Until the past couple of years, methane gas emissions from municipal solid waste landfills were seen as a nuisance to be reduced or contained, but some ingenuity and financial incentives have resulted in the emissions becoming a valuable commodity.

In Indiana, efforts to collect the gas and convert it into an energy source have taken on a new life. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has entered into a partnership agreement with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to participate in the national Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP).

"The U.S. EPA has resources available to help states encourage small landfill operators to find progressive ways of converting methane, which is a potent gas, into a wanted consumable," said IDEM Commissioner Thomas Easterly. "Our joint venture provides the impetus needed to jump start this effort."

All landfills generate methane, a gas created and released from the decomposition of organic waste found in landfills.  "Landfill gas is a reliable and environmentally-friendly fuel option so it's up to IDEM to educate Hoosiers that there's a real potential to harness the gas," said Travis Murphy, state coordinator for IDEM's Landfill Methane Outreach Program. "Using the gas for the beneficial purpose of energy generation rather than emitting it to the atmosphere is a major environmental benefit."

Turning landfill gas into a viable product that is cheap, reliable and environmentally-friendly benefits local economies. Energy-recovery projects generate revenue from the sale of the gas while creating jobs associated with their design, construction and operation. And because landfill gases can be recovered and used to generate electricity, property near landfills can become prime real estate with the right partnership.

"Natural partnerships can exist between landfills that must manage methane and businesses that can utilize the methane," said Easterly. "Communities benefit from the increased economic development, so these partnerships are a win-win for everyone involved."

There are already projects underway in Indiana that are using landfill gas for energy. A successful partnership was developed last year when Ohio Valley Creative, an artists' group, purchased land adjacent to the Clark-Floyd Landfill in Clarksville and embarked on constructing a center for artists. The art center uses methane from the Clark-Floyd Landfill for half of its energy needs. This methane otherwise would have been burned off into the atmosphere.

Instead of paying for a more expensive source of energy to run its large scale operations, Evansville based Mead Johnson Nutritionals, a subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb, is in the process of developing a process so that the company may begin using landfill gas from nearby Laubscher Meadows Landfill.

With the U.S. EPA agreement in place, IDEM's next steps will be to assemble a task force composed of local, state, and business representatives who will help explore funding opportunities, develop permitting standards for landfill projects, identify potential landfill projects, create a state primer defining the state's policies, and hold a statewide workshop.

Businesses, landfills and communities can obtain more information by contacting Travis Murphy directly at (317) 232-8734, toll-free at (800) 451-6027, or by e-mail at tmurphy@idem.IN.gov.

About IDEM
IDEM (http://www.idem.in.gov/) implements federal and state regulations regarding the environment. Through compliance assistance, incentive programs and educational outreach, the agency encourages and aids businesses and citizens in protecting Hoosiers and our environment. 

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