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• California Climate Change Portal
• Climate Action Team
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Climate Change and Solid Waste Management

Landfill Methane Capture Strategy

CalRecycle has identified a Climate Action Team (CAT) strategy for increasing landfill methane capture to reduce methane emissions by 2020. The Landfill Methane Capture Strategy includes three core components:

• Install new methane control systems at landfills currently without control systems.
• Maximize landfill methane capture efficiencies by optimizing landfill design, operation, and closure/postclosure practices.
• Increase recovery of landfill gas for use as a biomass renewable energy source to replace energy from nonrenewable fossil fuel sources.

Install New Methane Control Systems at Landfills Currently Without Control Systems

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a new regulation that reduces emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas, from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The regulation, which became effective June 17, 2010, is a discrete early action greenhouse gas emission reduction measure, as described in the California Global Warming Solutions Act (“AB 32”). The regulation primarily requires owners and operators of certain uncontrolled MSW landfills to install gas collection and control systems, and requires existing and newly installed gas and control systems to operate in an optimal manner. The regulation allows local air districts to voluntarily enter into a memorandum of understanding with CARB to implement and enforce the regulation and to assess fees to cover costs.

Maximize Landfill Methane Capture Efficiencies

CalRecycle retained SCS Engineers to develop a guidance document to help landfill operators and regulators evaluate potential actions to achieve additional greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from landfills beyond what are currently occurring with existing landfill practices. The study is based on an evaluation of existing state-of-the-practice technologies, as reflected in published literature, reports to regulatory agencies, and the project team's familiarity and experience with specific landfill and landfill gas practices and projects.

The report evaluates various technologies and practices and describes practical and cost-effective site-specific measures that can be used on a voluntary basis to reduce GHG emissions from landfills in California. The technologies include landfill gas, landfill, and alternative waste management strategies that can serve to reduce methane emissions from landfills.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board (now known as CalRecycle) held a public workshop on February 26, 2008, to present a summary of the draft report and various suggested best management practices and solicit comments from interested parties. The final report--Technologies and Management Practices for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Landfills--is now available.

Two other projects are currently under way to improve estimates of methane emissions from landfills and to reduce fugitive emissions of methane from landfills.

• Biocover at Landfills Methane Emissions Reduction Demonstration Project. In April 2008 CIWMB approved a $100,000 contract with the Yolo County (MS Word, 71 KB) to assess and demonstrate the long-term performance, effectiveness, and maintenance requirements of using a biologically active cover, or biocover, consisting of suitable, readily available organic material, to help mitigate methane emissions over the surface of a landfill. The project has been completed and the final report is now available.
• Improved Inventory Methods for Landfill Methane Emissions from California Landfills. This project was initiated by the California Energy Commission in cooperation with CalRecycle to develop improved methods for estimating landfill methane emissions in the context of the California greenhouse gas inventory. Begun in February 2007, this three-year project (Adobe PDF, 295 KB) includes inventory method development with theoretical/empirical modeling; selective data collection, analysis, and validation; and field validation of methodology with feedback for method/model adjustments. This poster (Adobe PDF, 781 KB) depicts the major elements of the project and is provided courtesy of the California Energy Commission. (Disclaimer: The scanned poster image is not searchable. If you require special accommodation to access this document pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Office of Public Affairs at (916) 341-6300 or opa@calrecycle.ca.gov.)

Increase Recovery of Landfill Gas as a Biomass Renewable Energy Source

CalRecycle is providing technical assistance and incentives, and further developing options, in consultation with ARB, California Energy Commission, and the California Public Utilities Commission, to increase recovery of landfill gas. CalRecycle awarded two grants totaling $1 million to demonstrate commercial scale production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicle fuel from landfill gas. CalRecycle is also providing matching funding to demonstrate an innovative anaerobic composting design and process sited at a landfill to increase recovery of biogas for energy and recover a residual compost product from yard wastes otherwise used as landfill alternative daily cover.

LNG From Landfill Gas Demonstration Grants
Awarded to: Gas Technology Institute on May 15, 2007
Award Amount: $740,000
Status of Contract: Active

Gas Technology Institute, in partnership with Waste Management and Linde BOC, proposes to construct and operate a liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facility that will utilize approximately 2,600 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) of collected landfill gas (LFG) from the Waste Management Altamont Landfill in Livermore, Calif. The technical goals of the project are to remove contaminants from the LFG to purify the methane fraction; liquefy the methane fraction by cooling to cryogenic temperatures using a GTI-patented multi-refrigerant process; storage of LNG on-site; and supplying LNG to the Waste Management fleet and other consumers. This project is anticipated to produce 13,000 gallons of LNG per day and displace more than 2.8 million gallonsof diesel fuel per year. Construction of the LNG production facility has been completed and the facility is now operational.

Landfill-Based Anaerobic Digestion Compost Pilot Project (Word, 53 KB)
Awarded to: Yolo County
Award Amount: $200,000
Status of Contract: Active

The goal of this project is to assess the capabilities of a new landfill-based, in-situ, anaerobic digester technology designed to generate electricity, achieve emissions less than those of current aerobic composting technology, and be cost effective with California's tip fee structure.

More Information

More information is available regarding CalRecycle's activities in managing landfills and other solid waste facilities.