Thursday, October 14, 2010 • 9FORKS FORUM

Quillayute Valley School DistrictQuillayute Valley School District

Woody Biomass Woody Biomass PlantPlant

DedicationDedicationOctober 13, 2010October 13, 2010

Messersmith October 14, 2010

10 • Thursday, October 14, 2010 FORKS FORUM

• Summer 2005 - Governor Christine Gre-goire awards $50,000 for a biomass study to the Clallam County Economic Development Council and its partners (Clallam County, Clallam County Public Utility District, Port of Port Angeles, City of Port Angeles, and the City of Forks).

• 2006 - Siemens notes the potential for a co-generation plant at the Forks Industrial Park contingent upon private investment and industry interest; as well as, the potential for an “in-town” wood chip boiler heating plant that could provide heat to school buildings, city hall and possible the aquatics center. Further analysis, however, reveals that the necessary steam lines for such an array of buildings would probably cost more than a boiler plant serving numerous buildings on a campus.

• 2007 - Rep. Lynn Kessler agrees to evalu-ate a school only woody biomass boiler facil-ity for possible state funding as a pilot project. Sen. Jim Hargrove and Rep. Kevin Van De Wege also contacted.

• 2008 - Rep. Kessler, Van De Wege, and Sen. Hargrove secure funding for the Quil-layute Valley School District to be a pilot grant funded project as part of Washington’s En-ergy Freedom initiative. Project is to utilize wood mill waste materials for its operations and if possible include “micro-co-generation” options.

• 2009 - BLRB and StanTec are chosen to design the project for the District. Rep. Van De Wege works with Rep. Kessler and Sen. Hargrove to have the funding reauthorized. Additional funding needed included in School Bond vote that passes. Bid awarded to JH Kelly by the QVSD.

• 2010 - Permits obtained including permit from the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency and the City of Forks. Ground breaking and construction begins.

Project Timeline

Chris Cook - Forks Forum photoPort of Port Angeles Commissioner, Director of Olympic Natural Re-sources Center John Calhoun explains the concept for a woody biomass plant at a community meeting held by the Quillayute Valley School District in 2008.

Chris Cook - Forks Forum photoQuillayute Valley School District Superintendent Diana Reaume pours out a symbolic bucket of wood chips during the groundbreaking for the QVSD Woody Biomass project in early 2010.

Thursday, October 14, 2010 • 11FORKS FORUM

Wood chips from local mills are an ideal fuel for the woody biomass Messersmith-designed furnace installed in the Quillayute Valley School District plant.

The Messersmith-designed furnace above was installed in the woody biomass plant in summer 2010. The plant is pictured (left) under construction by JH Kelly in August 2010. OAC’s Senior Project Manager Kasey Wyatt oversaw the construction for the Quillayute Valley School District.

12 • Thursday, October 14, 2010 FORKS FORUM

In the 2009-2010 school year, phase one of this project began with demolition,

ground preparation and form work for the district’s landmark Biomass plant. As

work continued on the Biomass plant through the summer, demolition of the 1920’s

portion of Forks High School commenced, debris was hauled away and the ground

leveled for phase two, the building of the Forks High School replacement facility.

Th e Biomass project is based upon a need to provide heating to the existing Middle

School and to the new High School Addition. Th e original buildings of the high

school and the current middle school are heated by a single, oil-fi red 15 psi (low

pressure) steam boiler built in 1998 with an approximate capacity of 1.5 million

Btu/h. Th e current boiler system is only about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through its life

expectancy, however, the cost and availability of fuel oil and lack of natural gas pre-

empts the need for replacement.

Announces the dedication of the new Biomass plant.

Wednesday, October 13, 2:00 p.m.

at the Quillayute Valley School District Biomass boiler plant by Forks High School

BLRB builds schools that enable students to perform at their best. In the process, the community gets a facility that is cost effective, durable, useful and respectful of the environment. Because 99 percent of our work is K-12 related projects, we are able to put our past experience and expertise to work on subsequent projects while remaining true to the unique vision and requirements of each facility which we design.BLRB has served over 70 school

districts, with 95 percent of those districts asking the fi rm to serveagain on additional capitalfacility projects.

BLRB Bthe procuseful awork is and expthe uniqBLRB has served over 70 schoolB

BLRBBLRB architectsarchitectsBond Issue BudgetingFeasibility StudiesPre-Design ServicesSite Evaluations/Selection/PlanningMaster PlanningImpact StudiesEducational Specifi cationsEducational ProgrammingInterior DesignFurniture/Equipment SelectionLife Cycle Cost AnalysisValue Engineering“D-Form” Preparation for Washington State FundingADA ComplianceHazardous Materials AbatementConstruction AdministrationCommissioningGC/CM Process

Our services include: