Duggan McHugh Law Corporation is proud to announce Christina Bucci Hamilton as its newest partner , joining senior partners Jennifer Duggan and Laura McHugh . Bucci Hamilton joined the firm as a postbar law clerk when it first launched in 2013 .

“ Christina has phenomenal employment law expertise and has been a valued member of our team from the start ,” says firm founder Duggan . “ It ’ s been gratifying to watch her professional development into the exceptional attorney that she is .”

Duggan McHugh provides advice and counsel to management and represents companies in a wide variety of employment litigation matters . The firm has been 100 percent women-owned since inception and is certified by the Women ’ s Business Enterprise National Council .

“ Christina has been integral to the firm ’ s growth and success and we are fortunate to have her input , insight and expertise in our partnership ,” says McHugh .

641 Fulton Ave ., Suite 100 Sacramento , CA 95825 ( 916 ) 550-5309 www . dugganmchugh . com

“ We hear a lot of , ‘ But I ’ m not a restaurant . But I don ’ t sell food .’ That ’ s no longer the benchmark . It ’ s : Are you a human or are you eating ? … It ’ s not quite that basic , but it ’ s no longer ‘ I ’ m not a restaurant .’ That doesn ’ t matter if you generate waste . Food waste is now part of our life .”

ERIN TREADWELL Integrated waste compliance manager , Recycling and Solid Waste Division , City of Sacramento

Co-digestion is an emerging technology making its way into the organic waste market as well . It ’ s attractive because it can be co-located with wastewater treatment facilities , meaning its infrastructure can be built out relatively quickly , Wagoner says . The organic waste is processed much like the solids from wastewater and can be converted into an energy source .

Advancements in anaerobic digestion are underway as well . The technology uses microbes to convert food scraps and other organic waste — called feedstock — into electricity , biogas or compost .

“ There have been leaps and bounds ( in ) investments among California universities and businesses around how do we really maximize this technology for the greatest output ,” Wagoner says .

There are two operational anaerobic digesters in the Capital Region : one at the Yolo County Central Landfill that can process 52,000 tons of organic waste a year , and the UC Davis Renewable Energy Anaerobic Digester , which can process more than 18,000 tons a year .

UC Davis ’ biodigester used to produce energy for the university ’ s grid , but the equipment that converted the biogas into a useful form stopped functioning , was removed and has not been replaced due to prohibitive costs . For the time being , the biogas is burned off . Additionally , the biodigester must shut down when there is no outlet for the 6,000 gallons of ammonia-rich liquid waste it produces daily . The university is looking toward solutions , such as using the biogas to fuel its fleet , says Joseph Yonkoski , associate engineer supervisor of utilities data and engineering for UC Davis , but the cost of infrastructure still remains a barrier . Yonkoski is also leading a project to convert the liquid waste into fertilizer and sell it to support the biodigester ’ s annual operating costs of $ 650,000- $ 700,000 . Today , the digester functions at roughly 40 percent capacity , processing around 20 tons of food and other organic waste a day . The bulk of its feedstock comes from the university ’ s dining commons , El Dorado Disposal and Raley ’ s , a grocery store chain with 125 stores in the Sacramento region . In 2020 , Raley ’ s delivered more than 17.5 million pounds of food waste to UC Davis ’ biodigester that couldn ’ t be repurposed , donated through its food rescue program or sent to farms for animal feed .

Educating the public

Jesa David , media and communications specialist for the City of Sacramento ’ s recycling and solid waste division , is working on developing a broad outreach campaign leveraging TV , radio , billboards , social media posts and mailings . “ It is such a big educational stepping stone for a lot of people and even a cultural

0322_MAR_Digital Edition | Page 90

Duggan McHugh Law Corporation is proud to announce Christina Bucci Hamilton as its newest partner , joining senior partners Jennifer Duggan and Laura McHugh . Bucci Hamilton joined the firm as a postbar law clerk when it first launched in 2013 .