See the jump for an Arkansas Times blog item on turning the Two Pines landfill, located on the edge of town up along 67/167, into a power generator. A few years back when I was at The North Little Rock Times, we did a story on this possibility; landfills, after all, produce lots of gas (methane, if I recall), which is usually just burned off. The city and Waste Management struck up a deal to see if they could instead collect that gas and pipe it to an on-site generating station and use it to make electricity. Smart move, I think.

There's also apparently some way to declare the landfill a nature preserve, which, while counterintuitive, might be a good thing.

Click "Read More" for the official announcement, which (naturally) has to involve politicans. Hey, we're talking about gasses produced by rotting waste, aren't we?

WASTE MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE

Waste Management to Dedicate Arkansas’ First Landfill Gas to Energy Plant and
Announce New Partnership with Audubon Arkansas

Senator Blanche Lincoln, Governor Mike Beebe and Congressman Vic Snyder Scheduled to Attend Event

State and local leaders will join Waste Management executives on Tuesday, August 12, 9:30 am at the Two Pine Landfill to officially dedicate Arkansas’ first and only landfill gas-to-energy plant. This plant is part of Waste Management’s sustainable commitment to Arkansas as well as North America, unveiled this past October as part of Waste Management’s 2020 plan.

Additionally, Waste Management officials will announce a new first-of-its-kind partnership with Audubon Arkansas.

What:       Landfill Gas to Energy Plant Dedication and Announcement of New Partnership with Audubon Arkansas

When:      Tuesday, August 12 at 9:30 am

Where:     Two Pine Landfill
                  100 Two Pine Drive
                  North Little Rock, AR  72117

Who:        Senator Blanche Lincoln
                 Governor Mike Beebe  
                 Congressman Vic Snyder
                 Waste Management Executives
                 Arkansas Audubon Director Ken Smith

The Two Pine Landfill gas-to-energy plant is a 4.8 megawatt facility, providing power for approximately 4,500 homes in North Little Rock. Consisting of six large engines, it was constructed in 2006 and recently achieved full generation. The engines are powered by methane gas, which forms in the landfill as a result of the decomposition of waste.

Approximately two years ago, Waste Management and Audubon Arkansas began discussions regarding the development of a wildlife management plan for the Two Pine Landfill. This first-of-its-kind program between Waste Management and Audubon Arkansas has the potential to expand to other Waste Management landfills.  At Tuesday’s event, Waste Management officials and leaders from Audubon Arkansas will unveil the vision for Two Pine Landfill.

This past April, Waste Management received the state’s approval to expand the Two Pine Landfill. In the coming years, Waste Management plans to build an additional landfill gas-to-energy plant in the expanded landfill area.

These two projects are part of the company’s environmental sustainability initiative. Waste Management has committed to the following actions by 2020: doubling its waste based energy generation from the equivalent of generating enough energy for one million to two million homes, quadrupling the number of its sites certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council to 100 as well as set aside 25,000 acres for conservation, nearly tripling the amount of recyclables it manages to 20 million tons; and reducing its vehicle fleet emissions by 15 percent and increasing fuel efficiency by 15 percent.

Waste Management, based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries provide collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. We are also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America.

For more information, visit www.wm.com or www.thinkgreen.com

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