Mike Thayer Michael (Mike) Thayer Manager, Technology and Engineering Michael Thayer has a long history of biosolids and environmental work including serving as the MWRA Interim Sludge Processing and Disposal Project Manager. Since 1997, Mike has worked with NEFCO in multiple roles and been actively involved in all company projects from the beginning including Tidewater, a pilot fertilizer facility. read more/less Mike was part of the team instrumental in ending the 115-year practice of dumping sludge into Boston Harbor as both an MWRA employee and with NEFCO. In his current role, he designs all the NEFCO plants including the technology systems; instrumentation and emissions controls; equipment and chemicals selection; preparation of plant operations manuals; and providing technical assistance to ensure effective and efficient operations. Mike earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and holds a Massachusetts Grade 7 Wastewater Operator License. He has been an active participant in the Water Environment Federation (WEF) for more than 10 years. An avid outdoorsman, Mike especially enjoys hunting and canoeing on the waters NEFCO helps protect.

"It is a question of the manpower needed," says Mike Thayer of the New England Fertilizer Company.

Mike Thayer, NEFCO's Manager of Technology and Engineering gave a presentation at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's 67th Annual Wastewater Operations Conference that was held at the Radisson St. Paul in March.Mike spoke about the methods that the Metropolitan Council of Environmental Services used to procure, design and construct the Blue Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant Biosolids Processing Facility, which was developed and is now operated by NEFCO.Mike also discussed the capital cost of the facility, operating costs and energy costs.Mike also gave a presentation about a similar facility that NEFCO operates for the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District.

The dryers at the Quincy plant have mostly been fitted with the wet scrubbers to cut down on odors, said Michael W. Thayer, NEFCo.'s technology and engineering manager.NEFCo. will build wet scrubbers in the proposed North Andover plant to reduce odor emissions and to reduce the number of particulates, or small bits of solid matter that look like dust, released, Mr. Thayer said.The "smoulderings" occurred because the silos weren't properly cooled, Mr. Thayer said."We've designed a cooling system and it won't do that at the GLSD plant," said Mr. Thayer.Outside of the Quincy plant's large, white, round facilities yesterday afternoon a company employee was shoveling a small pile of pellet that had spilled on the ground into a barrel.The dust is supposed to be sealed away by a network of tubes leading to and from the drying apparatus, but apparenfly a spillage had occurred."Nothing like this has ever happened before," Mr. Thayer said as he walked by.But late last month, a "non-formal" complaint was filed with the Occupation Safety and Health Administration, alleging "poor housekeeping throughout the facility," according to the complaint.