Niteesh Kuchakulla

7th period Forensics

Mr. Regier

Anaerobic Digestion 1AC

All throughout the ages, from the ancient Babylonians to modern
times, the ocean has been harnessed, directed, and tied to the very
existence of life. Unfortunately, humans are also the main cause of pollution
in the ocean, and the world desperately needs new sources of energy that
can replace the fossil fuels that we mainly use, so my partner and I have
decided a plan anaerobic digestion plants is best suited to solve these
problems. Therefore my partner and I are in affirmation of the resolution: the
United States federal government should substantially increase its nonmilitary exploration and/or development of the Earth's oceans.

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier

Contention I, Significance, the harms in the status quo

A. The United States is a major source pollution towards the
ocean.
Ocean Pollution - MarineBio.org,". MarineBio Conservation Society. Web.
Accessed 18:50 PM 10/10/2014. http://marinebio.org/oceans/ocean-dumping/
In the 1970s, 17 million tons of industrial waste was legally dumped
into the ocean. In the 1980's, 8 million tons were dumped including acids,
alkaline waste, scrap metals, waste from fish processing, flue
desulphurization, sludge, and coal ash. The peak of sewage (sludge)
dumping was 18 million tons in 1980. Radioactive waste is also dumped in
the oceans and usually comes from the nuclear power process, medical use
of radioisotopes, research use of radioisotopes and industrial uses.
The U.S. dumps massive amounts of industrial waste, sewage sludge,
radioactive materials, and dredge into the ocean leading it to be one of the
largest contributors to pollution in the ocean.
B. Pollutants in the ocean are hurting ecosystems and causing
the extinction of species.
ToxicPollution,Seaweb.org.Web. Accessed October10,2014.
http://www.seaweb.org/
http://www.seaweb.org/resources/briefings/toxic.php
Toxic pollution occurs when synthetic chemicals are discharged or
natural chemicals accumulate to toxic levels in the environment. Once in the
living food chain, many of these substances are accumulated to ever-higher
concentrations in the tissue of the animals that consume them. Some of the
known effects on marine animals include cancer, genetic and developmental
deformities, behavior abnormalities, reproductive failures, and death.
The United States management of pollution is hurting marine ecosystems,
and if we dont hinder this it could lead to a total collapse of the marine
environment which would then directly affect all of us.
C. The world is rapidly running out of fossil fuels.

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier

End of Fossil Fuels, Ecotricity.co.uk, Accessed October 11, 2014

https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/our-green-energy/energy-independence/the-end-of-fossil-fuels

Globally every year we currently consume the equivalent of over 11

billion tonnes of oil in fossil fuels. Crude oil reserves are vanishing at the rate
of 4 billion tonnes a year. If we carry on at this rate our known oil deposits
will be gone by 2052. But the rate at which the world consumes fossil fuels is
not standing still, it is increasing as the world's population increases and as
living standards rise in parts of the world that until recently had consumed
very little energy. Fossil fuels will therefore run out earlier.
We must look to new sources of energy as our current sources, fossil fuels,
will run by 2052 at the latest.

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier

Contention II, Inherency, the barrier in the status quo

A. Nothing effective is being done to stop ocean pollution
Common Ocean Pollutants still doing Significant Damage, Telegram.com,
Accessed October 11, 2014.
http://www.telegram.com/assets/static/summerfun/article0013.html

As much of the world grows increasingly earth-conscious, ocean

pollution continues to be one of the biggest issues concerning the
environment. While global warming and the ongoing debate surrounding its
effects might garner the most headlines, ocean pollution remains a
considerable concern for environmentalists and ocean lovers alike.
With this plan the United States should pioneer the way for the rest of the
world by being the first to implement an effective policy to solve ocean
pollution.
B. Anaerobic digestion is mainly used for agricultural purposes
Weinand Dave, Energy from Waste, Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Accessed October 11, 2014. http://www.mda.state.mn.us/
Anaerobic manure digestion for animal agriculture has come into the
main stream in recent years in the United States. Other countries in Asia and
Europe have used this technology in one form or the other for centuries in
small applications, but it hasnt been until the last 30 years that this
technology has been used widely on a commercial scale.
Anaerobic digestion is more widely directed toward land based purposes
than the ocean where it will also work.

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier

Now lets discuss the actual plan to be implemented

Plank 1, Mandates: The United States federal government will
substantially increase the development of the ocean by building anaerobic
digestion plants (AD) along the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico coasts
where most sewage, industrial waste, and other pollution is released such as
near San Francisco, New Orleans, New York and polluted rivers.
Plank 2, Funding: The United States will redirect 125 million dollars from
fossil fuel subsidies beginning at the start of FY 2015 ( 2.4% cut of the
current amount) towards this plan which will cover all costs such as: capital
costs, project development costs, running costs, and training costs.
Plank 3, Enforcement: The U.S
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Department

of

Energy

and

the

Plank 4, Legislative Intent: The affirmative sides reserves the right for
clarification and requests that all off-case positions be run in the first
negative constructive for reasons of fair debate.
Contention III, Solvency
A. Anaerobic Digestion plants will generate biogas (methane)
which will decrease our dependency on fossil fuels.
What is Anaerobic Digestion, American Biogas Council, Accessed October
12, 2014 https://www.americanbiogascouncil.org/biogas_what.asp
Anaerobic digestion is a series of biological processes in which
microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of
oxygen. One of the end products is biogas, which is combusted to generate

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier

electricity and heat, or can be processed into renewable natural gas and
transportation fuels. A range of anaerobic digestion technologies are
converting livestock manure, municipal wastewater solids, food waste, high
strength industrial wastewater and residuals, fats, oils and grease (FOG), and
various other organic waste streams into biogas.
Anaerobic digestion plants generate massive amounts electricity through the
waste that we use. This will form a reusable cycle that can be repeated
infinitely.
B. Anaerobic Digestion technology exists now and will reduce
ocean pollution.
Crabtree ,Dennis Anaerobic Digestion Systems tackle Growing Clean Water
and Renewable Energy Challenges, BiostarSystems.com. Accessed October
12, 2014. http://www.biostarsystems.com/whitepaper/BioStar_Whitepaper_093009_.pdf
Constructed in the late 1980s, the Deer Island treatment plant
removes human, household, business and industrial pollutants from
wastewater that originates in homes and businesses in 43 greater Boston
communities. In compliance with all federal and state environmental
standards and subject to the precedent-setting discharge permit issued for
the plant by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection; its treated
wastewater
can
be
released
to
the
marine
environment.
This is a current example of an actual anaerobic digestion plant that is
functional and working against pollution while producing renewable energy.
C. Anaerobic Digestion Plants could potentially power the
entire the entire United States with excess energy to spare.
Craig ,Johnson, Anaerobic Digestion: the future of the United States,
Environmental Protective Agency.gov .Published January 25,2013. Accessed
October 25, 2014. http://www.epa.gov/agstar/anaerobicdigestion/lookingtothefuture/eda
If just 50 percent of the waste generated each year in the U.S. that was
turned to the ocean was anaerobically digested, enough electricity would be
generated to power the entire United States and still have enough power to
fulfill Cubas energy needs. Anaerobic digestion plants are the way the future
is going and fossil fuels wont be around for much longer.

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier

So the benefits of implementing this plan are gigantic as anaerobic digestion

solves two major issues at once: oceanic pollution and the looming energy
shortage crisis. This implementation of this plan will be very important for
the future of the United States.

Finally I would like to discuss the benefits in passing our plan,

Contention IV, Advantages
A. The byproducts of anaerobic digestion can be used as
fertilizer
Dana M Kirk, Michigan State University and M. Charles Gould, Bioenergy
Educator, Michigan State University Extension. Uses of Solids and ByProducts of Anaerobic Digestion Published April 2, 2012.
http://www.extension.org/pages/30310/uses-of-solids-and-by-products-of-anaerobicdigestion#.VEwvofnF_uw

Undigested biomass contained in the effluent (digestate) of anaerobic

digesters provides opportunities for value-added byproducts. Organic
fertilizer, livestock bedding, compost, fuel pellets, and construction material
(medium density fiberboard and fiber/plastic composite materials) are a few
examples of value-added byproducts that could be created from digestate
solids.
B.

This technology takes a short time to implement

Fact Sheet-Anaerobic Digestion- Farm Residues, Renewable Energy on

Farms.co.uk. Accessed October 12, 2014.
http://www.renewableenergyonfarms.co.uk/sites/rdi/files/140224_ad_fact_sheet_and_faqs_v5.pdf

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier

Construction of an AD plant is dependent on the size of the project but

can normally be expected to take approximately 6 to 9 months.
This means that this plan will be in full effect after about one year, an
incredibly short period for a kind of plan like this.
C. Anaerobic digestion plants are inexpensive and will pay of
the initial investment.
Feasibility Study for Anaerobic Digestion Plant in Aberdeenshire,
Aberdeenshire.gov.uk. Accessed October 12, 2014.
https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/support/agriculture/jim_booth_study_report.pdf

Total Investment 0.6M

4.445M

2.79M

Payback (years) No
6 yrs

8 yrs

IRR (10-years) -5%

21%

11%

Annual Margin 9,210

814,905

321,164

The cost of one anaerobic digestion plant is 4.445 million euros or 5.5 million
US Dollars which is very small for such a useful technology, and by
implementing this our initial investment in the plant will pay of in 6 years.
Finally we sum up our case by saying anaerobic digestion will substantially
increase the development of the ocean by greatly reducing pollution while at
the same time generating large amounts of renewable energy (biogas) that
we desperately need. For these reasons and the many others outlined in the
case, we urge the judge to vote for the affirmative.

Case Evidence
A. The United States is a major source pollution towards
the ocean.
The most toxic waste material dumped into the ocean includes dredged material, industrial waste, sewage sludge,
and radioactive waste. Dredging contributes about 80% of all waste dumped into the ocean, adding up to several
million tons of material dumped each year. Rivers, canals, and harbors are dredged to remove silt and sand buildup
or to establish new waterways. About 20-22% of dredged material is dumped into the ocean. The remainder is

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier
dumped into other waters or landfills and some is used for development. About 10% of all dredged material is
polluted with heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, and chromium, hydrocarbons such as heavy oils, nutrients
including phosphorous and nitrogen, and organ chlorines from pesticides. Waterways and, therefore, silt and sand
accumulate these toxins from land runoff, shipping practices, industrial and community waste, and other sources.
When these materials find their way into the ocean, marine organisms suffer toxic effects and seafood is often
contaminated. When "pure" dredged material is dumped into the ocean, fisheries suffer adverse affects such as
unsuccessful spawning in herring and lobster populations where the sea floor is covered in silt.
Industrial Waste

In the 1970s, 17 million tons of industrial waste was legally dumped into the
ocean. In the 1980's, 8 million tons were dumped including acids, alkaline
waste, scrap metals, waste from fish processing, flue desulphurization,
sludge, and coal ash.
Sewage Sludge.
If sludge from the treatment of sewage is not contaminated by oils, organic chemicals and metals, it can be
recycled as fertilizer for crops. It is cheaper for treatment centers to dump this material into the ocean, particularly

The peak of sewage dumping was 18 million tons in

1980, a number that was reduced to 12 million tons in the 1990s.
Radioactive waste is also dumped in the oceans and usually comes from the
nuclear power process, medical use of radioisotopes, research use of
radioisotopes and industrial uses. The difference between industrial waste and nuclear waste is
if it is chemically contaminated.

that nuclear waste usually remains radioactive for decades. The protocol for disposing of nuclear waste involves
special treatment by keeping it in concrete drums so that it doesn't spread when it hits the ocean floor. The
dumping of radioactive material has reached a total of about 84,000 terabecquerels (TBq), a unit of radioactivity
equal to 1012 atomic disintegrations per second or 27.027 curies. Curie (Ci) is a unit of radioactivity. One curie was
originally defined as the radioactivity of one gram of pure radium. In 1953, scientists agreed that the curie would
represent exactly 3.7 x 1010 atomic disintegrations per second, or 37 gigabecquerels (GBq), this being the best
estimate of the activity of a gram of radium. The unit is named for Pierre and Marie Curieexternal link who
discovered radium. The high point of nuclear waste dumping was in 1954 and 1962, but this nuclear waste only
accounts for 1% of the total TBq that has been dumped in the ocean. The concentration of radioactive waste in the
concrete drums varies as does the danger to marine life and humans.

B. Pollutants in the ocean are hurting ecosystems and causing

the extinction of species.
Toxic pollution occurs when synthetic chemicals are discharged or natural
chemicals accumulate to toxic levels in the environment, causing reductions
in wildlife numbers, degrading ecosystem functions and threatening human
health. Among the many naturally-occurring substances involved are certain metals (such as mercury, lead,
chromium) and petroleum. Synthetic, or human-made, chemicals include, among others, pesticides, PCBs and
dioxins. A large group of these, known collectively as persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, are complex compound-

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier
all containing hydrogen and carbon and many containing chlorine-that persist unchanged in the environment for
long periods. Human activities are also responsible for environmental contamination by radioactive substances,

Once in the living food chain, many of these

substances are accumulated to ever-higher concentrations in the tissue of
the animals that consume them. Some of the known effects on marine
animals include cancer, lesions, genetic and developmental deformities,
behavior abnormalities, reproductive failures, sex changes, and death. Because
some of which are natural and some synthetic.

water is such an effective solvent, much toxic pollution that humankind generates eventually ends up in the ocean.
After entering the marine environment, many chemical substances concentrate in the sediment and the sea surface
microlayer. Humans may be exposed to toxic pollution from a variety of sources, including airborne emissions and
contaminated water or food. Except in the case of workers who are exposed to large amounts of a single toxic
material, the cumulative effects from all sources are the most problematic for human health. Among documented
and postulated maladies are reproductive problems, declines in fertility, developmental and learning problems, and
suspected links to cancer.

C. The world is rapidly running out of fossil fuels.

Globally every year we
currently consume the equivalent of over 11 billion tonnes of oil in fossil
fuels. Crude oil reserves are vanishing at the rate of 4 billion tonnes a year. If
we carry on at this rate without any increase for our growing population or
aspirations, our known oil deposits will be gone by 2052. Well still have gas left, and
Clearly fossil fuel reserves are finite - it's only a matter of when they run out.

coal too. But if we increase gas production to fill the energy gap left by oil, then those reserves will only give us an

But the rate at which the world consumes fossil

fuels is not standing still, it is increasing as the world's population increases
and as living standards rise in parts of the world that until recently had
consumed very little energy. Fossil Fuels will therefore run out earlier. Its
additional eight years, taking us to 2060.

often claimed that we have enough coal to last hundreds of years. But if we step up production to fill the gap left
through depleting our oil and gas reserves, the coal deposits we know about will only give us enough energy to take
us as far as 2088. And lets not even think of the carbon dioxide emissions from burning all that coal.

A.

Nothing effective is being done to stop ocean pollution

As much of the world grows increasingly earth-conscious, ocean pollution continues

to be one of the biggest issues concerning the environment. While global warming
and the ongoing debate surrounding its effects might garner the most headlines,
ocean pollution remains a considerable concern for environmentalists and ocean
lovers alike. Part of the problem is the lack of understanding as to just what is contributing to ocean pollution.
Simply put, nearly everything we do has an impact on the ocean, be it positive or negative. Oftentimes, we are
even contributing to ocean pollution without so much as knowing how or why. The following are among the chief
contributors to ocean pollution across the globe: Sewage. Anything going down our drains falls under the category
of ocean sewage. This includes what we flush down the toilet to dishwater and even any chemicals we might
dispose of through our drains. Sooner or later, what we flush or wash down our drains makes its way into the ocean.
This ocean sewage often results in oxygen depletion that harms marine life as well as significant nutrient loading,
which occurs when excessive nitrogen and phosphorous is deposited into the ocean's ecosystem. The result is the
formation of algae blooms, which consume substantial amounts of oceanic oxygen supply. That reduction, or
depletion, of the oxygen supply makes it extremely difficult for many organisms to breathe, oftentimes resulting in
death.

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier
B.

Anaerobic digestion is mainly used for agricultural purposes

Anaerobic manure digestion for animal agriculture has come into the main stream in
recent years in the United States. Other countries in Asia and Europe have used this
technology in one form or the other for centuries in small applications, but it hasnt
been until the last 30 years that this technology has been used widely on a
commercial scale. Livestock producers across the country have been researching this technology and some
have established anaerobic manure digesters on their own farms. As the technology improves, the relative risk of
having a manure digester will decrease and the efficiency of the system will increase. Some investigation has been
done on the potential for centrally located multi-farm manure digesters. The advantage of central anaerobic
digesters in terms of their larger size relative to farm scale digesters come from their ability to process other
organic wastes in addition to dairy, swine, or poultry manure. Centrally located digesters are able to process
compatible waste streams.

A.
Anaerobic Digestion plants will generate biogas (methane) which will
decrease our dependency on fossil fuels.
Anaerobic digestion is a series of biological processes in which microorganisms
break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. One of the end
products is biogas, which is combusted to generate electricity and heat, or can be
processed into renewable natural gas and transportation fuels. A range of anaerobic
digestion technologies are converting livestock manure, municipal wastewater
solids, food waste, high strength industrial wastewater and residuals, fats, oils and
grease (FOG), and various other organic waste streams into biogas, 24 hours a day,
7 days a week. Separated digested solids can be composted, utilized for dairy bedding, directly applied to
cropland or converted into other products. Nutrients in the liquid stream are used in agriculture as fertilizer.Generic
digestion process
The Biological Process: The digestion process begins with bacterial hydrolysis of the input materials in order to
break down insoluble organic polymers such as carbohydrates and make them available for other bacteria.
Acidogenic bacteria then convert the sugars and amino acids into carbon dioxide, hydrogen, ammonia, and organic
acids. Acetogenic bacteria then convert these resulting organic acids into acetic acid, along with additional
ammonia, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. Finally, methanogens convert these products to methane and carbon
dioxide.

B.
Anaerobic Digestion technology exists now and will reduce ocean
pollution
The Kristiansand Biogas Plant was the first in Sweden to co-digest municipal solid waste with manure and other
organic biomass for the production of energy and fertilizer. The waste streams co-digested at the Kristianstad plant
includes livestock manure, abattoir waste, distillery waste, vegetable waste ,and the organic fraction of municipal
solid waste. Anheuser-Busch has only recently jumped into organic brewing, but the company has been involved
in anaerobic digestion and alternative energy development for over two decades. BERS is a very appropriate
acronym for the company's "bio-energy recovery systems," which pre-treat wastewater and capture biogas from
nine of the company's breweries worldwide. Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant is the centerpiece of the program
to protect Boston Harbor against pollution from Metropolitan Boston'sewer systems .

Constructed in the
late 1980s, the Deer Island treatment plant removes human,household, business
and industrial pollutants from wastewater that originates in homes and businesses
in 43 greater Boston communities. In compliance with all federal and state

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier
environmental standards and subject to the precedent-setting discharge permit
issued for the plant by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection; its treated wastewater can
be released to the marine environment . Digestion at Deer Island occurs in 12 distinctive egg-shaped
anaerobic digesters, each 90 feet in diameter and approximately 130 feet tall. Mimicking the stomach's natural
digestion process, microorganisms naturally present in the sludge work to break sludge and scum down into
methane gas, carbon dioxide, solid organic byproducts, and water. Digestion significantly reduces sludge quantity.
The byproduct of the digestion process is 70 percent methane gas, which is captured and piped to boilers that
generate enough heat to warm the buildings on the site as well as for the heat-dependent.

C. Anaerobic Digestion Plants could potentially power the

entire the entire United States with excess energy to spare.
Estimates of the electricity that could potentially be generated by anaerobic digestion and of the average energy
have been calculated for the contiguous United States. The estimates are based on published waste pollution

If just 50 percent of the waste generated each year in the U.S. that
was turned to the ocean was anaerobically digested, enough electricity
would be generated to power the entire United States and still have enough
power to fulfill Cubas energy needs. Anaerobic digestion plants are the way
the future is going and fossil fuels wont be around for much longer. Technology
resource data.

under development today will be capable of producing electricity economically from many polluted coastal regions
of the country. The amount of energy theoretically available for use has been estimated at as much as twice the
current U.S. energy consumption. AD plants could be in high demand in the future, and it would be beneficial to
implement them now.

A.

The byproducts of anaerobic digestion can be used as fertilizer

Undigested biomass (referred to as digestate solids, fiber or biofiber) contained in

the effluent (digestate) of anaerobic digesters provides opportunities for valueadded byproducts. Organic fertilizer, livestock bedding, compost, fuel pellets, and
construction material (medium density fiberboard and fiber/plastic composite
materials) are a few examples of value-added byproducts that could be created
from digestate solids. Solids can be extracted from the digestate using solid-liquid separation technologies
such as slope screens, rotary drum thickeners and screw-press separators. Common solid-liquid equipment can
produce digestate solids with a moisture content of 18 to 30%. The volume and the moisture content of the
separated solids will vary depending on the technology used. Digestate solids are high in fiber, consisting mainly of
fibrous undigested organic material (lignin and cellulose), microbial biomass, animal hair, and nutrients. During the
anaerobic digestion process, nutrients contained in the feedstock are mineralized. Mineralized nutrients are easily
used by a crop. Digestate solids contain higher concentrations of plant-available nitrogen and phosphorus
compared to as-excreted manure, according to research. The high carbon content of digestate solids adds organic
matter to the soil and improves the water holding capacity of the soil. Actual nutrient content of digestate solids will
vary depending on feedstocks, digester type, management, and solid-liquid separation technology. Digestate solids
as a fertilizer source can be used as separated (wet), blended with other materials and composted or dried and
pelletized.

B.

This technology takes a short time to implement

Niteesh Kuchakulla
7th period Forensics
Mr. Regier
Anaerobic digestion (AD) processes organic materials in the absence of air to produce what is known as biogas,
which is a mixture of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as some other trace gases. The methane
fraction of this gas can be burnt in specifically designed combined heat and power (CHP) engines to generate
renewable power in the form of both heat and electricity. The electricity can be used to power plant equipment or
be exported to the national grid, while the heat produced can be used to heat digester tanks to the optimum
temperature for the biological system or can supply local residences or neighbouring industrial processes.

Construction of an AD plant is dependent on the size of the project but can normally
be expected to take approximately 6 to 9 months. The anaerobic digestion process takes place in
a sealed tank called a digester or bioreactor. In the absence of oxygen and under the application of heat, anaerobic
bacteria digest the organic matter in the feedstock and produce biogas. There are two basic AD processes, which
take place in different temperature ranges.

C.
Anaerobic digestion plants are inexpensive and will pay of the initial
investment.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the process where micro-organisms breakdown biodegradable materials in the absence
of oxygen in an enclosed tank. The process produces biogas (methane 60%, carbon dioxide 39% and ammonia 1%),
which can then be utilised to fuel a generator to produce electricity and heat. The treated liquid (digestate) can be
applied to farmland as a fertiliser .

Large scale plants have a high capital requirement, but

can provide a very good return when a high percentage of the feedstock attracts
gate fees. The most critical issue is securing a good single source of waste. Highlighting the value of a suitable
joint-venture agreement between an AD plant operator and a processor with biodegradable waste.

Use at discretion
Fossil Fuel Subsidies: Overview, http://priceofoil.org/. Accessed October 30 2014

In the United States, credible estimates of annual fossil fuel subsidies range from
$10 billion to $52 billion annually yet these dont even include costs borne by
taxpayers related to the climate, local environmental, and health impacts of the
fossil fuel industry.