Delegate Mary Roe Walkup's argument, several years back, to exempt septic system users from the "flush tax" was that septic systems don't pollute the bay.

Kent County news, Feb 2006:

[She said] A third bill will exempt septic system users from the flush tax. “… A septic system that is properly maintained is not contributing to pollution in the bay,” Walkup said.

Go figure.

I thought the following information would be of interest as it directly relates to proboems with sanitary sewer overflows, the quality of Chesapeake Bay and the need to find new sources of green energy.

FATS, OILS AND GREASE (FOG) TO GREEN FUEL

Abstract

All major metropolitan areas currently have a valuable source of unrecognized renewable energy in the form of green fuel. This fuel is currently clogging municipal waste water treatment plants, contributing to the pollution of our clean water supplies, and endangering the health of the general public. This renewable energy source in called FOG (fats, oils, and grease) and comes from the improper disposal of grease from restaurants, fast food facilities, food processors, and many more facilities. When properly collected and processed, FOG can provide supplemental fuel for wastewater treatment plants, power plants and rolling stock in the form of bio-boiler fuel and bio-diesel. Since 85 – 90 percent of the material collected is water, FOG also provides a source of water to these same facilities for cooling water and process applications depending upon the level of water treatment desired.

When FOG is properly collected and processed, it becomes a relatively inexpensive source of both renewable green energy and process water. Considerable work has already been done to prove the viability of the concept. Facilities are in production producing FOG cake as supplemental fuel in solid fuel boilers and producing biodiesel from various types yellow grease.

The proper disposal and collection of FOG has multiple benefits both economic and how it affects our quality of life. These benefits include:

 Self-generation at Waste Water Treatment Plants – There are very few methods available to WWTF to reduce their energy costs. Using biofuels derived from FOG provides an opportunity to address a number of issues causing problems in our waste water treatment plants and to solve their energy needs.
 Protecting Fresh Water Resources – Eliminating or reducing SSO overflows by getting waste grease our of our sanitary sewers has tremendous health benefits and quality of life benefits in addition to the economic benefits described above.
 Sanitary Sewer Maintenance – If we assume annual sewer maintenance costs associated with FOG related problems account for 50% of actual sewer maintenance costs, the savings derived from this displacement can be significant.
 Sulfur Emissions Reductions (No. 6 oil / HFO) – Burning FOG derived fuel displaces No. 6 oil. FOG derived fuel has essentially zero sulfur content and will therefore displace the equivalent sulfur content of the HFO displaced. The sulfur content of HFO can be as low as 0.007% and at this level the use of 3 MMGal/year boiler biofuel will result in approximately 172, 200 lbs of sulfur emissions reduction per year.
 Extended Boiler Operations – An additional benefit may relate to extended boiler operation by supplementing fossil fuel with FOG derived boiler fuel in sufficient amounts to allow boilers that are out of operational compliance with sulfur emission caps to continue to operate. The alternative could be the addition of expensive environmental equipment add-ons to bring the facility into compliance.
 Green Energy Credits (No. 6 oil / HFO) – Green energy credits are gaining in value throughout the US. Displacing 3,000,000 gallons per year of conventional fossil fuel with Green Bio-boiler Fuel could return a fair market value to off-set higher fuel purchase costs. Carbon Credits will provide additional sources of revenue.