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What
is Landfill Gas? Landfill Gas (LFG) is generated
from the decomposition of municipal solid waste which is placed in sanitary landfills. The
decomposition process is an anaerobic process, which means that oxygen is not present.
What is Landfill Gas Made Of? LFG is comprised of roughly 54% methane (CH4), 45% carbon dioxide (CO2)
and very small traces of nitrogen and water vapor.
Why is
LFG Important?
Methane is potentially explosive and
is also a greenhouse gas that is considered thirty (30) times more potent than carbon
dioxide. In the proper quantities, LFG could be successfully and profitably recovered for
its energy content. Forms of energy that make a positive contribution to the community
include electric, medium BTU gas, pipeline quality natural gas , and compressed gas for
vehicle equipment.
What Are the Regulations?
Owners or operators of all municipal solid waste landfills must
implement a routine monitoring program to ensure that the
concentration of explosive gases generated by the facility does not
exceed 25% of the lower explosive limit in structures and the lower
explosive limit for the gases at the property boundaries. The minimum frequency of monitoring shall be quarterly See also Code
of Maryland Regulations 26.04.07.03. B(9)
What is the Lower Explosive Limit?
This is the lowest percent by volume of a mixture of explosive gases in
air that will propagate a flare at 25°C and atmospheric pressure.
Does the County Have A Program?
The perimeter gas monitoring wells
have been installed in conjunction with
the landfill closure project which includes installation and monitoring of nine (9) wells and three
(3) occupied buildings located on the St. Andrews landfill property. The landfill gas
flares are designed to operate at a minimum combustion efficiency of at least 95%.In
2007, the County installed a centralized gas extraction system to
further it's efforts in controlling the offsite and on-site migration
of gas and other contaminants.
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