Site Visit 5/26

Yesterday, we visited a landfill and a cogenergation plant. Having never been to a landfill, I found it incredible how large the site actually was. It was interesting seeing the different old landfill sites compared to the landfill area currently in use. Below is a picture of one of the old landfills that was covered with an impermeable layer of clay.

Right next to this old landfill, there was a site that was just covered with soil. This hill just had much less vegetation:

At the base of the landfill was a system that collected the biogas to convert to electricity.

We then drove over to the landfill site that is currently in use. From the top, we watched the daily routine of the landfill- spreading waste and covering the waste in soil. One of the environmental engineers explained that the biogas is collected from both the top and the bottom of the landfill. This way, the system is much more efficient in collecting the biogas produced from the waste. At the bottom of the landfill, leachate is collected in pipes along with biogas. We also were able to see the geomembrane at the base of the landfill.

After the landfill, we went to a cogeneration plant where we learned about the facility that converts biogas to electricity and heat. Overall, I enjoyed visiting both sites and seeing first-hand how waste is disposed and how energy is extracted.