District of Squamish has awarded a $806,755 contract for the Squamish landfill gas collection system, which will reduce significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs) entering the atmosphere.
The tender was awarded to Whistler Excavations.
The Squamish Landfill currently has a passive landfill gas collection system, where gas is captured and vented out into the atmosphere via venting stacks.
Without the gas collection system, the Squamish Landfill will emit approximately 677 tonnes of methane into the atmosphere in 2020 and will peak between 712 to 859 tonnes in 2027.
The district is not required to install a landfill gas management facility, but it will reduce methane entering the atmosphere from the landfill by about 75%.
That would be about 500 tonnes in 2021. The 500 tonnes of methane is approximately equivalent to one year of greenhouse gas emissions from 2,700 passenger cars, according to the district.
District also has plans to convert the methane into CO2, which is a much less potent greenhouse gas than methane.
“Our goal is to begin utilizing this gas, either by selling it to Fortis or another partner, or using it ourselves. However, we must first assess the amount and the composition of gas that the system produces before determining an end use,” said Ian Picketts, the Manager of Sustainability and Climate Change.
The work is expected to continue until this fall. Due to COVID 19, flexibility in scheduling and project delivery will be given to the contractor.
