Cleaner air through better boiling

Washington’s agricultural bounty is prized around the globe for its high quality and reliable supply. But for consumers overseas, enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of Washington’s laborers, they probably don’t consider the environmental impact that their apple juice, flour, or hash brown has on the people who live near its production. That’s where Ecology and agricultural producers partner to make sure human health is protected and productivity is maintained.

Grant County potatoes, even Idaho is envious

Spud farmers in Grant County historically produce more potatoes per acre than anywhere else in the world. But to tote tubers to Taiwan, Tasmania, or Turkey, you may need a producer rooted near the fields. Enter: Lamb Weston. Aided by three school bus-sized boilers at their Quincy location, Lamb Weston, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, is a major player when it comes to processing raw potatoes into any number of foods.

Before a single potato is hashed or browned, it must first be subjected to intense heat, generated by natural gas. It’s an industrial process that few outfits are prepared to handle, and which requires regulatory permits from Ecology to accomplish. The Quincy facility has been performing this function for about 30 years.

“These boilers have been workhorses for us,” said Brett Krumwiede, plant manager of Lamb Weston's Quincy production facility. “Over the past three decades, the steam produced by this system has allowed our Quincy operation to churn out over 8 billion pounds of french fries and hash browns. But the burners inside the boilers are ready to retire, and by the end of 2025, we’re going to wrap up an exciting retrofit project that will provide significant health benefits to our community, cost savings for our company, and reliability for the industry. And that’s where Ecology entered the picture.”

Hot potatoes can be a hot potato

As you might expect, Lamb Weston’s industrial boilers need a healthy dose of fuel to operate. Natural gas is the standard option, but burning gas also means emitting exhaust. We issue various kinds of air permits to keep those emissions in check, protecting both human health and the environment. The greater the level of emissions, the higher the cost of the permit and the frequency of inspections.

Andrew Kruse is an environmental engineer in Ecology’s Air Quality program, and he got a call from Lamb Weston when the company realized their retrofit project would require a new permit.

“As we dug into this project with Lamb Weston, we began to realize just how dramatically cleaner the new burners in these boilers would be,” says Kruse. “But it makes sense, doesn’t it? Consider how far technology has advanced in the nearly 30 years since the original burners were installed. In just about any setting, you’re going to find significant improvements to efficiency and emissions in 2025 compared to 1996.”

To make sure the new burners performed as well as the manufacturer claimed, Lamb Weston invited us to monitor the installation and testing of the new devices.

"The new boilers represent a significant step forward,” said Krumwiede. “The equipment will be more reliable, easier to maintain, and greatly reduces emissions. We expect to see a yearly reduction of 19 tons of carbon monoxide, 40 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 3 tons of particulate matter.”

Kruse says of the early cooperation, “By getting Ecology involved from the beginning of their replacement project, we were able to work through the challenges of the retrofit and streamline their permit. By reducing emissions and becoming a minor source, Lamb Weston saves on permitting costs, and best of all, the people of Quincy breathe easier.”

It’s our mission to protect, preserve, and enhance Washington’s land, air, and water for current and future generations. Guided by both federal and state laws, and working in close consultation with the businesses we permit, we’re helping protect the health and future of Washington.