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January 6, 2006
Simi Valley Acorn
Disposal Company Turns Trash Into Energy
By Avi Rutschman
ENVIRONMENTALISM IN SIMI VALLEY—Part of the eco-friendly program currently in practice at Waste Management of Simi Valley includes the operation of these methane gas transformers, which the company predicts will eventually produce enough power to meet the needs of 5,000 to 7,000 homes on a daily basis.
Landfills often evoke the image of graveyards and black holes: points of no return. Once those chicken bones land in the Hefty bag, they are gone forever, destined to decompose over their remaining days.
But Waste Management, the company responsible for refuse and recycling services in Ventura County, has been utilizing a program for nearly two years that transforms trash into useful gas.
Waste Management operates the Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center and provides Ventura County with 60 percent of its daily refuse disposal needs, collecting up to 3,000 tons of trash a day.
The garbage isn’t simply dumped and forgotten, but instead is recycled back into enough energy to help power 2,500 homes in Ventura County.
Waste Management has operated a gas-to-energy project at the Simi Valley Landfill since April 2004.
“We are always seeking ways to balance our need for new energy sources with our desire to protect the environment around us, which is why the gas-to-energy project was designed to utilize a traditionally wasted resource,” Waste Management officials said.
Methane gas, a natural product of the decomposition process, is captured at the landfill and then funneled into two 16-cylinder power generators. Nearly 3 million cubic feet of gas per day is produced by the landfill.
This gas was traditionally flared off to prevent explosive pockets of gas from forming, but today it is being transformed into useful electricity. Waste Management sells the electricity to Southern California Edison, who in turn sends the methane-produced energy to local homes.
The program not only finds a productive use for the potentially lethal methane gas, but it also helps power companies to cut back their reliance on fossil fuels.
The amount of energy produced by the project will continue to grow as the amount of trash in the landfill increases. Officials at Waste Management predict that they will be able to produce enough power for 5,000 to 7,000 homes per day in the near future.
The company also hopes one day to install a liquefier to convert the methane gas into liquid natural gas, a “greener” fuel that can be used to power trucks and automobiles.
Waste Management, whose mantra is “Think Green,” employs a number of other ecofriendly programs. The company has trained falcons to scare away seagulls rather than relying on inhumane methods such as poisoning and “bird bombs.” It is also engaged in a number of habitat management programs aimed at creating wetland and coastal sage preserves.
Waste Management equipped their fleet to run on liquid natural gas this year. This has helped to reduce their air emissions by nearly 50 tons per year, the equivalent of taking 6,000 passenger cars off the road.
The Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center was founded in 1970 and has been operated by Waste Management since 1983. In addition to providing Ventura County with a place to dump its trash, the landfill has helped scientists add to the fossil record. The bones of nearly 130 extinct animals have been discovered at the site, and more continue to be uncovered as the site expands.
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