A few years ago, the City of Riverview, Michigan was looking for innovative ways to help the environment. The City's initiative led to the creation of a new profitable and environmentally sound venture.

The City, which owns and operates the Riverview Land Preserve landfill in Wayne County, developed a project with the local utility, Detroit Edison, to recover and sell landfill gas to generate energy. By starting this landfill gas-to-energy project, the City not only took steps to improve the global environment, it also decreased the potential hazards associated with migrating landfill gas.

This landfill gas-to-energy project has helped to improve the community while filling a local need for clean energy. The project has also helped build better relations between the municipal government and local industry.

In 1987, Riverview Energy Systems (RES), a partnership between Detroit Edison and Landfill Energy Systems, developed a landfill gas-to-energy project on the 212-acre landfill. According to the terms of the project, Biomass Energy Systems, a subsidiary of Detroit Edison, collects the landfill gas and sells it to RES. RES then uses the landfill gas to create electricity with two gas turbines.

Detroit Edison purchases the electricity under a 25-year power purchase agreement. It generates enough power to meet the energy needs of over 3,700 homes. This landfill gas recovery project is the largest combustion turbine project run on landfill gas in the state of Michigan.

The City of Riverview has not only taken proactive steps to eliminate a potentially dangerous gas mitigation problem, but it has improved the quality of life for its citizens as well. Since the installation of the landfill gas recovery and electrcity generation facilities, property values surrounding the landfill have increased, and new upscale homes are being developed nearby.

The community has gained a great deal from this project. Safety has improved so much at the closed landfill that the area from which gas is collected, dubbed "Mount Trashmore," has been used as a wintertime skiing and recreation area, and a tube sledding course, and is now used as a golf practice facility.

The City of Riverview, the local utility, and the landfill have all gained economically from this project. In addition to having the project team pay for and cover all operating expenses, the City earns revenue from the project team due to a contract secured at the beginning of the project.

This project has achieved great benefits for the environment as well. The project has resulted in greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing 36,000 cars from the road, or planting 80,000 acres of trees. Perhaps more significant is the good will Detroit Edison has earned from the municipality and its customers for its innovation in generating a local source of renewable energy.

Summary of Benefits

• Greenhouse Gas Reduction
• Clean Electricity Production
• Creation of Recreation Area at Landfill Site
• Utility and Industry Working with Community

Almost all of the key players involved in this project participate in EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP). The LMOP is a voluntary program that works with project developers, utilities, landfill owner/operators, and energy users to help encourage new landfill gas-to-energy projects and develop key relationships within the landfill gas industry. Hundreds of landfills across the country are good candidates for a landfill gas-to-energy project. To find out more, please contact:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Landfill Methane Outreach Program
Climate Protection Division
401 M Street, SW (6202J)
Washington, DC 20460-0001
Phone: 1-888-782-7937
Fax: 202-775-6680