DeRuyter Dairy Producing Biogas Pt 2
I'm Bob Larson. Converting manure into natural gas. It's environmentally friendly and the future for Central Washington's George DeRuyter and Sons Dairy.
Owner, Dan DeRuyter says farmers don't always get much credit for being friends of the environment ...
DeRUYTER ... "It's more the norm than the exception. You know, we drink the water, we swim in the rivers, we breath the air. It would be counter-productive for us to not be fairly environmentally friendly because it basically benefits everyone including ourselves."
To get here, DeRuyter says the capital investment was considerable, but it should pay for itself in the long run ...
DeRUYTER ... "I'm not sure how long it's going to take. It's a 20-year deal so we're long-term invested in it. I think that the return on investment will be much sooner than that, but I guess you never really count your chickens until they hatch."
DeRuyter expects the system to be up and running soon ...
DeRUYTER ... "So, the digester is currently operational. The equipment is ordered for the gas-scrubbing equipment. The pipeline, they're doing surveys on it and I am assuming that they will probably be operational by September."
But, DeRuyter says it's not about trying to set an example for other dairies ...
DeRUYTER ... "What we're going to do is give people a different option because everybody does things in their own way. Everybody has different setups and I think every dairy out there is trying their hardest to be very environmentally conscious."
Brightmark Energy will oversee operations of the system and is working on similar projects in four other states.
