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ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT BENEFITS AT CALIFORNIA WASTE LANDFILL

Release Date: 09/29/2000
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2000

ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT BENEFITS AT CALIFORNIA WASTE LANDFILL

On Sept.14, EPA signed a Project XL agreement with a California landfill site to test an innovative technique that could result in a variety of environmental benefits, including greater energy recovery, quicker biodegradation of waste, and the ability to store, and/or to treat leachate (the water entering and flowing to the bottom of a landfill). The Yolo County Central Landfill in Davis, Calif. will operate its next landfill as a controlled bioreactor landfill. The primary goal of a landfill bioreactor is to stabilize and transform the waste so that it will be degrade more rapidly, e.g., within five to ten years following closure. The bioreactor landfill significantly increases waste decomposition, conversion rates and process effectiveness compared to what normally would occur within the landfill. Landfill bioreactors also increase the potential for waste to be converted to energy, which means that organic materials within the landfill can be converted to methane, which, in turn, can be used as an inexpensive source of energy. Storing and treating leachate as it flows through the landfill is also beneficial in operating a landfill bioreactor because it reduces the need to transport excess leachate offsite. Landfill bioreactors are also economically beneficial, for example, when air space is controlled and the wastes degrade at a faster rate, allowing the landfill to settle faster. This makes room for additional waste to be deposited. Another benefit of a successfully operated landfill bioreactor is that it may eliminate a source of pollution in the future. In order to implement this innovative process, Yolo County is requesting flexibility from the Resource Conservation Recovery Act regulations that control how liquid wastes are added to landfills. The county is proposing to use non-hazardous wastes to enhance the biodegradation of solid waste in a landfill.

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