Form 6700-05 Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters

Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Introduction

2019 On-Farm Digester Survey
Thank you for your continued participation in EPA’s AD data collection project!
The survey has been streamlined making it even easier to submit your data. Two years of operating data (2017 and 2018) will be
collected this yea. Completion of this survey is voluntary.
We hope the reports EPA has produced based on this data are useful to you and the rest of the biogas industry. As with previous years,
the data collected through this survey will also be aggregated prior to its release. Thank you for taking the time to provide survey data.
Your input is greatly appreciated.
The goals of this project have not changed. EPA is collecting the data requested in this survey to quantify and track the amount of food
waste processed and available processing capacity in the United States. The survey also requests information on types of feedstocks
processed, the sources of feedstocks and the end uses of anaerobic digestion products. This year (2019) is the third year of the
project.
Please contact us with any questions about the survey or suggestions for improvement.
The public reporting and record keeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes per response. Send comments on the
Agency's need for this information, the accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden, including
through the use of automated collection techniques to the Director, Collection Strategies Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2822T), 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Include the OMB control number in any correspondence. Do not send the completed form to this address.

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Farm Location and Contact Information

To allow interested parties to verify the completeness of EPA’s research, general information (farm name, city, state, and operational
status) will be included in the report of findings (2020). All annual reports will be posted on EPA’s anaerobic digestion website.

* 1. Project/Farm Information
Project/Farm Name
Street Address
City/Town
State

-- select state --

ZIP/Postal Code
Phone Number

* 2. Contact person for farm operations:
Name
Title
Email Address
Phone Number

3. If you do not wish to have your farm’s general information (farm name, city, and state) included in future
EPA reports, please check the box below.
Please do not include the information provided on this page in future publications summarizing the data collected via this survey.

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Organic Waste Processing

This survey is designed to gather data on anaerobic digestion systems on livestock farms that co-digest
other organic wastes with manure.
* 4. It is assumed that your anaerobic digestion system was primarily built to process livestock manure
produced on your farm. In addition to this manure waste stream, are other organic wastes processed in
your anaerobic digester (commonly referred to as “co-digestion)?
Yes
No

LOGIC
Yes --> P5:Farm Operating Status
No --> P4:Co-Digestion of other Organic Wastes

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Co-digestion of other Organic Wastes

* 5. If other organic wastes are not being processed in your anaerobic digester at this time: (1) is your farm
planning for or interested in co-digesting other organic wastes in the future?; OR (2) did
your farm previously co-digest other organic wastes?
Yes
No

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Farm Operating Status

Please identify the operating status of the co-digestion system at your farm.

* 6. Farm operating status:
Planning stage; Design stage; Permitting Process
Co-digestion system under construction
Operational
Temporary shut-down
Ceased operation
Other (please specify)

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Planning Stage; Design Stage; Permitting Process

* 7. What is the targeted date for your co-digestion system to become operational (MM/DD/YYYY)?

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Under Construction

* 8. What is the targeted date for your co-digestion system to become operational (MM/DD/YYYY)?

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Operational

9. What date did your co-digestion system become operational (MM/DD/YYYY)?

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Temporary Shut-down

10. What date did your co-digestion system temporarily shut-down (MM/DD/YYYY)?

11. What is the targeted date for your co-digestion system to re-start operations (MM/DD/YYYY)?

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Ceased Operation

12. What date did your co-digestion system cease operations (MM/DD/YYYY)?

13. Please state the reason your co-digestion system ceased operations:

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
On-Farm Co-Digestion Capacity

Instructions: It is assumed that the primary feedstock treated in your on-farm digester is manure. The following questions are designed
to provide information about the capacity of your digester for co-digesting feedstocks other than manure from your own livestock. EPA
is trying to determine how much feedstock from other sources could potentially be processed in your digester. If you had an unlimited
amount of feedstock available to you – how much could you process in a year?
Later questions in this survey will ask how much food waste and non-food waste were processed or co-digested in your digester in
2017 and 2018. The combined amount of food waste and non-food waste processed in any given year should be less than or equal to
the available capacity reported below.

* 14. Please identify your facility’s available capacity to accept feedstocks from offsite sources.

* 15. Please indicate if this available capacity for processing feedstocks (other than manure from your own
livestock) is provided in gallons per year or tons per year.
Gallons per year
Tons per year

16. Please briefly describe how you calculated the available capacity to accept feedstocks from offsite
sources.

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Months of Operation

* 17. Please identify the number of months during the year 2017 that your anaerobic digestion system
received and processed feedstocks from offsite sources.

* 18. Please identify the number of months during the year 2018 that your anaerobic digestion system
received and processed feedstocks from offsite sources.

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Food-Based Feedstocks

The following questions focus on the amount of food-based feedstocks or food waste that is processed in your digester.
Food-based feedstocks include, but are not limited to:
Fruit/vegetative wastes
Food processing industry waste
Beverage processing industry waste
Food service waste, pre & post-consumer
Retail food waste
Source-separated commercial, institutional or residential organic wastes
Fats, oils and greases (FOG)
Slaughterhouse waste

* 19. Does your farm accept/process food-based feedstocks?
Yes
No

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Amount of Food-Based Feedstocks Co-Digested in 2017 & 2018

The food-based feedstocks (food waste) received/processed at your farm may be in liquid form, solid form
or both. In the spaces provided below, please provide the total volume of the liquids received/processed in
gallons and the total weight of the solids in tons for the years specified. If you received/processed all foodbased feedstocks in only one form, indicate "0" in the other space.
* 20. What was the total volume of food-based materials received/processed in liquid form at your farm
during the 2017 calendar year? Please express your answer in gallons.

* 21. What was the total weight of food-based materials received/processed in solid form at your farm
during the 2017 calendar year? Please express your answer in tons.

* 22. What was the total volume of food-based materials received/processed in liquid form at your farm
during the 2018 calendar year? Please express your answer in gallons.

* 23. What was the total weight of food-based materials received/processed in solid form at your farm
during the 2018 calendar year? Please express your answer in tons.

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Non-Food-Based Feedstocks

The following questions focus on the amount of non-food-based feedstocks that are processed in your digester.
Non-food-based feedstocks include, but are not limited to:
Mixed yard waste
Crop residues
Manures
Wastewater solids (sludge)
Septage
De-icing fluid
Lab (or Pharma) wastes
Paper mill wastes
Crude glycerin

* 24. Does your farm accept/process non-food-based feedstocks?
Yes
No

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Amount of Non-Food-Based Feedstocks Processed in 2017 & 2018

The non-food-based feedstocks received/processed at your farm may be in liquid form, solid form or both.
In the spaces provided below, please provide the total volume of the liquids received/processed in gallons
and the total weight of the solids received/processed in tons. If you received/processed all non-food-based
feedstocks in only one form, indicate "0" in the other space.
* 25. What was the total volume of non-food-based materials received/processed in liquid form at your
farm during the 2017 calendar year? Please express your answer in gallons.

* 26. What was the total weight of non-food-based materials received/processed in solid form at your
farm during the 2017 calendar year? Please express your answer in tons.

* 27. What was the total volume of non-food-based materials received/processed in liquid form at your
farm during the 2018 calendar year? Please express your answer in gallons.

* 28. What was the total weight of non-food-based materials received/processed in solid form at your
farm during the 2018 calendar year? Please express your answer in tons.

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Types of Feedstocks Processed

* 29. Have the types of feedstocks received/processed in your digester changed since you last responded to
this survey?
Yes
No
This is my first response to this survey.

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Types of Feedstocks Processed

* 30. Please identify the specific types of feedstocks that are received at/processed in your digester. Check
all that apply.
Beverage processing industry waste
Crop residues
Crude glycerin
De-icing fluid
Fats, oils and greases (FOG)
Food processing industry waste
Food service waste, pre & post-consumer
Fruit/vegetative wastes
Lab (or Pharma) wastes
Landfill leachate
Manures
Mixed yard waste
Paper mill wastes
Retail food waste
Septage
Slaughterhouse wastes
Source-separated commercial, institutional or residential organic wastes
Wastewater solids (sludge)
Other (please specify)

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Tipping Fees

The following questions focus on fees charged for accepting and processing feedstocks at anaerobic digestion facilities (AKA Tipping
Fees).

* 31. Do you collect tipping fees?
Yes
No

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Tipping Fees

* 32. Are you willing to share information about the tipping fees you collect?
Yes
No

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Tipping Fee Revenue

This data is being gathered to analyze revenue potential for the biogas industry. An approximation of revenue collected is acceptable. If
your farm was not operational during any of the years identified below, please indicate “N/A” or “0”.

33. How much revenue did your farm collect in tipping fees in 2017?

34. How much revenue did your farm collect in tipping fees in 2018?

35. If you would like to provide any other relevant or important information related to tipping fees, please do
so below.

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Feedstock Sources

36. Have the sources of the feedstocks received/processed in your digester changed since you last
responded to this survey?
Yes
No
This is my first response to this survey.

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Feedstock Sources

* 37. Please identify the sources of the feedstocks that are received and processed in the anaerobic
digestion system at your farm. Check all that apply.
Airports
Biodiesel production
Corporate complex
Farmers markets
Food/beverage processors
Fruit/vegetable farms
Grocery stores/supermarkets
Healthcare
Hospitality
Industrial
Laboratories/pharmaceutical companies
Other livestock farms
Municipal/residential
Prisons
Restaurants and food service
Retail stores
Schools
Sports and entertainment venues
Wastewater treatment plants
Other (please specify)

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Pre-Processing Information

* 38. Are pre-processing or de-packaging activities conducted on your feedstocks before they are added to
your digester?
Yes
No

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Pre-Processing Information - onsite offsite

39. Do pre-processing / de-packaging activities occur offsite or at your farm?
Offsite
Onsite (at your farm)
Both

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Pre-Processing Information

40. Please identify the pre-packaging or de-packaging activities that are conducted at your farm. Check all
that apply.
Manual or mechanized de-packaging
Screening for debris or sorting
Grinding and/or maceration
Third party processing
Shredding
Heating
pH adjustment
Centrifugal separation
Liquid/solid separation
Other (please specify)

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Digester Operating Parameters

41. Please identify the operating temperature range for your digester.
Mesophilic
Thermophilic
Unheated/Ambient

42. Please indicate if your digester is "wet" or "dry."
Wet, low-solids system, less than 15% (by volume) solids content.
Dry, high-solids system, greater than 15% (by volume) solids content.

43. Please identify the design that best fits your design type/configuration:
Continuously Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR)
Plug-flow
Covered Lagoon
Fixed film
Suspended Media
Percolating Bed
Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB)
Anaerobic Sequencing Batch Reactor (ASBR)
Membrane Bioreactor (MBR)
Hybrid/Multi-stage
Other (please specify)

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Product End-Uses - Biogas Volume

It is recognized that the metrics that farms use to measure biogas production may vary. EPA does not expect you to convert your
measurements. Please provide the average biogas production volume at your farm in one of the units identified below.
Standard Cubic Foot (SCF)

44. For calendar year 2017
SCF per minute (SCFM)
SCF per day (SCFD)
SCF per year (SCFY)
Other

45. For calendar year 2018
SCF per minute (SCFM)
SCF per day (SCFD)
SCF per year (SCFY)
Other

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Product End-Uses - Biogas Location

* 46. Is the biogas produced at this farm used onsite, sold, or flared? (check all that apply)
Used onsite
Sold
Flared
Other (please specify)

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Product End-Uses - Biogas

* 47. Please identify how the biogas produced at this farm is used. Check all that apply:
Produce mechanical power
Produce heat and electricity (CHP)
Produce electricity used behind the meter (including net metering)
Produce electricity (sold to grid)
Fuel boilers and furnaces to heat digesters
Fuel boilers and furnaces to heat other spaces
Compressed to vehicle fuels: used for farm/personal vehicles
Renewable natural gas (processed in order to inject to pipeline)
Other (please specify)

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Product End-Uses - Biogas Utilization

* 48. Are you able to utilize all of the biogas produced?
Yes
No

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Product End-Uses - Biogas Excess

49. Do you flare the excess biogas?
Yes
No

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Product End-Uses - Biogas Purification

* 50. Do you have a gas cleaning system?
Yes
No

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Product End-Uses - Biogas Purification Details

51. What is removed by your gas cleaning system? (select all that apply)
Moisture
Sulfur
Siloxanes
Carbon dioxide
Compressed gas
Hydrogen sulfide
Particulates
OxygenNitrogenVOCs
Nitrogen
VOCs
Other (please specify)

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Product End-Uses - Digestate

52. Do you re-use the solid digestate you produce? (Select all that apply)
Yes, de-watered/dried and land applied
Yes, composted into a reusable or salable product
Yes, processed into animal bedding
Yes, processed into other salable product (e.g., flower pots)
No, landfilled
No, incinerated
Other (please specify)

53. If any digestate was disposed of in landfills or incineratedin 2017, please specify the amount in tons or
gallons (if known):

54. If any digestate was disposed of in landfills or incineratedin 2018, please specify the amount in tons or
gallons (if known):

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Digestate Land Application

* 55. Is the de-watered/dried digestate further treated prior to land application?
Yes
No

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Digestate Land Application Further Processing

56. Please indicate what additional processing occurs and why.

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Digestate Processing

* 57. How do you manage the liquid digestate you produce? (Select all that apply)
Reused as fertilizer via land application
Recirculated through digester
Discharged to a wastewater treatment plant
Other (please specify)

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Digestate Land Application

* 58. Is the liquid digestate further treated prior to land application?
Yes
No

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Digestate Land Application Further Processing

59. Please indicate what additional processing occurs and why.

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Data Tracking Form for On-Farm Anaerobic Digesters Co-Digesting Food-based Materials
Digestate Nutrient Recovery

60. Do you recover nutrients from your digestate?
No
Yes, phosphorous and nitrogen recovery by chemical precipitation (e.g., struvite)
Other (please specify)

Please click DONE to submit your data.

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