Company plans to produce energy burning landfill gas

Published 7:38 pm Thursday, October 11, 2007

BOARDMAN – The state Department of Environmental Quality wants comments by 5 p.m. Monday on a proposed pollution permit for Finley BioEnergy.

The company at 73221 Bombing Range Road plans to produce power by burning landfill gas in a two-engine generator at the Finley Buttes Regional Landfill. A DEQ document describing the agency’s proposal to issue an air contaminant discharge permit says the landfill gas is burned “in a flare that produces no beneficial use.”

Finley BioEnergy plans to burn 900 cubic feet per minute of landfill gas and produce 3.2 megawatts of power, enough to power 3,200 homes. The DEQ said the company also plans to recover waste heat from the process to heat water. It will be pumped to an adjacent onion dehydration plant, reducing its need to burn natural gas.

“This conserves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions for the onion dehydration plant,” said Mark Fisher of the DEQ’s air quality department.

The agency expects the landfill-gas generator to release particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds into the air.

“DEQ has determined that the air emissions from Finley BioEnergy will not result in a violation,” Fisher said.

More information about Finley BioEnergy’s application is available from George Holroyd, DEQ environmental engineer, at (541) 388-6146, Ext. 247 or toll free (866) 863-6668, or via e-mail: holroyd.george @deq.state.or.us.

Comments may be sent to Bonnie Hough, eastern region air quality permit coordinator, 300 S.E. Reed Market Road, Bend, OR 97702. Comments also may be faxed to (541) 388-8293 or e-mailed to hough.bonnie @deq.state.or.us.