Koberlein Environmental is expanding the septage holding capacity at the farm where it land applies over 3 million gallons of residential septage each year.
After 7 years in operation, running with 100,000 gallons of storage capacity, the company’s ongoing growth as well as an increase in the number of permitted acres for spreading have prompted Koberlein’s owner, Chris Ravenscroft, to invest in two 65’ diameter concrete tanks which will hold just under 500,000 gallons of septage.
Increased holding capacity will help assure sufficient land application disposal capacity so that the naturally occurring nitrogen and lime added to the residential septage can be beneficially reused rather than simply treated by regional disposal facilities and released into the streams and rivers of Northeastern PA.
There are other environmental benefits as well: larger capacity provides flexibility when septage is spread on the farm so that more gallons can be spread under optimal conditions, and more capacity also means fewer gallons hauled off for disposal, reducing truck travel and the associated carbon footprint of hauling activities.
These new tanks are in effect a tangible example of Koberlein’s implementation of the company’s Environmental Policy, which states that the company is “committed to protecting human health and the environment.
This commitment is a keystone of all that we do, reflected in the services we provide to customers, the design and operation of our facilities, the conditions under which our employees work and our interactions with the communities where we live and do business.
"We will be responsible stewards of the environment and protect the health and well-being of our employees and neighbors.” And further, the company “will practice and promote the conservation of nature and the earth’s energy resources.”
Finally, from an economic perspective, more holding capacity means more locally disposed septage and fewer truck trips to distant regional disposal sites.
Accordingly, the company not only has a smaller carbon footprint, it also has an enhanced ability to maintain its costs and the prices charged to its residential customers ’s in Northeastern PA and nearby NY counties.
At a time when regional disposal capacities for trucked in waste such as residential septage are diminishing and becoming more expensive, Koberlein’s timely investment in increased holding capacity creates economic benefits for the company and its customers, as well as environmental benefits for the farm and the surrounding area.
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