PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Compost Facility, now in its 24th year, is celebrating its 100th batch of compost.
The city of Port Townsend facility, which was built in 1992, began operations in 1993 and sold its first batch of compost in 1994. It recently sold its 100th batch, according to a city press release.
Compost is available for purchase at 5300 Kuhn St., and is sold for $12 per cubic yard for nine or fewer cubic yards.
At 10 cubic yards, the price drops to $9.
The facility treats and recycles bio-solids from the city’s wastewater treatment facility, solids from the pumping of septic tanks around East Jefferson County and yard debris from the local community to create compost.
Yard waste is shredded and mixed with the bio-solids and stored under a covered area in piles aerated with forced air up to 131 degrees for three days, then 114 degrees for fourteen days in order to kill pathogenic bacteria.
The aerated piles are then set out to dry and screened to remove large pieces of debris.
Each batch of the finished compost is tested to meet regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency, the state Department of Ecology and the Jefferson County Environmental Health Department.
The tests include testing for salmonella and such heavy metals as mercury and lead and the compost facility’s product has been classified as Class A quality compost.
The finished product is then sold back to local community members and used at local farms, community gardens and home gardens.
In its 24 years of operation, the compost facilities batches have ranged in size from 200 to 300 cubic yards up to 1,200 to 1,500 cubic yards with a total of 75,169 cubic yards sold.
That’s a total of 80,075 tons of compost, according to city officials.
