Landfill gas energy projects involve collecting and combusting landfill gas. The process of combustion destroys organic compounds, including methane and NMOC. During combustion, these organic compounds chemically react with oxygen in the presence of heat, breaking apart to form water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other less volatile compounds.

Nonmethane organic compounds are contained in discarded items such as household cleaning products, materials coated with or containing paints and adhesives, and other items. During the waste decomposition process, NMOC can be stripped from the waste by methane, carbon dioxide, and other gases and carried in landfill gas.

Landfill gas recovery projects provide a highly effective means of reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, whether the landfill gas is combusted by flare, electricity generation equipment, or another end use system. By using the otherwise wasted methane contained in the collected landfill gas to generate electricity or directly as a fuel, fossil fuels such as oil and coal are displaced.

Concentrations of NMOC in uncontrolled landfill gas can vary depending on several factors, including the type of waste discarded in the landfill, the climate surrounding the landfill, and the physical properties of the individual organic compound. A default concentration of 595 parts per million by volume (ppmv) of NMOC is presented in EPA’s Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors (AP-42).

Landfill gas can be an asset when it is used as a source of energy to create electricity or heat. It is classified as a medium-Btu gas with a heating value of 350 to 600 Btu per cubic foot, approximately one-half that of natural gas. Landfill gas can often be used in place of conventional fossil fuels in certain applications. It is a reliable source of energy because it is generated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Approximately 60 percent of all municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in the United States is currently being disposed of in roughly 1,800 operational MSW landfills, as referenced in EPA’s Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2004. Landfills are the largest single human source of methane emissions in the United States, accounting for 25 percent of all methane sources.

Landfill gas is generated during the natural process of bacterial decomposition of organic material contained in MSW landfills. A number of factors influence the quantity of gas that a MSW landfill generates and the components of that gas. These factors include, but are not limited to, the types and age of the waste buried in the landfill, the quantity and types of organic compounds in the waste, and the moisture content and temperature of the waste.

By volume, landfill gas is about 50 percent methane and 50 percent carbon dioxide and water vapor. It also contains small amounts of nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen, less than 1 percent NMOC, and trace amounts of inorganic compounds. Some of these compounds have strong, pungent odors (for example, hydrogen sulfide, or H2S). Nonmethane organic compounds consist of certain HAP and VOC, which can react with sunlight to form ground-level ozone (smog) if uncontrolled.

All Canadians need to get involved in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases that cause climate change, as well as air pollution. Making use of the Government's public transit tax credit and increasing your use of public transit to help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in our cities, and greenhouse gas emissions that impact on our climate. Consulting the ecoENERGY for Personal Vehicles program to help you choose more eco-friendly vehicles.

By 2010, the Climate Savers Computing Initiative seeks to reduce global CO2 emissions from the operation of computers by 54 million tons per year, equivalent to the annual output of 11 million cars or 10–20 coal-fired power plants.5 Under the assumptions detailed below (see footnote No. 6), total power consumption for PCs shipped in 2010 will be reduced by over 50%, for a total savings of 62 billion kWh in 2010, worth more than $5.5 billion (at an average cost of $0.0885/kWh).

Greenhouse gas emissions are gases that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Without greenhouse gases the average global temperature would go from 59 degrees Fahrenheit to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. The most notable greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), halocarbons that contain fluorine such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) (EPA 2003c). Each greenhouse gas differs in its ability to hold heat.

Scientists know for certain that human activities are changing the composition of Earth's atmosphere. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide (CO2 ), in the atmosphere since pre-industrial times have been well documented. There is no doubt this atmospheric buildup of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is largely the result of human activities. It's well accepted by scientists that greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere and tend to warm the planet.

Organic contaminants in water originate from many different sources. They may be natural or man-made, including domestic sewage, urban run-off, industrial effluents, and farming. Man-made contaminants are particularly concerning as some of them cause serious adverse health effects, such as cancer and birth defects in animals and humans. In recent years persistent organic pollutants, also known as POPs, received much attention.

Dioxins and furans are a group of toxic chemical compounds, known as persistent organic pollutants, that share certain similar chemical structures and biological characteristics. Dioxins/furans are released into the air as byproducts of many combustion processes, such as incinerating municipal waste, burning fuels (e.g., wood, coal, or oil), and some industrial processes such as the bleaching of pulp and paper.

Landfill gas is created by the decomposition of waste and is approximately 50% methane, 50% carbon dioxide with trace amounts of a variety of other compounds. Methane is a reliable and renewable fuel source that can be collected and used in a variety of applications such as producing electricity. For more information on landfill gas visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) at www.epa.gov

VOCs include gasoline, industrial chemicals such as benzene, solvents such as toluene and xylene, tetrachloroethylene, and perchloroethylene (the principal dry cleaning solvent). Many volatile organic compounds are hazardous air pollutants, and are known, or suspected, carcinogens. Benzene, for example, causes cancer.

There are many actions that individuals can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Please visit the “Take Action” to find out how. Government of Canada – One-Tonne Challenge - Frequently Asked Questions http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/onetonne/english/faq.asp copy; 2001 - 2005 New Brunswick Climate Change Public Education and Outreach Hub. All Rights Reserved.

Natural gas is primarily methane, which is a major greenhouse gas. Methane is emitted directly to the atmosphere from sources such as leaks in natural gas wells and pipelines and is produced in landfills, sewage treatment facilities and livestock operations. Other major greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides are produced when natural gas is burned for heating and electric power production.

Keep your car in good repair, and your emissions low, by following your manufacturer's scheduled maintenance guidelines. You can also: Check your tire pressure with an accurate gauge every two weeks. Low tires are often impossible to detect visually, and can waste as much as 10% of your fuel. Change your oil every 3,000 miles. Oil reduces engine friction, and regular changes can increase gas mileage - saving our air and your money. Change your air filter regularly.

The greenhouse gas estimates presented here are full fuel-cycle estimates, combining the three major greenhouse gases emitted by motor vehicles: Full fuel-cycle estimates include all steps in the use of a fuel, from production and refining to distribution and final use. This gives a more complete picture of the climate change impacts of using a particular fuel. Some greenhouse gases have greater impacts on climate than others.

Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2004. U.S. EPA, Office of Atmospheric Programs. EPA/430/R-06-002. April 15, 2006. This report presents estimates by the United States government of U.S. human-related greenhouse gas emissions and sinks for the years 1990 through 2004. The information provided in this inventory is presented in accordance with the Revised 1996 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.

The public health, safety, and environmental concerns fall into three categories: subsurface migration, surface emissions/air pollution, and odor nuisance. Subsurface migration is the underground movement of landfill gas from landfills to other areas within the landfill property or outside the landfill property. (Note: Most subsurface migration occurs at older, unlined landfills because there is minimal barrier for lateral migration.

Landfill Gas Primer: An Overview for Environmental Health Professionals. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. November 2001. This primer was designed to provide environ­mental health professionals with a general understanding of landfill gases and to help them respond to community concerns that may be related to landfill gas issues. It provides basic information about the composition, formation, and movement of landfill gas.

Off-gassing from synthetic furnishings and building materials such as carpeting and particleboard products, paints, cleaning supplies and tobacco smoke can produce gaseous pollutants known as volatile organic compounds or VOCs. Examples include formaldehyde, perchloroethylene, toluene, benzene and xylene. Scientists have now discovered that molds and fungi can also give off metabolic gasses that contain VOC emissions.

Organic waste can be recycled for our benefit, placing it in the landfill only fills up our landfills. We know how costly and complicated it is to site landfills. Organic waste placed in landfills produces methane gas, which contributes to global warming unless it is collected and utilized.

One of the reasons we became seriously interested in organics is the information we learned about climate control. We are committed to creating a simpler, more fulfilled, healthier and longer life for our customers, ourselves, the people who work the farms, the people from whom we buy product and services, and our hard working staff. We are committed to making our collective future better for us, the animals that share our planet, our children, and children's children.

Landfill gas, which is primarily composed of methane gas and carbon dioxide, is a natural by-product of decomposing refuse and is found in all landfills. At times, landfill gas, depending on a number of factors, can be found to be odorous.