Done Trash Talking: Olmscheid retiring from solid waste

Although he didn't know it at the time, working on boilers while in the U.S. Navy would eventually pay off for Pete Olmscheid.

Olmscheid, who is retiring from Pope/Douglas Solid Waste Management after 30 years, is the last of the original employees of the Alexandria waste-to-energy company, which began in March 1987.

"I think it was my boiler experience that helped me get the job," said Olmscheid, whose last day is May 31.

Olmscheid started working at Pope/Douglas on March 23, 1987 and the plant opened on March 27 that same year. Built to handle a growing stream of garbage, it offers a variety of programs including recycling, hazardous and solid waste drop-off, and organics recycling. It also sells and uses steam, which is generated from waste products.

"During our startup year we received waste that totaled 10,549 tons and that was for nine months," said Olmscheid. "In 1988, our first full year of operation, we processed 17,202 tons of waste. The waste has steadily increased over the years."

Olmscheid was born and raised on a dairy farm near Elrosa, a tiny little town with a population of just over 200 about 40 miles southwest of Alexandria.

He graduated in 1978 and entered the Navy the day after graduation, he said. In 1982, he got out of the Navy, going back home to farm for awhile before being hired at Pope/Douglas.

Olmscheid began his career at the solid waste plant as a crane operator. He then slowly and steadily crept his way up the ladder, eventually ending up where is now - the executive director.

His crane operator position only lasted a few months, he said, before he became a shift supervisor, which he attributes to his time spent in the Navy working on boilers.

He would keep moving up, to assistant plant manager, to plant manager and then executive director.

As assistant plant manager, he became more involved in running the operation and learning about air emissions. Parts of the plant had to be retrofitted to meet emission guidelines, he said. In addition, he trained his co-workers how to monitor emission levels.

"At that time, I had a lot of one-on-one time with the guys," he said. "I got to know them pretty well."

As the plant manager, however, that one-on-one time was pretty much nil as he became involved with the paperwork and reporting side of the business. At that time, he also worked on the Materials Recovery Facility, which helped to remove more recyclable materials from the waste stream.

The recycling facility was constructed in 2003 and from 2004 through 2007, it processed 97,800 tons of waste, removing an additional 6,800 tons of recyclable materials.

After he became director, he started the permitting process for the waste-to-energy facilities expansion project, which was adding a third combustor.

"It took until 2010 for that permitting process to be completed and construction could start," said Olmscheid. "The third combustor began operation on April 5, 2011."

As the director, Olmscheid was more involved in the financial side with budgeting and everything that goes along with that. But he said he did get to start "managing the people" again, which he enjoyed.

He was also involved in the regulatory issues when it came to the facility's ash landfill, which begin receiving ash from the waste-to-energy plant in 1994. The ash landfill was designed as a hazardous waste landfill even though the ash that is disposed of is not considered a hazardous waste.

In his role of director, Olmscheid said one of his favorite parts was coming up with new ideas for the business and also allowing and encouraging his staff to come up with ideas.

"Seeing the satisfaction of when their ideas were implemented was very rewarding," said Olmscheid. "We are a small group and they know that I have an open door policy and they can come in and talk with me anytime."

Some of the challenges Olmscheid has faced is getting permits and trying to keep Pope Douglas Solid Waste, a publicly owned facility, financially sound.

"The taxpayers are really our bosses although we are operated by the joint powers board," he said. "We have make sure we are financially responsible."

The amount of recycling has increased greatly while Olmscheid has been a part of the waste facility. In 1989, he said the recycling rate for all waste produced by both Pope and Douglas counties was at about 12 percent. It has steadily increased throughout the years and it is currently at almost 60 percent, he said. The recycling percentages include not only the recyclables that Pope Douglas removes from the waste stream, said Olmscheid, but it also includes all of the recyclables that the haulers pick up from homes and businesses.

The typical recycling rates for outstate Minnesota counties, according to Olmscheid is between 30-35 percent.

"Hats off to the citizens of Pope and Douglas counties for being green and wanting to do the right thing with recycling," he said. "We will continue to strive to increase our recycling rate and are shooting for 70 percent by the year 2022."

On a personal note

In 2012, Olmscheid was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Although this is not the main reason for his retirement, it did play a part. He felt it was time to "hang it up."

After he is retired, Olmscheid plans to work on his "honey do" list at home, travel a little bit and work on his tractors.

"I don't golf and I don't fish, but I love to work on my Minneapolis-Moline tractors," said Olmscheid. "My wife, Julie, who works at a local dentist office, will continue to work. I guess I will just become the house dad."

When looking back over the past 30 years, Olmscheid said he felt very blessed to have been a part of Pope/Douglas Solid Waste Management.

"It takes a professional and dedicated staff to make something of this nature work and I feel honored to have work with such a staff," he said. "I want to thank the members of Pope/Douglas, the board members, both past and present, for all their progressive thinking and taking this roller coaster ride with me. And also, I would to thank my mentor, Denny Nagle, who was the prior director."

A look back

• 1989: Curbside recycling program and satellite collection sites were implemented in Pope and Douglas counties.

• 1993: The Household Hazardous Waste drop-off/reuse center was opened. A total of 441 residents dropped items off, while 384 residents picked items up to reuse.

• 1994: Permitting process was started for the ash landfill.

• 1997: Ash landfill opens, along with the recycling drop-off center at the Pope Douglas Solid Waste Management facility. In addition, the combustors, boilers and air pollution control equipment was replaced to meet new Environmental Protection Agency standards.

• 2003: The Materials Recovery Facilities was built. The MRF was constructed to remove more recyclable materials from the waste stream.

• 2010: The waste to energy facility expands by adding a third combustor.

• 2014: There were 4,720 residents who dropped items off and 2,402 residents picked items up to reuse in the facilities new Product Reuse Room.

How many tons of waste?

From the first load of waste in 1987 through the end of the year last year, Pope Douglas Solid Waste Management has processed more than 1 million tons of waste. Here's a look back at how much waste was processed each year going back in five-year increments.

• 1990: 17,455 tons

• 1995: 20,562 tons

• 2000: 25,847 tons

• 2005: 29,771 tons

• 2010: 35,576 tons (In 2010, the facility started taking 2,500 tons of waste per year from Grant County and 3,000 tons per year from Stevens County. And in 2012, it started receiving 50,000 tons per year from the Tri-County group of counties - Stearns, Benton and Sherburne.)

• 2015: 83,459 tons

• 2016: 83,210 tons