County Line Landfill Celebrates New Renewable Energy Project for Earth Day
Republic Services held an open house in celebration of Earth Day with Aria Energy at the new landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) project at County Line Landfill. The six-megawatt project began operations in late 2014, and is capable of generating enough renewable energy to power more than 3,200 homes in Fulton and Marshall Counties.
“We believe the local environment is worth every effort we can make to protect and preserve it for future generations,” said Jevon Herman, area president of Republic Services. “That is one reason why we think about landfills differently than most. Today’s landfill can help to regenerate the air, water and land in a local ecosystem, and it can create a renewable power source from items discarded years ago. This renewable energy project at County Line Landfill will help make every day Earth Day in northern Indiana for years to come.”
Republic Services partnered with Aria Energy to develop the County Line LFGTE project. Republic Services and Aria Energy have partnered on four projects to date with a combined generation capacity of more than 39.6 megawatts of electrical power. Republic Services and Aria are currently working on two additional projects, which combined are expected to create another 15 megawatts of electrical power.
“Aria Energy is very pleased to partner with Republic Services at County Line,” said Richard M. DiGia, president and CEO of Aria Energy. “This project contributes to our ongoing efforts to convert municipal landfill waste into clean and reliable baseload renewable energy for homes and businesses.”
LFGTE projects typically involve capturing methane from biogas, which is generated as waste decomposes within a landfill. The methane is converted into renewable energy sources, in this case electricity. This process can displace the use of fossil fuels for energy generation and use, which can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a community.
According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculations, three megawatts of energy produced from landfill gas is equivalent to preventing carbon emissions generated by the consumption of 16.6 million gallons of gasoline. Based on these calculations, the carbon emissions prevented by the County Line LFGTE project from entering the air is equivalent to eliminating the consumption of more than 32 million gallons of gasoline.
Republic Services employs 120 people throughout the South Bend, Elkhart, Plymouth and Rochester area, who serve 14 municipalities and approximately 4,000 commercial customers. Republic operates two hauling divisions, a recycling facility, transfer station, and landfill in the area.
Nationwide, Republic Services operates 73 LFGTE projects that capture and convert enough landfill gas into energy to power more than 250,000 homes per year. According to the EPA, the carbon emissions that these projects prevent from entering the air is equal to removing more than four million cars from our roads or planting more than 4.5 million acres of trees each year.
Republic Services is dedicated to maintaining a balance between its business operations and protecting the environment and communities it serves. Known as the Blue PlanetTM sustainability initiative, the Company is defining its approach to environmental responsibility through decreased vehicle emissions, innovative landfill technologies, use of renewable energy, community engagement and employee growth opportunities. To view Republic’s 2014 Sustainability Report, go to www.republicservices.com/sustainabilityreport.
