Saskatoon residents can expect some odour from city landfill as gas well project expands
The city says there may be some odour emanating from the landfill in the coming weeks as crews dig new gas wells and piping to collect more methane from decomposing waste.
According to the City of Saskatoon, there are currently about five million tonnes of waste at the landfill. Since 2014, the city has tapped this heaping mass of municipal garbage to draw out the methane, burning it to generate electricity.
The system currently produces enough energy to power 1,200 homes every year and generates about $1.3 million in revenue for the city through the sale of power to SaskPower, the city said in a news release on Monday.
When organic waste decomposes underground, in the absence of oxygen, it creates gas that’s almost equal parts carbon dioxide and methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas.
Burning the methane produces carbon dioxide, which is 25 times less harmful to the atmosphere than methane.
The city says its current wells are responsible for reducing over 50,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas produced by the landfill every year.
A map of the current methane collection sites at the Saskatoon landfill. (Courtesy: City of Saskatoon)This expansion, which is expected to take six weeks to complete, could bring that total up to 80,000 tonnes.
The work will have no impact on air quality and won’t pose a health risk to residents, the city says.
To tap the gas, the city says workers cap a section of the landfill with clay, drill vertical wells into the waste and connect them with underground piping.
Vacuum compressors then capture the gas and pipe it to a station where it’s either combusted in a flare or piped to the power generation facility.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.
Suspect in shooting of Toronto cop was out on bail
A 21-year-old man who was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a Toronto police officer this week was out on bail at the time of the alleged offence, court documents obtained by CTV News Toronto show.
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here's what they found
Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.
DEVELOPING 2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building near Montreal's City Hall, sources told Noovo Info.
Yazidi woman captured by ISIS rescued in Gaza after more than a decade in captivity
A 21-year-old Yazidi woman has been rescued from Gaza where she had been held captive by Hamas for years after being trafficked by ISIS.
A 6-year-old girl was kidnapped in Arkansas in 1995. Almost 30 years later, a suspect was identified
Nearly 30 years after a six-year-old girl disappeared in Western Arkansas, authorities have identified a suspect in her abduction through DNA evidence.
Dolphins 'smile' at each other when they play and to avoid misunderstanding, study finds
For humans, flashing a smile is an easy way to avoid misunderstanding. And, according to a new study, bottlenose dolphins may use a similar tactic while playing with each other.
Pit bulls in B.C. pet mauling tested positive for meth, cocaine, says city
Three pit bulls involved in a deadly attack on another dog last month in Kamloops, B.C., tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, and the city is going to court to have them put down.
Tax rebate: Canadians with low to modest incomes to receive payment on Friday
Canadians who are eligible for a GST/HST tax credit can expect their final payment of the year on Friday.