EastSyracuse-Minoastudents
researchalternativeenergyatvillage
facility
EagleNewspaper,December16,2011
JenniferWing
EastSyracuse-Minoaseniors,fromleft,Kyle
Scanlon,DanielleHobbandMalloryPetterelli,
standinfrontoftheanaerobicdigesteratthe
villageofMinoaWasteWaterTreatmentFacility.
Studentswilltakepartinanefforttoturnwasteintogain,thankstoahands-onclassofferedatEast
Syracuse-MinoaHighSchool.
Thesestudentsareparticipantsin“SUNYESFintheHighSchool:GlobalEnvironment,”aclassofferedby
scienceteachersPamandJohnHerringtonthatbeganfiveyearsagoatESMafterlobbyingonthepartof
Pam,analumoftheStateUniversityofNewYorkCollegeofEnvironmentalScienceandForestry.Much
oftheclasstakesplaceatthevillageofMinoa’sWasteWaterTreatmentFacility.
“Thisisarealbuy-inforthestudents,”Pamsaid.“Theylearnproblemsolving,projectmanagement,
timeorganization—theyreallyarelearninglifeskillswhilecollectingdataanddiscussingwhatittells
them.”
“Highschoolstudentsgettoworkinanenvironmentwheretheyaredoingthingsliketakingnitrogen
levelsinthewetlands—thingsthatnooneelseisdoing,”saidMinoaWasteWaterTreatmentFacility
DirectorSteveGiarrusso.
Thegoalforthevillageistomakeitsustainable,accordingtoGiarrusso,whichissparkingresearchinto
usingananaerobicdigestertoturnsolidwasteintoenergy.
“Forinstance,let’ssaytorunonereactorcosts$80,000lookingtooffsetthatbyrunningadigesterand
trytonotonlyprovideenergy,butputenergybackintothegrid,”Giarrussosaid.
Headdedthattheresearchisnotbeingdonewithtaxpayermoney.
“Everythingwe’redoingdownhereiswithgrantmoneyandintermunicipalagreements,”hesaid.“We
aremakingthisself-sufficientandsustainable,andwewanttomakeitmoreprofitable.”
Therearemanyresearchprojectsgoingonatthefacility,andstudentsarebenefitingfrombecoming
involved.
“Forinstance,[SUNYESFAssistantProfessor]Klaus[Doelle]hasthestudentsworkingonanewwayof
doinghydropowerusingavortex,ortubdraingenerator,”Giarrussosaid.“Anotherthingwearedoingis
teachingthemproblemsolving.Wehadareactorthathadaproblem,anddiscusseditwiththe
students.Theywereabletofigureouthowtochangeandmodifyitsoitwouldwork.”
Amongthemanyprojectsinwhichthestudentsareinvolvedistheanaerobicdigester,whichpromotes
azerowasteoutcomebymakingabiosolidfuelsourceorfertilizer.
“Weareinthebeginningstages,”saidMalloryPetterelli,asenioratESM.“Wejuststartedatthe
beginningofSeptember,andtorunthedigesterweneedcompost,sowehavebeengatheringfood
wastefromtheschools.Wealsohavethemgatheringpaperwastetomakeintopellets.”
FellowseniorDanielleHobbsaidtheprojectisveryinteresting.
“Wearelearninghowtosavemoneyandhelpthecommunity,”shesaid.
“It’sawaytobeinvolvedinresearchbeforecollege,”saidKyleScanlon,anESMseniorwhohasvisited
thecampusatSUNYESFandmaychoosetoattendschoolthere.“Itputsusaheadinoureducation.”
Petterellisaidsheandherclassmateswillgetthreecollegecreditsforcompletingthecourse.
“Wealsogetotherexperience,suchaswhenwedidapresentationoncompostinganddifferentiatingit
fromrecyclingatPineGroveandWoodlandElementary,”shesaid.
Lookingtothefuture,Giarrussosaidstudentswillhaveanotherprojectonthehorizon.
“Wearecurrentlyworkingwithacompostpilewithawatertankbeneathit,”Giarrussosaid.“Coilsrun
throughthepileintothetank,heatingthewater.Eventually,thiswaterwillbeusedtoheata
greenhouse,sotheycouldbegrowingraspberriesinthewinter.”