The latest Engineering Rocks Podcast with Jones Edmunds Senior Vice President Ken Vogel featured Perry Kent, Executive Director, and Joel Woolsey, Assistant Director, of the New River Solid Waste Association (NRSWA), Florida’s first multi-county, regional facility. The NRSWA consists of Baker, Bradford, and Union Counties and also accepts solid waste from Alachua, Levy, and Gilchrist Counties. Perry was the NRSWA’s very first employee, starting as a heavy lifter when they formed in 1988 and working his way up to serving as the Executive Director since 2018. Joel has over 26 years of experience in the solid waste industry, including previously working for Jones Edmunds as a Project Manager.
Ken noted that the NRSWA has been on the cusp of innovation for many years, pushing the boundaries of design and operation while being good stewards of the environment. NRSWA also keeps close ties to the University of Florida and serves as a research facility. Joel shared that leveraging technology and finding newer and better ways to do things allows them to run their operations more efficiently.
The podcast’s main topic of discussion was the NRSWA’s newest innovation, which recently celebrated a groundbreaking – a Renewable Natural Gas project that will convert landfill gas into pipeline-quality natural gas to be sold primarily to natural gas fueling stations. The project is the first of its kind in Florida and has been in the works for the last ten years. Perry and Joel discussed how the project will work, the hurdles they overcame in securing approval for the project, and the superior quality of the natural gas they will produce.
Jones Edmunds has been honored to provide engineering and consulting support to the NRSWA since its inception and collaborate with them on the many innovative approaches they have taken to solid waste management.
Watch the podcast below and any of the other Engineering Rocks Podcasts HERE and watch for our next one coming soon.