An anaerobic digester in Fremont, which converted food waste into energy, is in the final stages of being shut down — a choice its owners made after clashing with the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy over how to permit the facility’s waste.
The facility's process of converting food waste into energy created a sludgy waste byproduct that was spread onto farm fields. That nutrient-rich mixture is helpful for plant growth, but it also contains heavy metals and toxins like PFAS.
The facility had previously received permits for its waste, which the state had regulated as a solid. But in 2021, EGLE said that waste needed to be regulated as a liquid instead. The company that owned the digester disagreed, pointing to the solid waste permits EGLE had previously approved.
That dispute escalated. Now, the company that ran the facility, Generate Upcycle, has closed the digester, withdrawn its latest permit application and is looking to divest.
“The investment in the infrastructure needed to meet the requirements … would have been a very disruptive change, and [it] was definitely not financially viable to keep the investment operating,” said Dan Meccariello, vice president of operations with Generate Upcycle.
Meccariello said the company is no longer interested in doing business in Michigan unless the regulatory environment changes.
EGLE is mandated with protecting drinking water by regulating waste and pollutants as outlined in the Michigan Environmental Protection Act.
In an email to IPR, an EGLE spokesperson said that the department "recognizes the value of digesters in Michigan and is committed to working with the state’s digester operators to ensure they can continue transforming waste into a resource while protecting the environment.”
Environmental groups, meanwhile, celebrated the facility's closure, saying spreading the waste on farm fields as it was previously permitted threatened drinking water and groundwater in Fremont.
The conflict came up at a state House Oversight Committee hearing about EGLE in March. There, Meccariello raised concerns about the department’s permitting process and operations, while others testified in favor of the state's actions. Bills introduced to the House earlier this spring also deal with regulating waste from digesters.
