Modern Landfills Require Complex Engineering

Chart A
Source: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

Chart B
Source: Metropolitan Toronto Solid Waste Management Services

The Riverview Highlands Golf Practice Facility was built on 43.8 acres of closed solid waste disposal area at the Riverview Land Preserve, a sanitary landfill owned and operated by the city of Riverview, Mich. Riverview spent $4.2 million to reclaim the landfill. The golf practice facility features a putting green, two teeing areas and a three-hole practice course.

The Ottawa Electric Generation Station, in Coopersville, Mich., is one of several electric generation stations in the state where recovered landfill gas is used to fuel generators that produce electricity. Landfill-derived methane burns much cleaner than petroleum or coal, but only has about one-half the BTU value of natural gas.

"Okay, fill 'er up!"
Cartoon by Henry Payne