The site is owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago, and was operated by John Sexton Sand and Gravel. The site has a waste footprint of about 130 acres, with an existing waste-in-place volume of about 11.6 million cubic yards. The site accepted municipal solid waste (MSW) throughout its active life. Waste received included small quantities of construction and demolition debris, and some liquid waste.
The site is an unlined landfill that was constructed consistent with practices current at the time operations began and therefore without a bottom leachate collection system, geomembrane liner, or a re-compacted soil bottom liner. The natural existing in-situ clay has provided the lining for the landfill. A leachate management system has been installed in recent years. A low permeability soil cover with a minimum thickness of 3 feet was placed over the intermediate cover when the site stopped accepting MSW. The actual soil cover in-place at the landfill is reported to be from 8 feet up to 20 feet in total thickness.
Landfill Gas
Landfill gas (LFG) is a powerful greenhouse gas. LFG is the natural byproduct of the actions of anaerobic bacteria that cause the organic matter that exists within a landfill to decompose. LFG has the rather consistent composition of 55 percent methane and 42 to 45 percent carbon dioxide with lesser amounts of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and minute concentrations of other gases. The capture of this waste component of the landfill maturation process has considerable environmental benefits. The emission into the atmosphere of LFG is a major contributor to global warming accounting for over 35% of the man-made methane emissions in the United States. The migration of LFG under ground from a landfill can cause groundwater contamination or has the potential to build up in a closed area or a building and become an explosive hazard. The removal of the LFG will facilitate the return of this property to a productive use such as a golf course.
Methane, the major component of LFG, is the principal constituent of natural gas and, therefore, landfill gas is an alternative fuel to natural gas, fuel oil or coal. This waste product can be put to a productive use through the use as fuel for the generation of electrical energy. Power produced and sold from LFG fueled electrical generation facilities is one of the most reliable sources of renewable energy.
Approximately 200 LFG extraction wells are in place covering the perimeter and most interior areas of the Des Plaines landfill. Initially, LFG was collected around the edge of the landfill and then vented to the atmosphere in order to prevent migration of LFG to neighboring properties. In 1998, with the aim to develop an electricity generation project, some of the emissions were collected to measure emissions volume and flow rates. A flare was installed to destroy the LFG until it could eventually be used in a power generating unit.
The emission reduction project, comprising the aggregate LFG collection and destruction capacity operating at the Des Plaines landfill and described in this Exhibit A (the “Project”), now uses most of the LFG to produce electrical energy. By 2002, vertical gas extraction wells, laterals, header lines, condensate driplegs, and a blower/flare unit were installed, and Sexton Energy had replaced the older flare as part of the Project. The replacement utility flare device is located on the south side of the landfill.
The blower/flare unit was installed to collect the LFG from the wells and burn off the collected LFG thus reducing net emissions of LFG. The unit consists of a trailer-mounted 8-inch diameter utility flare with a single centrifugal gas fan-type blower manufactured by Aerovent, and a control panel. The blower is powered by a 50 HP direct drive electric motor. Flow is measured at the flare (and is now measured at the generator, see below) using a flow meter manufactured by the Sponsler Company (Model SP6-CB-PH7-D-4X) rated to measure flows in the range of 250 to 2,900 cubic feet per minute (cfm) as indicated on the flow meter nameplate.
The location supports the Project’s 3500 kilowatt electrical generation facilities. In 2004, operations started to generate electricity using the LFG. A power plant is housed in a building located adjacent to the landfill on land provided by the Archdiocese. It has 2 internal combustion engines of 1750 kilowatts each that turn electric generators to produce and deliver the power output to Commonwealth Edison (Com Ed). Sexton Energy LLC has a contract with Com Ed in which Com Ed takes all of the output from the facility. This Project’s energy is being sold to Com Ed for inclusion in the local distribution of electricity, without conveying to Com Ed any rights to the emissions reductions associated with capturing and destroying the LFG. Com Ed will purchase the power delivered to it during the life of the facility under the rates filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC)."
AtmosClear Climate Club Buys VERs from Des Plaines Landfill
In order to buy VERs from the Des Plaines landfill for the benefit of its members, AtmosClear had to confirm that the ERs would meet the standards of the Environmental Resources Trust’s GHG Registry, an independent organization whose mission is to provide support for, assist in, and effect financial transactions and other activities that result in a net environmental benefit, as well as to support the development of new markets for environmental benefits. All GHG Registry VERs must be:
- A reduction of actual emissions resulting from specific and
identifiable actions. - Quantifiable by an acceptable, transparent and replicable calculation methodology. Raw data must be available to verify/audit the calculation.
- Surplus (additional) to emission reductions that may be required by existing regulatory requirements.
In addition, ownership of VERs must be clearly demonstrated by contract or written agreement.
The above criteria were confirmed as “satisfied” for the Des Plaines landfill emission reductions as a result of an independent audit by the Environmental Resources Trust. This positive outcome enabled CoolClimate, the administrator of AtmosClear, to purchase the VERs from Sexton Energy, which produced and owns the VERs (Sexton acquired all rights to ERs and VERs from the landfill owner). Purchases are made according to a contract between CoolClimate LLC and Sexton Energy, which requires that all VERs meet the GHG Registry criteria. All purchased VERs are deposited into the AtmosClear/CoolClimate account with the GHG Registry. They are then transferred to a retirement account when individual serialized VERs are assigned to AtmosClear customers and Climate Club members.
UPDATE: During July 2008, this project is being put through the tests of the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS). A review of the project and all background information along with a site visit to Des Plaines was conducted by independent globally-renowned auditor on July 23, and their report is forthcoming.
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