EPA Gases Up Energy Plan at Landfills

Jan. 2, 2002
The EPA awards $50,000 to the Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development Council of Sugar Grove, N.C., to develop marketable energy from gas at seven small landfills in the state.

As part of a continuing effort to support President George W. Bush's energy plan, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $50,000 to the Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development Council of Sugar Grove, N.C., to develop marketable energy from gas at seven small landfills in the state.

Besides the economic benefits, EPA believes the grant will reduce global warming gases and reward local communities with cleaner air and better-managed and safer landfills.

Landfill gas can be captured and sold as an energy source for a number of purposes, the most common being generation of electricity at electric utilities. Other uses include generating heat and electricity in industrial facilities; substituting for or supplementing natural gas; and producing compressed natural gas for auto fuel.

Landfill gas is mostly methane and carbon dioxide, with small amounts of other organic compounds. The methane portion is what makes the gas saleable.

Methane, virtually identical to natural gas, contributes 18 percent of all global warming emissions, and is about 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (the primary greenhouse gas) in trapping heat in the earth's atmosphere. Landfills are the largest human-generated source of methane in the country, contributing about 37 percent of all emissions. Methane also contributes to the formation of smog and poses an explosion hazard if uncontrolled.

This project will demonstrate different clean technologies for utilizing landfill gas; establish a research center dedicated to the study of landfill gas and other renewable resources; and provide assistance to seven landfill sites in western North Carolina.: Yancey/Mitchell County; Avery County; Wilkes County; Wilkes County Germantown; Alleghany County; Watauga County Landfill; and Ashe County. This project can serve as a model for other small landfills interested in marketing their landfill gas.

Since 1996, EPA has had a national rule that controls air pollution from large landfills that emit more than 50 megagrams per year of non-methane organic compounds. Under the rule, the landfills are required to capture the gas anyway, so they have an incentive to take the next logical step and sell it as an energy source.

Hundreds of smaller landfills are not subject to the rule, however, and have less incentive to develop gas utilization projects. Collectively, these small landfills, more than 900 nationwide, emit enough landfill gas to generate more than 1100 megawatts of power, enough to heat more than 700,000 homes per year. By capturing and selling this amount of gas, nearly 10 million tons of global warming gases are prevented from entering the atmosphere, an action equivalent to removing almost 10 million cars from America's roads each year.

Information on EPA's national Landfill Methane Outreach Program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from small landfills is available at www.epa.gov/lmop.

edited by Sandy Smith ([email protected])

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EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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