Dive summary:
- The Moretown landfill in Waterbury, Vermont has completed the first phase in attempt to eliminate, or at least lower, the amount of noxious odors coming from the landfill.
- Two acres of the site have now been temporarily capped; the odors have been minimized but the conditions are not yet ideal.
- The Moretown landfill has become notorious in recent months over its severe odor problems.
From the article:
Neighbors have been complaining for years about the stink wafting from the landfill; this year, complaints skyrocketed, in part due to rotten egg odors released during the construction of the temporary cap.
The landfill has a gas collection system designed to vacuum gas from decomposing trash out of the landfill, preventing it from escaping into the air. That gas is then used to produce enough electricity to power 2,600 homes, or it is burned. But when water gets into the gas collection system, which is common, it lowers the system’s ability to vacuum out gas. This allows gas to escape out of the surface of the landfill into the air and waft around the neighborhood, leading to the recent complaints. ...