Kentucky Forest Products Industry Directory - Data collection of wood residuals from the secondary wood industry in Kentucky

B. Ammerman, UK Forestry and Natural Resource Extension, A. Conway, UK Forestry and Natural Resource student intern, M. Branscum, UK Forestry and Natural Resource student intern, C. Niman, Cartographer.

Data results will be published on the University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources website - https://forestry.ca.uky.edu/ 

Background:

During a spring 2019 meeting of the State Wide Energy Team (SWET), at the Kentucky Forest Industry Association Annual Meeting, it was discussed there was a need for Kentucky to identify the type and quantities of wood residues produced from the secondary wood industry in our state.   The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Kentucky Division of Forestry (KDF) maintains a database of identified wood industries, both primary and secondary, located in Kentucky. This database includes information on what our industries produce and other associated data. The database has two uses. One being for KDF and UK to respond to requests for industry information by planners, policy makers, and buyers of wood products produced in our state and the other is for the generation of statewide, regional and county economic impact data. Specified data from the entire directory dataset is made available to the public, both as a periodically printed hardcopy report and through a searchable web portal - https://kentuckywoodindustry.ca.uky.edu/. This allows companies and individuals to find sources for products made in Kentucky. We have the ability to add categories to the data set that could include residue production and other important metrics.  While UK and KDF work collaboratively to ensure that basic data about our industries is up-to-date, typically the work is divided, with KDF handling primary industries and UK handling secondary industries. Specific to primary residues, KDF collects specific information that can be used determining types and quantities of residuals produced through the Timber Products Output survey conducted biennially. UK however, does not collect specific enough information from the secondary producers to determine residual types and/or quantities. As mentioned previously, it was discussed at this meeting there being a need for this information.  Basically, the SWET was wanting to understand what opportunities there might be, if any, for using residuals or waste materials produced from the state’s secondary wood manufacturers.  As a result UK Forestry Extension offered to collect some of this data, if funding could be provided.  After a proposal was produced, it was agreed the State Wide Energy Team would provide that funding for UK Forestry Extension to hire two Forestry student interns to help with the data collection.  The data would be used for updating the secondary side of the directory and for determining the type and quantity of residuals that might be available for energy production.  

Survey results:

• 316 secondary wood producing facilities were contacted for the survey.
• A total of 574,477 metric tons of residuals was determined to be produced by the secondary wood industry in Kentucky.
• Of the 316 facilities, 144 were identified as paying for disposal delivered to landfills.  The rest either sold or made products using their residuals or already used their residuals for energy production.
• 76 of the 144 facilities were identified as generating 4 metric tons or more of residuals that are being hauled to landfills for a total of 9,636 metric tons of waste. Nearly all of these residuals has a moisture content of less than 10%.
• 17 of these facilities acknowledged concern for future disposal.

Conclusions:

Less than half of those surveyed indicted any issues with residuals/waste removal.   As predicted, much of the residuals produced by the secondary wood industry has relatively low moisture content and therefor there are many options for its use.  Energy production for heating plants and kilns would be at the top of list, but shavings can be used for animal bedding and the cutoffs/chips can be used for charcoal production.  There are three major charcoal producing plants in Kentucky that consume several tons of residuals/waste annually.  This group of facilities are the largest producers of residuals in the industry and account for 98% of the total volume produced.  However, there are 144 facilities that are having difficulty removing their wood waste.  These are typically very small operations that do not produce all that much waste.   There is a subgroup of these facilities (seventy-six) that produce more than four metric tons annually and account for a total 9,636 metric tons being hauled to landfills.  Many of these facilities are located around metropolitan areas such as Louisville, Lexington, London, and Somerset – see map attachment B.   There may be an opportunity for the development of a facility in one of these areas that could use these residuals for energy production.  Based on provided documentation from one of these producers, we estimate these industries may be spending over $400,000 on dumping fees at local landfills annually.