons of source separated food organic waste material otherwise destined to be landfill.