By Shelley Cohen, LMOP Program Manager

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) helps facilitate development of landfill gas (LFG0-utilization projects by providing information and hands-on assistance to the LFG industry, communities, states, and power providers. The LMOP is always working to expand its services to better meet the needs of professionals involved in the LFG industry. What follows is a list of new tools designed to minimize or remove barriers to project development.

State Resources and Options: A Handbook for Facilitation Landfill Gas-to-Energy Projects

The State Resources and Options handbook offers LFG project developers information on state-specific incentives, loans, and grants that can reduce the cost of project development.

Landfill Profiles

The LMOP has compiled information on ideal sites for LFG-utilization projects in more than 30 states. These profiles contain information on landfills with existing methane recovery projects and landfills that could cost-effectively develop projects.

Landfill Gas Projects Database Updated

The LMOP database of LFG-utilization projects has recently been updated. As of April 2000, 313 LFG-utilization projects were ongoing in the United States, another 56 projects are under construction, and 131 projects are planned. The LMOP also estimates that estimates that hundreds more economically attractive opportunities for project development remain around the country. The database is located on our Web site and will be updated after our December 2000 conference with new information collected from conference attendees.

Landfill Gas-to-Energy Project Development Guide

This one-page guide provides a user-friendly outline of the steps involved in developing successful LFG-utilization projects. Breaking down the project development process into nine steps, the guide recommends appropriate LMOP tools for each stage of the process. The guide also includes an overview of benefits from LFG projects and provides information on how to calculate emissions reductions. The piece is ideal for landfill owners and operators, communities, and others interested in a brief overview of the project development process.

Landfill Methane Outreach Program: Creating Partnerships and Power From LFG

New in December 2000, this brochure provides a brief explanation of the services that the LMOP provides to the LFG industry, communities, and power providers. The brochure describes the technical resources, financing, project marketing, permitting, and networking assistance available through the LMOP. Four case studies highlight how the LMOP’s service has had a positive impact on the industry and helped to ensure project success. The brochure also explains the LMOP’s partnership programs and describes how to become a part of the growing LFG network.

Calculate Your Success: Recycling Greenhouse Gases by Utilizing LFG

The one-page document helps partners calculate the total greenhouse gas benefits from their LFG recovery project. It also puts emissions reductions into tangible terms. For example, it can help calculate how many railcars of coal are offset by the emissions reduction from an operational project.

Let the LMOP’s resources work for you! All these products and more are available - free of charge - from our distribution center by calling 888/STAR-YES or contacting us on-line at www.epa.gov/lmop.

MSW
Nov/Dec 2000