Turning Sour Landfill Gas Into Sweet Electricity

By John G. Carlton, P.E., Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc.
James J. Williams, Pollution Control Financing Authority of Warren County
Dave Graubard, Merichem

The Pollution Control Financing Authority of Warren County (PCFAWC) owns and operates a regional landfill for the disposal of non-hazardous solid wastes in northwestern New Jersey. From 1998 to 2004, the PCFAWC utilized construction and demolition (C&D) debris screenings in significant quantities as alternate daily landfill cover. Landfill gas (LFG) sampling conducted early in 2004 indicated H2S levels as high as 11,400 parts per million by volume (ppmv). In contrast, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates the average H2S in LFG is 35.5 ppmv.

The PCFAWC attributes the high concentration of H2S to the use of C&D screenings. The PCFAWC discontinued the use of C&D screenings in the spring of 2004.