Maui, HI – Maui County has selected SCS Field Services, a division of SCS Engineers, to procure, construct and install the landfill gas collection system at the Central Maui County Landfill.
In the absence of oxygen, municipal solid waste decomposes and naturally produces “landfill gas” (LFG), a mixture of organic vapors. LFG is a potent greenhouse gas and, if not controlled, this gas can be harmful to the global environment. Thus, the County is installing a gas collection and flaring system at the Central Maui County Landfill. This is the first phase of a LFG collection system that will actively control the landfill gas, and dispose of it in an environmentally safe and responsible manner.
The LFG system is engineered to comply with federal, state and local regulations. The system consists of a series of perforated wells drilled vertically into the landfill waste. The wells are connected by horizontal pipes through which LFG flows to the enclosed ground flare station. The methane fraction of the gas is destroyed through combustion.
Landfill gas typically consists of from 45 to 50 percent carbon dioxide (CO2) and 50 to 55 percent methane (CH4), with trace concentrations of other organic vapors. The methane in LFG is 21 to 23 times more harmful to the environment than is carbon dioxide, in terms of greenhouse gas contributions. By controlling the LFG, Maui County not only complies with regulations, it also helps to protect and preserve the local and global environment.
