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NEV'S RELEASE

Publ

ic lnformation

Service

Office of the County Executive
COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA

70 West Hedding Street, San Jose, CA 95110
Contact3 Frank Escobar (408) 299-3134
(after 5 p.m. cal I (4os) 629-1979)
CORTESN AI{NOUNCES EI\IERGY GRA}IT TO ACUREX

County of Santa Cl-ara Supervisor Dominic Cortese, announced

today the award of $44A,C00 to Acurex Corporation, a lJountain
Vierv firm, to studSz the feasibility

of using t,he waste*water treat-

ment process as a possible source of s5,n15etic gas.

Cortese stated that Acurex CorD., an engineering firm conducting
research and development in the environmental fie1d, had received

the grant as part of a $200 million progratr) the U.S. Dept. of
Energy has launched to explore alternative energy sources.
Acurex and John Carollo Engineers , ITalnut Creek, will conciuct
an 18-rnonth study to evaluate the potential- to siphon methane
gas from sev-age which is produced during the purifying process
of sewage water. ?he East Bay Municipal Utility District is also
a participant in this research program.
Aceording to tr'{itche11 i{ool , Acurex Project }danager, there
are approximately 13,000 waste-water treatment plants in the United
St ates

.

"ff alI facilities could be designed to produce useable
r:nethane g&s, 40 billion standard cubic feet of new energy could
be i-nade available to the American consumer, " says Yiool.
Cordese also announced that the Dept. of Energy was interested
in exploring the possibility of growing sugar beets in the south
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-2eounty area for the purposes of producing gasohol Cortese said

tl::rt i n 'r convcrs:Lti on wi Lh Ted Hodkowsi<,i , Assi stanL f)i rectr-rr for
the President's fntergovernmental Relations Dep-u,, the San Francisco
Regional office, Dept. of Energy, would pursue discussions concerning the possibility of changing the area's agricultural produetion
from tomatoes to sugar beets. Incl-uded in the discussion would

be the possibility of converting tomatoe packing facilities
the production of gasohol.
"There are too many tomatoes on the market right now,

to
and

south county farmers stand to absorb losses," said, Cortese. "If
we could plant stlgar beets, which grow plentiful in south county
and provide a ready market, we can both help ranchers and proriuce

valuable energy. "
Cortese remarked that Acurex has spent considerable

amount

of funds to research the development of gasohol and that their
expertise in thj.s area could help develop a 1ocal production
facility for this alternative energy.
Acurex's 18-month study is slated to start August 1.
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