Eco Factor: New York’s Ontario County planning garbage-to-gas utility.
New York’s Ontario County is planning to build a $100 million plant that could make use of the trash collected in landfills. If the plan is finalized, Casella Waste Systems, which is already operating a landfill in the town of Seneca, will build a $5 million pilot plant there. Currently the landfill receives about 2,200 tons of trash a day from 33 different counties.
Apart from reducing waste and generating fuel, the plant would create jobs and potentially generate revenue through the sale of methanol that would be created. Casella Waste Systems has stated that with the raw materials they’re having, they could generate over 100 gallons of methanol or diesel fuel for every hour the plant operates.
The Dark Side:
Opponents of the project fear that since landfill waste is a mix of everything, burning trash for fuel might create the risk of toxins being released into the atmosphere and could also pollute the freshwater sources.
Via: CleanTechnica
