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Methane Recovery

Landfill gas is produced by the decomposition of garbage buried in landfills, a process called anaerobic decomposition . Landfill gas consists of approximately 50 percent methane, the major component of natural gas, with the balance from carbon dioxide and traces of other unstable components.

Landfill gas can pose a threat to surrounding properties and the environment. Fires--and even explosions--can occur when landfill gas builds up underground and enters a confined space. The gas, untapped and unmanaged, can also bleed emissions into the atmosphere, which have heat trapping properties that hasten global warming. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that as a contributor to climate change, methane gas is second only to carbon dioxide.

As part of the NJMC's efforts to control these emissions, landfill gas recovery has been successfully implemented in the District on more than 700 acres of landfills. Under the methane recovery process, landfill gas is extracted under a vacuum from wells located at the various landfills, and piped to processing plants. Up until recently, the landfill gas was used as a fuel to operate internal combustion engines and generate electricity.