A GIS Database of North Carolina Municipal Waste Land Application Sites: Current Uses and Potential for Biofuels Crop Production

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2011-10

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ABSTRACT NIELSEN, LAURIE EVANS. A GIS Database of North Carolina Municipal Waste Land Application Sites: Current Uses and Potential for Biofuels Crop Production. (Under the direction of Dr. Elizabeth Nichols.) A Geographic Information System (GIS) database of North Carolina municipal wastewater and biosolids land application sites was developed to provide spatial information about municipal waste management lands, and to help assess the potential for production of biofuels crops on public lands within the state. The primary purpose of this database is to support ongoing research on the potential use of municipal waste land application fields for the production of biofuels crops, by providing data on the size, location, distribution and current uses of municipal liability lands in North Carolina. In addition, the database contains updated contact information for local operators and decision-makers, which will facilitate dissemination of information about biofuel crop production to the regulated community. Parties who may find the spatial database and maps useful include representatives from the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR), the N.C. Eastern Region Military Growth Task Force, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, North Carolina municipalities, and others with a vested interest in the development of sustainable, renewable energy sources for the state. Maps depicting municipal facilities with non-discharge permits issued by NCDENR’s Aquifer Protection Section were created to show the state-wide distribution of sites receiving either treated wastewater irrigation or land-application of wastewater-treatment residual biosolids. A total of 90,554 acres are currently permitted to receive treated municipal wastewater products in North Carolina. Phone surveys were conducted to obtain current information about land-use patterns on these application sites, including the growing of traditional small-grain row-crops for livestock consumption, grasses used for hay or pasture, or trees. With few exceptions, virtually no biofuels crops are being produced on municipal liability lands at this time. This database represents the first known spatial depiction of total North Carolina acreage devoted to the disposal of wastewater treatment plant residues or post-treatment water. The database currently is housed on a server within the NCSU College of Natural Resources, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources.

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Municipal Solid Waste, Biofuel Crops

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