CITY OFFICIALS VIEW COMPOST EQUIPMENT

City officials from Cape Girardeau, Jackson and other communities Friday got a first-hand look at a prospective way to dispose of leaves and tree limbs.

A compost turner and industrial-sized tub grinder that grinds large tree limbs into mulch were put through their paces during demonstrations at the city's leaf compost pile on South West End Boulevard at Shawnee Park.

Doug Kaminskey, environmental services coordinator for the city of Cape Girardeau said the compost turner is similar to a rake used to wind-row hay.

"It lifts and turns the piled leaves and yard waste and blends and circulates them to let in more air," he said. "The more air that gets into the pile the better and faster the leaves will decompose without odor. This machine speeds up the process."

Kaminskey said that if dead leaves and yard waste, such as grass clippings, are not turned over regularly, they take longer to decompose. Also, the lack of air causes heat to build up deep in the leaf pile.

"When the heat reaches a certain temperature it begins to create a strong odor." Kaminskey said.

When the compost turner started working its way through the leaf piles Friday morning, the heat produced was evident by the steam released.

The compost turner was demonstrated by Randy Buendorf, assistant sales manager for Winning Equipment Co. of Herculaneum.

Buendorf also demonstrated the industrial, 300 horsepower tub grinder, a much larger version of the city's tree limb and wood grinder. The grinders turn tree limbs into wood mulch that's used for landscaping or gardening.

Kaminskey said Cape Girardeau and other cities in the state are looking at similar equipment as they work to comply with Senate Bill 530, which this prohibits disposal of leaf and yard waste in landfills. The bill also prohibits burning of tree limbs and other wood products at sanitary landfills.

"With the ban on leaves and burning in the landfill, we're going to have to find some way to dispose of the leaves and brush," Kaminskey said. "The compost turner and tub grinder gives us an alternative.

"The composted leaves and wood mulch make excellent sources of soil, and cover for gardens, flower beds, around trees and shrubs. It's a recyclable waste product."

Others who watched Friday's demonstration were Cape Girardeau City Manager J. Ronald Fischer, Jackson City Administrator Carl Talley, and members of the Cape Girardeau County Commission.

The price of the compost turner is $75,000. The price of the tub grinder was not available. Kaminskey said constraints in the city's budget likely will delay any plans to purchase the equipment soon.

"I'd like to buy both of them right now," he said. "But it will depend on the budget.

"If we do purchase them, we plan to give other cities in the area an opportunity to rent the units for their leaf and tree limb disposal. The equipment can be shared with other towns in the area because they are also facing the same kind of landfill restrictions that we are."

Kaminskey said the leaf compost turner would be used either weekly or several times a month, depending on the air temperature.

"If it is warm, the leaves will have to be turned more often," he said. "But there will be times when we won't use the unit in Cape, so other cities can use it."

Kaminskey said the tub grinder is mobile and can be moved and operated where it's needed.