Mayor pushes waste-gasification project

Gustavo Reveles Acosta
El Paso Times
Thursday, September 27, 2001

El Paso Mayor Ray Caballero would like to use the city's solid waste and sewage as a source of power, and said he will need the help of local agencies and companies to build a multimillion-dollar operation.

Caballero and other officials heard the first presentation on the proposed El Paso Gasification Project on Wednesday from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project would convert organic waste into a clean synthetic gas that could be used to produce electricity and other raw fuels.

"It is costing the city more money each year to dispose of waste," Caballero said. "This plant would in turn take that waste and make it into revenue for the city."

The plant, in the planning stages, would cost nearly $500 million and would require the financial support of companies, including El Paso Electric and Chevron, along with the monetary support of agencies such as the Public Service Board and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.

"Ideally this needs to be a partnership," said Larry Gonzalez, a partner with the EPA who will work on the gasification project with city officials. "A lot of the companies that will hopefully get involved have to worry about waste, too, and this will benefit them and ease their accountability in waste disposal matters."

Gonzalez said that the gas is a cheap way to run public transportation and that electric power generated by the plant could bring rates down.

An El Paso plant could be built in three years if a partnership between the city and other agencies materializes, Gonzalez said. It would employ about 200 people.

"This is very feasible. I can't think of anyone that would not want this to happen," Caballero said.

Although several gasification plants exist in the country, none are publicly owned or operated, Gonzalez said.

"We are always looking for alternatives of waste disposal and this is a wonderful one," said Emma Acosta, deputy director of the El Paso Solid Waste Department.

Gonzalez will work to secure funding, including loans and grants from the federal and state governments. The U.S. Department of Energy and the El Paso Empowerment Zone have shown interest, Gonzalez said.

Gustavo Reveles Acosta may be reached at greveles@elpasotimes.com