Michigan landfill adds to methane collection system

The Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) in Michigan has completed the installation of 18 new methane gas wells at its Kentwood landfill.

In the fall of 2016, the DPW found methane gas had migrated outside the solid waste boundaries on the landfill, a condition that could cause methane gas intrusion into neighboring properties in the city of Kentwood, which is south of Grand Rapids.

In the fall of 2017, after and investigation and continued monitoring, DPW installed 18 new gas wells between 15 and 106 feet deep and added eight monitoring wells. On Dec. 27, 2017, a new flare system was activated and is extracting methane gas along the western boundary of the landfill where methane was found to be migrating. DPW will monitor the newly installed system and will continue to routinely test onsite and offsite monitoring wells indefinitely, the agency indicates.

The cost of the new system is around $1 million. Funding was provided by the Kent County Solid Waste surcharge.