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MountEverestBiogasProject

WORLD’SFIRSTHIGHALTITUDEALL-HUMANWASTESOLAR-POWEREDBIOGASPROJECT

PROPOSALFORPROJECTFUNDING,DONATIONS

orCORPORATESPONSORSHIP

mteverestbiogasproject.org

AVolunteer-run501(c)(3)Non-profitOrganization

TECHNICALCONTACTGarryPorter

Engineer&ProgramManagermteverestbiogas@gmail.com

253.229.8612 PROPOSALCONTACT

AnnSiqvelandPublicRelations&FundraisingManager

annsiqveland@gmail.com503.985.9201

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September 20, 2018 Dear Friend: The world’s tallest mountain needs your attention. Last year, more than 26,000 lbs. of untreated human waste accumulated from climbers and their crews at Mount Everest Base Camp. This has been going on for decades. In order to preserve this mountain’s majestic beauty, action is required to implement a sanitation solution that ensures the safe disposal of this mounting environmental and human health hazard. We believe we have the answer. As a volunteer-run non-profit, Mount Everest Biogas Project (MEBP) has designed a new, 100% sustainable solution to address this increasingly detrimental problem: a first-of-its-kind solar-powered human waste biogas system. When constructed, MEBP will be the world’s highest altitude anaerobic digester with a unique twist: it will be the only biogas digester installed at extreme altitude fueled solely by human waste. Launched in 2010 in affiliation with Engineers Without Borders and Architects Without Borders, the MEBP team of engineers has conceived, designed and tested this innovative solution. Winner of the 2017 Mountain Protection Award from the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA), the project is now construction-ready and ground breaking is planned for as early as Spring 2019. A win-win solution, MEBP will bring a wide range of environmental benefits, such as:

• Eliminate annual dumping of 26,000 lbs. of solid human waste at the teahouse village of Gorak Shep • Lessen risk of water contamination by fecal coli form • Reduce reliance on burning wood or yak dung for heating and resultant health risks • Curtail deforestation of limited wood resources in the area

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Converting waste into a renewable natural gas (methane), the system will generate fuel that will be made available to the local community for cooking and lighting, as well as fertilizer for farming from the pathogen-reduced effluent. An economic benefit as well, MEBP will utilize a local Nepali contracting company, labor, and materials during construction, resulting in dozens of jobs. These economic investments will sustain throughout project operations, offering community benefits such as long-term employment for residents of the local village to conduct system maintenance. With enthusiastic support from local government, MEBP has secured the necessary jurisdictional approvals and is contracting with a Nepali firm to finalize the engineering design and establish a procurement and construction agreement. To bring this essential waste-management solution to life and to sustain the region’s climbing tourism industry for years to come, MEBP is seeking a corporate project sponsor(s) or grant(s) to fund the all-in project implementation cost, estimated at $650,000. This highly visible beacon of clean investment will draw worldwide attention, giving our sponsor valuable public relations opportunities, project-naming rights and on-site signage opportunities if desired. Alongside the successful funding of this pilot project at Gorak Shep, MEBP is seeking programmatic level funding for additional projects beyond this primary phase. Showing great promise for an ongoing enterprise under a broader entity, this technology is proven and ripe for deployment to other pristine, heavily trafficked and high altitude areas across the globe that suffer from similar environmental and health risks from the dumping of untreated waste. On behalf of the MEBP team (and Mount Everest), I thank you for considering this proposal. We look forward to hearing from you regarding your involvement in this remarkable opportunity. Please feel free to contact me directly at annsiqveland@gmail.com or 503.985.9201. Sincerely, Ann Siqveland, Volunteer

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TableofContentsEXECUTIVE SUMMARY DETAILS 5

MOUNT EVEREST BIOGAS PROJECT 6 ABOUT US 6 STATEMENT OF NEED 7 MISSION 7 VISION 8

HISTORICAL PROBLEM 10

INNOVATION & SOLUTION 12

TRADITIONAL BIOGAS SYSTEMS 12 OUR MODIFIED & CUSTOMIZED TECHNOLOGY 13 PROJECT DESIGN: THREE KEY ELEMENTS 14 ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS & SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 17

PROJECT DETAILS 19

LOCATION 19 LAND, PERMITTING & JURISDICTIONAL APPROVALS 19 COMMUNITY SUPPORT 21 ENVIRONMENTAL , ECONOMIC , EDUCATIONAL & COMMUNITY BENEFITS 22 DESIGN & ENGINEERING STATUS 23 CONSTRUCTION PLAN & SCHEDULE 24 OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE & LONG-TERM OPERATIONS PLAN 25 “MULTIPLIER EFFECT” - EXPANSION POTENTIAL IN GORAK SHEP AND

BEYOND 26 IMPLEMENTATION COST 26 FUNDRAISING PLAN 26

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION 27

VOLUNTEER TEAM MEMBERS 27 OTHER CONTRIBUTERS 29 AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS 30 MEDIA COVERAGE 31

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MountEverestBiogasProject

WORLD’SFIRSTHIGHALTITUDEALL-HUMANWASTESOLAR-POWEREDBIOGASPROJECT

Executive Summary Details

Project Location Gorak Shep village, Nepal

System Technology Anaerobic biogas digester with heating element comprised of solar panels and battery array.

Project Status R&D complete. Permitting complete. Final design underway.

System Cost Turnkey construction $650,000 (estimate)

Construction Schedule Final Design Complete: Fall 2018 Construction Start: Spring 2019

Operational Date Testing phase: Winter 2019 Full operations: Spring 2020

Funding Request MEBP is seeking funding partners to support the all-in implementation cost for the pilot project via grants, capital donations, equipment donations, or a combination thereof.

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Mount Everest Biogas Project

About Us Launched in April 2010, MEBP founders Dan Mazur and Garry Porter each had first-hand experience of Mount Everest and the environmental impact of untreated climber’s waste being dumped at Gorak Shep, a remote community in Nepal located along the trail to Mount Everest Base Camp (EBC). Mazur has guided Mount Everest climbers for more than 20 years and spends six months a year in Nepal and Tibet. Porter is an engineer by trade and a retired Boeing program manager. In 2012, MEBP expanded its engineering team and began tackling the human waste issue by setting out to design an unprecedented biogas system. With volunteers from a range of professional industries, MEBP is affiliated with the Seattle chapter of Engineers Without Borders and Architects Without Borders. In 2017, MEBP was formally recognized for its visionary solution by the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) through its the Mountain Protection Award (MPA) program. Honored among a distinguished group of twenty-two nominees from around the world,

Mount Everest behind Gorak Shep village

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MEBP was selected as the 2017 MPA overall winner, announced at the UIAA General Assembly in Shiraz, Iran on October 21, 2017.

Statement of Need Climbers on Mount Everest take away life-changing memories, remarkable images and adventurous friends from every corner of the Earth. They also leave behind human waste, which is currently not disposed of in a safe, clean, or sustainable manner. The environmental impact this has on the fragile environment of the Sagarmāthā National Park (Mount Everest) and the health risk to the local population is massive. High altitude and extremely cold temperatures make natural decomposition processes impossible. This results in the accumulation of decades’ worth of harmful fecal matter, which is accruing at an increasingly exponential rate, in

line with Mount Everest’s exploding popularity for expeditions. To maintain the region’s immaculate natural environment and to protect the watershed system the Sherpa people rely on for safe drinking water, a sustainable and reliable solution is required immediately.

Mission MEBP’s mission is to deploy a visionary solar-powered biogas system capable of operating at extreme high-altitude environmental conditions, eliminating the hazardous dumping of untreated human waste.

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Helping preserve the Mount Everest region, MEBP’s pilot project in Gorak Shep (elevation 5,180m/17,000ft) will be a first-of-its-kind, ensuring the safe disposal of human waste generated by climbers at EBC. In addition, the system will provide direct and indirect benefits to the people of Nepal in the form of environmentally safe products: a clean burning renewable energy source (methane gas) and an odorless nutrient-rich fertilizer. Ripe for deployment elsewhere, over the long term the technology could improve the lives of local communities and environments around the world by reducing pollution, deforestation, health risks and costs to obtain usable fuel sources. The demonstration project in Gorak Shep could be a springboard to a broader organization, organized under a different entity, where the technology could be replicated and deployed in other remote high altitude locations globally.

Vision Beginning with simple off-the-shelf technology systems already widely established and readily available in Nepal, MEBP has designed a new solution that accommodates the harsh conditions and fragile infrastructure in the remote villages surrounding Mount Everest. MEBP’s technology is based on a common anaerobic biogas digester, a system that uses microorganisms to

Tents at EBC

Mount Everest has deep cultural and religious significance to the Sherpa communities. Sagarmāthā, as it is known in Nepali, is revered as the “Mother Goddess of the World.” The ongoing dumping of human waste is degrading to this hallowed ground.

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break down waste and produce biogas. MEBP’s modified design has been under scientific study and design evolution since 2010. MEBP’s Basis of Design (BOD) has been peer reviewed by outside technical firms in the engineering community. In addition, the technology has proven technically feasible for its effectiveness in converting human waste in extreme temperature conditions via lab testing at Kathmandu University. The BOD document is available upon request. MEBP’s immediate vision is to construct this customized biogas digester system in the highest altitude village, Gorak Shep, located just below EBC. MEBP’s design will utilize 100% of the human waste created at EBC. Long term, MEBP could expand operations in Nepal to increase the region’s capacity for tourism in a sustainable way. Local leaders and members of the Gorak Shep Teahouse Owners Association expect the prototype biogas system will lead to others once it has been proven. The high-altitude biogas system will allow the region to bring in more trekkers and climbers without an increase in pollution or risk to water quality in the surrounding regions. In recent years, Mount Everest has received international press about the pollution on the mountain. The biogas system would be an important step to restore the mountain to its natural condition while allowing the climbing community to enjoy its beauty and bounty. Mount Everest Base Camp on the Khumbu Glacier

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Historical Problem The successful 1953 summit of Mount Everest by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary pioneered a booming industry of climbing tourism in Nepal. The highest peak on the globe now serves as the ultimate challenge and lifelong goal for hundreds of expedition climbers each year. From 1953 to 2016, nearly 4,500 individuals from all over the world followed in the footsteps of Hillary and Norgay, summiting Mount Everest more than 7,600 times. 2017 was a record-breaking season; 375 climbers were granted a permit to attempt the summit, the most climbers in one year since 1953. The launch point for climbing expeditions, EBC (elevation 5,364m/17,598ft) sits on the Khumbu Glacier. For up to three months each year, this ‘tent city’ is a bustling temporary village, home to hundreds of foreign climbers and Sherpas seeking to summit. These months are spent acclimatizing as climbers prepare physically and mentally for the final 24-hour push to the tallest location on the globe, the Mount Everest summit (elevation 8,948m/29,029ft). The 62 km (38 mile) route from the trailhead and nearest airport to EBC is an extremely rugged, non-motorized hiking trail. Each piece of expedition gear and every good required to support the industry within the villages must be transported on the back of a man or an animal. The predominant workforce behind each gear-

Nepali porters carrying gear along EBC

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heavy expedition is the uniquely qualified Sherpa people — a local community accustomed to life at high altitudes, who have populated Mount Everest’s foreboding Himalayan region for centuries. With decades of continued use and exploration, EBC and the upper camps have become scarred by human impact. Human waste dumped in Gorak Shep has ballooned to 26,000 pounds (12,000kg/12 tons) annually, causing environmental degradation and posing severe risks to clean water sources.

In an effort to clean up this renowned landmark, the Nepali government enacted regulations in 1991 to mandate the removal of waste generated at EBC. The Sagarmāthā Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) was created to manage the environmental protection of the Mount Everest National Park, which includes the oversight of waste removal and disposal. However, due to the remote nature of the area, there has been no solution yet for the treatment or safe disposal of human feces. The current disposal method for this vast amount of human waste: Put it into plastic-lined, blue barrels at EBC and transport it via Sherpa or yak down to Gorak Shep where it is dumped.

Until 2014, porters were dumping the untreated feces into unlined pits, covered by rocks and earth, leaving the excrement to slowly dehydrate and break down. At high altitudes, this can take a very long time.

Yak saddled with blue barrels used to transport waste

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Increased tourism compounds the problem. There is no more space available above Gorak Shep to dig pits; so human waste is now carried to shallow excavated areas below the village. Many of these newer dump sites are located alongside a riverine outlet for an adjacent glacier where, during monsoon season, water flows freely along this bed and into the watershed system, risking impacts to downstream drinking water. Despite the positive economic impact a thriving Mount Everest attraction can bring to Nepal, these alarming environmental consequences require urgent action. The presence of climbers on the mountain and throughout the entire approach up the Khumbu Valley has left a trail of human waste for which there was no solution — until now.

Innovation & Solution

Traditional Biogas Systems An anaerobic digester system is a large tank where microorganisms feed on a mixture of water and bacteria found in organic waste, breaking down the waste and producing two byproducts: methane, a renewable natural gas, and a pathogen-reduced effluent. Anaerobic biogas digester technology is neither new nor unique, however standard biogas technology typically operates at low

Rendering of Mount Everest Biogas Project

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elevations and in warm climes — where bacteria can easily grow — and with a wide range of fuel including food scraps, animal and human waste. Ubiquitous in many parts of central Asia, digesters have been broadly constructed as a sustainable waste solution throughout Nepal, China, India and other developing countries. China alone has an estimated 8 million anaerobic digesters in operations. The Biogas Sector Partnership (BSP), an international NGO active in Nepal and formerly based in the Netherlands, is responsible for implementation of biogas technology across the country. With a satellite office in Kathmandu, BSP has in-country staff of 18-25 personnel that are responsible for more than 260,000 biogas digesters constructed to-date.

Our Modified and Customized Technology What is unique about MEBP is twofold. First, it is a creative adaptation of existing biogas digester technology, re-engineered with customized modifications for operation in the harsh environment of high altitude, extremely cold conditions. Second, it uses only human waste as the input fuel, a waste type that produces less methane gas than produced using typical animal waste or kitchen waste products. With these two scientific challenges to overcome, the MEBP team initiated substantial research and design and has subsequently reached a deployable solution.

Schematic design

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Over the last seven years, MEPB has undertaken scientific study and design evolution involving: • Biogas research • Performance modeling of critical factors: digester internal temperature, air and ground temperatures at Gorak Shep

using only human waste as the “feed stock” • Heat loss modeling • Iterative design concepts • External peer review of designs

In 2016, mini-digester lab testing was performed using human waste sample specimens from EBC at anticipated temperatures. Performed at Kathmandu University in association with Seattle University, the MEBP design proved successful and the team is confident that the system will perform at Gorak Shep. MEBP’s design concept was originally presented to members of the Gorak Shep Teahouse Owners Association and BSP in June 2013. Based on their inputs, the design was modified and the “Basis of Design” document was released in April 2015, a document subsequently vetted by the outside Seattle technical community. Once implemented successfully at Gorak Shep, the MEBP design can be replicated in other high-altitude locations.

Project Design: Three Key Elements The MEBP design is comprised of three primary components: a digester, a heating system, and a shelter unit.

Future site of the MEBP installation in Gorak Shep

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1. The Digester In partnership with BSP, MEBP executed a Letter of Intent in 2011 for implementing a biogas system at Gorak Shep. MEBP’s low technology solution combines the basic Nepali biogas digester system with a heating design and shelter that performs in the harsh atmosphere of Gorak Shep. With the core objectives of simple procurement processes and ease of construction, the system design incorporates components that are widely available in Nepal. No major parts are required that cannot be sourced in the Khumbu region or in Kathmandu. MEBP met with BSP’s senior management again in May 2016 to revalidate support for the project. As the project development advances, BSP will continue to serve as design consultants for the construction of the biogas digester system.

2. The Heating System To maintain continual operations, the digester must be fed daily — one bucket of excrement per day mixed with one bucket of warm water — and must maintain a temperature between 20°C - 30°C. Heating for the biogas digester is a major issue since average ambient air and ground temperatures are below freezing most of the year. Slurry temperature inside the reactor must be maintained around 30°C for optimum gas production. As temperature lowers, the gas production rate drops significantly. Near freezing temperature, no gas will be produced. Although some heat from the slurry is lost to the air, the majority of the heat loss is through the walls of the Solar array at Gorak Shep

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reactor, to surrounding earth. This is a significant loss, and must be overcome to sustain the production of methane. The MEBP design team has iterated several design concepts for meeting the active heating requirements of the biogas system. As the selected solution for MEBP, a shelter over the digester will provide a controlled environment to elevate the ambient air and ground temperature and to warm or thaw stored water and waste products. To further minimize heat losses, the shelter roof is equipped with a night curtain. Other design features include: a solar array for generating energy and battery array for storing energy during the nighttime, a DC resistance coil inserted inside a well-insulated biogas digester buried in the ground, and a masonry building built over the digester as shelter.

3. The Shelter The design also includes a storage site outside the digester facility. Because the majority of climbers attempt the Mount Everest ascent in May of each year, most of the waste will arrive at Gorak Shep over a 60-90 day timeframe in the spring. The waste will need to be stored where it will not freeze so it can feed the digester over the remaining months of the year. Through this design, MEBP will introduce new building techniques to local builders to make them energy-efficient and resistant to seismic forces. While the shelter will be constructed of traditional stone masonry, MEBP has incorporated rigid foam insulation below the foundation and in the cavities of walls and roof to retain the digester heat. Masonry combined with insulation is not a standard practice in Nepal, despite the cold climates. Additionally, the shelter will include a new earthquake-resisting technique called “gabion banding,” which reinforces traditional stone construction with horizontal wire mesh bands designed to hold the building together when it experiences shaking forces. These new building techniques look to incrementally build on standard practices to create safer and more sustainable building models.

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Academic Partnerships and Scientific Research The scientific research and study required to complete the design of MEBP has resulted from multiple academic partnerships. While biogas digesters are common in this part of the world, MEBP will run entirely on human waste, which, at the outset, posed three scientific research questions. First, human waste as the sole fuel input produces less methane than traditional biogas digesters that are fed with a diversity of animal and food waste. As such, scientific research was required to confirm that enough methane would be produced to successfully operate the project. Second, climbers at EBC often ingest antibiotics to manage travelers’ diarrhea and respiratory ailments. Important to consider in the system design were what impacts the prevalence of antibiotics would have on gut microorganisms required for natural decomposition. Third, pathogen destruction by the digester needs to be measured to know if the effluent can be used safely as fertilizer for crops potentially consumed by humans. To answer these questions, MEBP established a long-term relationship with the academic community of Nepal through a joint program with Seattle University and Kathmandu University. Beginning in 2015, the parties began running lab and bench tests simulating mini-biogas digesters operating at temperature ranges that mirrored the conditions at the site while using actual climber waste from EBC.

Gorak Shep, Nepal

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In May 2016 the results demonstrated successful fecal decomposition and methane gas production from actual climber waste samples taken from EBC at three different operating temperatures. Available upon request, the phase one technical report demonstrates by repeated lab testing at Kathmandu University that the human waste breaks down and produces gas. A pivotal moment in scientific testing of the MEBP design, this was a major risk reduction for the program. This critical lab result eliminates technical risk to the MEBP performance. Launched in September 2018, Phase Two will expand on the successful test results of Phase One, this time with larger “mini-biogas digesters” and a focus on measuring the pathogen destruction in the effluent to address the issue of the relative safety of utilizing the effluent for fertilizer. The academic research effort will be completed in June 2019. Sanitation impacts extend beyond the waste disposal issues and into downstream water quality concerns. While more costly scientific research would be required to directly correlate negative impacts of the human waste dump sites on the region’s drinking water supply, academic research has been conducted by third parties on the human health impacts of human waste entering the watershed system. In May 2012, Dr. Jon Kedrowski, Ph. D, completed tests on the water sources for E. Coli and other coliforms from Luboche (elevation 4,940m/16,207ft) all the way up to Camp 2 (elevation ~6,400m/21,000ft). The results reflected pathogens present at an occurrence rate over global health standards. In 2014, the University of Washington further tested the water supply for elements found only human waste and found traces of human elements. With MEBP operational, human feces will no longer be dumped into open pits but will be processed safely in the digester, minimizing future risk exposure resultant from unsafe waste disposal methods.

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Project Details Location Established in 1976, the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) was formed under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act and is managed by the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Office, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ministry of Forests, Government of Nepal. Nestled in SNP, also an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, Gorak Shep is reached only by a strenuous six-day hike from the trailhead and nearest airport. All supplies, food, and fuel must be carried on yaks or porters. There are no electrical, sanitation and water supply systems and all human waste from EBC and surrounding base camps is dumped here, untreated, into open pits.

Land, Permitting & Jurisdictional Approvals MEBP will comply with all local and Mount Everest National Park and Nepali Government requirements in the permitting required for the project. While the land underlying SNP is owned by the Government of Nepal, management of SNP was granted to local authorities via the fourth amendment of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, which introduced the concept of the Buffer Zone (BZ) in 1993. “BZ is an area surrounding a park or a reserve encompassing forests, agricultural lands, settlements,

Hikers above Gorak Shep

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village open spaces and any other land use. The BZ program protects the core area of the park through community-based natural resource management. The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973, Buffer Zone Regulations, 1996 and Buffer Zone Guidelines, 1999 provide policy and legal framework for buffer zone management in Nepal. In order to institutionalize participatory conservation and development practices in the buffer zone, the local communities are organized into 28 Buffer Zone User Groups (BZUGs), three Buffer Zone User Committees (BZUCs) and one Buffer Zone Management Committee (BZMC),” as detailed by the Sagarmatha National Park and Its Buffer Zone Management Plan, 2016-2020, (the SNP Plan, 2016-2020) published by the Government of Nepal Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Sagarmatha National Park Office. Sagarmatha National Park Buffer Zone Management Committee (SNP BZMC) is the semi-governmental BZ in the Khumbu Valley, where Gorak Shep is located, that organizes local volunteers to keep the trails clear of litter and coordinates with the National Park concerning environmental issues in SNP. One of the core members of the MEBP team and local resident, Mingma Tenzing Sherpa, is a member of the SNP BZMC. In 1991, a non-governmental organization, Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) was established with the responsibility for the environmental protection of SNP, including all measures to ensure that waste in the park is removed and disposed of in a sustainable manner. Led by Sherpas from the Khumbu Valley, SPCC monitors compliance with the environmental policies within SNP. “SNP has been promoting the SPCC as a local-level conservation partner to keep the Everest region clean. It is a local environmental institution, and has been actively engaged in waste management in the three VDCs (Village Development Committee) viz. Chaurikharka, Namche and Khumjung of the SNP and its BZ. The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation also coordinates with the SPCC to respond for monitoring garbage in the permit-required mountains and the NMA-registered peaks. In direct coordination with the SNP and the local communities, SPCC also manages garbage in the major settlements and along the trekking-trails. This NGO, with permission from the SNP, built some solid waste containers along some trekking-routes (Lukla to Namche, Namche to Tengboche and Namche to Thame),” according to the SNP Plan, 2016-2020.

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MEBP has established a formal partnership with both entities, SPCC and the SNP BZMC. In May 2016, the MEBP team met with the Presidents of both agencies in Namche Bazar, the center of the Sherpa region, and home to both of these organizations. The team received overwhelming support for the advancement of this project. A three-party Memorandum of Understanding agreement (MOU) was signed on May 20, 2016 by SPCC, SNP BZMC and MEBP to allow the project to formally proceed. SPCC will be the long-term owner and operator of the project, responsible for overseeing the biogas-digester project and its continual maintenance. On October 16, 2017, a supplemental agreement to the MOU was signed that details the ownership transfer to SPCC after year one of operations and the confirmation that no further permits or approvals are required from Nepali authorities to construct the project. Available upon request, this MOU represents a strong partnership with the local authorities having jurisdiction. The MOU has further paved the way toward a near-term construction timeline due to the expedited permitting processes placed on the project by the agencies. SNP BZMC will facilitate all legal approvals required to implement the project in collaboration with SPCC.

Community Support Local participation and good stewardship are essential to the success of MEBP. During a May 2013 site visit, the MEBP team garnered the support of and the formal approval of the site location from the Gorak Shep Teahouse Owners Association, primary stakeholders in the project. Translated interviews with local teahouse owners are available by request. MEBP also has the support of the Mount Everest Foundation for Sustainable Development (MEFSD), a non-profit organization located in Kathmandu that sponsors projects in rural Nepal. The director of MEFSD, Murari Sharma, is well

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known in the community that monitors mountaineering and trekking activities in the Khumbu Valley of Nepal. Dan Mazur, co-founder of MEBP, is a board member of MEFSD.

Environmental, Economic, Educational & Community Benefits Once operational, MEBP will eliminate the annual dumping of 26,000 pounds of solid human waste in the vicinity of Gorak Shep. Additional environmental benefits of this project are: lessened risk of water contamination by fecal coli form, reduced reliance on burning wood or yak dung for heating and resultant health risks, curtailed deforestation of limited wood resources in the area. The biogas system produces two primary byproducts, both of which will be useful to the local communities. This project will convert waste into methane, a renewable natural gas. This clean fuel will be made available to the local community members in Gorak Shep for cooking and lighting. The pathogen-reduced effluent produced will be available for use as fertilizer by farmers in the Khumbu Valley region. MEBP will bring substantial local benefits during the project construction, by utilizing a local construction company, local labor, and local materials. The construction period is expected to result in dozens of jobs for one year. These economic investments will sustain through the project operations, offering long-term employment for members of the local community.

Waste pit overflowing with human waste located along riverbed

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Each year hundreds of climbers and thousands of trekkers will hike directly by the installed project in Gorak Shep en route to EBC. Serving as an excellent opportunity to educate the public, an informational plaque will be installed on the building façade with details about the project, recognition of donors, a contributions box and a call-to-action for visitors to learn more about the project online and donate to the organization’s fund for operational costs and expansion projects.

Design & Engineering Status The biogas system design has undergone seven years of iteration and has reached a thoroughly tested, construction-ready design. Following significant desktop design, five members of the MEBP visited the site in May 2016 and completed a professional field survey. MEBP also met with local technical groups that will provide design and labor. MEBP has been working with the Kathmandu team of the American-based company, Sunbridge Solar, which has offered technical assistance on the heating requirements for the digester, including the solar panel and battery technology. Sunbridge Solar is one option for MEBP’s procurement and installation of this equipment.

Design Details: Total Energy Heating 15.9 kilowatt hours (kWh)

Peak Heating Power 116 watts (W)

Total Capacity 6,000 liters (L)

Total Excrement/Day 33.3L + 33.3L of water

Total Effluent/Day 66.6L

Air Temperature 0 Celsius (C)

Digester Temperature 20-30C

Average Insulation R-50

Calculated Heat Loss 103W

Solar Panel Capacity 315W

PV Array Size 8.5kW (27 panels)

Battery Bank (48) 2 Volt, 800 AmpHr, Batteries

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With the design drawings at 90% completion, MEBP is in process of selecting a local engineering firm to finalize design and a general contractor to construct the biogas system. To aid in the selection of a local firm(s), a request for proposal (RFP) was issued to qualified Nepali firms with a finalist selected in 1Q 2018. This firm will review the design and complete necessary changes to meet Nepali construction standards.

Construction Plan & Schedule Contingent upon successful project funding, the project team will break ground and initiate construction in March 2019. A local general contractor will be hired by MEBP to build the biogas system, which consists of the biogas digester, the shelter over the digester and the heating system, which is comprised of the solar and battery arrays. The MEBP team has retained a local resident to oversee construction of the project. During the construction and installation phase, BSP-Nepal will act as an on-site consultant for the biogas digester. There is no system for bringing in heavy equipment for construction so all excavation work will be completed by hand. There are no long-lead procurement items; locally available materials and labor will be used whenever possible. Project construction will be complete in approximately nine months.

MEBP Team Site Visit in 2016

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Testing and evaluation of the biogas digester will be performed for a period up to one year after the digester is operational during which period a volunteer member of the MEBP team will live in Gorak Shep and oversee operation of the digester. During this phase, members of the Gorak Shep community will receive training on the operation of the biogas system. The MEBP team, in conjunction with BSP, will provide all training equipment and manuals. The project will be fully operational in spring 2020, just in time for the expedition season when over 400 climbers are expected to visit EBC.

Ownership Structure & Long-term Operations Plan The long-term operation of the biogas system will belong to SPCC. To ensure proper system support, a consulting team consisting of BSP-Nepal, SPCC, Seattle University, Kathmandu University and the MEBP team will provide technical and operational aid to the system operators. Under the terms of the MOU, MEBP will operate the project for one year and will then turn over the operating system to SPCC for the long-term operations. The digester requires daily maintenance, including the feeding of a new barrel of excrement and equal parts hot water, which will be operated and maintained by a local member of the Gorak Shep community, as coordinated by SPCC. MEBP, via a consortium of personnel from EWB, AWB, BSP, Seattle University, Kathmandu University, will provide on-going technical support to the operators of the system to ensure long-term sustainability of the project. This group will also facilitate the deployment of this biogas system to other locations worldwide. Due to SPCC’s formation directive to oversee waste management in the Khumbu region, SPCC is incentivized to maintain the ongoing operations of MEBP. Once operational, the project will have minimal cost requirements and SPCC, the long-term owners of the biogas digester, will retain the financial responsibility of the project beyond the first year of operations.

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SPCC receives funding allocation from SNP based on the overall fees collected annually. SPCC brings in additional revenue via fees charged to expedition climbers to maintain the icefall that is located between EBC and to Camp I, which has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars since implemented in the late 1990s. These are revenue streams that SPCC could use to fund the operational costs. Supplemental efforts to raise funds for ongoing maintenance will include a contribution box will be installed at the project site with a plaque for visitors to donate online.

“Multiplier Effect” - Expansion Potential in Gorak Shep and Beyond MEBP’s system design is large enough to accommodate the excrement produced by expedition climbers at EBC only. While MEBP will not address the excrement from the lodging teahouses, where thousands of trekkers arrive annually, a secondary digester could be built in the future to expand the clean-up efforts. Further, local leaders and members of the Gorak Shep Teahouse Owners Association expect the pilot project will lead to others in the vicinity as a mechanism to increase sustainable tourism practices along the EBC trail and beyond.

Implementation Cost The all-in project cost for construction and installation is approximately $650,000 for the turnkey construction of the facility. This cost includes the operations and maintenance cost for year one. This cost estimate is based upon the current project design. Updates will be shared as the final design is completed and costing is refreshed. The cost estimate for the project is based upon preliminary design and bids received from Kathmandu-based engineering and general contracting firms. The selected firm will finalize the total capital investment to construct the project. Fundraising Plan To-date, MEBP’s predominant fundraising mechanism has been via in-kind donations from the 100% volunteer team of professionals that conceived of the idea, developed the concept and completed the engineering and architectural design.

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MEBP has raised $30,000 from outside funders, with the donations used for site visits, air travel and minimal engineering support. To fund the construction and installation of this project, MEBP is seeking a corporate project sponsor(s) or grant(s) to fund the all-in implementation cost via capital donations, equipment donations, or a combination thereof. Approximately 50% of the total cost is for major equipment components, including solar panels, a battery array, racking equipment and windows. In lieu of capital donations, equipment donations from major manufacturers would significantly reduce the total capital requirement and would offer a unique marketing opportunity for equipment suppliers. Alongside the successful funding of this primary project at Gorak Shep, MEBP is seeking programmatic level funding for additional projects beyond this pilot phase. MEBP is a 501(c)3 organization with Federal EIN #47-2080566.

Supplemental Information

Volunteer Team Members Garry Porter, Executive Director Porter is a retired Boeing Company Program manager with over 34 years of engineering and program management experience. He holds a Master of Science degree in engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from the University of Nebraska.

Mingma Sherpa and Garry Porter

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Dan Mazur, Co-Founder, Nepal Liason Manager Mazur holds a PhD degree in Urban Planning. Through the Mount Everest Foundation for Sustainable Development in Nepal and Tibet (MEFSD), he has built schools and health clinics for local families in remote districts of Nepal. He has also summited Mount Everest multiple times and is employed by Summit Trek where he leads climbing and walking trips to Nepal and Tibet. Nate Janega, Senior Project Engineer Janega earned his Masters Degree from the University of Washington’s Civil Environmental Engineering Department. His interest in biogas technology started while earning his Bachelor of Arts in Biological Chemistry from Grinnell College. Michael Marsolek, Research Marsolek is an Asst. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Seattle University, with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University. He has experience operating lab-scale bioreactors and testing biogas potential of different digester feeds. Joe Swain, Lead Architect Swain is an architect based in Seattle. He has worked on biogas-integrated projects in Massachusetts and Washington and has design experience in India and Sri Lanka. He holds a Masters degree in Architecture from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Mathematics from Brown University. Kirk Robinson, Construction and Subcontract Lead Robinson is the Founder and Principal in Charge of Construction Management Services for The Robinson Company. He has more than 30 years of experience in construction management services for large capital-intensive projects in excess of $400M USD. He offers in depth knowledge of budgeting, construction management and scheduling.

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Mingma Tenzing Sherpa, In-Country Liaison Born and raised in Namche Bazar, Nepal, Tenzing has been deeply involved with MEBP since its inception. He is an influential member of the Mount Everest National Park Buffer Zone Committee with a track record of participation in environmental and cultural preservation projects in the Khumbu Valley. He is a devout Buddhist with a degree from Kathmandu University. Ann Siqveland, Public Relations and Fundraising Manager Siqveland is a renewable energy project developer. With ten years of experience in utility-scale wind and solar energy project development, she serves as Development Director at OneEnergy Renewables while her previous experience includes positions with global companies, EDP Renewables and EDF Renewable Energy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Montana. Brenda Bednar, Volunteer Bednar is as a nurse-midwife at Swedish hospital, with prior work experience as a project manager and in non-profit fundraising. She has a Bachelor of Science in sociology from the University of Wisconsin and an M.S.N. from Yale University. Her interest in MEBP led her to join the May 2016 site visit, documenting the team’s journey to EBC.

Contributing Volunteers from the Following Companies

• The Boeing Company • Weyerhouser • University of Washington • Seattle University • Kathmandu University • Summit Climb

• PAE-Engineering • Ecotope • Berona Engineers Inc. • Kubota Membrane USA

Corp. • Outback Power

• BK Robinson Construction • Perkins Coie • 360-Analysis • Coffman Engineering • OneEnergy Renewables

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Affiliated Organizations • Engineers Without Borders (EWB) – Puget Sound Professional Engineers chapter • Architects Without Borders - Seattle chapter (AWB) • Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) • Sagarmatha National Park Buffer Zone Management Committee (SNP BZMC) • Biogas Sector Partnership – Nepal (BSP) • Gorak Shep Tea House Owners Association • Mt. Everest Foundation for Sustainable Development (MEFSD)

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Media Coverage

TheWashingtonPost:Wootsen, Cleve R. Jr., 7 August 2018, “Mount Everest is a ‘fecal time bomb.’ Here’s one man’s idea for handling 14 tons of poop,” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/08/07/mount-everest-is-a-fecal-time-bomb-heres-one-mans-idea-for-handling-14-tons-of-poop/?utm_term=.58210c18ff73.

CNN:Scott, Katy, 5 August 2018, “Solving Everest's mounting poop problem,” https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/05/health/mount-everest-biogas-project/index.html.

CTV,YourMorning:29 January 2018, “Mount Everest has a poop problem, and this guy’s trying to solve it,” https://www.ctv.ca/YourMorning/Articles/January-2018/Mount-Everest-poop-problem?mc_cid=2017628505&mc_eid=43ee3ee827.

VICE/MOTHERBOARD:Emerson, Sarah, 17 January 2018, “The Man Trying to Fix Mount Everest's Towering Poop Problem,” https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/a3namk/the-man-trying-to-fix-mount-everests-towering-poop-problem?mc_cid=2017628505&mc_eid=43ee3ee827.

King5SeattleTV:Land, Ted, 14 January 2018, “Washington team aims to clean up human waste on Mount Everest,” http://www.king5.com/article/news/local/washington-team-aims-to-clean-up-human-waste-on-mount-everest/281-508042139?mc_cid=2017628505&mc_eid=43ee3ee827.

KitsapSun:Vosler, Christian, 8 January 2018, “South Kitsap man helping to solve Mount Everest's poop problem,” https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/local/2018/01/08/south-kitsap-man-helping-solve-mount-everests-poop-problem/1008979001/?mc_cid=2017628505&mc_eid=43ee3ee827.

NorthwestPublicRadio/EarthFix:Flatt, Courtney, OPB, 17 November 2017, “Mount Everest Has A Poop Problem. A Team From Seattle Wants To Clean It Up,” https://www.opb.org/news/article/mount-everest-poop-problem/.

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NationalGeographic:Ferguson, Will, National Geographic, 15 May 2013, “On Mount Everest, Seeking Biogas Energy in a Mountain of Waste,” http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/05/130515-mount-everest-biogas-energy/.

SmithsonianMagazine:Nuwer, Rachel, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2013, “Mount Everest Climbers’ Waste Could Power Local Villages,” http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mount-everest-climbers-waste-could-power-local-villages-63923557/?no-ist.

OutsideMagazine:Bishop, Brent, Outside Magazine, 7 April 2015, “Peak Poop: The Feces Problem on Everest Needs a Solution,” https://www.outsideonline.com/1965696/peak-poop-feces-problem-everest-needs-solution.

WashingtonPost:Holley, Peter, Washington Post, 3 March 2015, “Decades of human waste have made Mount Everest a ‘fecal time bomb’,” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/03/decades-of-human-waste-have-made-mount-everest-a-fecal-time-bomb/?utm_term=.c1eba7e5db87.