Inside U.S. States & Regions
State and Local Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Programs
State and Local Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Programs
Pattonville High School Landfill Gas Recovery Project
Program types: Energy Supply, Waste Management
State: Missouri
Description
Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights, Missouri, has a 70-acre sanitary landfill as its neighbor. Managed by Fred Weber, Inc., the landfill operates under permits issued by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The Weber sanitary landfill and gas-collection facilities also are regulated by DNR's Solid Waste Management Program.
The Pattonville High School Landfill Gas Recovery Project enables the high school to burn free landfill methane instead of natural gas to fuel the school's boilers. To accomplish this, the project uses landfill gas wells, a gathering system, a scrubbing system, and a 3, 600-foot pipeline to the boilers. Project officials estimate that the methane gas reserves in the landfill will provide at least 40 years of boiler fuel for the high school. DNR's Energy Loan Program provided the school's financing for the project.
Development
Several years before the feasibility study was performed, a student proposed the idea of using the landfill gases as boiler fuel. The potential economic and environmental benefits that the study showed caught the attention of school officials, the landfill operator, and the DNR. The DNR worked with Fred Weber to develop the project. DNR provided a $170, 000 loan to the school district. The project will pay for itself in five years.
The 1996 Source Performance Standards and Emissions Guidelines for landfills mandates that facilities with more than 2.75 million tons of waste examine their gas emissions. If emissions exceed 50 tons of non-methane organic compounds per year, the landfill operator must install a collection system and flare the gas.
Using the landfill gas as boiler fuel is a far more productive and environmentally sound energy application than gas flaring. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than 700 landfills across the country could install economically viable gas-recovery systems.
Lessons Learned
One student's idea for solving energy problems became a reality through interested partners, available financing, and an aggressive state agency. Challenges in project implementation included recognizing improperly working scrubbers and adjusting the boilers, but these problems were solved with time and experience. DNR's financing of the project was an important factor in its implementation.
Benefits
The project saves the school district at least $40, 000 per year, depending on the market price of natural gas. The landfill's gathering and scrubbing system collects methane and volatile organic compounds that would have been emitted into the atmosphere. Using the methane eliminated the need to burn natural gas, saving over 2, 000 tons of CO2, 10 tons of NOx, and 22 tons of SO2 annually.
Contact Information
Dr. High KinneyPattonville R-3 School District11094 St. Charles Rock Road
St. Ann, MO 63074-1509
Phone (314) 213-8500
Fax (314) 213-8601
Email: www.pattonvillek12.mo.us
Website: http://www.pattonvillek12.mo.us