Treehugger interviews Wes Muir of Tontitown

TH:- The gas collection and control system at the Tontitown, Arkansas landfill uses approximately 75 gas extraction wells (as pictured) to collect landfill gases generated by decomposing waste. Thermal destruction of collected gases occurs at a central, high-temperature flare. Why was this necessary?

WM:-In 2001, we began addressing issues related to methane gas seeping into and impacting the groundwater in areas around the Tontitown landfill. We voluntarily installed this system because it was the most effective option, one that went beyond standard Federal and State regulatory requirements. Further, we worked with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality to ensure the landfill gas system was installed faster than would have been required by standard administrative procedures. (See detailed discussion of this matter here.) In fact, the majority of the gas collected from the landfill comes from areas that are not related to the remediation of the groundwater problem. These areas, which are above and beyond regulatory requirements, are what have generated the carbon offsets that have been certified, independently audited, registered on the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), and sold to Terrapass.

Read the full interview at Treehugger