A $21.4 million anaerobic digester facility that will divert 50,000 tons of organic waste from area landfills will be constructed in Auburn Gresham through a City-owned land sale approved today by City Council.

The proposed complex will be built on a nine-acre industrial site at the northwest corner of 83rd and Wallace streets that was used by the City as an auto impound lot until 2010. Valued at $1.4 million, the land requires an estimated $1.6 million in environmental remediation costs. It will be sold to Green Era Educational NFP “as is” for $1.

The facility will utilize natural microbes to break down organic waste, generating renewable energy in the form of compressed natural gas and solid and liquid fertilizer for farms and gardens.

The plant will include five buildings, including receiving, staging and curing structures, along with four storage tanks to ensure that all waste processing is fully enclosed. It will also include a 20-car parking lot, truck staging areas, landscaping and perimeter fencing.

The project is expected to generate 30 temporary and 50 permanent jobs. Construction will begin in 2017.

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