JBS unveils new activated sludge plant

The final phase of a project six years in the making unfolded Wednesday at JBS Marshalltown, as employees celebrated an open house for a new activated sludge plant.

The state of the art facility represents a significant investment by corporate to the Marshalltown facility and provides a direct benefit to Marshalltown as well.

“The new sludge plant was built over a period of a year to upgrade the company’s existing pretreatment works and to enhance wastewater quality prior to its discharge to Marshalltown’s wastewater pollution control plant,” said Isaac Yoder, JBS environmental manager.

Troy Mulgrew, Marshalltown plant manager, said other steps had been completed over a period of six years to improve the quality of discharge before entering Marshalltown’s system.

Additionally, he said new activated sludge plant will be an asset should the local plant expand.

During the event, JBS facility operators conducted microscopic exams along with tests for pH, dissolved oxygen, suspended solids, temperature, clarity and more.

The plant was constructed with new lighting, VFD’s and other energy-efficient production equipment.

“Energy efficiency is a key part of our process,” said Yoder.

“We continue to look for ways to reduce costs while reducing our impact on the environment. By working with Alliant Energy, we were able to install technology that reduces costs while increasing the productivity of the facility.”

David Vollmar, Alliant Energy key account executive, and Carla Gall, Alliant senior operations manager, presented company officials with a giant check replica for an energy rebate of $109,613.

“JBS incorporates energy efficiency into every aspect of their production,” said Vollmar.

Joining JBS in welcoming guests and answering questions were representatives of Reid Engineering, the plant’s design firm, Story Construction, general contractor, and ELM, sludge land application contractor.

Bubba’s Burnt Ends BBQ cooked and catered a meal with JBS products.

JBS Marshalltown is Marshalltown’s largest employer with a payroll of nearly $97 million. It operates a distribution center and warehouse in addition to processing more than 5 million pigs annually.

JBS corporate processes beef, pork and lamb, and is the largest cattle feeder in the world with operations in the U.S. and Canada. JBS USA is also a majority stockholder of Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., the second largest poultry company in the U.S.

Article source:http://www.timesrepublican.com/page/content.detail/id/590098/JBS-unveils-new-activated-sludge-plant.html?nav=5005