1) A community generates 225 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste per year.
a. What is the actual average annual production of methane that a community should expect from the landfill operation in BTU per year?(For Part A, show all of your work.)
Heat Value = 530 Btu/ft3 (19,730 kJ/m3).
Average methane yield = 3,900 ft3/ton.”
BTU/year = 225 ton x 3,900 ft3 x 530 BTU
= 465,075,000 or 465 x 106 BTU/year
b. What are the factors, laws, or standards that can limit the amount of methane production in the landfill? (Your total response for Part B should be at least 200 words.)
Permits
The landfill owners are required to obtain permits and satisfy the requisite regulations. There are local land use approvals from the local planning agencies, state solid waste facility permits, waste discharge requirements and air quality permits from the local air districts.
Legislation
There are legislations that provide framework for the reduction of GHG emissions governing the waste sector aimed at meting California’s waste reduction goals. The AB 32 aims to reduce the GHG emissions to the levels of 1990 by 2020 as well as reducing the emissions 80% below the 1990 levels by 2050. One of these early action measures is the control of landfill methane emissions. Also, the scoping plan of 2008 provided the need for commercial recycling and programs that provide alternative methods to landfilling. The ARB landfill measure which was adopted in 2009 imposes landfill gas collection and control system requirements aimed to reduce methane emissions from the landfills. The enforcement of the ARB landfill measure is expected to lead to emission reduction of 1.5 MMTCO2e which is higher than the 1.0 MMTCO2e goal.
