Nicholas Meat has released a video showing progress made this past year at its industry-leading Sustainable Resource Facility (SRF), an innovative and comprehensive environmental management system that will allow the company to reuse water and generate green energy from biogas. The Loganton, Pa., family-owned beef processing facility employs more than 400 essential employees at the plant and 150 contract workers.

Progress means Nicholas Meat is ready to take the next step with the erection of 11 process and water tanks on the site. Focusing on the wastewater treatment and water reclamation portion of the SRF project allows Nicholas Meat to provide the greatest benefit to the community through improved air quality, lower truck traffic and reduced dependence on the aquifer.

“The wastewater treatment facility and water reclamation have been the primary focus of this project because it will bring the most immediate benefits to the community,” said Brian Miller, Director of Sustainability at Nicholas Meat. “We’re very thankful to the Loganton community and area residents for their support of this project.”

Roughly 97 percent of the company’s waste stream is water, so focusing on the wastewater treatment facility and water reclamation will make the most positive and immediate impact on the environment and the company’s sustainability efforts once the system is operational.

Since breaking ground in May 2021, the 40-acre parcel has been totally transformed. When viewing the site from East Valley Road, one can see three retaining walls separating the parcel into three distinct tiers. Tier One will house the anaerobic digester and reception building, and Tier Two will be home to the wastewater treatment facility and water reclamation tanks. Tier Three is being reserved for future expansion that is yet to be determined and for now acts as a storage area for building materials.

“The project that (Nicholas Meat) is undertaking is very unique in the fact that it’s bringing so many aspects of sustainability together,” he added. “The whole water reclamation, the reduction of odor, the reduction of truck traffic, all of those things brought together is very unique. There are other plants that are doing elements of that. But bringing that all together is truly unique.”

Once completed, the SRF will feature award-winning waste-to-energy technology and an advanced water treatment facility. Once fully operational, the facility will help reduce truck traffic at Nicholas Meat, contain and minimize odor, create renewable energy, decrease the company’s carbon footprint, and capture greenhouse gases.