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Rhode Island Greenhouse Gas Inventory :Study Guide
Question #4: Methane & its Discontents: to flare or not to flare Currently, the Central Landfill in Johnston captures 85% of its "landfill gas" - composed of methane and carbon dioxide - flaring (burning off) some of it while using the rest for energy production. As reported on the U.S. Dept. of Energy homepage, "the [Landfill Gas-to-electricity] facility captures the landfill gas to supply as much as 12.3 megawatts of electrical power, enough capacity to serve roughly 17,000 households. The company sells this electricity to a local subsidiary of New England Power and pays RISWMC (Rhode Island Solid Waste Management Corporation) $50,000 per month in royalties for the rights to the gas." * a) What other benefits come from the capture or flaring of landfill gas? b) Is the landfill a net emitter or sequester of carbon? c) What would be the result - in terms of MTCE- if the landfill ceased flaring and capture? Would the landfill then be a net emitter or sequester? *from U.S Dept. of Energy homepage "Using Landfill Gas for Energy: Projects that Pay"
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*Global Warming Glossary & Definitions of Terms (EPA) in PDF format
*Rhode Island Greenhouse Gas Inventory : Appendix B - Municipal Solid Waste - Table 5- Methane Emissions from Solid Waste
*see a "Bird's Eye View" of the Johnston Central Landfill
*Using Landfill gas for energy (from Dept. of Energy site)
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