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Torchbearers
EPA honors 2009 Landfill Methane Outreach Program projects.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) has recognized eight landfill methane capture projects for "innovation in generating renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions."
"We are proud to recognize Landfill Methane Outreach Program partners who are turning trash into a clean and profitable source of energy," said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, in a press release. "These projects, and others like them, are helping us transition into a clean energy economy and make important greenhouse gas reductions."
According to EPA, methane has more than 20 times the heat-trapping capacity of carbon dioxide.
Awards were presented in three categories. The six Projects of the Year winners make use of landfill gas (LFG) in four types of renewable energy projects: high Btu, cogeneration, electricity and direct use. LMOP recognized these projects for employing unique project structures, creating jobs, applying advanced technology, and creating a new source of renewable energy to benefit the local community. The winners are:
University of New Hampshire EcoLine Project, Rochester, N.H. — A diverse team developed EcoLine, an integrated system that cleans and burns LFG in a cogeneration plant. The plant provides up to 85 percent of the 5 million square-foot campus' electricity and heating needs.
Jefferson City Renewable Energy Project, Jefferson City, Mo. — Project developer Ameresco changed the originally planned location of the 3.2-megawatt LFG electricity project to enable the capture of waste heat. The cogeneration project earned White House recognition for creating an estimated 80 jobs and expanding renewable energy for the nation.
Altamont Landfill Resource and Recovery Facility, Livermore, Calif. — Following nearly 10 years of research and development, a high-tech, high Btu fuel plant converts LFG into liquefied natural gas (LNG) that will fuel 300 garbage trucks.
Ox Mountain Landfill, Half Moon Bay, Calif. — At 11.4 megawatts, one of the largest LFG electricity projects in the country helps two municipal utilities meet renewable energy goals and powers as many as 10,000 homes in the cities of Palo Alto and Alameda.
Sioux Falls Landfill and POET Ethanol Direct Use Project, Sioux Falls, S.D. — The city captures, cleans and pipes LFG for energy utilization at an ethanol plant, where LFG initially displaces about 10 percent of the plant's natural gas consumption in a wood waste-fuel boiler.
Oak Grove Landfill Renewable Methane Project, Winder, Ga. — In a high Btu project that produces enough gas to heat over 8,000 homes, a public/private partnership overcame barriers and applied innovative technologies that could lead to application at other high Btu projects.
Two additional projects received special recognition. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (DHE), Topeka, Kan., was named State Partner of the Year. "Through extensive outreach and networking, Kansas DHE and the Bureau of Waste Management successfully fueled interest in LFG utilization for energy in Kansas and beyond," said EPA in a press release.
The South Kent Generating Station in Byron Center, Mich., was named Community Partner of the Year. According to EPA, "Kent County demonstrated its strong desire to serve the community and implement a long-term LFG energy strategy when it was approached by Granger to generate electricity using LFG from the South Kent Landfill."
For more information about EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program, visit www.epa.gov/lmop/index.html.
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