“The Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority is dedicated to conserving natural resources,” says Michael Pavelek, executive director of GLRA. “Not only will this facility generate electricity from a renewable fuel, but we will also work to raise awareness in the community about the benefits of alternative energy.” The project continues GLRA and PPL's long-standing commitment to energy and environmental education. Also, the landfill's innovative water treatment and operating practices already have gained national recognition and serve as field laboratories for three local universities.

Endorser of the Year

CIFAL-Atlanta

CIFAL-Atlanta has successfully promoted landfill gas energy projects on a global scale. CIFAL-Atlanta co-hosted its second workshop with LMOP in Davis, Calif., in September 2007. The Greening Solid Waste Practices workshop brought together local government officials and solid waste experts from around the world to share best practices in solid waste management. A key goal of the forum was to assist participating local governments in achieving the U.N. Millennium Development Declaration on environmental sustainability through the implementation of landfill gas energy projects.

“We are proud to partner with LMOP to host training workshops,” says Jennifer Wilson, program director of environmental sustainability at CIFAL-Atlanta. “CIFAL-Atlanta has found methane capture and reuse to be the single most effective means by which governments can decrease greenhouse gas emissions, utilize a local energy source, and secure additional revenue.”

Approximately 100 senior-level policymakers, elected officials and solid waste professionals from the public and private sector explored sustainable solid waste management policy, public-private partnerships, project development, greenhouse gas reductions and alternative solid waste management practices. Ten attendees represented countries outside the United States.

The workshop was hosted by Yolo County, Calif. For years, the county's landfill has been a leader in the research and development of alternative solid waste management practices, including producing energy from landfill gas. Participants toured the facility, which is engaged in energy production and leachate recirculation, and hosts an anaerobic digester.

As always, LMOP is proud to honor this year's award winners, which demonstrate creativity, persistence and leadership, and also enjoy economic and environmental benefits. The pool of winners shows that landfill gas is a viable energy option for a wide cross-section of the country — government agencies, private industry, utilities, hospitals, non-profit organizations and ordinary citizens.

In addition, this year's awards highlight that with more and more communities demanding green power and reduced environmental impact, landfills of all sizes are turning into valuable assets.

Victoria Ludwig is a program manager for the EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program. Joe Fanjoy is a technical writer for Eastern Research Group.

ABOUT LMOP

LMOP is a voluntary technical assistance and partnership program that helps businesses and communities reduce methane emissions from landfills by encouraging the recovery and use of landfill gas as a renewable energy source. Approximately 435 landfill gas energy projects currently operate in the United States. These projects have multiple benefits, including generating revenue from energy production and offsetting the use of non-renewable resources such as coal, natural gas and oil. Plus, projects prevent methane — a potent contributor to global climate change — from entering the atmosphere.

LMOP also supports international project development through the Methane to Markets Partnership. For example, LMOP has conducted workshops and completed pre-feasibility landfill studies in Brazil, China and India, to name a few. EPA encourages private sector entities, development banks, non-governmental organizations, and financial and technical experts to join the Methane to Markets Project Network to participate in the development of methane capture and use projects internationally. To learn more about international project development resources and opportunities, visit the partnership's Web site at www.methanetomarkets.org

HOW DOES LMOP HELP DEVELOP LANDFILL GAS ENERGY PROJECTS?

To encourage the use of landfill gas, LMOP provides software tools, marketing assistance, access to technical experts and tailored technical services to facilitate development of landfill gas energy projects. For these award-winning projects, LMOP provided various types of technical assistance, including identifying candidate landfills and end users, meeting with partners and conducting site visits, identifying funding or incentives, and promoting projects through ribbon-cuttings events or poster sessions. LMOP has provided technical assistance to 330 of the 349 projects that have started since LMOP's inception in 1994.

With hundreds of landfills still untapped, LMOP would like to assist in identifying other project opportunities. Specifically, LMOP works to:

• Assess landfills that are viable candidates for project development.

• Estimate energy potential from landfills and match the supply to end-user demands.

• Conduct preliminary feasibility studies for landfill gas energy projects.

• Provide technical expertise in the use of landfill gas in boilers and other thermal applications.

• Promote the environmental and economic benefits of landfill gas energy projects.

For more information about LMOP, visit the program's Web site at www.epa.gov/lmop or contact Victoria Ludwig, Program Manager, at (202) 343-9291 or ludwig.victoria@epa.gov.