The California Energy Commission today awarded $999,924 for a research project that will look at converting biosolids to energy. Funding comes from the Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program.

“California continues to make significant strides in bioenergy research. By studying how to use biosolids more effectively, California will generate energy from previously untapped waste streams and reduce the volume going into our state’s growing landfills,” said Energy Commission Vice Chair James Boyd.

The Commission approved $999,924 to the Antioch-based Delta Diablo Sanitation District to develop, demonstrate, and implement a system to turn biosolids into energy. The total cost of the project is $4,738,924, with the remainder of costs coming from Intellergy Corporation of Richmond.

Biosolids are the treated byproduct produced by wastewater treatment facilities when organics are removed from municipal sewage. Biosolids contain latent energy that can be harnessed in several ways; one conversion method involves heating the material to break down the solids and create gases that are converted to energy.

Wastewater treatment facilities in California must address how to manage biosolids. Existing options for using biosolids are limited (mainly land application and alternative daily cover in landfills) and face increasing environmental challenges that could eliminate those options. Current disposal practices often involves hauling biosolids long distances, which consumes transportation fuels, increases greenhouse gas emissions, and increases ratepayers’ costs for wastewater treatment.

The Delta Diablo Sanitation District will lead the implementation of a regional biosolids to energy facility under the project that the Energy Commission is funding. The project will demonstrate the steam/carbon dioxide reforming technology of Intellergy which has yet to be commercially demonstrated with biosolids. The biosolids will be heated at a high temperature in an airlock vessel, vaporizing the liquids and gasifying the organic solids. Steam and carbon dioxide will then be added, producing a hydrogen-rich gaseous fuel known as syngas. The hydrogen gas produced will be used to run a fuel cell to generate electricity.

The district is leading the Bay Area Biosolids to Energy Coalition, a collective of 16 San Francisco Bay Area public agencies working on local, sustainable solutions to biosolids management. In 2009, 661,000 dry metric tons of biosolids were generated in California. More than 158,000 dry metric tons of biosolids are produced in the Bay Area annually.

The Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program supports public interest research and development that helps improve the quality of life in California by bringing environmentally safe, reliable, and affordable energy services and products to the marketplace. For more information, visit www.energy.ca.gov/research/.

Created by the California Legislature in 1974, the California Energy Commission is the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency. The Energy Commission has five major responsibilities: forecasting future energy needs and keeping historical energy data; licensing thermal power plants 50 megawatts or larger; promoting energy efficiency through appliance and building standards; developing energy technologies and supporting renewable energy; and planning for and directing state response to energy emergency.

One of former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s last actions before leaving office was to commute or reduce the manslaughter sentence of Esteban Nunez, the son of a former labor leader, Assembly Speaker and political ally Fabien Nunez. His action lead to a reduction of Esteban’s prison sentence from 16 years to 7.

You may remember Fabien Nunez. He authored Assembly Bill 32, the so- called “Global Warning Solutions Act” which authorized the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to set the scoping plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to 1990 levels via regulations, market mechanisms and other actions. Rules and mechanisms adopted by ARB are to take effect by January 1, 2012; the deadline for achieving the 2020 GHB emissions cap is December 31, 2020.

You’ve probably heard it referred to more frequently as “cap and trade” regulation. It’s been getting a lot of press lately e.g. a court in San Francisco has ordered further study of AB32 after environmentalists sued ARB saying failure to consider alternatives violated state environmental law.

The Cap-and-trade program gives polluters, such as a utility or refinery, a state permit allowing them to send a specified amount of carbon dioxide and other green house gases into the air. If the company emits less than its permit, it can sell its “carbon credits” to another company which has already used up its allotted amount of pollution, the logic of which I fail to comprehend.

What you may not have heard about, however, is the “Green Water Tax Proposal” drafted by students and consultants at the U.C. Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, reviewed by PUC staff and allegedly posted on their web site. (It’s not there now.).

The $3.4 billion surcharge or tax on energy related costs to pump and treat water would be implemented in 2012 in order to meet the administrative costs of implementing AB32. ( Note: It takes $1.1 billion to operate the entire State Water Project each year and the annual budget for the CA Dept of Water Resources is $3.6 billion.)

As Shakespeare put it, it appears that there maybe something rotten in the State of Denmark.

The California Youth Basketball League for both boys and girls, ages 4 through 18, is currently registering for the Spring 2011 season. Games begin April 9 and run through June 18.

The California Youth Basketball League focus is on developing basketball skills, sportsmanship and self esteem for the players.

Register as an individual or a team and play in tournaments by calling (916) 391-3900 or visit their website at www.cybhoops.com.

Nicole Bradburn

In January the Antioch Police Department began investigating the report of an inappropriate sexual relationship between a 14 year old male and a 30 year old female, Nicole Bradburn.  Bradburn met the 14 year old through her teenage daughter. 

The victim’s parents became suspicious at the amount of time he was spending with Bradburn, and at one point even obtained a temporary restraining order against her, according to police.  Bradburn had convinced the victim that she was “in love” with him, and therefore he would not admit to the relationship. 

It was not until the victim’s father discovered an incriminating text message from Bradburn, that he finally admitted an on-going sexual relationship that started in October, 2010, police said.

Last week detectives served a search warrant at Bradburn’s Antioch house and arrested her. On 3/21/2011 the DA’s office charged Bradburn with 27 counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. She is being held at Martinez County Jail on $1,675,000 bail.

The Antioch Police strongly believe there could be other victims. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Danielle Joannides at (925) 779-6931.

On Sunday at 12:30 a.m.  Antioch Police were called to Delta Bowl on the report of shots being fired in the parking lot. Officers arrived to find no gunshot victims, but evidence that a shootout had occurred.

They found more than 30 expended shell casings of different calibers, apparent human blood, and several cars that had bullet holes in them. No one at the bowling alley said they saw anything, but all said they heard the shootout.  The bowling alley was open at the time.

A short time later three adult males showed up separately at local hospitals, two with gunshot wounds and one with a head injury from being pistol whipped.  None of the victims’ injuries were considered life threatening, and all of the men were uncooperative with police.

Video surveillance of the shootout has been obtained by APD and is currently being examined by detectives. It appears the shooting is between two groups of males and isolated to the parking lot. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Desmond Bittner at (925) 779-6939.

A 19-year-old Antioch male was killed Saturday night after the driver of a vehicle traveling eastbound on James Donlon Boulevard lost control near Nightingale Drive and crashed into a retaining wall, causing the vehicle to flip on its side, according to police.

Two 16-year-old females and the 18-year-old driver were transported to the hospital for injuries – one of the females was in critical condition. The other 18-year-old male passenger was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Police, who have not released the names of the deceased male or those who were injured, are investigating the cause of the accident.

Mayor Jim Davis said via e-mail that his wife Susan, a police volunteer who was on the scene until 7 a.m. this morning, “called in a drunk driver who almost mowed her down while directing traffic. Resulting in his arrest.”

On March 8th, the City Council unanimously passed resolutions approving Letters of Understanding for the Antioch Police Sworn Management Association and the Antioch Police Officers Association (APOA).

As you probably know, both Antioch Police Sworn Management Association and APOA have a 3% at age 50 PERS retirement package vs. a 2.7% at age 55 for almost all other city employees (Pensions are calculated on wages earned during the final year of employment.)

Prior to the current economic woes and the growing unfunded heath and dental benefits for CalPERS state retirees, which as of June 30,2010, grew $8.1 billion from the $51.8 billion obligation identified in the prior year, Antioch employees paid zero toward their PERS retirement benefit. Which is why it was such an important factor in the city’s recent negotiations with all employee groups.

Employees in most units agreed to no raises in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 3% in 2013, in addition to a phase-in of employee share of payment for PERS. Here are some of the specifics of the deal Council cut with the Antioch Police Sworn Management Association and APOA.

The Antioch Police Sworn Management Association agreed to waive wages increases for November 2009, November 2010, March and November of 2011, March and November of 2012. Although waiving November 2013 wage increase, effective the first payroll periods after March 2013, March 2014 and March 2015 salaries are to be increased between 2-6%, the amount of salary increase to be based upon the existing four city survey of Concord, Pittsburg, Richmond and Walnut Creek, the city calculating the salary increase to bring members into second place.

The survey, however, will be limited to wage comparisons and won’t compare employee benefits, e.g. what employees pay into their health care coverage, retirement programs (such as PERS) or if they pay into Social Security. According to City Manager Jim Jakel, city employees are generally not paying into Social Security but do pay what he considers to be the Medicare portion.

The agreement also called for Police Managers to pay the full 9% employee share of PERS over a five-year phase in., extended their MOU to February 28, 2016 and included a Retire/Rehire Program, rather than upping the age of retirement to age 55!

APOA agreed to defer (not waive) the September 2009, September 2010, March 2011 and September 1, 2011 salary increases and begin paying 3% towards PERS as of July 1, 2011. Their concession agreement, however, ends on December 31, 2011, although their existing contract with the city runs till September 2013.

In addition, council granted them 2 extra holidays, meaning more officers will have to work overtime , allowing them to bump up their pensions when they retire. Increased overtime costs also mean less money for additional staffing.

Let’s hope the city has a tougher negotiator in their next round of contract talks with APOA . Frankly I think Council kicked the can down the road and should insist that APOA agree to a phase-in of the full employee share of PERS just as Antioch Police Managers did.