The Air Pollution Control District (APCD) announced plans to
examine the feasibility of converting Santa Barbara’s trash to
energy or fuel; specifically, the APCD will study trash-to-gas
facilities in Arkansas, Idaho, and Ohio. The Arkansas and Idaho
facilities produce ethanol and electricity, respectively, via
gasification of waste materials; the Ohio plant converts
“cellulosic materials” such as paper and wood to ethanol via
fermentation. The APCD, armed with a $400,000 state grant, will
test what pollutants are released when samples of Santa Barbara’s
waste are subjected to these processes.
