Arkansas Blog

Great idea if it works.

But when you're dealing with WM you gotta figure there's some huge catch somewhere.

That gas is in all landfills and they are the first in the area to put it to good use. The plant has been running for 1-2 years so I'd say it's already done some good. Someone should see about getting a plant put in at the Little Rock City Landfill. The more plants like these we have, the less need we'll have for these proposed coal plants. Generating electricity from methane that would otherwise leak into the air or simply be flared has a positive impact on global warming as well.
There are lots of good examples of landfills in the US that double as nature preserves.

Great idea if it works.<<,

It's certainly nothing new. At least two cities in Calif have been doing this since the 80s when I first read about it. A fellow in Fayetteville designed a system for that city which converted dump gases into electricity including turning poultry sludge into energy/fertilizer back in the late 80s. He could find NO Supporters.

This is long overdue. As BHO has slightly mentioned and Bucky Fuller preached in the 60s-70s our waste is not waste, there is no garbage, just under-utilized resources.

The same gas recovery could be done with poultry houses which emit large amounts of methane.

I congratulate Waste Management for using a 1980s technology in Arkansas.
.

Earl,
There is no "some huge catch somewhere." It's simply a matter of market economics. Fuel prices are high enough now that gas recovery is profitable. Before Dick Cheney's energy policy it was not economically viable for private interests to do it.

Sooner than we think, it will be viable for not one single piece of paper, plastic, glass wood, metal or rubber to be placed in a landfill. It's unfortunate that we could not do it by mandate but that's America and its fantasy belief that markets should control everything. We did remove mercury from our environment by political mandate. Hooray for us! Likewise we removed lead from paint by mandate.

Oh yes, there are tax incentives for alternative energy that Waste Management will enjoy. Such incentives are also available to individuals for installing alternative energy uses in their homes and businesses.
.

Methane hits the air and causes harm to the atmos whether it burns or not.. Nice to know we are trapping and utilizing what leakage we both create and cannot stop. Much much more like this, please.

"We did remove mercury from our environment by political mandate." We did in some instances, but check out that air permit on ADEQ's website. Looks like they are looking to allow tons of the stuff to be pumped into our environment over the lifetime of the SWEPCO plant.

Oh, wait. I almost forgot.

What with the distractions of waste management, Chesapeake Energy's pending rape of North Central Arkansas, Sen. Mark Pryor's conviction that the earth is 5,200 years old, Lu Hardin's failed extortion attempt at UCA, Mike Huckabee's FOX bobble-head commentator position, the opening Olympics ceremonies in China, McCain's comparing Obama to Britney and Paris . . . you know . . . THAT stuff . . . I almost forgot THIS!

11 minutes slamming home how America's global reputation and respect has been squandered since 2000, where our tax dollars have gone and why, and how hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost for, uh, what?

Gather the children and grandchildren around the old monitor for family time at clicky bluename.

Then we can get back to petty ad hominem attacks on Arkansas' most important blog.

But NEVER FORGET the truth of what's going on.

It's at the top of the threads because it deserves to be.

It's the truth.

It's cocktail hour here in Chenal, so I'm gathering visiting friends and neighbors 'round the 50" flat-screen to enjoy THIS heartwarming 7 minute piece.

Along with hors d'oeuvre and shit.

Of COURSE it doesn't belong in this thread, but it's so much fun I HAD to punch it up to the top of the heap.

Enjoy!

the if it works is not a question since they are recovering something which used to be for that use. unlike nlr trying to create new wetlands which is impossible because of the lack of underground aquifer access. i wish them continued success and more publicity.